Proverbs 18:12 Commentary and Bible Study

A number of proverbs contain a similar thought – Proverbs 11:2; 15:33; 1618 – and in each case Solomon reverses the normal order and makes the effect to lead to the cause. This element of surprise serves to draw our attention to the inevitable result of both haughtiness and pride, and also of lowliness and humility. Destruction follows pride and haughtiness with such certainty that where you find destruction you will almost always find that there was pride that came before it, and where you see honour given, you can be sure that there was humility preceding it. This looking backwards seems to make cause follow from effect, but Solomon says knowing that effect cannot really lead to cause, and that the real reason he says this is that pride always bring destruction, and humility always ends in honour. In the present context, this proverb is about the shame of destruction and the glory of the honour that comes from God and which does not fade or turn out to disappoint. When God honours a person he does so forever. When he gives honour, it is appropriate that the person should be honoured. How great is the transformation for there is not a man or woman who does not come into the world under the power of sin and therefore in need of redemption. No one but God can bring about the enormous change needed to justify the sinner. No one but Christ could pay the debt they owe to God and release from the prison house of the lost those who are shackled by the chains of the law. And yet they have true honour. That honour comes from God’s transforming work in the heart that brings them to repentance and makes those who are full of importance in their own eyes to be nothing. Their eyes are taken off themselves and they now glory in the Lord Jesus Christ who has become their all in all. There is no room anymore for pride in them because all their glorying is taken up in him. They are reduced in their own eyes. But those who humble themselves truly without any deception, those who have cast away their pride forever, leaving no strings attached to it, are exalted by God. He gives honour to the lowly and life to the dead. He rewards his people when the world counts them as nothing. Humility does not claim entitlement to any reward, and is content that Christ alone is rewarded, but God is pleased to reward his people and to reverse the judgment of this world towards them, so that they receive everlasting honours in the world to come. In the logic of the proverb, before honour is humility, therefore let us put on humility because honour is sure to follow.