Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV): By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.
The word 'humility' here is 'anavah' in Hebrew, literally meaning 'taking the lowly place'; and in this context, 'taking the lowly place before the Lord'. It speaks of submission to the One who knows better, and who holds our lives in His hand. It speaks of the willingness to lay down our pride, and let Him have the full (and final) say in our lives. Jesus Himself taught us that 'whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted' (Luke 14:11).
How about 'the fear of the Lord'? This expression speaks of 'a deep reverence (or a deep respect) for the Lord'. As you can see in Proverbs 22:4, 'humility' and 'the fear of the Lord' go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. Why? Because true humility before the Lord is when you 'fear the Lord more than you fear man'!
Humility and the fear of the Lord! The Bible says these are the two keys to riches (including the riches of His wisdom), honor (i.e. He honors you, and raises up many who honor you), and life (i.e. whatever you do, there will be life)!
Some people see 'humility' as 'whatever people tells you to do, or whatever people invite you, you have to oblige', even if the Lord says no, or even if you have no 'peace' inside you to do it. That's not true humility. That's fear of man. As a matter of fact, deep inside every human is a yearning for approval. But it is better to seek approval from the Lord than approval from man. Proverbs 29:25 says, 'The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe'.
The paradox here is sometimes you may seem to be humble before man, but you are actually being proud before the Lord, and sometimes you may seem to be proud before man, but you are actually being humble before the Lord! What matters most is what the Lord says, not what man says! And whatever He says, you do! When the Lord says so, you say so. And when the Lord says no, you say no. Because the Lord sees further (and farther) than man, and is infinitely wiser than man (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Psalm 75:6-7 says, 'For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is judge: He puts down one, and exalts another'. The word 'exaltation' here is 'ruwm' in Hebrew, which can also be translated as 'promotion, elevation, or a raise'.
In Psalm 75:6, this word 'ruwm' is written in the context of 'a person's desire for self-advancement'. However, Psalm 75:7 implies that this 'advancement' cannot be gained merely through any outward plan of man, but rather upon humility and the fear of the Lord. Because it is He who puts down one, and it is He who exalts another.
Zechariah 4:6 says, 'Not by might, nor by power (of man), but by the Spirit of the Lord', and 1 Peter 5:6 says, 'Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time'. Indeed, the Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. The Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of grace, and it is by His ability and His supply of wisdom that we can be who He has destined for us to be. Amen.
