sermonette: The Pride of the Ephraimites

Pride Goes Before a Fall
Ted E. Bowling
Given 26-Apr-03; Sermon #609s; 13 minutes

Description: (show)

---

Good afternoon everyone. Please turn to Proverbs 16 and verse 18. Proverbs 16:18 and 19. 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. Now, recently, we have been seen in the news almost every day over the last month, the war with Saddam, and we have had a very good example. Of what pride produces. We realize that pride produces arrogance, anger. Lying impatience. Competition and fighting. The definition of pride is an undue sense of one's superiority or arrogance. Other words for pride are conceit, smugness, self-importance, haughtiness. Uh, overconfidence and egotism. And the antonym of pride would be humility. Now, I would like to focus on a story in the Bible, which is another example of pride going before destruction. I'd like for you all to please turn to the book of Judges, and I want to read verses 1 through 6. Judges 12 verses 1 through 6. Now, before I start reading, This is the story of Jaffa, and really the story of Jeffa begins in the 11th chapter and Basically, I just want to summarize for a moment. Jeffy was a monasite the illegitimate son of Gilead, and because he was the son of a harlot. And so he was a man that was a man without any inheritance, and he was hated by his family, especially his half-brothers. And the people of Gilead and his brothers drove him out of the land, and he fled to the land of Taub, which is in the area of Samir of Syria. And um he was there for unknown amount of time, but in the course of that time, Amman went to battle with Israel, wanting the land back that had been taken, that God had given them the land of the Amorites, and now Amman was demanding that land and They need a leader, and so the people of the Gileadites went to Jaffa and they asked him to be their leader. And they, and he did return to lead them and he was made the captain of their army and then at that point he was made the leader of the Gillekites. He first tried to negotiate with the Ammonites but without any success, so they did go to war, and he did lead them over through victory for the land of Israel. The final thing about in this chapter is that he did make a vow to God for a victory that Uh, who whatever he's seen come out his front door that he would offer that as a sacrifice to God and that ended up being his daughter, his only daughter. Now, beginning in chapter 12, the heading of my Bible says Jephla's conflict with Ephraim. Uh, perhaps I think a better title for that would be the Pride of the Ephraimites. Judges 12:1. Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over to Zephon. Now, a good point about this is that where this crosses over, they actually turned northward. The area of the Gillenites were of three basic tribes at the top of the Nasa, Middle Gadd, the lower section, being Reuben, and this, this tribe, when they crossed over, they actually turned north. They went directly toward the Nasites, their brother. OK. Now, They asked Jephtha, why did you cross over to fight against the people of Amman and did not call us to go with you. We will burn your house down on you with fire. And Jephthaus said to them, My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Amman. And when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. So I saw that you would not deliver me. I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Oman. And the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight with me? Now Jethel gathered together the men of all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim, and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim because they said, You Gileonites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Menasites. The Gillenites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when the Ephraimites, when any Ephraimite who escapes said, Let me cross over, the men of Gilead would say to them, Are you an Ephraimite? And if he said no, then they would say to him. Uh, then say syllabeth, and he would say syllabus, for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan, and there fell all, and there fell at that time, 42,000 Ephraimites. Now If Jeffa and his armies had just completed this difficult war with the people of Amman and God did give him the victory. At this point, you would think that the Ephraimites would be ready to give them support, praise and thanks, and you would think that that would be the order of the day. After such a great battle, a pat on the back for a job well done, and to say thank you for defending Israel against the common enemy. But the inframites were full of pride. They were a proud people with a cloud of judgment and an inability to reason properly. And that pride led to the death of 42 Heremites. The men of the men of the tribe of Ephraim were very angry with Jephfa. The pride of the Ephraimites caused them to lie and to feel insulted. They even, and even though they had asked for, even though if Jeva had asked for their cooperation. They were still angry that they did not have a central and esteemed role in the victory of the Amorites. It is apparent that the people of Ephraim were more concerned about getting the credit than seeing a job done. So we see that pride blinded them to the point where they were unable to see God and that God was with Jephfa and the Gilonites. Pride blinded them that they were unable to see that. That God had appointed Jeffa. The judge over all of them and as a leader. And they spoke to him in a very condescending and sarcastic way, and he was innocent of the charges that they were making against him. Pride caused them or prevented them to take to heart the logical and reasonable explanation that Jepha had given them in the course of his action against this hostile enemy. And pride prevented them from seeing the sacrifice that Jeff personally made, as you remember when the Ephraimites came to him. They were mad and angry, but at this point in Jeff's life, he was probably very upset. He had made a vow to God. When he said that whoever comes out of my door. I will sacrifice. And that was his daughter. And if her sacrifice was then to die or just to live out her days in the service of the temple, she was still the only daughter he had, and he did feel a great loss. If the Euphemites have been displaying a proper character, they would have shown him, would have seen the sacrifice and would consoled him. They would have thanked him for a job well done. They would have mourned with him and gave him the proper support that he needed. Instead, they could only see their own needs and their own interests. Focusing on ourselves will prevent us from seeing the needs of our brethren around us. Pride caused them to think that they were superior to their brothers. The Ephraimites looked at the Gilenites as fugitives and scum and outcasts of the tribes of Ephraim and Manassa, and perhaps this is the reason that they would not follow Jephtha when he asked for their help with the people of Oman. Perhaps they felt that they were above him, that this illegitimate man that was the son of a harlot was just too much below them, and again they were blinded. Where God was working and who God had chosen. And as we see in verse 4, that they, they called the Gilleonites fugitives. But the very next verse, we see them fleeing as um Fugitives and that that pride that they had displayed was quietly that was quieted as they crossed over the Jordan River trying to escape. And when they asked them when they were crossing over, are you an Ephraimite? that pride was all gone because they said no. But they were, but when the famous spoke, they were still killed. Their pride had all ran out. It is clear that God has humbled them. And this pride again resulted in the death of 42,000 Ephraimites. So there are lessons here for us to learn. Pride serves up strife and anger, but through humility, there is peace and unity. Pride hinders us from seeing God and what God is doing. God, pride cuts us off to the point that we do not see where God is working, and in what direction he is leading his people. Pride separates us from the brethren, and instead of being a strength and a valued friend and ally, especially in times of trouble and trials, you find yourself to be of value to no one. Pride will prevent you from having a humble attitude and serving. and is served without concern of praise or reward, but we must always remember that it's impossible to outgive God. So pride, it prevents us from giving proper support, praise, and thanks. All the components of it, of strengthening a brother. In Proverbs 28:25, it says, He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. It is easy to understand then why Jephfa is listed in Hebrews 11:32 with the men of faith. He was rejected by his own family and people, but still, he came back and led the people that had rejected him. And Led them to a victory. He was willing to return and protect those that rejected him. He first sought peace with the people of Amman and then he sought peace with Ephraimites. Those that even threatened to kill him and burn him down in his own house. When they went out to battle. He asked God to lead them, and he was willing to give God the glory for their victory. Now the days of the Passover and the days of uneven bread had just hinted. And at the Passover, Christ showed the disciples and us today a lesson in humility by washing the feet of the disciples, putting away pride. In this solemn ceremony we are shown unity with God. And unity with our brethren through humility and service. So let us always be ready to give support to our brethren, that support and praise and things that they need. We must strive to be a strength to one another.