Humble Yourselves to be Exalted 1 Peter 5:6

As Peter continued his instruction to the “scattered” Christians, he told the “younger” Christians to be “subject one to another” and to the “elders”. In chapter five and verse six of his letter, Peter shared how they would be “exalted” if they would “humble” themselves “under the mighty hand of God” where we read:

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,

that he may exalt you in due time:

The verse begins, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,...” Peter began with the word, “Humble yourselves” which means “make or bring low, to level or reduce to a plain or meaner circumstance” “therefore” or “then, accordingly, consequently and these things being so” “under the mighty” or “by the powerful and mighty” “hand” which refers to “the help or agency of any one, by means of any one, and applied to God symbolizing his might, activity and power” “of God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Peter's directive to the Christians was for them to “reduce” themselves “under” “God's” powerful “hand”.

The verse goes on to say, “...that he may exalt you in due time:” Peter added, “that he” which refers to “God” “may exalt you” or “to lift up on high and raise to the very summit of opulence and prosperity, dignity, honor and happiness” “in due time” which means “measure of time whether a larger or smaller portion of time”. The result of following Peter's instruction to be “humble” would be God “exalting” them, and this will be in His own perfect time.

When we think through these words of Peter, we see the value of being “humble” before “God”. If we “reduce ourselves to a plain or meaner circumstance” before the Lord, Peter promised that we shall be “exalted” in the future time. This does not come naturally, but as we seek the Lord Jesus and the help of the Holy Spirit, we shall position ourselves in the best place to be “blessed” and “exalted” by Him.

Next time Peter tells the Christians to “cast” their “cares” upon God, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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