Obadiah Part 5 - The Lord's Kingdom

 

Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s - Obadiah 1: 19 - 21 (ESV)

As we get into the final part of this 5 part sermon series, we have seen how the Lord was set upon bringing death and destruction on the Edomites due to their pride which manifested itself in various ways and forms, their violent attitudes towards the Lord and their own kin and their utter disregard for the Lord in the previous 4 parts A State of the Heart, A Violent Indifference, The Many Sins of Edom and The Day of The Lord. However, the crux of this whole book is not the death of the Edomites, as much as it is about the coming of the Lord’s Kingdom.

The final verses of our portion of scripture today brings a culmination to this judgment by the Lord of the Edomite people. This last portion from Obadiah removes us from the judgment of the people of Edom in the prophet’s day and looks ahead to the coming of Jesus Christ and the spread of the gospel throughout the world. The prophecy looks ahead to the Lord’s second coming, when the theme of judgment matches up with the final judgment of all the wicked when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead. It starts with a clear prophecy that states - “Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb.” - Obadiah 1: 19 - 20

Now if you are anything like me, the moment I start reading names of people or places in the Bible, I try to skip over these portions as much as possible. Yet, there is great significance to these names and much to be learnt. Why? What's in a name? 

This question has become a cliché in our culture. The significance of a name however is found in its ability to confer affluence and reputation. If one has a famous last name, they are treated with respect and honor. If they have a last name that has been associated with ill-repute, they will be disrespected and dishonored. But typically we use names as mere designators to distinguish one person from another. They do not have much significance to us, and any meaning attached to that name is either unknown to the bearer of that name, or the bearer is not concerned with such trivialities. This was not the way they viewed or used names in the Mid-East. Mid-Easterners even today attach a much greater significance to names. The fact that the Hebrew word shem and the Greek word onoma--both of which mean "name"--appear over 1000 times in the Bible should give us an indication of the significance of a name.

To the Hebrews a name was not a label, or a tool to distinguish one person from another; a person's name was viewed as equivalent to the person himself. A person's name signified their person, worth, character, reputation, authority, will, and ownership. It defined their character. It is hence that when people were seen as having a new character, their names were changed as well. Further, we need to keep in mind that since the names of places are essentially given basis the character / nature of the incidents surrounding them, or their close association with their respective Biblical characters, even to the extent of being personifications of their forebears; if we gave close attention to the names of places and people we would see a pattern emerging of God’s undeterred love for His people through the ages, over centuries and across geographies.

This same promise of God’s love continues in verses 19, 20, where we see that the victory of Christ over Satan is cast into simple terms of victory for God’s people. The south of Judah and the tribe of Simeon were located in a lowland known as the Negev. Those people–often persecuted by Edom–would be given the land of Edom (“Esau”) for their spoils.

The dwellers of the foothills, the tribe of Dan would be given the land on the other side of the mountains: Philistia. In addition, they would possess the land once occupied by Israel before the northern tribes were removed to Assyria. They would receive Ephraim (the towering highland north of Judah) and the rich fields of Samaria. The little tribe of Benjamin would be given the land of Gilead in the north. This is only a picture, mind you, of the blessings God will give to all believers when He brings us home to heaven. The blessings will be wonderful–unimaginable–so they are placed here into simple and clear terms, easily understood.

Further, we are told that the northern Kingdom and tribes will return from exile and spread out along the northern coastline of Palestine to Zarephath. And the southern tribes (note that their captivity is indirectly prophesied here) would also be granted an allotment of the Negev. More importantly, we seem to have a glimpse of the way the Gospel would travel in New Testament times. Zarephath might remind us of the widow who befriended Elijah (1 Kings 17:9-10; Luke 4:26). This also reminds us that Jesus traveled into Syrian-Phoenicia near Tyre, meeting a woman there with a remarkable faith. She was the one who asked for mere scraps of Jesus’ healing, since “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28).

