Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them - Obadiah 1: 10 - 11 (ESV)
Not all sin is created equal. While all sin is equally offensive and wrong in the eyes of God they are not all equal. There is one sin so vile, so pervasive, and so powerful that every person who has ever walked this earth has struggled with it. Not just have they struggled with it, every person has fallen to it. It is the worst sin, the father of all sin, it is the sin that ruined angels. Every sin, every wrong action all root back to this one particular sin. Pride.
C.S. Lewis, who is usually referred to as having had the greatest impact for Christ in the twentieth century, called pride “the great sin.” In his book Mere Christianity, Lewis wrote: “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind… it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began.”
Yes you heard it right, flea bites. Other vices including unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and so on, are mere “flea bites” – tiny, little offences in comparison to pride. Why? Lewis gives three reasons for labelling pride as the supreme defect. First, because the devil became the devil by pride. Second, because pride is the cause of every other vice. Third, because pride is the complete anti-God (and anti-others) state of mind. Pride is a severely disordered love for self. When it comes to the vices pride is at the very centre. As Lewis says, it is “the essential vice, the utmost evil.”
If you think this sounds like exaggeration, it will help us to know that Lewis is not simply giving us his private opinion but summarising the thinking of great saints through the ages. Augustine and Aquinas both taught that pride was the root of sin. Likewise Calvin, Luther, and many others. Let us make no mistake about it: pride is the greatest sin. It is the devil’s most effective and destructive tool.
We saw part 1 of this sermon series - A State of the Heart, how God despises human pride. We also saw how the Lord clearly tells us about why He hates pride - it fills out hearts and leaves no place for Him, because it equates the person and their sense of self with God Himself.
The destruction of Edom as a result has been graphically described in verses 5 - 9. As we get into the second part of this sermon series, our portion today focuses on how this same pride on behalf of the Edomites resulted in various wicked schemes. It looks into how the false sense of security and sufficiency that pride gives us beboldens us to sin against God, ourselves and our neighbours. This is because pride acts as the cradle for other sins, since pride manifests itself in many forms. Of these many forms that pride manifests itself in, Obadiah expounds on a few.
Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. - Obadiah 1: 10 (ESV)
Violence is a form of pride. A person resorting to violence cannot afford the humility of uncertainty or ambiguity. In 2006, Roy Baumeister an American psychologist surmised after a lot of research, “Inflated self-esteem increases the odds of aggression substantially. For those aggressive acts that do involve the perpetrators' self-regard, we believe that threatened egotism is crucial…The greatest hostility was reported by people with high but unstable self esteem…Violent criminals often describe themselves as superior to others - as special, elite persons who deserve preferential treatment.”
Edom was no different. Before we delve further into this verse, let us get to know Edom better.
We saw last week how the nation of Edom was proud because of their perceived security, their wise men and their alliances. But we also need to know that they prospered because of its strategic location on the caravan trade route between Arabia and the Mediterranean and its copper industry near the Ezion-geber or the present day Gulf of Aqaba and seaports built in Eilat and Ezion Geber.
Further, it was situated in the southeast portion of Palestine covering a few of the most fertile areas in Israel. Because of these, the Edomites flourished in agriculture and cattle-raising compared to the other cities that were situated in the barren areas. But they gained most from the taxes they imposed on the caravan traders that passed through their area.
