Are there Biblical stories that show the consequences of pride?

There are several Biblical stories that show the consequences of pride, including:

• The story of Moses and Pharaoh
• The story of David and Goliath
• The story of Nabal and David
• The story of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon
• The story of Belshazzar, king of Babylon
• The story of Haman and the Jews
• The story of Lucifer
• The story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
• The story of King Herod

Pride is an attitude of the heart that makes a person feel that they are self-sufficient and do not need anyone else to get anything done in their lives. A proud person believes that they are ahead of everyone else in terms of abilities and achievements.

In the following section, we are going to examine how several characters in the Bible were punished due to their pride.

1. The story of Moses, Pharaoh, and the 10 Plagues

The story of Moses, Pharaoh, and the 10 Plagues

This story is recorded in the book of Exodus. The Bible says that a time came when a king (Pharaoh) who never knew Joseph ascended to the throne of Egypt. This king, together with his countrymen, felt threatened by the growing population of the children of Israel and thus decided to make slaves out of them. Consequently, the children of Israel were committed to bondage for over 400 years, and then God sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt.

When Moses came to Pharaoh and asked him to release God’s people, Pharaoh adamantly refused. The Bible records Pharaoh’s arrogance in Exodus 5:1-3, which says

“Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, ‘thus says the LORD God of Israel: let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.’”

This arrogance caused God to unleash the 10 plagues upon the land of Egypt, which culminated in the release of the children of Israel from captivity. Following are the 10 plagues, the consequences of the pride of Pharaoh, as recorded in the scriptures:

Waters turned into blood; we read this in Exodus 7:20–21, which says:

“And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

The Plague of Frogs: This is recorded in Exodus 8:5–6 as follows:

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, ‘say to Aaron, ‘stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’ So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.”

The Plague of Lice: This is recorded in Exodus 8:16–17, which says

“So the LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, ‘stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’’ And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.”

The Plague of Flies: This is recorded in Exodus 8:24, which says

“And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servant’s houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.”

Livestock diseased: We find this account in Exodus 9:6-7, where it says

“So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.”

The Plague of Boils: We read about this in Exodus 9:8–10, which says

“So the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter them toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout the land of Egypt.’ Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that broke out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the Magicians and on all the Egyptians.”

The Plague of Hail: This is recorded in Exodus 9:22–26, which says

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt—on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.’ And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.”

The Plague of Locusts: We read about this in Exodus 10:12–14, which says

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left.’ So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously, there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.”

The Plague of Darkness: We find this account recorded in Exodus 9:21–23, and it says:

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

Death of the Firstborn: This account is found in Exodus 12:29–30, where it says:

“And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.”

These were the consequences of the pride of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Afterwards, he allowed God’s people to leave Egypt.

2. The story of David and Goliath

Goliath was not only a soldier in the Philistine army but also a man of great stature, that is, a giant. He defied God and the armies of Israel for forty days, but later paid the price with his own life in the hands of a young man called David. To make matters worse, David just made use of a sling and a stone; not a sword, not even a javelin, was present in his hands. We find this account in the book of 1 Samuel 17.

When David heard Goliath daring the armies of Israel, this is what he asked, as recorded in 1 Samuel 17:26

“What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

David knew deep down in his heart that no one could defy the living God and live. So he offered to fight against the giant. Because of this spirit, God was with him all the way until he brought down the giant, and using the giant’s own sword, he cut off his head. This account is recorded for us in 1 Samuel 17:42–51 as follows:

“And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, ‘am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, ‘come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!’

Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give you into our hands.’

So it was that when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone, and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, struck the Philistine, and killed him. But there was no sword in David’s hand. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it.”

This story teaches us to trust ONLY in God, not in our abilities or efforts, for the battle always belongs to Him.

3. The story of Nabal and David

The Bible tells us a story about how David helped take care of Nabal’s sheep in the wilderness. However, Nabal refused to reciprocate this good gesture by sending away David’s men empty-handed when they had gone to him to ask for food supplies. This account is recorded in 1 Samuel 25:4–10.

“When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, he sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, ‘Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore, let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’

So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David and waited.

Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away from their masters. Should I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?’”

Upon hearing what Nabal had said, David ordered his men to gird themselves with their swords in readiness to go and strike Nabal and his household (1 Samuel 25:12–13).

When Abigail, Nabal’s wife, was told how her husband had mishandled David’s men, she quickly loaded supplies onto several donkeys and went to meet David. Upon seeing David, she descended from her donkey, fell on her face, and bowed to the ground, pleading for mercy on behalf of her husband (1 Samuel 25:14–31).

On seeing this gesture, David forgave Nabal, took the supplies brought by Abigail, and returned to his place (1 Samuel 25:32–35).

By the time she returned home, her husband was still feasting, and thus, Abigail told her nothing. The following morning, Abigail told Nabal everything that had transpired the previous day. Upon hearing these things, ‘Nabal’s heart died within him, and he became like a stone’. Ten days later, the LORD struck him, and he died (1 Samuel 25:36–38).

This was the punishment Nabal received for his conceit and arrogance.

4. The story of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon who had accomplished great things in his empire and was thus greatly revered by all the nations around him. He was able to conquer many kings and subject their territories to his rule. As a result, he became conceited and arrogant and failed to honor and glorify the God of heaven, who had enabled him to achieve all these feats.