Sardis was a city in western Asia Minor, one of the seven Christian Churches addressed by Jesus in His letter dictated to the Apostle John (Revelation 3:1-6). Jesus said that although the church was dying or dead; “Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” Rev. 3:4. Even when judgment is made–either on Sardis or on Edom–the Lord is compassionate on those who have faith, just as he was patient and compassionate when he rescued Lot from Sodom (Genesis 19:15-24).

It is in this context that Obadiah verse 21 reads, “Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”

The word for “Savior” here is related to the word “Messiah.” Although more than one messiah is mentioned, we know that we have only one Christ (Messiah). Yet this term was sometimes used to describe the “rescuers” who saved Israel in the time of the Judges. More importantly and more clearly as a prophecy, “the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” Jesus is the King who reigns over all, occupying the place of honor at the right hand of the Father. He is both the judge who condemns all sinners and the Lamb whose sacrifice atoned for the sins of the world and have rescued all who put their faith in him. And he will reign forever and ever.

Obadiah’s message meant judgment and destruction for God’s enemies, but for us, this short little book reminds us of the great rescue that is ours through Jesus. He will preserve His people for all eternity, blessing us with all that we need. He will give whatever we might want, and more, because his mercy endures forever.

This note of encouragement is actually the central purpose for this prophecy of Obadiah. We might wonder if it ever had much of a reading in the streets or palaces of Edom; but it certainly was received as welcome encouragement among the suffering people of God. Obadiah tells all God’s people: “Don’t worry about those who ignore your need, those who rejoice at your problems, those who take advantage of your crises, those who join their hands with others in attacking you. I will take care of them.”

Calvin the Reformer, a contemporary of Luther, said about this scripture portion, “The Prophet proceeds with the same subject, -- that God would not only gather the remnants of his people from the Babylonian exile, but would restore the exiles, that they might rule far and wide, and that their condition might be better than it was before: for the Prophet, as I think, directs the attention to the first blessing of God, which had been deposited in the hand of Abraham. God had promised to the posterity of Abraham the whole land from Euphrates to the sea. Now this land had never been possessed by the children of Abraham. This happened, as it is well known, through their sloth and ingratitude. David in his time enlarged the borders; but yet he only made those tributaries whom God had commanded to be destroyed. So this blessing had never been fulfilled, because the people put a hindrance in the way. The Prophet now, speaking of the restoration of the Church, tells the people, who would return from exile, that they were to occupy the country which had been promised to their fathers as though he said, "There will come to you a full and complete inheritance."

Now it is certain that this prophecy has never been completed: we know that but a small portion of the land was possessed by the Jews. What then are we to understand by this prophecy? It does unquestionably appear that the Prophet speaks here of the kingdom of Christ; and we know that the Church was then really restored, and that the Jews not only recovered their former state from which they had fallen, but that their kingdom was increased: for how great became the splendor of the kingdom and of the temple under Christ? This then is what the Prophet now means, when he promises to the Jews the heritage which they had lost; yea, God then enlarged the borders of Judea. Hence he shows that they should not only be restored to their former condition, but that the kingdom would be increased in splendor and wealth, when Christ should come. 

The space was no doubt great: even when David reigned, the Jews did not possess that part or south portion of mount Seir. Then the Prophet, as I have said, shows that the borders of the kingdom would be more extensive than they had been. And the plain, he says, of the Philistines On that side also the Lord would cause that the Jews would extend farther than their kingdom. And possess they shall the fields of Ephraim. Here I will not spend much labor in describing the land: but it is enough for us to understand that the design of the Prophet was to show that the state of the people after their exile would be far more splendid than it had been before, even under the reign of David. What he means by Gilead is not very clear: but it is not probable that mount Gilead is referred to here, which was not far distant from the tribe of Benjamin, but rather that a town or some place distant from that part, and not included in their portion, is pointed out.

