The Sin of Pride (1)
All Its Victims Are Mighty
The first victim of the sin of pride is the devil, “Satanail”…
He was an angel—indeed, he was a chief among angels. He was of the order of the cherubim. The Book of Ezekiel describes him as: “the anointed cherub who covers” (28:14, 16). And as: “the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty… You were in Eden, the garden of God” (28:11, 12). And it says to him: “Behold, you are wiser than Daniel! There is no secret hidden from you… You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you” (Ezek. 28:3, 15).
And just as the Book of Ezekiel contemplated the greatness of Satanail before his fall, so also the Book of Isaiah, in which it was said of him: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations… Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities…?” (14:12, 16, 17).
Both books attribute this great fall to pride. The Book of Isaiah says concerning the سقوط of this great angel: “For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God… I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High… Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit” (Isa. 14:13–15).
And the Book of Ezekiel confirms the same sin: “Your heart was lifted up, and you said: I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods… You have made your heart like the heart of gods” (Ezek. 28:1, 6). “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor” (28:17).
It is pride that brought down this great angel—it is the phrase: “your heart was lifted up”… He was not content with the glory he had, but desired greater glory… He wanted to become like God:
So he fell… and his fall was great.
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – from El-Keraza Magazine – Year Eight (Issue Ten), 11-3-1977
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