Ancient Landmarks and Innovation

Today is the third day of our 24th week, reading the Bible through together in a year.  Our scriptures today are: Proverbs 22-23; 1 Thessalonians 1; Psalm 117.

Many years ago when I was young in ministry, I served a church that had a beautiful silver communion set.  It was the church's original communion set that was no longer used.  Instead, it was enshrined in a glass case near the front of the sanctuary, just beside a door.  It was in a poor location because that was a highly trafficked area, and people were frequently bumping into the case.  When Christmas came, we had a wonderful children's play, and the performance area (not really a stage) ranged across the entire front of the sanctuary.  Children had to go in and out of that door in order to get "backstage."  Shepherds wielded long sticks.  Wise men carried bulky boxes.  I could just imagine the smashing of glass as some teetering tottler toppled into it.

So, I did the unthinkable.  I moved the communion set.

You would have thought that I had burned the building down, people's reaction was so fierce.  "You can't move the communion set!" they cried.  Well, as I said, I was young in the flesh, and young in ministry.  I had no idea that the communion set was really a great boulder that had been placed over the entrance to a monster's lair.  By moving the boulder, I had unleashed the beast!

Seriously.  Some traditions are that way.  They exist to give stability, to provide protection.  They offer a sense of security, and sometimes they pacify people.  All these are good things.  The problem was that I couldn't see the benefits of tradition, and even if I had seen the benefits of tradition, I didn't know that this particular piece of furniture was the stopper that sealed strife in its bottle.

I'm new at Bethel.  I've only been the pastor here for nineteen days.  I'm keeping my eye out for communion sets and boulders.  You see, over twenty years of ministry, I've learned that people need traditions.  They crave comfort and need certain things in life to be predictable.  In a world where everything is changing so rapidly, ancient landmarks let us know where the boundary lines are...what borders should be crossed, and what borders shouldn't.

Blegbie Standing Stone, East Lothian.  Windmills in the distance.

Proverbs 22:28 (NRSV) says, "Do not remove the ancient landmark that your ancestors set up."  Proverbs 23:10-11 (ESV) says, "Do not remove an ancient landmark or encroach on the fields of orphans, for their redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you."  Ancient landmarks are more important than we give them credit for.  Often, they're overgrown with ivy, or chipped and worn with years--yet those who have gone before us thought them important enough to memorialize.  Each landmark tells a rich story, if we will take the time to uncover it.

Before we moved to Bethel, we asked the church members to fill out a survey, so we could get to know them better.  One of the questions I asked was: "If you had to choose one, which do you believe to be more important at church--tradition or innovation?  Why?"  Keeping in mind that the biblical Bethel was marked by an ancient standing stone as a landmark (Genesis 28:18), I thought it was an important question to ask.  Some people didn't answer the question, and others gave noncommittal answers, saying that both are important, or that it's a hard question.  I know it's a hard question, which is why I asked it.  About twice as many people responded in favor of innovation, over tradition.  Here's how some of the people responded:

One who chose innovation wrote:

One of my biggest concerns is with getting children and youth to church and staying in church.  My belief is that if children are introduced to church and a relationship with God when they are young, even if they stray as they become teenagers, they will return one day!  [Editor's note:  This reminds me of Proverbs 22:6]   Without innovation we wouldn't be able to keep children and youth actively engaged in church.  

Another wrote:

Change is constant.  If you're not changing and growing, you're standing still.

Someone else said:

Innovation develops character, grows faith, exercises spiritual gifts.

One member, cautions of too much tradition, wrote:

I don't want to leave behind tradition b/c we were built on that, but if I had to choose I would choose innovation b/c we need to reach those who are lost & this generation needs to hear about God's love.  They won't listen to tradition--we need to reach them where they are.

And finally, on the innovation side, someone said:

We all eventually seek comfort for us versus evangelizing others and following Christ's example.

Then, there were those who chose tradition over innovation.  Here's what one said:

In growing up going to church the church was a place of worship and reverence to God.  I see churches today changing to suit the world.  I konw God has not changed.  I think we need to keep our church as a house of worship, not entertainment.  