There is here an obscurity in the words. The Hebrews by Canaan mean the Illyrians as well as Germans, and also the Gauls: for they say, that the migration, which shall be dispersed in Gaul, and in Germany, and in these far regions, shall possess the southern cities. Now by Zarephath they understand Spain. But we know, as we have elsewhere said, that the Jews are very bold in their glosses: for they are not ashamed to trifle and to blend frivolous things; and they assert this as though it were evident from history, and easily found out. Thus they prattle about things unknown to them, and this they do without any reason or discrimination. The Prophet, I doubt not, means here that all those territories, which had been formerly promised to the children of Abraham, would come into their possession when the Lord would send his Christ, not only to restore what had fallen, but also to render the state of the people in every way blessed. The import of the whole then is, that the Jews shall not only recover what they had lost, but what had not hitherto been given them to possess: all this the Lord would bestow on them when Christ came.”

To summarize, Calvin's idea about this passage is essentially portraying how great things will be once the Messiah comes. He also clarifies that it would be not an earthly kingdom that would possess the land, but rather God's people living around the world. Further, that the perfect and full realization of the prophecy comes in the new heavens and earth as recorded in Revelations. What is possessed by faith now (as in the example of Abraham) is possessed by sight when the age-to-come has arrived.

It is therefore that Revelations 22: 3 - 5 reminds us, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see his face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

You see, where the book starts with what we might call the ruthlessness of God, where He has His heart set on destroying Esau, towards the end, the whole story is that of the coming of the Holy Spirit into the human heart; he has come to destroy Esau and all these characteristics of the flesh. He will destroy them in those who are His and bring Jacob into the full inheritance of all His possessions -- and the weapon He uses is the judgment of the cross.

Isn't it interesting that when we get to the New Testament we find these same two principles personified again in two persons who meet in the pages of the Gospels face to face. In the last week of our Lord's sufferings, he stands before Herod. Herod, we are told, is a remnant of the Edomite people. Jesus before Herod -- the representative of Jacob and the representative of Esau face to face. Herod the Edomite, proud, arrogant and rebellious, watches the cruel mockery of the soldiers as they strip the Lord down and dress him in his royal robes. The Gospel writer says that Herod plied him with many questions, but for the son of Esau there is no answer from the son of Jacob. He has nothing to discuss with him. There can be no compromise. God has nothing to say to the flesh, nothing at all except judgment - the judgment of the cross.

And what is the final issue of that account? The prisoner went out to a cross and a grave, and from it he emerged a king; but King Herod went on to disgrace, exile, and, finally, to a grave in a foreign country. Beyond that he is a prisoner, bound by chains of his own making, eternally.

Now which are we? A king or a prisoner? Is Esau or Jacob ruling? Do we know about this ruthless cross that denies us any right to self-sufficiency, to self-expression, to self-advantage, to self-exploitation, to all these things -- denies us indifference, gloating, or self-righteousness? Have we learned yet to reign with Christ, not in heaven, but right now? Have we learned to possess our possessions -- as Jacob is intended to do -- so that the kingdom shall be the Lord's, the kingdom of your life? Or are we still a prisoner, like Herod, fancying ourself to be free, on a throne in authority, but still bound by unbreakable chains because you refuse to pass through the death that sets you free?

Let’s pray!

Obadiah Part 4 - The Day of the Lord

 

“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been. But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.” - Obadiah 1: 15 - 18 (ESV)

Today as we get into the 4th part of this 5 part sermon series on the book of Obadiah, let’s briefly review what we’ve learned so far from the earlier parts, A State of the Heart, A Violent Indifference and The Many Sins of Edom. We learned that the book dealt with God’s judgment on the nation of Edom for its sin of pride. Edom is the nation that descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob. The two brothers maintained great animosity toward one another for many years, and though they seemed to finally make peace, the two resulting nations continued with these feelings of animosity. Remember that Edom refused to allow Israel passage through their land when they were trying to reach the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses.

God said in Malachi that He hated Esau, and the reason He hated Esau, or Edom was because of their pride. They were proud of their national defenses, their strong allies and their superior wisdom, and that pride was manifested in their treatment of their brother Israel when the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar. When Babylon descended on Jerusalem, the Edomites stood by watching. They laughed and mocked and even encouraged the enemy to destroy the place. When the battle was over they went into the city themselves to steal and loot anything that was left behind, and then in a final display of hatred they rounded up all the refugees they encountered and handed them over to the Babylonians.

