Watch Out For Those High Places - For They Are Slippery Places!

 

"High places are slippery places, and those are justly deprived of their honour that are proud of it and puffed up with it, and deprived of their power that do hurt with it. God will do it, Who shows Himself to be God by looking upon proud men and abasing them..." - Matthew Henry

 

"Proud men expect to carry all before them, to have their way and their will; but He scatters them in the imagination of their hearts, breaks their measures, blasts their projects, nay, and brings them low, and brings them down, by those very counsels with which they thought to advance and establish themselves. The mighty think to secure themselves by might in their seats, but he puts them down, and overturns their seats..." - another quote from Matthew Henry

 

This message is a warning to all - but especially to those who are presently in "high places" of leadership, great responsibility, authority, honor, prestige, and abundant wealth.  

 

Whether you realize it or not - you are walking on "slippery places." Without knowing what hit you, you can be brought low in a split-second - yes, by God Himself - if you are not careful. If you allow pride to fill your heart and become puffed up with your great position or accomplishments - then He will have no other choice than to "scatter you in the imagination of your heart," "break your measures," blast your projects," "bring you low," or "bring you down." And He will use "those very counsels with which you thought to advance and establish yourself." In other words, He will allow you to dig your own pit!

 

Luke 1:52 tells us - " He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree."

 

The God we serve has a track record of tearing or taking down haughty, tyrannical, or unjust princes, kings, conquerors, rulers, leaders, judges, bosses, etc. from their thrones or high positions. He overturns their seats or places where they sit in pomp and power.

 

The Scriptures offer us several examples to confirm this fact.

 

In 1 Samuel 15:23, the Prophet Samuel read King Saul's doom when he said - "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king."

 

Here was a King who was in a "high place" - but, oh, it was a very "slippery place." If only Saul would have been mindful of that fact! His pride caused him to despise, make nothing of, or cast off the "word of the LORD." Resultantly, God "scattered him in the imagination of his own heart," "brought him low," and "brought him down."  He despised, made nothing of, and cast him off from being king.

 

Daniel 4:31 records King Nebuchadnezzar's punishment for his pride - "While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee."

 

Here we see a King who was in love with his own shadow. We see him strutting through the palace and vaunting himself. Little did he realize that the "high place" that he was in was also a "slippery place" where he most likely would fall - unless he stayed humble before God and men.

 

In Daniel 4:30, we read his words which immediately brought his downfall - "The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?"

 

No sooner did these boastful words leave his lips when a voice from heaven proclaimed - "...The kingdom is departed from thee."

 

That which he thought was so secure and well guarded was brought down in a moment by the hand of the Almighty.

 

Lastly, in Isaiah 22:19, we read God's words to Shebna - the palace administrator - "And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall He pull thee down."

 

Along with King Saul and King Nebuchadnezzar, Shebna stood in a "high place" which was a very "slippery place." Through the Prophet Isaiah, God spoke a word concerning his fall and the smearing of his glory.

 

Notice that it was not the devil who drove Shebna from his office or position of trust and responsibility. It was God Himself Who brought him down.

 

Are you in a position of authority, dignity, or fortune today?

Are you aware of the fact that that particular "high place" in which you find yourself is also a "slippery place" ?

 

If you do not stay humble before the Lord God, then you will "become history" just like King Saul, King Nebuchadnezzar, and Shebna. God will "scatter you in the imagination of your own heart," "break your measures," "blasts your projects," "bring you low," or "bring you down." And He will use "those very counsels with which you thought to advance and establish yourself" to bring about your ruin.

 

In other words, if you don't stay humble before God and men, then get the shovel and start digging - for you are setting yourself up to fall into your own pit!

 

We leave you with these final words of Pastor Henry -

"Those are unfit and unworthy to rule over men who are not willing that God should rule over them."