The Removal of Proud Women (Isaiah 3:16-4:1)

To deal with the pride of man expressing itself in self-exaltation (2:6-4:1), God will humble:

1. God's people (2:6-11)--for their idolatry (magic, money and military might).
2. All people (2:12-22)--resulting in humiliation, disillusionment and fear.
3. Men--for their oppressive leadership (3:1-15). Removal of Judah's arrogant male leaders.
4. Women--for their vanity leading to flirtatiousness, ostentation, shame and insecurity (3:16-4:1). God's judgement would be the removal of Judah's proud women.

Proud men oppress others, proud women draw attention to themselves. The pride of man--their essential sin--is expressed as oppression, while the pride and essential sin of women is expressed as ostentatious vanity.

God's judgment on proud women results in:

1. Judgment: Proud women will be judged (3:16-17).
2. Loss: Her objects of pride will be removed (3:18-24).
3. Humiliation: She will be humiliated and become desperate (3:25-4:1).

God hates pride. God loathes arrogance in his people. God's judgment on people (2:6-4:1) should compel and challenge each person to test their own heart to see if anything is motivated by pride or if it will result in pride. [In my case it might be my desire to study in depth "less common" books of the Bible.] Also, an excessive concern for my rights, my opinions, my way, and my honor is a sign of a sick self-centered society that fails to give complete honor and glory to God. Isaiah desires that we evaluate the central motivations and highest priorities that guide our lives. If we (male and female) exalt ourselves and thus fail to exalt God, we cannot but experience what the proud men and women of Judah experienced on the day of God's judgment.