Proverbs 3:34. Toward the scorners [God] is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want is for God to scorn me. Which means we better know what it means to scorn God. What is a scorner? A scorner is someone who is too proud, too self-absorbed to listen to God. The scorner even mocks God and makes fun of people who believe in and trust in God.
Do you know any scorners? Are you a scorner? Probably not if you’re reading this devotional.
This verse is upholding the important scriptural principle of “you reap what you sow.” If you scorn God, he will scorn you. If you sow mockery, prepare to be mocked. But if you sow humility, you will be favored by God. Humility reaps God’s grace.
The difference between God and man is that God’s scorning is ALSO his mercy and grace. God’s scorning of the scorner is meant to humble him and restore him so that he might live within the favor of God. God doesn’t scorn the scorner from spite. He doesn’t mock the mocker to “get even.” God lets us reap what we sow, he gives us a taste of our own medicine, so that we might become humble before God, recognizing our desperate need of his grace.
Here’s how James says all of this in the New Testament:
James 4:6-10. 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
At the cross, Christ was scorned by God. He mourned and wept over OUR sin. Now he sits enthroned over all creation, exalted by God because of his humility and submission to God for our sake. Only a humbled Jesus could be the exalted Christ. And this principle holds true for those who are in Christ as well. Only the humble before God can become the exalted before God. This is why James calls for the Christian to live with clean hands and a pure heart before God, lowering ourselves before him and admitting our wretchedness. Then, and only then can we live the exalted life.
The good news is that if you are in Christ then you have already been humbled and favored with Christ. Humbled by your co-death with Christ. Favored by your co-resurrection with Christ. Now, in him, your identity is saint not scorner. You simply can’t be a Christian and a scorner at the same time.
Yet let us heed the warning of Solomon. Even in Christ we are far from perfect and prone to pride. We can still have scornful moments can’t we? Like when we see our sin as no big thing, or when we trust in ourselves or others rather than God. Or it may be a mocking of the work of God in another Christian’s life or in a different denomination. We can all tend to scorn the things we don’t fully understand. Hopefully by God’s grace we are quick to come to our senses in the moment of unbelief, and slow to allow any faithlessness to turn into mockery or scorn of the things of Christ.
You: Are you scorning God in some way? Covering sin? Mocking other believers?
You in Christ: The good news is that in Jesus God has already cleansed us of all unrighteousness once and for all. How does this position allow us to live with clean hands and a pure heart in our daily lives?
Christ in you: Where is Christ calling you to humble yourself today?
Pray: Jesus, you humbled yourself before God at the cross for me. Now you are exalted in Heaven. Help me to be humble before your throne every day. Amen.
To Live is Christ 