Treasures From God’s Word for the Week of March 1-7, 2027

Theme: Protect Your Heart From Becoming Haughty

When something goes well for us or we receive a responsibility, we have reason to feel happy. But those same circumstances can test our heart. Will we remain grateful, recognizing our limitations, or will we begin to feel superior to others? Haughtiness can grow if we do not detect it and fight against it. That is why Ezekiel’s message about Tyre is not simply ancient history. It helps us recognize a danger and protect our friendship with Jehovah.

Tyre was an important commercial center. It accumulated great wealth and became famous for the beauty of its products. However, its kings did not maintain a balanced view of themselves. Jehovah denounced their haughtiness through Ezekiel. And the message directed to the king of Tyre contains expressions that also apply to the angel who became Satan. Let us listen to Ezekiel 28:2 and 13 through 15.

Ezekiel 28:2,13-15 — “Son of man, tell the leader of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Because your heart has become haughty, you keep saying, ‘I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the sea.’ But you are only a man, not a god, Though in your heart you feel that you are a god. You were in Eden, the garden of God. You were adorned with every precious stone —Ruby, topaz, and jasper; chrysolite, onyx, and jade; sapphire, turquoise, and emerald; And their settings and mountings were made of gold. They were prepared on the day you were created. I assigned you as the anointed covering cherub. You were on the holy mountain of God, and you walked about among fiery stones. You were faultless in your ways from the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you.

Notice the contrast. The leader of Tyre attributed a divine position to himself, but Jehovah reminded him that he was just a man. Wealth and power had not made him superior to his Creator. The problem was in his heart, in the way he viewed himself. He had stopped recognizing his limitations. His position came to seem to him a reason to exalt himself rather than a responsibility to be carried out without haughtiness.

The angel who became Satan had also enjoyed a privileged position. At first he was loyal and had the wisdom needed to fulfill Jehovah’s assignments. He was not created bad. But instead of continuing to be grateful, he became proud and despised God’s way of ruling. He came to covet the worship of Adam and Eve. Thus, he allowed a wrong desire to grow until it led him to rebel against Jehovah.

These two cases have something in common: Enjoying advantages did not prevent them from developing haughtiness. Neither Tyre’s prosperity nor that angel’s abilities provided automatic protection. This teaches us that it is not enough to have experience, abilities, or responsibilities. What matters is the attitude we cultivate. Do these advantages make us more grateful, or do they lead us to think that we deserve special treatment? Let us now see where their pride led them.

Haughtiness did not remain merely an exaggerated opinion of themselves. It influenced their decisions and the way they treated others. Jehovah explained the connection between the heart and conduct. Let us read Ezekiel 28:16 and 17.

Ezekiel 28:16-17 — Because of your abundant trade, You became filled with violence, and you began to sin. So I will cast you out as profane from the mountain of God and destroy you, O covering cherub, away from the stones of fire. Your heart became haughty because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom because of your own glorious splendor. I will throw you down to the earth. I will make you a spectacle before kings.

The passage connects abundant trade with violence, and beauty and splendor with the loss of wisdom. The kings of Tyre became haughty and oppressed Jehovah’s people. Satan, for his part, acted to turn our first parents away from obedience to God. In both cases, pride resulted in bad actions. Haughtiness did not make them wiser; it corrupted their way of thinking and led them to act against Jehovah.

Jehovah did not overlook that conduct. His message announced the humiliation of the king of Tyre, and it also condemned Satan’s rebellion. This helps us see haughtiness as Jehovah sees it: It is not an unimportant characteristic. It can lead someone to feel that God’s standards do not apply to him. James 4:6 clearly expresses how Jehovah responds to that attitude.

James 4:6 — However, the undeserved kindness that He gives is greater. So it says: “God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.”

What a difference there is between receiving Jehovah’s opposition and enjoying his undeserved kindness! We do not want him to view us as people who resist his authority. We want to have his favor. And the text offers a positive reason to cultivate humility: Jehovah shows kindness to those who are humble. So the question is: How can we prevent haughtiness from taking root in us?

We need to be especially careful when we are successful or receive a greater responsibility. It is precisely then that we might let down our guard. For example, after carrying out an assignment well and receiving words of appreciation, what do we continue thinking about? We can be grateful for the encouragement without turning it into proof that we are superior. Recognizing the help we received and our limitations allows us to enjoy what we do without attributing an importance to ourselves that we do not have. Gratitude helps us maintain balance.

Another opportunity to examine ourselves comes when we receive a suggestion. Imagine that someone proposes improving a task that we have been performing for years. Do we dismiss the comment because that person has less experience? Do we feel that our record places us above any advice? Listening calmly and considering what the person says would be a practical way to cultivate humility. Having experience does not mean that we no longer need to learn. Accepting help shows that we value doing things well more than defending our image.

It is also good to observe how we treat others when we have some responsibility. Is it easy for us to listen to their ideas? Do we recognize their efforts, or do we want what we do to be the main thing that is highlighted? The case of Tyre shows how dangerous it is to feel superior and eventually treat others badly. Therefore, a responsibility should move us to serve, not to demand recognition. If we detect a superior attitude, let us not justify it by our abilities or by the work we do.

We do not have to wait for serious conduct to appear before examining our heart. We can ask ourselves: How do I react when someone else receives recognition? Is it difficult for me to admit a mistake? Am I grateful for my opportunities to serve? These questions are not intended to discourage us, but to help us correct a dangerous tendency in time. Haughtiness characterizes many people in these last days, but it does not have to dominate us. Remembering Jehovah’s warning and his kindness toward humble ones gives us reasons to remain vigilant.

The royal dynasty of Tyre and the angel who became Satan leave us with a serious warning: Allowing haughtiness to grow can lead us to reject Jehovah’s authority. But we can choose a different course. Let us be grateful for what we have, accept help, and use our abilities to serve. In this way, we will protect our heart and continue enjoying the undeserved kindness that Jehovah shows to humble ones.

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