As with any prophetic book and any true prophet, Obadiah starts with forth telling the actions of Edom with which God has a grievance and then goes on to deliver judgment as a result of those actions. We see this judgment starting in verse 15.

Now, let us notice the first little word in this verse 15. It is the word for. It means because. This is a continuation to the ‘you should not have dones..’ that we see in verses 12 - 14. Obadiah tells the Edomites quite plainly that they shouldn’t have acted so violently toward their brother Israel, and why? Why should they not have done all they did? Because the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.

That’s quite a statement. If we think for a moment that God doesn’t remember our behavior, we ought to think again. The Edomites practiced this animosity toward their brothers for centuries, and while they might have thought they were getting away with it God was keeping His record.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 reminds us, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” Why doesn’t He always execute judgment immediately then? Because like the Bible tells us in Psalms 103, 145, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Why doesn’t the Lord execute judgment right away? Because He is longsuffering and He gives us space to repent and turn toward Him. This is the same reason He didn’t just wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah when He first wanted to. This is the same reason He didn’t just clean the city of Nineveh right off the face of the earth. This is the same reason He bothered with Jonah. Because His desire is repentance, not judgment.

Edom would not repent though, and because they wouldn’t repent, Obadiah told them that the day of the Lord was near upon all the nations. Now, we consider this a split prophecy, because it had an immediate fulfillment on the nation of Edom, but its ultimate fulfillment will take place when the Lord returns.

Edom, which was once a very rich and prosperous nation, is now a barren land. It is a wasteland and its people are gone. Let us notice one of the laws of God that we don’t pay much attention to the latter part of verse 15, “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.”

How often do we think of that? We know the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as we would have them do unto us.” But we need to remember this rule as well – whatever we do to others will be brought back to us. Can we be certain God holds us to that rule? Let’s look at James 2:12-13 for a New Testament example of the Lord’s teaching. What does James say about our actions toward others being returned upon our own heads? He said that if we are unmerciful to others, we can expect the same treatment from the Lord. Isn’t it funny that we want God to punish others for their sinful acts, but when we sin against Him we cry out for mercy? Isn’t it funny that we hold on to anger and bitterness because of the sins of others against us, but then we sin against God and expect Him to forgive us?

This doesn’t just apply to Edom, or even to us, because Obadiah said that the day of the Lord was near upon all the nations. It is a tragedy of nations that their people somehow think themselves exempt from the judgments that have overtaken others. The day comes when God will judge everyone.

Verse 16 therefore goes on to say. “For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.”

When Jerusalem fell, the Edomites entered the city and began to rejoice, plundering the goods. In other words, they went into God’s capital city and partied – they “drank on God’s holy mountain.” Then we read something interesting. Just as Edom went in and drank on God’s holy mountain, all the nations will drink continually and they shall be as though they had not been. What does that mean? Our answer is in Jeremiah 25: 15 - 17, 27 - 28: “Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.” So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it…“Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.’ “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: You must drink!”

Edom, Obadiah says with poetic justice, along with the other nations, is going to drink again. But this time the cup will not hold wine. It will be the cup of the wrath of God. If we are to learn anything from all of this, it ought to be that Edom wasn’t singled out for its enmity against God’s people Israel, which was really enmity against God Himself. Whatever form wicked pride takes; pride is an affront to God, and God will judge all who refuse to humble themselves.

It is therefore that Isaiah 2:12 reminds us, “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it:” On a similar note, Ezekiel 30:3 reminds us , “For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.” There are a number of other places in the Scripture that speak about the day of the Lord, and many of them mention another fact that Obadiah points out – the day of the Lord is near.

Now, here is a problem for some people. Obadiah wrote this almost 600 years before the birth of Christ, and now it has been around 2600 years since he wrote it. How could he possibly say that the day of the Lord was near when he wrote it that long ago and the Lord still hasn’t returned?

