Pride גָּאוֹן

We are in chapter twenty-six of Leviticus with our word for today used for the first time in the Bible in our chapter. גָּאוֹן height, eminence, pride, presumption, exaltation, majesty. It is used 49 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense of stateliness, impressiveness in scale or proportion. God is the one referred to with our word on several occasions. Exodus 15:7 In the greatness of גְּאוֹנְךָ֖ your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. Job 37:4 After it his voice roars; he thunders with גְּאוֹנ֑וֹ his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. Isaiah 2:10 Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of גְּאֹנֽוֹ his majesty. People and nations are also referred to with our word. Psalm 47:4 He chose our heritage for us, the גְּא֨וֹן pride of Jacob whom he loves. Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and גְּא֣וֹן pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. Our word is also used in the sense of pride, unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem. Job 35:12 There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the גְּא֣וֹן pride of evil men. Psalm 59:12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped בִגְאוֹנָ֑ם in their pride. Zechariah 10:11 The גְּא֣וֹן pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. This is how our word is used in our chapter. Leviticus 26:19-20 And I will break the גְּא֣וֹן pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. As we saw yesterday God disciplined his people in three different ways. The point was to brake their pride so they would stop straying away from Him. The best and safest place to be is close to God. Sin separates us from God but the good news is that because of what Christ has accomplished on the cross we can be close to God again. If we are prideful we are not open to seeing our sin the way God does and repenting from it. We see this throughout the Bible. Here is a great New Testament example. James 4:6-10 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. I’ll close with this great reminder and use of our word. Proverbs 16:18 גָּא֑וֹן Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.