It is written in Isaiah 40:4 “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:” This parable was also spoken of again in Luke 3:5 But many do not fully perceive how this metaphor was spiritually speaking concerning humility and pride.
The Lord often compares the proud in spirit and those who exalt themselves as being like those who lift themselves up on high, like lofty trees or mountains raised up on high. Let’s see if we can see the connection here to the mountains being made low in the haughty of spirit being made low by scripture.
Here's the Bible meaning of Haughty....to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted, to be high, be set on high, to be raised, be uplifted, be exalted, to be lifted, rise
Mountains are high, just as the spirit of the haughty sets itself up on high, or exalts itself.
Let's look at some verses on the haughty... Proverbs 18:12 “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
Psalm 131:1 “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.”
Isaiah 10:33 “Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.”
Now notice the wording here in connection with the words found in Isaiah 40 below Isaiah 24:4 “The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
Now to Isaiah 40:6-8 “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:[SUP]7 [/SUP]The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.[SUP]8 [/SUP]The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
Now compare to the testimony of James... James 1:9-11 "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:[SUP]10 [/SUP]But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.[SUP]11 [/SUP]For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways."
So the parable of the mountains and valleys spoken of in Isaiah and repeated again in Luke chapter 3 is not talking about literal mountains and hills, nor literal valleys, but rather people.
The truth of the message is confirmed here….
Matthew 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. “
Luke 14:11 “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. “
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
More scriptures…..
Proverbs 29:23 “A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
Obadiah 1:3 “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?”
Every mountain shall be made low....
Job 40:12 "Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place."
Psalm 101:5 "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
Isaiah 2:12 “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:”
Isaiah 13:11 “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”
Luke 10:15 “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
The Lord often compares the proud in spirit and those who exalt themselves as being like those who lift themselves up on high, like lofty trees or mountains raised up on high. Let’s see if we can see the connection here to the mountains being made low in the haughty of spirit being made low by scripture.
Here's the Bible meaning of Haughty....to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted, to be high, be set on high, to be raised, be uplifted, be exalted, to be lifted, rise
Mountains are high, just as the spirit of the haughty sets itself up on high, or exalts itself.
Let's look at some verses on the haughty... Proverbs 18:12 “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
Psalm 131:1 “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.”
Isaiah 10:33 “Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.”
Now notice the wording here in connection with the words found in Isaiah 40 below Isaiah 24:4 “The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
Now to Isaiah 40:6-8 “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:[SUP]7 [/SUP]The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.[SUP]8 [/SUP]The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
Now compare to the testimony of James... James 1:9-11 "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:[SUP]10 [/SUP]But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.[SUP]11 [/SUP]For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways."
So the parable of the mountains and valleys spoken of in Isaiah and repeated again in Luke chapter 3 is not talking about literal mountains and hills, nor literal valleys, but rather people.
The truth of the message is confirmed here….
Matthew 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. “
Luke 14:11 “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. “
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
More scriptures…..
Proverbs 29:23 “A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
Obadiah 1:3 “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?”
Every mountain shall be made low....
Job 40:12 "Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place."
Psalm 101:5 "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
Isaiah 2:12 “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:”
Isaiah 13:11 “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”
Luke 10:15 “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