Another responded:

We are fast losing this in our society today.  Example--for me the sanctuary has always been a "holy" place.  I know we can meet our Lord anywhere but the sanctuary has a special meaning for me and should be kept "holy."

Still another wrote:

I like tradition.  Sometimes leaving tradition behind carries us away from God's Word.  We seem to change to make us feel good and forget His Word.  I realize life changes and we have to bend some but we need to always keep our eyes on Jesus.

These are all good answers, because they reflect how people feel.  And you can tell that they feel very deeply.  Any church that's asked this question is going to have mixed responses, but it's important to hear how people feel about these things.  

So, how do I feel about it?  Me--I'm all about innovation.  I've got so many ideas that I'm waiting to try, that it'd make your head spin!  The thing is, we don't need to make people's head spin at church.  That would snap quite a few necks.  Instead, we need to let Jesus turn people's heads with His love, not with our clever ideas.  Innovations are important because every ancient landmark was once an innovation.  But when we start something new, we've got to make sure we're not moving any ancient landmarks that make orphans feel like you're encroaching on their fields.  One generation follows the next.  The old must make way for the young, and the young must respect the old.  And we all must live and work together for the kingdom of God.

Hearts of Fire and Water

Today is the second day of our 24th week, reading the Bible through in a year.  Our scriptures today are:  Proverbs 19-20; Romans 16; Psalm 40.

In today's readings in the book of Proverbs, we come across two verses that shed light on the nature of the human heart.  

First, we find Proverbs 20:27, which says:

The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord,

    searching every inmost part.

Throughout the Bible, God's presence is described in fiery characteristics.  God spoke to Moses in a burning bush.  A pillar of fire led Israel through the desert.  Psalm 119:105 says that God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  When the Holy Spirit descended on the gathered believers at Pentecost, tongues of fire appeared on their heads.  The heavenly beings are likewise described in fiery terminology:  "In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire (Hebrews 1:7)."  We who are created in God's image likewise have a fire burning within us.  Jeremiah 20:9 says that God's word is like a fire, shut up in our bones.  This fire, this word of God in our hearts, illuminates us and searches our every inmost part.  God's fire sheds light on our sin, but then His flame purifies us again.  

Using the eye as a metaphor for the human spirit, Jesus says, "The eye [spirit] is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye [spirit]  is clear, your whole body will be full of light  But if your eye [spirit] is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness (Matthew 6:22-23 NIV)!"  

When our lamps illuminate our own inmost part, we engage in cleansing introspection and meditation.  God reveals to us those dark parts of our souls, and brings His light into those dark places.  But we would only be doing half the job if we simply shed light on ourselves.  Christians are called to light the world.  In Matthew 5:15 (NLT), Jesus says, "No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house."  This means that God's desire is to illuminate the world through us.  I hope that you're on fire for Jesus--and that you're sharing His light with those around you.

Then, Proverbs 21:1 says:

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
    he turns it wherever he will.

Since the king is only a man, we know that this verse also refers to the human heart, not simply the monarch's spirit.  What does it mean, that the heart is a stream of water?  As water flows downhill, following its prescribed path and eventually reaching the sea, so the human heart that follow's God's direction will find the fullness of God in due course.  Water does not resist the force of gravity, but allows the earth's pull to move it downstream.  So too, believers should not resist God's pull, but should flow with the movement of God's Spirit.  John 7:37-39 (ESV) says:

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Now, the Spirit has been given to those who believe.  So God wants every Christian to flow with His Spirit.

So the believer's heart is both a flame and a stream of water.  This is a paradox because, as we all know, water and fire work against one another.  But our God works miracles in our souls.  In us, water and fire work well together, shedding light both inwardly and outwardly, and helping us to flow with the spirit of God.

Boundaries

Today begins our 24th week reading the Bible through together in a year.  Our scriptures this week are:

• Proverbs 16-18; Romans 15
• Proverbs 19-21; Romans 16; Ps 40
• Proverbs 22-23; 1 Thess 1; Ps 117
• Proverbs 24-25; 1 Thess 2; Ps 41
• Proverbs 26-28; 1 Thess 3

Today, I want to focus briefly on only one verse:

Proverbs 17.19 

One who loves transgression loves strife;
    one who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.