Just to make sure we’re on the same page, remember that the day of the Lord he is speaking of is the one referred to in 1 Thessalonians 5, the day when Jesus returns to this earth to execute judgment on the nations. It is the day when He returns to set up His kingdom and establish righteousness. It is the day when people will see Him not as the Lamb of God but as the Lion of the tribe of Judah with a rod of iron in His hand. On that day the nations of the earth will be destroyed and all earthly governments will be put down. This is directly alluding to what Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:44-45, “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

So, the nations will be destroyed on the day of the Lord, but getting back to what Obadiah said, how can it be that His day is near? Certainly for Edom it was. Edom was most likely put down when Nebuchadnezzar marched through that land to get to Egypt. They probably used the same route that the Israelites tried to use when they were refused passage. Knowing that these were a thieving and wicked people, Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t afford to just leave them alone. They most likely subjugated the Edomites, killing off many of them and capturing a good many more, but they didn’t wipe them out because we find that later on in Israel’s history, during the time of the Maccabees that there were still Edomites that had to be dealt with, and then of course during the time of Christ there were still Edomites living, such as the Herods. During the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, when the temple was destroyed, the Zealots, a group that the Apostle Simon was identified with, sent for the Edomites, who only added further torment to the destruction of Jerusalem. After this battle their name disappears from history. Most of them perished during the Jewish extermination that accompanied the siege and destruction of Jerusalem.

But what about the rest of the nations? They were not all dealt with at that time. Author, James Montgomery Boice wrote about this passage explaining this idea of nearness of the day of the Lord.

“…we need to understand that the Bible’s view of nearness is more what we would intend by the word “imminence.” That is, the judgment is near in the sense that it can occur at any moment. Imminent means “threatening to occur immediately, impending.” An imminent event does not necessarily occur immediately, but it could. Therefore one must be ready for it.

“An illustration may help. Imagine that a preacher is talking to a large congregation and that, as he begins, he places his Bible on the pulpit so that it is hanging out over the edge. This Bible is very precariously balanced. Although the preacher is not aware of it himself, the congregation notices what has happened and is anxiously wondering when the Bible will fall. No one knows when it will fall. It might sit there throughout the sermon. But, on the other hand, the preacher might jar the pulpit or even knock the Bible off deliberately. The situation is critical. When the preacher is speaking quietly and is not touching the pulpit, the congregation relaxes somewhat. When he gets louder and begins to thump the pulpit, they become worried.

“This is the sense in which God’s judgment is near, not only to nations but to every one of us. There are times when things are quiet and we do not anticipate the judgment so much. At other times we hear of wars and rumors of wars, the sea of the nations is troubled, and we wonder if God’s final intervention in history may not be just around the corner. We become anxious. But notice: Judgment is no less near in quiet times than in stormy ones. At any moment God may set the wheels of his final reckoning in order. That is why we must prepare for the Day of the Lord and be ready through faith in Jesus our Savior. Jesus himself said, “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.””

So, with the day of the Lord and His judgment on the nations – what happens to Jerusalem and God’s people Israel on the day of the Lord?. We see this in verses 17, 18, “But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.” While Edom could only look forward to doom and destruction, verse 17 says that there’s going to be deliverance on mount Zion, which is sort of a poetic name for Jerusalem. When is Obadiah talking about? When is this time that God is going to give deliverance to His own people, bless them and enable them to possess all this land mentioned in verses 19-20? It is the time of the millennial reign of Christ! It is the time that follows the day of the Lord, when Christ our Savior is going to put down all nations and exalt His own people and sit on His throne!

Those days will be characterized by true holiness. There is no true holiness in our world today – we can write all the laws we want and govern people with an iron fist, but sinful people will be sinful people and no matter what we do, we can’t change that. Even God’s people in His churches struggle daily with real holiness. We always have! You can’t find a period in all of history since the fall when the world hasn’t been characterized by lawlessness and wickedness, but in that day, the day when God will bring deliverance, when the kingdom shall be the Lord’s, the Bible says that Christ will rule and reign with righteousness!

