Humility is a key theme in the Bible, and 1 Peter 5:6 contains one of the clearest commands regarding humility: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” So what does it mean to “humble” ourselves under God’s mighty hand? Here is an in-depth look at this verse and the biblical teaching on humility.
The Background and Context of 1 Peter 5:6
First Peter was a letter written by the apostle Peter to churches in Asia Minor who were facing persecution and suffering. A key theme in 1 Peter is encouragement to remain faithful and joyful in the midst of trials. The command to humility in 1 Peter 5:6 comes within the context of Peter urging the elders in these churches to willingly serve and lead the people under their care (1 Peter 5:1-4). He then broadens the command to the entire “church” (or congregation) in verse 5, where he calls them to “clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another.” Verse 6 then completes the thought – if we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, He will exalt us.
The Meaning of “Humble”
The Greek word translated “humble” in 1 Peter 5:6 is “tapeinoo.” This word conveys lowering oneself in status or character. It can also mean to bring oneself into submission. The idea is that humility involves an attitude of recognizing one’s lowliness and dependence on God rather than self-sufficiency. Humility stands in contrast to pride – when someone is prideful, they focus on their own abilities, achievements, status or possessions. A humble person recognizes that every good thing they have comes from God.
Humility also involves an attitude of service. The truly humble person does not insist on their own rights or status but esteems others above themselves, looking to serve and build others up (Philippians 2:3-4). So humility has both an internal component (recognizing one’s lowliness) and an external component (serving others).
The Meaning of “Under God’s Mighty Hand”
The command to humble ourselves is specifically directed toward God. Peter calls on believers to place themselves “under the mighty hand of God.” This depicts God’s supreme authority and power, which exceeds any earthly powers. Humility before God starts with a recognition of who He is – the holy, mighty Lord over all (Isaiah 57:15). We are to yield our entire lives to His total control. Pride is essentially rebellion against God’s rightful authority in our lives. When we humble ourselves under His mighty hand, we surrender to His oversight and direction. This humility is closely tied to the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 22:4).
The picture of God’s “hand” also reminds us of His work in our lives. Throughout Scripture, God’s hand represents His actions: creating, rescuing, disciplining, sustaining, and more (Exodus 13:3, Psalm 139:5, Lamentations 3:3). So humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand means accepting His work in our lives, though it may sometimes be difficult. It is recognizing His complete wisdom, sovereignty and goodness in whatever He allows (Job 42:2-3).
Why We Should Humble Ourselves Under God’s Hand
Peter says we should humble ourselves under God’s hand “so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:6). Here we see both the attitude and outcome of true humility. In God’s timing, He will exalt – meaning to lift up, honor, or grant a higher position to – those who have humbled themselves under His hand. We also see this promise in other passages, such as James 4:10 and Matthew 23:12. So humility leads to exaltation by God’s grace.
However, the goal of humility should not be simply seeking greater honor from God. That becomes self-serving pride. Rather, we humble ourselves because it is the proper response to God’s supreme majesty and authority. As James 4:7 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” The humility comes first as an act of reverent submission. Then God graciously responds by exalting and honoring the humble at the appropriate time.
In summary, humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand means:
– Recognizing our dependence on Him for everything good
– Yielding completely to His will and authority in our lives
– Serving others with a willing, selfless spirit
– Accepting His work in our lives, even when difficult
– Confessing our own unworthiness to receive any honor or exaltation
– Waiting patiently for God’s timing to lift us up and reward humility
Biblical Examples of Humility
Scripture provides many examples of what it looks like to humble oneself under God’s mighty hand. Here are a few key examples:
Moses: Even though Moses was chosen by God to lead Israel, he displayed great meekness and was not grasping for power or position. He submitted to God’s authority and direction in His life (Numbers 12:3).
David: As the king of Israel, David recognized that his position was from God and submitted to God’s will. When cursed and attacked, he humbled himself and did not retaliate (2 Samuel 16:5-14).
Solomon: When Solomon became king after David, he humbly confessed his inadequacies and dependence on God (1 Kings 3:7-9). God honored his humility by granting him great wisdom.
Jesus: Though Jesus was God Himself, He willingly laid aside His rights and took on the role of a servant to seek and save the lost (Philippians 2:5-8). He submitted fully to the Father’s will.
Tax Collector: In a parable, Jesus contrasted the arrogant Pharisee with the tax collector who humbled himself before God, recognizing his sinfulness (Luke 18:9-14).
Paul: Despite reaching great heights of revelation from God (2 Corinthians 12:1-10), Paul maintained humility and boasted only in his weaknesses so that God would be glorified.
How Humility Exalts Us
The promise that God will exalt the humble is demonstrated in the lives of many biblical figures who humbled themselves under God’s hand. Here are some examples of those whom God exalted in His timing after testing their humility:
Joseph: After being sold into slavery and imprisoned, Joseph was exalted by God to become ruler of Egypt and save his family (Genesis 41:37-45).