To understand verse 10 though, we need to understand how Edom was as a nation. Gen. 36: 6 - 8 chronicles how Edom began as a nation, after Esau parted ways with Jacob. From there, Edom grew to have 12 dukes, under which Edom became a band of 12 nations; much like the 12 tribes of Israel. We are familiar with the names of each of these 12 nations of Edom, but probably never made a connection back to Edom, because we usually tend not to pay attention to the chapters that deal with genealogy. Let’s see who they are as recorded between Gen. 36: 15 - 41:
1. Eliphaz, one of Esau’s sons, had a son called Amalek. They grew into the nation of the Amalekites. Yes, these are the same Amalekites of the Old Testament who constantly waged war against Israel. It was in one of the many wars against these same people that Moses had to stand with his hands being supported by Joshua and Aaron as he oversaw the battle being fought between the Amalekites and Israel. 2. The Temanites. Another of the sons of Esau, they settled in Timna, the city of wise men from the East. 3. The Midianites. They were conquered and became part of the Edomite kingdom. 4. The Ammonites and the Moabites. Descendants of the Lot and his two daughters after they escaped the divine destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and took refuge in some nearby mountains. Discouraged by the recent destruction which consumed both their fiancés, coupled with the isolation in the caves, the oldest daughter convinced the younger daughter to join her in an incestuous relationship with their father to perpetuate the family lineage. Both daughters conceived sons by their father by getting him drunk. The son of the youngest daughter was named Ammon, father of the Ammonites. The son of the oldest daughter was named Moab, the father of the Moabites. These two tribes were conquered by Edom and later joined forces with the Edomites and became part of their nation. 5. The Amorites. Originally a Canaanite nation, they were conquered and became part of the Edomite kingdom. 6. The Hivites. Originally a Canaanite nation, they were conquered and became part of the Edomite kingdom. 7. The Horites. These were the original people who resided in Petra who after being conquered by the sons of Esau and became part of the Edomite Kingdom. 8. The Korahites. A kingdom from one of the sons of Esau.
Further descendants of Esau and the rest of the 12 dukes of the Edomites include as recorded in 1 Samuel 15 and Psalm 83:
9. The Kenites. A kingdom from one of the sons of Esau. In Numbers 20, we see that the Israelites as they were returning back to the promised land with Moses ask the Edomites for passage through their land. They are refused by the Edomite king. At that time, the Israelite people as they were wandering through the desert were allowed limited passage through Kenite territory despite them being one of the Edomite nations. The reason - Moses’ wife Zipporah is Kenite. Despite this, the Amalekites carry out an attack against the Israelites already tired from their sojourn through the desert wilderness, as recorded in Exodus 17:8-16 and Deuteronomy 25:17-19. It is therefore that later when King Saul is out at war with the Amalekites, he tells the Kenites to flee that country, lest they also be slaughtered with the Amalekites. 10. The Agagites. A remnant kingdom, originally from one of the descendants of Amalek. They became sworn enemies of Israel and Judah from when King Saul chose not to kill every living thing in the war against King Agag as ordered by Samuel. In the book of Esther, Haman who is out to destroy all the Jews is an Agagite. And finally, 11. The Ithrites. A kingdom from one of the sons of Esau.
These 12 nations, together making Edom, continued to be a thorn in the flesh of Israel as a nation. There were many wars fought between Israel and them. But because they were close relatives, the Israelites were forbidden to hate the Edomites (cf. Deuteronomy 23:7). The Edomites however chose not to respect the blood relationship.
This is exactly what made the Edomite treatment of Israel and Judah worse in God’s sight. Because, despite the fact that Edom was already a nation of sorts when the Israelites were still a fledgling community spread across the land, they chose not to help their own when they were conquered and taken captive by Egypt. They further refuse them passage through their land as they are being led out of captivity by Moses. What’s more, despite being their own blood, the Edomites regularly attacked Israel, right from the time they were wandering through the desert and as a result many wars were fought between Israel, Judah and Edom. This was the violence that the Lord is referring to in verse Obadiah 1: 10.
To end this menace, the Bible later records that King Saul attacked the Edomite nations and that King David made them captive 40 years later, even setting up military garrisons on their land. Solomon tried to further make peace with the Edomites by taking many wives from the 12 nations. It didn’t help. The Edomites continued to detest the Israelites and in an uprising after the death of Solomon, the Edomites destroyed the temple of Solomon and fled captivity.
The Edomites record of brutality and aggression against Israel is thus found throughout Scripture. They then went on to make alliances with the other neighbouring nations around Israel and Judah and continued to torment them. It is this continued violence that Obadiah is referring to that Edom continued to wage against Israel. And for this reason they are told that they will be shamed and cut off forever in vs 10.
They waged violence against Jacob and Israel because in their pride, they detested the will of God - that they would serve the house of Jacob. As their pride took on the form of continued violence against Israel as a nation, little did they know that they were writing their own doom with every action of theirs.