Obadiah saw the Hebrew nation resettled in the Promised Land. Their sifting time would be over forever, the Jewish people will fully possess all the territory that God promised to Abraham. Holiness will be established throughout the kingdom, and the teachings of Jesus will stand as good and right for all the world. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the day that Christ returns and sets up His kingdom. I’m looking forward to the day when God is going to sort things out and punish unrighteousness. Sometimes we can feel like Asaph when he wrote Psalm 73 – he noticed that the wicked and unrighteous enjoyed good lives and godly people were stricken, but God’s Word tells us and Obadiah shows us that in the end God is going to sort all of that out and His people will be eternally blessed!

Why hasn’t the Lord returned yet? Why hasn’t He come to judge the nations? We already saw - it is because God is so gracious – every moment He delays His coming is a moment for people and nations to repent – even people like you and me. God is delaying the ultimate working out of His judgment on many nations until those who respond to the gospel in faith come to Him of their own free will.

So, what are we to learn from today’s portion? Vastation is defined as the great emptying out of concepts formed by self-intelligence and self-love. We all have to go through varying degrees of vastations at various times. What comes to mind is that parable in Matthew 13: 24, about the enemy coming to sow seeds of darnel while the owner slept. The owner of the field told his workers to wait until harvest time. If they had pulled the tares out too soon, they probably would have pulled out the good with the bad. So, the Lord remains patient. Question is, are we ready for our vastations, so that we will truly and daily take up our cross and follow Him? 

For when we pray in the Lord’s prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done” whether we realize it or not, what we’re actually praying for is that the Lord’s Kingdom takes root in our hearts to begin with and in all the world as a result. And His Kingdom takes root in our hearts when we truly and completely surrender ourselves to Him daily and take up our cross and follow Him, of our own free will.

Let us pray!

Obadiah Part 3 - The Many Sins of Edom

We have seen in the previous two parts of this sermon series from from Obadiah - The State of the Heart and A Violent Indifference as to how Edom continued to commit sin despite Israel and Judah being their own relatives and how Edom let it’s pride manifest in different ways - specifically violence and indifference. Today we continue to see how they allowed their pride to manifest in other ways that God hated them for it.

But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity - Obadiah 1: 12 - 13a (ESV)

In verse 12 and the first part of verse 13, God charges Edom with the sin of gloating as a manifestation of this basic problem of pride. Notice how we hear this so frequently in children who haven't yet learned to cover up what they feel with a subtle varnish of politeness: "Yay, yah, yah, good for you. You had it coming!" Have we ever said that in your own heart about somebody? "You had it coming." We were gloating over them. Adults learn to disguise this sometimes, but it comes out once in a while. For example, what do we say when someone doesn’t take our advice and fails and we hear about it? Do we ever say, "Well, I told you so. I knew that would happen. I expected it all along"? That is the sense of gloating, you see. 

Now, what causes this? Why do we like to rub salt on another's wounds? What is behind this perverse delight we take in another person's failure or his faults? It is Esau in us. The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. In our pride and indifference we don't care what happens to someone else, as long as everything is alright with us.

In our most recent COVID context, the whole need for vaccinations and the mask mandates has been a prickly topic. I remember on many occasions as I debated with some people I knew as to why these were required and they would come back with the wildest possible conspiracy theories and try and base it on the Bible. Ultimately, all of them caught COVID - some really bad and then some of them got wiser. I am reminded how at those times I had to check myself to not say in my heart - “I told you so. You had it coming.”

Story goes of a hypochondriac who got it written on his epitaph - “I told you I was sick!” Even death cannot relieve some people of their attitudes.

Gloating over the misfortune of another person has become a default response by some to the sorrow experienced by those who hold opposing views. Gloating is an indicator of the sad condition of the heart of the gloater, not the person who suffered an injury because of what the gloater deemed as the cause of their misfortune. This takes place with regularity in some of our news outlets. 

