How Does the Lord Humble?

[KenH]

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:11

How does the Lord humble? By discovering unto man what he is; by opening up the depth of his fall, by making him feel what a vile and guilty wretch he is before the footstool of mercy, by breaking him to pieces, by slaughtering and laying him low and by making him abhor himself in dust and ashes. Was not that the way the Lord took with the saints of old? How did he humble Isaiah? Was it not by some discovery of his divine Majesty, to make him cry, "I am a man of unclean lips!" How did he humble Daniel? Was it not by manifesting himself in his almighty purity, and turning Daniel's loveliness into corruption? How did he humble Hezekiah? By laying him upon a sick-bed, and laying his sins and iniquities with weight and power upon his conscience. None of these men produced humility in themselves. How did the Lord humble Job? By sifting him in Satan's sieve, and discovering as that riddle moved to and fro in Satan's hands the pride, peevishness, and self-righteousness of his carnal mind.

There are many who cannot bear to hear the malady touched upon. They cannot bear to hear the corruptions of the heart even hinted at. But what real humility can a man have except through a knowledge of himself? How can I be humbled except I feel that in myself which covers me with shame and confusion of face, and makes me loathe and abhor myself before the eyes of a heart-searching God?

Therefore the more the glorious majesty of heaven is pleased to unfold itself in all its divine purity in my conscience, and the deeper discovery I have of what I am as a fallen wretch and a guilty sinner, the more will my heart be humbled, the more shall I be lowly and abased, the more shall I loathe myself in dust and ashes as the saints and prophets of old.

- J.C. Philpot, Through Baca's Vale, October 1

 

[Charlie24]

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:11

How does the Lord humble? By discovering unto man what he is; by opening up the depth of his fall, by making him feel what a vile and guilty wretch he is before the footstool of mercy, by breaking him to pieces, by slaughtering and laying him low and by making him abhor himself in dust and ashes. Was not that the way the Lord took with the saints of old? How did he humble Isaiah? Was it not by some discovery of his divine Majesty, to make him cry, "I am a man of unclean lips!" How did he humble Daniel? Was it not by manifesting himself in his almighty purity, and turning Daniel's loveliness into corruption? How did he humble Hezekiah? By laying him upon a sick-bed, and laying his sins and iniquities with weight and power upon his conscience. None of these men produced humility in themselves. How did the Lord humble Job? By sifting him in Satan's sieve, and discovering as that riddle moved to and fro in Satan's hands the pride, peevishness, and self-righteousness of his carnal mind.

There are many who cannot bear to hear the malady touched upon. They cannot bear to hear the corruptions of the heart even hinted at. But what real humility can a man have except through a knowledge of himself? How can I be humbled except I feel that in myself which covers me with shame and confusion of face, and makes me loathe and abhor myself before the eyes of a heart-searching God?

Therefore the more the glorious majesty of heaven is pleased to unfold itself in all its divine purity in my conscience, and the deeper discovery I have of what I am as a fallen wretch and a guilty sinner, the more will my heart be humbled, the more shall I be lowly and abased, the more shall I loathe myself in dust and ashes as the saints and prophets of old.

- J.C. Philpot, Through Baca's Vale, October 1

The Scripture says "pride goes before destruction" and it's pride that man will not humble himself.

Humbleness is not imputed to man by God, it's the hardening of the heart against God (pride) that man chooses rather than humbling himself before God.

 

[Silverhair]

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:11

How does the Lord humble? By discovering unto man what he is; by opening up the depth of his fall, by making him feel what a vile and guilty wretch he is before the footstool of mercy, by breaking him to pieces, by slaughtering and laying him low and by making him abhor himself in dust and ashes. Was not that the way the Lord took with the saints of old? How did he humble Isaiah? Was it not by some discovery of his divine Majesty, to make him cry, "I am a man of unclean lips!" How did he humble Daniel? Was it not by manifesting himself in his almighty purity, and turning Daniel's loveliness into corruption? How did he humble Hezekiah? By laying him upon a sick-bed, and laying his sins and iniquities with weight and power upon his conscience. None of these men produced humility in themselves. How did the Lord humble Job? By sifting him in Satan's sieve, and discovering as that riddle moved to and fro in Satan's hands the pride, peevishness, and self-righteousness of his carnal mind.

There are many who cannot bear to hear the malady touched upon. They cannot bear to hear the corruptions of the heart even hinted at. But what real humility can a man have except through a knowledge of himself? How can I be humbled except I feel that in myself which covers me with shame and confusion of face, and makes me loathe and abhor myself before the eyes of a heart-searching God?

Therefore the more the glorious majesty of heaven is pleased to unfold itself in all its divine purity in my conscience, and the deeper discovery I have of what I am as a fallen wretch and a guilty sinner, the more will my heart be humbled, the more shall I be lowly and abased, the more shall I loathe myself in dust and ashes as the saints and prophets of old.

- J.C. Philpot, Through Baca's Vale, October 1

Odd that Phipot and it would seem you think man has to be crushed before he will humble himself before God.

Do you not think the glory of creation can humble a man?

Speaking for myself it was His creation the beauty of nature, the expanse of the night sky that cause me to humble myself before the God of creation.

 

[KenH]

Odd that Phipot and it would seem you think man has to be crushed before he will humble himself before God.

Do you not think the glory of creation can humble a man?

Unless a man sees himself as a fallen sinner in need of redemption, then he won't see himself in need of humbling himself before God.

Notice the difference between these two men:

Luke 18:10-14
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 

[Silverhair]

Unless a man sees himself as a fallen sinner in need of redemption, then he won't see himself in need of humbling himself before God.

Notice the difference between these two men:

Luke 18:10-14
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

You make the error of thinking one example equals the all.

But I will say that Philpot's view does fit with the might makes right view we see in calvinism.

All mankind can know of God through his creation and realize how great He is and how small we are.

 

[KenH]

You make the error of thinking one example equals the all.

Interesting that you dismiss the words of the God the Son so cavalierly.

[Edited to change "worlds" to "words" as I intended]

 

[Silverhair]

Interesting that you dismiss the worlds of the God the Son so cavalierly.

Did not dismiss them Ken just do not make the error you seem to have made.