This proverb is about boundaries.  Click here for information on the book, Boundaries, by Cloud and Townsend.  Every healthy relationship needs boundaries.  Respecting a person means respecting the boundaries that they have in life.  These boundaries can be physical, mental, or emotional.  Each of us has boundaries that we have set up, that we don't want others to cross.  God's Word speaks to us today about the importance of balance, in the boundaries we have.

This proverb mentions two different kinds of people--the sort who loves transgression (illegally crossing boundaries), and the one who builds a high threshold (abnormally strict boundaries).  Either extreme has its problems, but wise people seek a middle way.  

All of us have known people who violate boundaries.  They don't respect your time or your space.  Or, they press their will on you in such a way that you can't refuse.  These violations, these transgressions, produce strife.  People who frequently violate boundaries do so because they love strife.  They get their energy from being feared, or from being able to intimidate people in one way or another.  

On the other hand, we all know people who build high thresholds.  A threshold is that little piece of wood that goes across the bottom of a doorway.  In older times, straw (or, thresh) was used in dirt-floor homes, to keep the dirt from getting kicked up and to keep the foors and your feet from getting muddy.  A threshold was used to hold the thresh inside the building, and keep it from getting kicked out the door when people exited the house.  Someone with a high threshold may be maintaining good boundaries in that they're not going to lose their hay--but they're likely to trip over the threshold itself.  People with high thresholds have set all kinds of rules for themselves and for others--and yet their overemphasis on rules often causes people to stumble, and maybe even get broken a bit.  Jesus warned us against becoming a stumbling block to people.  Bones aren't the only things that can be broken--hearts and minds and relationships can be shattered as well.

So there must be a balance between freedom from restriction on the one hand, and limitless violation of boundaries on the other.  There must be balance between healthy rules and unhealthy strictures.  Extremes in either direction can cause pain.

Ask God to show you what boundaries you need in your life--and where you may have been throwing up barriers to keep people away.  Ask God to show you where you may have been overstepping other people's boundaries, and where you need to feel more free to follow as the Spirit leads.

Taming the Tongue

Today is the final day of our 23rd week, reading the Bible through together in a year.  Our scriptures today are:  Proverbs 14-15; Romans 14.

Since our move, there are two things that simply need to happen.  First, my daughter Lydia needs to get on a horse.  She loves to ride, but hasn't ridden in a couple of years.  Some of the folks in our new church have horses, and Lydia is itching to get on one.  The second thing that needs to happen is that I must get on a boat ASAP!  I grew up canoeing, and love the water.  I haven't been on a boat since last Autumn, and I miss the gentle (or not-so-gentle) rock of a boat on water.  Now that we're down here so closr to Buggs Island Lake, there's no excuse!

Jesus' half-brother James says that horses and boats have two things in common: they are both controlled by something small.  A large horse is governed by a tiny bit and bridle; a great ship's course is set by a small rudder.  In the same way, our tongues are small organs, but they have tremendous power for good or for evil in our lives.  Speaking of the tongue, James 3:9-10 says:

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

I have seen so much damage done in relationships, families, friendships, and churches, all through the power of the tongue. This is why James describes the tongue as It is "a restless evil, full of deadly poison (3:8)." 

Today's passage in Proverbs contains many reminders that we need to tame our tongues.  Here are a few of those proverbs:

Proverbs 14: 3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

5 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.

25 A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure.

28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

The author of Proverbs reminds us that the problem isn't really in our tongues--it's in our hearts.

Proverbs 14:29-30 says, "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.  A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy but envy makes the bones rot."

Jesus' teachings involved a change in outward behavior, but He really emphasized a change of heart, that would result in changed lives.  Paul applied Jesus' teachings when he taught people in the church how to deal with one another.  In Romans 14:1, 4, 10, and 19, Paul writes:

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions...Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.  Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Today in your quiet time with Jesus, I hope you'll consider how your words can hurt, and how they can heal.  I pray that God's Holy Spirit will find you a willing vehicle for blessing, and that you, like St. Francis, might pray, "Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace."

