An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. Everything a wicked man does is sin! God rejects his looks, heart, and actions. He gets deeper in trouble every day (Ro 2:5). Even innocent things like plowing are sin (Tit 1:15-16). God once drowned the world when He saw man’s every thought was evil (Gen 6:5). Righteousness begins in a regenerated heart that has humble thoughts and motives (Pr 4:23; 14:14; 22:11). It continues in the looks of the countenance (Pr 30:13; Is 2:11), which leads to actions that honor and please the holy God (Pr 11:20; 21:27; Ps 11:7). If your heart is not right with God, fully obedient to Him, your actions are all sinful. What a horrible and damning thing is sin! The most innocent, noble, or religious activities become further condemnation when done without a pure heart. Read how the prophet rebuked Israel for spiritual slothfulness corrupting all they did (Hag 2:10-14). Solomon first condemned a high look. God hates pride, so He condemned it often. Pride trusts and glories in yourself, and God hates competitors for His own glory and praise, especially you. He knows you are nothing, and you should know it also (Ps 39:5; 62:9). God expressly hates a proud look (Pr 6:16-17). A high look is when thoughts of pride leak from your heart and affect your face, speech, and manners before Him and others. It is most despicable on the face or in the eyes of a woman, for she is further removed by office from God (Is 3:16-17; I Cor 11:3; I Tim 2:9). Let every woman lower her eyes. Solomon then condemned a proud heart. Your first duty is to keep your heart humble before God and others. You should bow your head and confess that without mercy you are lost (Luk 18:13). You must reject your own conceit and humbly condescend to others (Ro 12:16). You must esteem others better than yourself with a lowly heart (Phil 2:3-5). If you will humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, He will exalt you (I Pet 5:6). David, the man after God’s own heart, gave a great example. He prayed that he would not be guilty of either sin – a high look or a proud heart (Ps 131:1). Then he resolved to cut off any person in his house that had either of these sinful faults (Ps 101:5). Simply look around to realize that there are few with zeal for the Lord God like David. Most parents idolize their children and cannot imagine or stomach holy resolutions like David’s. Solomon also condemned the plowing of the wicked. What can you learn about sin in light of the plowing of the wicked? Even natural and apparently innocent activities that are duties of God and nature become sin when done by a man with a wicked heart. Following a plow, a duty of man to feed himself, is sin when it is done by a wicked man.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 05:13:05 +0000