The Price of Pride

Within Scripture, one can see two predominant themes or motifs that

are competing with each other. One is the theme of Salem, Mount Zion,

Jerusalem, and the New Jerusalem, which represents God’s kingdom.

The other is the theme of Babel and Babylon, which stands for Satan’s

counterfeit domain. Several times God called His people out of pagan

Babylon to serve Him in the Promised Land.

For example, Abram (later Abraham) was asked to move from Ur of

the Chaldees to the land of Canaan (Gen. 11:31–12:9). At the end of

their long exile, the Jews left Babylon and returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 2).

And in the book of Revelation, God’s people are called out of end-time

Babylon (Rev. 18:4) to abide with Him eventually on Mount Zion and the

New Jerusalem (Rev. 14:1; Rev. 21:1–3, 10).

Read Isaiah 14:12–15. What far-reaching consequences did Lucifer’s

pride while in heaven bring to the universe and to this world?

In the Bible, the city of Babylon stands for a power in direct opposition

to God and His kingdom; and the king of Babylon (with special allusion

to Nebuchadnezzar) becomes a symbol of pride and arrogance. God had

revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar that Babylon was only the gold head

of the great image of successive empires (Dan. 2:37, 38). Challenging

God’s revelation, the king made an image entirely of gold—a symbol that

his kingdom would last forever—and even required everyone to worship

it (Daniel 3). As in the case of the king of Tyre (Ezek. 28:12–19), the king

of Babylon also became a symbol of Lucifer.

Isaiah 14:3–11 describes the fall of the haughty and oppressive king

of Babylon. Then, Isaiah 14:12–15 moves from the historical realm to

the heavenly courts and highlights that a similar proud and arrogant

spirit generated the original fall of Lucifer. The text explains that

Lucifer planned to exalt his throne above all heavenly hosts and make

himself “ ‘ “like the Most High” ’ ” (Isa. 14:14). This was the begin-

ning of a new and hostile situation in which God’s altruistic love and

cooperation would be challenged by Lucifer’s selfishness and competi-

tion. The enemy was not afraid of accusing God of what he himself

was and of spreading his lies to other angels. Here are the mysterious

origins of evil in the universe.

Why is it so easy to become proud and boastful of either our

positions or achievements, or both? How does keeping the cross

before us prevent us from falling into such a trap?