Be Humbled
What does it mean to be humbled? What is the deadly foe that interferes with humility? Join Pastor Steve as he teaches from 1 Peter 5:5-7.
Perhaps even more so than today, humility was not an admired trait in the first-century pagan world. People saw it as a characteristic of weakness and cowardice, to be tolerated only in the involuntary submission of slaves.
Many have found this odd and thus choose to give the imperative the force of the middle voice: “humble yourselves.” Other commentators argue that the command must be linked “to the readers’ situation of persecution and social ostracism.… The point is that they must accept the state of humiliation imposed on them …, in one sense by unbelievers but in another sense by God.”
Peter was not calling for passive resignation or a forced humiliation, but for a voluntary acceptance of the humiliating circumstances that befell the readers under God’s permissive will. They were to accept “the fiery trial” (4:12, ASV) that they were experiencing as coming to them “under God’s mighty hand.”
“When we turn ourselves over to God in every situation of life,” Mounce remarks, “knowing that the One who led his people out of Egyptian slavery has allowed our affliction is in full control, we are enabled to cast our anxieties on him.”
David’s anxiety came from attacks by a Judas-like friend (see vv. 12–14), a most difficult trial to bear since it comes from one who is loved and trusted. Peter drew from that text to instruct all believers in all kinds of trouble to follow David’s example and give themselves to the Lord’s care (cf. 2:23; 4:19).
You have such a promise as this, whereby you may rest secure that God doth not forsake you, but careth for you. Therefore let all your cares go, and cast your burden on Him. These words are exceedingly precious; how could He have made them more sweet or tender? Why does He employ so great allurement? It is in order that no one might easily despond and give up his purpose. Therefore He gives us such consolation as this: that God not only looks upon us, but cares also for us, and has a heartfelt regard for our lot.