What is Man That You are Mindful of Him?

Today is the fourth day of our 23rd week, reading the Bible through together in a year.  Our scriptures today are:  Proverbs 11-13; Romans 13; Psalm 8.

Today I want to echo the question of the psalmist:  "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

Psalm 8

English Standard Version (ESV)

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.[a] A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2     Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b]
    and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 8:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
2. Psalm 8:5 Or than God; Septuagint than the angels

Gazing into the night skies, David feels lost in the vastness of space.  He feels small and insignificant.  Perhaps you've felt that way too.  Compared to the beauty of the swirling galaxies, the depths of the oceans, the intricacies of creation--what is man (or humanity) that God is mindful of us?  David asks what significance we can have in the face of such splendor.  Then he answers his own question.

The English Standard Version (my most recent favorite) gives perhaps the best rendering I have seen when it says, "Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings (v. 5a)."  The word that the ESV translates as "heavenly beings" is Elohim.  This is the singular-plural word that is used to describe God throughout the OT.  A singular-plural word would be like "army" or "collection."  Within the singularity is a plurality.  This gives us a hint of the Trinity, though some translators lean more toward the plural than toward the singular, rendering "Elohim" as "gods."  Others lean more toward the singularity and avoid the plurality, translating it as "God."  Still others avoid even the suggestion of multiple deities and yet like the plurality--so they give us the translation "angels."  Perhaps it's best to avoid speculation and just say "heavenly beings," as the ESV has done.  The point is that God has made us a little lower than the heavenly beings.  We are not lower because they are better, but simply because we are limited by these physical, mortal bodies.  When we enter the resurrection and are no longer bound by the frailties of flesh, we will no longer be lower than they are.  In fact, we might say to the angels, "We claim kinship with the Son of God Himself."

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son”?

And to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand
    until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:5, 13-14 ESV)

Yes, God has made us a little lower than the angels, but what glory man possesses is found in the fact that we are made in God's own image.  No angel was ever redeemed by Christ's blood, but God though so much of us that He sent His Son to die on our behalf.  God also regards humanity so much that He has entrusted us with the care of creation.  Sometimes I wonder whether God should have trusted us so much--but I think it's because God expects the best from us.  

So the next time you're feeling small, remember how much you're worth to God.  God has planned great things for you--and has given you a part in His great work!

Dealing with Scoffers

Today is the third day of our 23rd week, reading the Bible through together in a year.  Our scriptures today are:  Proverbs 8-10; Romans 12; Psalm 144.

The following is from my personal spiritual journal, with a few names changed--just so you'll be clueless. :-)

Proverbs 9:7-9 ESV

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
    reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

The best thing to do when someone scoffs is just to let them scoff.  This is counter-intuitive, because we have a defense mechanism that prompts us to want to correct a scoffer.  But when you dignify the scoffer with a response, you also dignify the offense.  Better to ignore it altogether, and simply to focus on the people who will really love you and listen to you, and who will benefit from your counsel.

"Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!"

2 Samuel 16 ESV

5 When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”

9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lordhas said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me,[a] and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. 14 And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself...  

2 Samuel 19 ESV

16 And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king, 18 and they crossed the ford to bring over the king's household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan,19 and said to the king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart. 20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” 21 Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed?” 22 But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” 23 And the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath.

A Chinese philosopher-poet wrote:

Not-knowing is true knowledge.
Presuming to know is a disease.
First realize that you are sick;
then you can move toward health.

The Master is her own physician.
She has healed herself of all knowing.
Thus she is truly whole.

Here, the poet says that not-knowing is true knowledge; or no-wisdom is true wisdom.  This means being open to rebuke.  Rebuke helps us realize that we are sick, so we can move toward health.  To rebuke the scoffer offhand is to deny the possibility that they have something significant to say to us.  When the Master is healed of all knowing, she allows herself to learn, and can be truly whole.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Penelope told me that she was very agitated with Gertrude on my behalf.  (How do you like those changed names?)  Penelope doesn't like Gertrude anymore, because Gertrude was openly critical of my preaching.  I told Penelope that I wasn't angry with Gertrude, so I didn't want her to be angry with Gertrude either.  This is because even though Gertrude was wrong to criticize me publically, and what she said was also wrong, God had brought good out of it and caused me to consider some things about the way that I preach.  As a result, I have adopted a method of preaching straight from the Bible with marginal notes, rather than from a lengthy PowerPoint outline.  This has been a tremendous blessing in my life, that wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for that night when I was so criticized.  So, I'm not upset with Gertrude for what she did.  I thank God for it, even though I still acknowledge that Gertrude was wrong.

