The odd little horn was at war with the holy ones (Dan 7:20-7:22)

“There were ten horns

On its head.

The other horn

Came up.

To make room for it,

Three of them fell out.

This horn had eyes.

It had a mouth

That spoke arrogantly.

It seemed greater

Than the others.

As I looked,

This horn made war

With the holy ones.

It was prevailing

Over them.

Then the Ancient One came.

His judgment was given

For the holy ones

Of the Most High.

The time arrived

When the holy ones

Gained possession

Of the kingdom.”

Rather than dwell on the 4th beast, Daniel took notice of the little horn that came out of its head to replace 3 other horns. This little horn had eyes and an arrogant mouth. Somehow, it seemed greater than the others. Then Daniel saw the little horn start a war with the holy ones. In fact, the little horn was winning, until the Ancient One showed up and proclaimed judgment in favor of the holy ones of the Most High God. Finally, the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom.

The new heart and a new spirit (Ezek 36:26-36:27)

“I will give you

A new heart.

I will put within you,

A new spirit.

I will remove

From your body

The heart of stone.

I will give you

A heart of flesh.

I will put

My Spirit

Within you.

I will make you

Follow

My statutes.

You will be careful

To observe

My ordinances.”

Yahweh was going to help the returning Israelites, by giving them a new heart and a new spirit. He was going to remove their old hearts of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. Yahweh was going to infuse them with his Holy Spirit. Thus, they would follow his statutes and observe carefully all his ordinances.

One heart and a new spirit (Ezek 11:18-11:21)

“‘When they come there,

They will remove

From Jerusalem

All its detestable things,

All its abominations.

I will give them

One heart.

I will put

A new spirit

Within them.

I will remove

The heart of stone

From their flesh.

I will give them

A heart of flesh.

Thus they may follow

My statutes.

They will keep

My ordinances.

They will obey them.

They shall be my people.

I will be their God.

But as for those

Whose heart goes after

Their detestable things,

Their abominations,

I will bring their deeds

Upon their own heads.’

Says Yahweh God.”

The returning Israelites should remove all the detestable abominations from Jerusalem. Yahweh was going to give them one heart with a new spirit. He was going to remove their heart of stone. Instead, he was going to replace or transplant it with a heart of flesh. Thus they would follow the statutes. They would keep Yahweh’s ordinances. They would obey Yahweh. They would adhere to his commandments. They were going to be his people. He was going to be their God. However, those who still went after these detestable things and abominations would find that their very wicked deeds would fall upon their own heads. Thus ends the oracle of Yahweh, their God.

The Lord’s actions against pride (Sir 10:13-10:18)

“Therefore the Lord brings upon them

Unheard of calamities.

He destroys them completely.

The Lord overthrows

The thrones of rulers.

He enthrones

The lowly in their place.

The Lord plucks up

The roots of the nations.

He plants the humble

In their place.

The Lord lays waste

The lands of the nations.

He destroys them

To the foundations of the earth.

He removes some of them.

He destroys them.

He erases the memory of them

From the earth.

Pride was not created

For human beings.

Violent anger was not

For those born of women.”

There will be consequences for pride because the Lord will act. The prideful ones will have many afflictions and unheard of calamities. The Lord will destroy them completely. He will overthrow the proud rulers and put humble ones in their place. He will root out nations and have humble ones replace them. He will lay waste to the lands of the proud, destroying them to their foundations. He will remove some and destroy others. Their memory will be erased from this earth. Humans were not created for pride or violent anger.