The Foot Of Pride

“Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.” (Psalm 36:11)

The first part of this verse is interesting. Think about it. Have you ever been afraid of another man’s pride? The concerns over pride in the Bible are almost always and exclusively in dealing with self. Here the Psalmist is fearing pride in another.

The “foot of pride”, being trampled or overtaken by the wickedness of a prideful person. In that context it’s better understood, for the prideful usually have little regard for anyone or anything other than them.

Pride can make you bold and daring. It can also make you blind and stupid. The mix can be dangerous.

God hates the prideful, for they have self, and not our Lord, forefront in their minds and heart.

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalm 10:4)

The prideful are so arrogant, that they think God is blind to their thoughts, notions, and deeds of sin.

“He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.” (Psalm 10:11)

And if not trampled over by the foot of pride, then the Psalmist is worried about being removed by the “hand of the wicked”.

“Remove”, from the Hebrew word, “nuwd”, means to shake, waver, to cause to wander. Truly the Psalmist is referring to sin here, for sin by the New Testament definition means to wander, falter, to fall out of the path of righteousness. The wicked surely can cause us to wander. Avarice and lust or anger and contempt, man can allow himself to be provoked into the most extreme of sinful states by the direct and indirect influences of the wicked.

We are with whom we associate with. It’s best to avoid the wicked at all cost.

“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.” (Proverbs 4:14-17)

This verse from Psalm 36 is followed up with the concluding verse:

“There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.” (Psalm 36:12)

I don’t think we should ever rejoice over a battle. No matter how vile, “the workers of iniquity”, we should never be happy about their demise. Death of the workers of iniquity should be mourned for two reasons. First the life of the iniquity and secondly because of the death of the worker, the child of God.

It should be our sincerest hope and greatest aspiration to save the worker and live so that iniquity is never born. To bare the burdens of those who have been “removed” and bring them back into the light and life of Jesus Christ.

Bill Hitchcock