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Psalm 49: 6 refers to the boasting of the rich man who trusts in his wealth, and
Psalm 52: 1 refers to the boasting of the man who delights in mischief (evil or
wrongdoing).
The tongue is a little member--but it boasts great things:
"Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire . . . . ."
(James 3: 5, 6).
So we could examine the exhortations of Scripture and ascertain the kind of boasting
we should avoid. We should search the Scriptures to find what boasting is allowed. May
we boast in ourselves? Should we not rather make our boast in the Lord? We have the
straight answer in Psa. 34: 2:
"My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad."
It is right that we should be humble and realize our weakness and our need of the
strength that the Lord alone can supply. As we acknowledge His greatness, we rejoice
greatly and make our boast in the Lord. We have a similar thought in Psa. 44: 8:
"In God we boast all day long, and praise Thy name for ever. Selah."
And in Psa. 64: 10:
"The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in Him; and all the upright in
heart shall glory" (see also Psa. 105: 3 and 106: 5).
Paul wrote about boasting both in the first and second epistles to the Corinthians.
There are about thirty (30) references to boasting, sometimes rendered `glorying', but in
II Cor. 12: 1 he says it is not expedient to glory. In I Cor. 1: 27 he says that God has
chosen the foolish things to confound the wise, and the weak things to confound the
mighty things . . . . . "that no flesh should glory in His presence" (1: 29). Again in
I.Cor.iii.21, "Therefore let no man glory in men". There is nothing in us to merit any
boasting. Paul does not boast of himself, but he does magnify his office. He had
authority given to him by the Lord. Also he loved the Corinthians, he praised them for
their generosity and was prepared to boast about them to encourage others.
But the most important reason for Paul's boasting was the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. When he writes to the Romans about this, quite suddenly he boasts (or glories)
in tribulations. To quote all the chapter would take too much space, but we quote
chapter 5: 1-4 and 8-11:
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations
also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience . . . . .
But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not
only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now
received the atonement."