12 For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; – pride in a job well done can be justified but the type of pride described here is placing oneself or achievement or someone/thing above God!
13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan;
14 against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills;
15 against every high tower, and against every fortified wall;
16 against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. – There are a lot of ‘againsts’. I wonder why? I am sure that the places mentioned somehow had gone strongly against God. As an example they used to build the asherah poles to their ‘baal’ gods on the top of ‘high spots’ When you pay multimillions for a painting and ignore the orphans and widows, I am sure that God looks dimly on some ‘craft’!
17 And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
18 And the idols shall utterly pass away. – Having some idea of Whom God is we can understand the correctness of these judgements. Do you have any idols?
19 And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. – We should always stand in awe of God, but there is also a time to fear Him!
20 In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, (to what depths can worship sink? moles and bats!)
21 to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.
22 Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he? – We are supposed to think of men. Isn’t “Love your neighbour as yourself ‘ the second great commandment? But we are not to worship ourselves or any other man/woman/child. God is greater by far than us as is the sun greater than the most beautiful snowflake!
Psalm 145: 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
Prayer: It is easy to be fixed on what I can see, LORD. Help me to see the Reality which exists beyond my eye’s vision!
As I read it! 