One day, while in his palace, he uttered words that triggered his expulsion from the palace to the wilderness, where he was condemned to feed on grass until seven times passed over him. Later, he acknowledged God as sovereign and was restored to his previous state.

We read this account in Daniel 4:28–36, and this is what it says:

“All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the twelve months, he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, ‘is not this great Babylon that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?’

While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He chooses.’

That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

And at the end of the time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, What have You done?

At the same time, my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me; I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, extol, and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride, He is able to put down.”

The very last verse in this passage is very instructive, as it shows what Nebuchadnezzar had learned about God, namely, that He has the power to put down all who walk in pride.

5. The story of Belshazzar, king of Babylon

After the death of King Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, his son, took over the reins of power. It is thus assumed that he was well versed in all that had happened while his father was alive.

Unfortunately, a time came when King Belshazzar seemed to have forgotten some very important lessons about the God of heaven. This happened when he held a feast for his nobles and asked his servants to bring articles of Gold and silver that were taken from God’s temple at Jerusalem, so that they could drink from them. That was a terrible mistake that ended up costing Belshazzar his life (Daniel 5:1–30).

While they were enjoying themselves, the fingers of a man’s hand suddenly appeared and wrote some words on the wall of the palace. To make matters worse, neither the king’s astrologers, Chaldeans, nor soothsayers could interpret the handwriting.

It was at that moment that the queen reminded King Belshazzar about Daniel, who had been of great help to his father, King Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar thus sent for Daniel. On being brought before the king, Daniel read and interpreted the strange writing on the palace wall. This is recorded in the book of Daniel 5:17-

“Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory, and honor. And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whoever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. BUT WHEN HIS HEART WAS LIFTED UP, AND HIS SPIRIT WAS HARDENED IN PRIDE, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and appoints over it whomever He chooses.

But you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear, or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.’”

Daniel then went on to read the words and give the interpretation, which entailed the end of the reign of King Belshazzar as recorded in Daniel 5:30:

“That very night, Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being 62, sixty-two years old.”

6. The story of Haman and the Jews

In the book of Esther 3, we learn of Haman’s conspiracy against the Jews. Why did Haman come to hate the Jews so much that he conspired to exterminate all of them? Read on to get the answer to this question.

Haman was promoted by King Ahasuerus to be in charge of all the princes in his kingdom. Given his position, Haman expected everybody in the kingdom to pay him homage by bowing in front of him.

However, a Jew called Mordecai neither bowed nor paid Haman homage. This really infuriated Haman, who immediately began plotting Mordecai’s downfall. Unfortunately, he roped in the entire Jewish community within the jurisdiction of King Ahasuerus’ kingdom. In his plot, he planned the execution of all the Jews using fabricated allegations.

In his blind pride and rage, Haman did not realize that the king’s wife, that is, Queen Esther, was in fact a Jew.

In the process of time, Esther, Mordecai, and all the Jews humbled themselves, proclaimed a fast, and asked God to intervene in their situation.

God answered the prayers of His people, and the climax of this episode was the hanging of Haman on the very gallows he had prepared for hanging Mordecai.

We read this story in Esther 7:3–10 as follows:

“Then Queen Esther answered and said, If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.’

So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, ‘who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?’

And Esther said, ‘The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!’

So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, ‘will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?’

As the last word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke well on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.’

Then the king said, ‘Hang him on it!’

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided.”

7. The story of Lucifer

The book of Isaiah tells the story of the fall of Lucifer, a highly exalted angel who became puffed up with pride to the extent of planning to dethrone God. However, his plans never materialized as he was cast down and humiliated by God.

We find this account in Isaiah 14:12–15, and this is what it says:

“How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.”

8. The story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus tells the story of a ‘self-righteous’ Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee presents himself before God as a holy and sinless person. The tax collector, on the other hand, presents himself as a sinful and lost person in need of God’s forgiveness. At the end of it all, Jesus teaches that the tax collector went home more justified than the Pharisee.

Let’s read this account as recorded in Luke 14:9–14.

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee’ stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. FOR ALL THOSE WHO EXALT THEMSELVES WILL BE HUMBLED, AND THOSE WHO HUMBLE THEMSELVES WILL BE EXALTED.’

9. The story of King Herod

In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we come across King Herod, who exalted himself after giving a very inspiring speech to the people. As a result, he was struck by an angel for failing to honor God.

We find this account in Acts 14:20–21. This is what it says:

“Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.

So on a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, ‘the voice of a god, not of a man!’ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.”

Conclusion

This article examined Biblical stories that detail the consequences of pride. The following stories were thus identified and discussed: the story of Moses and Pharaoh; the story of David and Goliath; the story of Nabal and David; the story of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; the story of Belshazzar king of Babylon; the story of Haman and the Jews; the story of Lucifer; the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector; and finally the story of King Herod. The major lesson we have learned from all these stories is that pride is destructive and should be avoided at all costs. I leave you with the words recorded in Proverbs 16:18–19 that say:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

I hope the information was helpful. Thank you.

Related Post: Why is pride considered one of the seven deadly sins

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Prayer to become a born-again Christian

“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness;

I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God.

I believe that you were sent by your Father to the earth to save sinners like me.

I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.

Come into my heart and baptize me with The Holy Spirit.

Thank you for saving me.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen!”

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Benediction

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Shalom.

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/