Proverbs 21:4

 The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about a haughty spirit:

Proverbs 21:4

Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin.

In this proverb Solomon gives us a clear and percise definition (or, at least example) of sin. Each statement in the proverb builds on the former. Haughty eyes, produce a proud heart. A proud heart produces a "lamp" for the wicked. Let's break that down: When we have a "high look" of ourselves that produces a proud heart. Stating it another way, when we see ourselves as important we start to believe we are important. When we believe we are important the "light" in our lives (our conscience) begins to see "us" as the center of the universe, rather than God. We take God away from the throne and put ourselves in its place. The word "lamp" in Solomon was used earlier in 6:3. The "commandment" is God's Word and it is a "lamp" to us. Either God's Word is our lamp (Psalms 119:105) or our own opinion is a our lamp. A haughter eye (one that sees self as superior) will produce a sense of pride. That pride than leads us like a lamp. And, that is sin (missing the mark of God's Word). We know from other passages that the lamp of the wicked will be their destruction. Their pride will be their destruction:

Proverbs 13:9 (ESV)

The light of the righteous rejoices,

but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Proverbs 24:20 (ESV)

for the evil man has no future;

the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

This proverb is a warning ... respond to it and don't let you eyes produce a failed lamp.