On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them - Obadiah 1: 11 (ESV)
Indifference is a form of pride. I think this is by far one of the major causes of marital difficulty. In a major study regarding marital discord in Christian homes, some of the most common statements made were, "Well, he is simply indifferent to me. He doesn't care about me. He ignores me." Or, "She pays no attention to me. She isn't interested in the things that I am interested in." Isn't it strange that these things can be true in Christian homes? And how quickly it comes in after courtship. During the courtship it is, "What are you thinking about? Tell me what you would like?" But after marriage it is recorded to have become, it is, "Where's dinner? Where is the paper? What's on TV? When are we buying that thing?" Why? Because the couple have become indifferent to the other.
After their breaking down Solomon’s temple and fleeing, the Edomites made their alliances and felt safe in them - against Israel and Judah. Now, not only did they continuously wage violence towards Israel and Judah, but they went to the extent of standing by while Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian forces waged war against Judah, even committing atrocities against defenceless babies and youngsters.
The Edomites sat and watched their relatives be destroyed and they didn’t even care. In fact, they probably believed that the Israelites had it coming. They just turned a “blind eye” to what was going on. This part of the verse "stood aloof," is a description of the Edomite haughtiness. God is emphasising their attitude here. Literally, the phrase in Hebrew reads, "stood apart from in front of them," a roundabout Hebrew way of saying that the Edomites considered themselves too good to stand with them. In other words, because of their pride, they stood off to the side or in front of them, effectively separating themselves from their brother.
Their actions reflected their hearts, saying, in effect, "Do not confuse us with them!" It indicates an attitude of great superiority, of haughty pride and separation. Thus, instead of standing with Israel in her defence, they stood aside like they did in the past and let the enemy do what it would. Edom did not behave as a brother nation should have. Even though the Edomites were not directly engaged in the hostilities against Israel on this particular occasion, this act alone reveals that their loyalties were solidly with Israel's enemy.
Sometimes doing nothing is a great sin. Numbers 32:23 speaks of the sin that will find you out, and the sin it speaks of is the sin of doing nothing. In so doing nothing, their silence portrayed their violent indifference towards the Israelites. It is as a result that Obadiah mentions that Edom behaved like one of the raiding parties in verse 11.
Imagine, your own kin are being robbed, mutilated and killed and you just stand by for the most part. This is what the Edomite nations did. And hence God judges them.
What kind of people does it take to do that? The kind who are damaged beyond measure due to their indifference caused by their pride, to the point they might as well be dead.
We say more when we do nothing than when we do something. In fact, by doing nothing and allowing ourselves to be indifferent, we are committing more violence than by actually perpetrating violence itself - for we display a violent indifference. Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor and author is known to have said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” It is in the same regard that Martin Luther King Jr. would say, “It's not the violence of the few that scares me, it's the silence of the many.”
Now, what are the 2 lessons that the Lord wants us to learn from these 2 verses from Obadiah?
1. Are we willing to follow the Lord’s command no matter what it might be or where it might lead us?
It is easy for us to follow the Lord and say we are living our faith when life is fine and everything we would like it to be. But what do we do when the Lord calls us to follow and obey Him in unfamiliar territory? Or out of our comfort zone? How willing are we to then follow the Lord’s command and direction?
It was not convenient for the Edomites to follow God’s will that they would have to serve their own. So they chose to rebel instead.
We are reminded therefore in Matthew 16: 24 and Luke 9: 23 that we are expected to take up our cross and follow Christ, daily! What is your cross that you are choosing to keep aside?
2. Have we allowed ourselves to become indifferent?
The Lord Jesus warns us against being indifferent in Matthew 25: 41 - 45, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” (ESV)
Similarly the main point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that the Samaritan, from whom the injured Jewish man should expect the least, has chosen not to be indifferent.
A poem called THE SIN OF DOING NOTHING written by early 20th century preacher Charles Swindoll surmises just this very well:
Today we have another form of indifference - spiritual indifference. This is also referred to as Laodiceanism, cf. the message to the Laodicean church in the book of Revelations 3: 14 - 22 where they are reprimanded for being spiritually lukewarm. The seventh and last of the attitudes within the church, Laodiceanism is the attitude that dominates the era of the end time. It seems more natural to think that this attitude would be the least likely to dominate in such terrible times - because it ought to be obvious that the return of Christ is near. Though it seems contradictory for the church to become lukewarm during such a stimulating period, Christ prophecies that it will occur.
Have we allowed ourselves to become physically or spiritually indifferent due to what we have been given and blessed with by the Lord or whom we know? If yes, we need the grace of God to redeem us from our inertia.
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