Job: After losing everything and scraping his wounds on a pile of ashes, Job was blessed by God with even greater wealth and family than before (Job 42:10-17).
David: Though mocked and persecuted by Saul, David waited patiently for God’s timing. He was eventually exalted as king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-5).
Esther: An orphaned Jewish girl in exile, Esther humbled herself and bravely risked her life to save her people. She was exalted as the queen of Persia (Esther 2:17).
Daniel: A captive in Babylon, Daniel faithfully served God in humility. He was exalted to become a top advisor to kings (Daniel 2:46-49).
Mary: A humble young virgin, Mary submitted to God to bear the Messiah. Her obedient humility led to eternal exaltation (Luke 1:46-55).
Jesus: After being crucified in weakness and humiliation, Jesus was powerfully exalted to the highest place through the resurrection (Philippians 2:5-11).
All who humble themselves under God’s mighty hand can trust His promises to lift them up and reward their humility at the proper time of His choosing.
Pride Comes Before a Fall
In contrast to the exaltation of the humble, Scripture warns that pride leads to disgrace and humiliation. Here are some examples:
Pharaoh: This Egyptian king proudly resisted God’s command to let Israel go. After the 10 plagues, he was humbled and his army destroyed (Exodus 14:28).
Korah: This man arrogantly revolted against Moses’ leadership, seeking the priesthood for himself. But God judged him and he fell into the earth (Numbers 16:31-33).
Saul: Israel’s first king began humbly but later became prideful and disobeyed God. As a result, his kingship was taken away (1 Samuel 15:17-23).
Nebuchadnezzar: The king proudly took credit for building Babylon to a great empire. God judged his arrogance by making him live like an animal for 7 years (Daniel 4:28-33).
Herod: When Herod accepted the crowd’s worship instead of giving glory to God, he was struck down and ate by worms (Acts 12:20-23).
Satan: The devil’s pride led to his rebellion and being cast out of heaven. His eternal destiny will be humiliation and punishment (Isaiah 14:12-15, Revelation 20:7-10).
These examples demonstrate the consistent biblical theme that pride goes before destruction and humiliation (Proverbs 16:18). God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
Ways to Practice Humility
How then can we cultivate an attitude of true humility before God? Here are some practical suggestions:
– Start each day acknowledging your dependence on God for everything.
– Study God’s greatness and majesty in Scripture to recognize how exalted He is.
– Confess any pride and self-sufficiency as sin, asking God to reveal sinful attitudes in your heart.
– Serve others each day in small acts of selfless love, not seeking recognition or rewards.
– Submit to authorities God has placed over you, whether in family, church, or workplace.
– Accept trials from God’s hand as opportunities to grow in surrender and trust toward Him.
– Give credit to God and acknowledge others when you succeed at something rather than taking all the glory.
– Be quick to forgive offenses against you rather than asserting your right to be treated correctly.
– Listen attentively and speak thoughtfully, not seeking to dominate conversations or pontificate on your own opinions.
Pursuing humility requires birds-eye, big-picture perspective. The more we focus on God’s glory and others’ needs rather than our own, the more space we make for humility to take root and grow. As we bow before His majesty, yield to His will, and serve those around us, He will lift us up and honor us at the proper time.
Humility and Other Key Virtues
Since humility involves an accurate perspective on oneself, it is closely tied to other virtues emphasized in Scripture:
Wisdom: A wise person recognizes the limits of human perspective and submits to God’s greater wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). True wisdom starts with fearing the Lord and acknowledging our dependence on Him (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10).
Meekness: Meekness calms the self-interest and ego that drive pride. A meek person entrusts themselves to God’s purposes rather than asserting their own agenda (Matthew 5:5).
Repentance: Admitting sin and turning from it in repentance requires humility. A broken, contrite heart demonstrates true humility (Psalm 51:17).
Obedience: Submitting to God’s commands expresses humility toward His authority as Lord. Obedience and humility are linked (1 Peter 5:5-7).
Generosity: Giving generously with an open hand shows humility since it recognizes that all we have belongs to God and is for the benefit of others (2 Corinthians 9:11).
Grattitude: Thanking God for all good gifts keeps us mindful that He is the giver of every blessing (James 1:17). A grateful heart is a humble heart.
Humility and the Christian Life
Given the prominence of humility in Scripture, developing a spirit of humility is essential for following Christ. Pride is at the root of all sin and rebellion against God. A daily posture of humility is the only appropriate response to God’s amazing grace toward us in Jesus Christ. We must walk in humility, recognizing our limitations, confessing our failures, serving others, and completely yielding ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus. For it is “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Our exaltation is sure when done according to God’s wise timing.