"The manifest folly of earth's great men. They are trying to do what they cannot accomplish. Heaven's decree is against it, and there is no overcoming that decree." - The Biblical Illustrator
"If princes themselves dishonor God and despise Him, if they offer indignities to the people of God and trample upon them, they shall be lightly esteemed, and God will pour contempt upon them." - Matthew Henry
"...those who appear and act against Him, how formidable soever they may be to their fellow-creatures, will certainly be humbled and brought down by the mighty hand of God..." - Matthew Henry
The Bible tells us that - if need be - God can and will reduce the greatest of men (or women).
Job, Asaph, and Isaiah make that plain and clear.
Job 12:21 says - "He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty."
God powerfully manages men - overruling all their counsel and overcoming all their oppositions.
To those bad "princes" or rulers who oppress their subjects...rule them with rigour...persecute good men or the saints of God, He "poureth contempt upon" them.
These great men, haughty nobles, or influential people are hurled from their thrones...deposed from government...overwhelmed with disgrace... brought into contempt with their subjects... reduced to a mean, abject, and servile state...or even brought to a shameful death. And all this is done by the mighty power of God.
He is also said to "weaken the strength of the mighty." In other words, He incapacitates, disarms, or embarrasses them.
Men in power and authority - whose strength lies in their wealth and riches or in their fortresses and powerful armies - have their power and authority taken away...are made contemptible to their subjects and others...are rendered unfit for business...and are made weak as other men.
In an instant, God destroys their power in the eyes of the people.
In a sense, He ungirds them. This idea is taken from the Orientals who wore loose flowing robes which were secured by a girdle around the loins. When they labored, ran, or traveled, their robes were girded up with a girdle.
To loosen the girdle was to weaken them and render them unfit for any work. This is how God ungirds the "mighty."
Psalm 76:12 says - "He shall cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth."
In this particular verse, Asaph tells us that God "cuts off the spirit of princes." This can be explained in two ways.
He brings down and restrains the pride and elation of leaders. He humbles arrogant commanders-in-chief. He rebukes their self-confidence. He dispirits the most daring. He takes away their courage - making them heartless. He confounds them...blasts their schemes...and carries their counsel headlong. He causes their plans to be the means of promoting and carrying out His purposes.
But it also means that He "cuts off" their breath and life as a gardener cuts off branches of grapes.
He and He alone is the only Ruler of "princes." They are all under His dominion and accountable to Him.
At any time, He can make the counsels and enterprises of wicked tyrants foolish and vain. And He can stop their breath when He wills.
Indeed, He is to be feared for "He is terrible to the kings of the earth."
The Benson Commentary said - "It is as much the wisdom, as it is the duty of all, even of captains and generals of armies, of princes and kings, to submit to Him, and make their peace with Him."
Lastly, we look to the Prophet Isaiah for his explanation of how God can and will reduce the greatest of men (or women.)
Isaiah 23:9 says - "The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth."
The LORD Almighty has planned and purposed it.
What is it that He has designed?
Plain and simple - To destroy pride!
Isaiah says that this is the Lord's own doing. Do not doubt it! Do not wonder at it!
It is God's design to abate and abase the pride of all rulers so that they would see and know what weak creatures they are without Him.
He sets Himself against the proud. He renders contemptible those whom the world honors. He pollutes the glorious things of which they are proud.
He brings their plans and purposes into disdain - showing how foolish and unimportant they are in the sight of a holy God.
In Isaiah 40:23, the Prophet adds - "That bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity."
Herein the majesty of God is displayed. No matter how great the power, wealth, or dignity of the rulers, by His hand, He reduces them to nothing.
Notwithstanding their great efforts to be something, earth's great men are reduced to nothing.
God reduces the powerful to nothing when He makes judges irrational and leaders insignificant and meaningless. He makes their decrees and decisions to stand for nothing.
Those who are opposed to Him constitute no real resistance to the execution of His purposes.
He has command of all creatures.
If need be - He can and will reduce the greatest of men (or women).
Saints of God, never forget that!
Pray accordingly!
"...earthly princes and rulers are as nothing when compared with God..." (Barnes' Notes)
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved