Ezekiel 28:1-10 & Philippians 2:3-10


Introduction

In these two passages we see both the problem of pride and the remedy for pride. In Ezekiel 28, pride is exposed as the human desire to take the place of God, and we see how seriously God responds to it. In Philippians 2, we see the opposite: Jesus, who truly is God, humbles himself to serve and save us. Together, these passages show us both why pride is so dangerous and how the gospel frees us into humility.

Introductory Questions

  1. When you hear the word “pride,” do you tend to think of it as something dangerous, something positive, or a bit of both? Why?

Read Ezekiel 28:1-10

828 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘In the pride of your heart
    you say, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne of a god
    in the heart of the seas.”
But you are a mere mortal and not a god,
    though you think you are as wise as a god.
3 Are you wiser than Daniel[a]?
    Is no secret hidden from you?
4 By your wisdom and understanding
    you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
    in your treasuries.
5 By your great skill in trading
    you have increased your wealth,
and because of your wealth
    your heart has grown proud.

6 “‘Therefore this is whatthe Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Because you think you are wise,
    as wise as a god,
7 I am going to bring foreigners against you,
    the most ruthless of nations;
they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom
    and pierce your shining splendor.
8 They will bring you down to the pit,
    and you will die a violent death
    in the heart of the seas.
9 Will you then say, “I am a god,”
    in the presence of those who kill you?
You will be but a mortal, not a god,
    in the hands of those who slay you.
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised
    at the hands of foreigners.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”


Discussion Questions

  1. How is pride described in verses 1–2?

  2. Why do you think success, wealth, wisdom, beauty, or influence can so easily lead people into pride?

  3. In verse 2, God says, “you are but a man, and no god.” Why is this such an important truth for proud people to hear?

  4. What are some ways pride might show itself in ordinary life, even if we would never literally say, “I am a god”?

  5. How does God respond to the pride of the ruler of Tyre in verses 6–10? What does this show us about the seriousness of pride?

  6. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” How do you see that truth illustrated in Ezekiel 28?



Read Phil 2:3-10

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Discussion Questions

  1. What is the contrast between the pride of the ruler of Tyre and the humility of Jesus?

  2. Philippians 2 says Jesus was truly God, yet he “made himself nothing” and took “the form of a servant.” What does this teach us about the character of God

  3. How does the gospel cut away at our pride?

  4. Why is it impossible to truly understand the cross and still boast in ourselves?

  5. According to verses 3–4, what does humility look like in our relationships with others?

Application Questions

  1. Where are you most tempted toward pride at the moment?

  2. Is there one practical act of service you could do this week to take your eyes off yourself and look to the interests of someone else?

  3. How might meditating on the cross help you fight pride this week?

Prayer

Spend some time praying:

  • confessing the ways pride has shaped your heart, words, relationships, or ambitions

  • thanking Jesus that he humbled himself to death on a cross for proud sinners

  • asking God to help you see yourself truthfully: deeply sinful, deeply loved, and completely dependent on grace

  • asking the Spirit to grow humility in you through service, repentance, and worship of Christ