Romans 12:1-9

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members,[e] and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: ifprophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,[f] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 

This means that when it comes to scoffers, I need to acknowledge that they are still part of the Body of Christ, and that they could still have something to teach me.  They may have different giftings from myself, and can show me things that I never would have seen on my own.  Again, this kind of thinking isn't the world's way of thinking.  That's why God requires me to not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind.  This is a challenge for me, because it means laying my ego down as a living sacrifice, and being willing to hear God speak even through critics.  But there's much blessing in this, because by doing so I can test and discern what God's will is.  If I think of myself more highly than I ought, I'll never be open to this kind of learning--so I pray for sober judgment and faith.  So, receiving these scoffers with genuine love, I'm able to abhor the evil things that they say but hold fast to what is good and useful in their speech.

Pit-Diggers, Beware!

Today is the second day of our 23rd week, reading the Bible through together in a year.  Our scriptures today are:  Proverbs 6-7; Romans 11; Psalm 7.

In Psalm 7:14-16 (ESV), David speaks of his enemies, saying:

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil
    and is pregnant with mischief
    and gives birth to lies.
15 He makes a pit, digging it out,
    and falls into the hole that he has made.
16 His mischief returns upon his own head,
    and on his own skull his violence descends.

Careful readers can find a theme throughout the Scriptures, of wicked people "falling into their own pits."  They devise trouble for someone, and end up destroyed by the trouble that they created.  Haman is a perfect example of this.  In the book of Esther, he plots the destruction of the Jews, and has a gallows built for Mordecai.  Yet in the end, it is Haman who ends up hanging from his own gallows.  We find a poetic justice in stories like this.  

Absalom's story is another one that comes immediately to mind.  The young man who took such glory in his hair winds up with his hair being his own undoing.  (Of course, in this story, Absalom's hair represents his own flaunted power in his attempted overthrow of the king, like a young lion who shakes his mane in an attempt to intimidate the old leader of the pride.)  

I think of Laban in Genesis 29-30, who tricked Jacob by giving him the wrong bride in marriage, so that he could force an additional seven years of labor out of him.  In return, Jacob tricks the trickster by cheating him out of his wealth and profiting at Laban's expense.

If you look carefully, you can find many examples of people (proverbially) digging pits and then falling into them, themselves.  Yet it's not just the wicked who stumble into this trap.  The "righteous" (note the quotation marks) have trouble with this, too.

Joseph in the bottom of a well

Just as Absalom's hair was his undoing, Samson's hair became both his glory and his shame (Judges 16).  Because of a Nazarite vow, he never cut his hair.  As a result of his faithfulness, God gave him supernatural strength.  Yet he let a woman get between him and his God.  He told her the secret of his strength, and for a price she turned him over to his enemies.  In the end, he lost both his hair and his strength (not to mention his eyes).

The mighty judge Jephthah (Judges 11) exercised his piety, making a vow before the Lord.  Yet his vow caused him to lose his daughter.

Joseph was the favorite son of his father.  It's bad enough when a father has a favorite, but then Jacob showed that favoritism by giving the young man the lavish gift of a colorful coat.  Joseph flaunted this favoritism in front of his brothers.  He also told them about dreams that he had, that they would one day bow down to him.  As a reward for his egotism, Joseph ended up stripped of his coat (representing his glory) and literally in the bottom of a pit.  Then, he is sold into slavery and pretty soon ends up in the pit of prison.

These stories all go to show us that we need to be careful if we think that it's only the wicked who fall into the pits that they dig for themselves.  We, who fancy ourselves the "righteous", also need to beware of the pits that we dig.  Watch your step--it's a dangerous world out there--especially for pit-diggers!