Genesis 1:20-22

Introduction: On the fifth day God created God created all animals. This includes the birds of the air. Remember that God created animals. They did not and I repeat, they did not evolve. It is so much easier and takes less faith to believe creation than it would evolution. One of the things that I find about the evolution scientists cannot agree upon how old the earth is or how long man has been around. Bible believers agree whole heartily upon is that God created all of the creation in six days. That is six twenty-four hour days. He rested on the seventh day not because He was tired but because He knew that we needed to see this principle in our lives by setting apart a day for worship of Him who is alone worthy to worshipped.

I have given several messages on animals. There are many Biblical lessons we can learn from animals. One day I will give a message on eagles. I preached a message on deer one time. I gave a message on different birds. Today I want to look at another bird. It is a peacock. I will give some particulars about peacocks. Then I am going to draw some parallels between the peacock and spiritual truths. Today I want to ask Mr. Peacock this question- What is your problem?

By the way before going into the message let say this about peacocks, that they are mentioned in our Bibles three times. 1^st Kings 10:22

2^nd Chronicles 9:21

Job 39:13

A peacock is the male of the peafowl birds. The female is called a peahen. It seems in the realm of many birds that the beautiful one of the mates is the male. Peacocks are large, colorful pheasants (typically blue and green) known for their iridescent tails. These tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird’s total body length and boast colorful "eye" markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird's back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains.

The neck is not long but proudly arched and the breast is full, prominent and of bright blue green, blues predominant. The wings are short and ineffectual, the feathers on them made up of a surprising array of colors. The tail consists of 18 short, stiff, grayish-brown feathers.

The feathers of the tail are often more than a yard long, and when they are spread out in the sunlight, like a great fan, nothing can be more elegant. Yet with all its beauty you could never love a peacock, as you love a lamb or a dove. It seems selfish and vain, and there is nothing lovely about it-its voice is very harsh and disagreeable. There are some people who, like the peacock, are called handsome or beautiful, but whose hearts are not pure and lovely in the sight of God. "Beauty," in itself, "is vain;" but "the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price."

Peacocks are found in places like India and the first two verses with peacocks mentioned most likely brought to Israel by King Solomon. Peacocks eat insects and plants.

Remember something I read to you about peacocks. It talked about the neck arch. It said that it was proudly arched. One of the old sayings that I have heard many times is that person is proud as a peacock. Pride is an age-old sin. It was pride that got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. It was pride that of the woman to eat the fruit to make one wise that led man down the path to sin. Pride and greed caused Judas to betray the Lord.

I have mentioned this before this time. You find no places in the Bible that the Lord ever said that He was proud of His people. There is not one place. Let me give a few thoughts and scriptures about pride.

Proverbs 8:13

Pride and proud is found in the Bible ninety-seven times and that is without the different various forms of the word. It behooves us to rid ourselves of that word from speech. It is far better to use Biblical terms.

Does God hate pride? How severely does God hate pride?

Proverbs 6:16-19

"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

Proverbs 16:5

"Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished."

"An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin."

2. Pride is the great faultfinder. Spiritual pride causes one to speak of other people’s sins. It is usually with an air of contempt. The spiritually proud person shows it in his finding fault with others. He or she talks how they are cold and dead to the things of God. They are quick to discern and take notice of that person or persons deficiencies.

3. Pride ministers in a harsh spirit. It is the manner of spiritually proud people to speak of almost everything they see in others in the most harsh, severe language. It is frequent with them to say of other’s opinion, conduct, advice, coldness silence, caution, moderation; prudence is from the devil or from hell. The shame is this that they don’t only use such language against wicked men but also toward those who are true children of God. This does not reflect Christlikeness whatsoever.

4. Pride is putting on pretenses. Spiritual pride often causes persons to act differently in external appearances, to speak differently in a different tone of voice as to seem be spiritual.

5. Pride often takes offence easily. It takes notice of opposition injuries that are received and is prone to be often speaking of them. They usually do this with an air of bitterness and/or indignity.

6. Pride is being presumptive before God and man. We see this clearly in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. The Pharisee is bragging to God in front of this publican how good he is. You could say that he is telling God how much He needs him. God can do without us. He did not have us when He created this world. He did not need our companionship. He was and still is the all-sufficient one.

7. Pride is hungry for attention. Pride is always wants attention. People often tend to act in a particular way as though others will give notice and have a special regard for them. It is very natural to a person that is very much under the influence of spiritual pride to take all the respect that is paid to him. Notice I said under the influence of spiritual pride. It is heady like being under the influence of an intoxicating beverage to be under the influence of spiritual pride.

8. Pride neglects others. As spiritual pride causes persons to assume much to them, so it treats others with neglect. To neglect others is be swelled with pride.

Herbert Lockyer in his book "All the Parables of the Bible" included this poem in his study on the parable of the Pharisee and the publican.

I want to caution you that are saved. It is very easy to get pride in your life. Never forget that we are what we are only by the grace of God. Pride is like bad breath. Every one except you knows that you have bad breath.

Let’s suppose that you are wrong about this matter about salvation. If you are wrong, you will go to hell. If I am wrong, then you can still have the best life a person can have.