I saw one headline today where a man’s death was offered as proof that his position on a particular subject was, according to the nuance of the headline, the cause of his death. It lacked heart and compassion. The news lead was a form of gloating crafted as a subtle rebuke.

Let us be careful to not align our voice with a spirit that gloats over the misfortune of anyone, even those we deem as the enemy of the good. One of the most profound and memorable texts in all of Scripture begins with the words “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). That kind of love can never be extended to the world if we allow our voice to join the gloating chorus of “I told you so” when sorrow visits people who according to us might have a faulty worldview or a misguided understanding about an important subject. 

For when we gloat over the misfortune of others, we are behaving like Edom did on the day of destruction of their own kin.

But Edom went one step further, and did the unthinkable. 

Do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity - Obadiah 1: 13b (ESV)

The latter part of verse 13 makes their crime clear - they looted their own. Now imagine this, you have had a major disagreement with your brother / sister / relative and choose not to keep in talking terms with them. At a later point you see that they are going through tough times and you not only gloat to their face, but you also go into the house and take away their things?

That is exactly what Edom did. They stood by the gates as Israel and Judah were attacked, rejoicing and reveling. Then as the raiders stomped about the home of their own kin, they joined the marauders in raiding and stealing from the home of their kin.

Edom’s sin started with doing nothing, then progressed to pride over Judah’s distress. Soon, they took advantage of their brother Judah’s misfortune and laid hands on their substance.

Gloating is one thing, it is a subtle manifestation of our pride. But looting your own - that is being perverse. It is blatantly and outrightly saying, “I take what I want - God has nothing to do with it!” This verse is directly alluding to verses 5 - 6 which reads, “If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night— how you have been destroyed!— would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!”

What is the Lord saying in this verse to Edom? Essentially they are being told that if thieves came to their house, they would only take what they wanted / needed and leave the rest behind. Think about it - a thief in your house will always only take what they deem of value. When they have had their fill, they leave. Similarly the example is given here of grape gatherers. We are all familiar with the concept of not so well to do people gathering the leftovers of produce from our land to meet their needs. This verse tells us even such people who were coming out of blatant disregard to take away or out of need to use what can be found would leave something behind. But it would not be so for Edom!

Instead, because of their gloating on the day of their brothers misfortune and further looting their brothers goods, by the time God was done with them - they wouldn’t even have a semblance of anything left over. It would be as if they never existed! For me it is a chilling thought. This is God seeking vengeance against Edom. God is literally cursing them to say that they would be erased from existence.

And that is exactly what happened with Edom. They were erased from history. The perspective of verses 12, 13, and 14 is a common technique in ancient literature. The author speaks as if shouting back in time, to warn someone. The crimes Edom is being told "do not" do are the very ones they have already done - to serve as a future warning to those who might listen and not follow suit. A frequent feature of God's judgment is a sinner's own crimes coming back to them. Edom looted Jerusalem and helped defeat them. Not long after this prophecy was written, the Edomites were driven from their lands by foreigners. Their nation wallowed in poverty and obscurity until 70 AD, when the Roman Empire virtually annihilated them.

Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. Obadiah 1: 14 (ESV)

The final progression of Edom’s sin was worst of all – they joined in the attack against vulnerable Judah. You can picture what has happened. As Edom moved in to plunder the city, they encountered stragglers, men and women, or lone women with their children, perhaps whole families who had fled the city to escape the destruction and certain death or captivity. They would naturally try to take refuge in the rugged country south of the Dead Sea – but on their way they met up with these Edomite brothers who had no sympathy for their plight – the Bible says that they turned them over to the Babylonians, gave them up to their enemies for who knows what future. Did they care? Certainly not, for they were the lowest sort of people, thriving on the defeats of others, even their own kinsmen. 

Bible expositor John Trapp is known to have said - “Sin proceeds by degrees; neither is any man at his worst at first.” 

All in all, Edom treated God’s people terribly when distress and calamity came upon them. 

• First they perpetrated violence.

• Then they did nothing.

• Then they rejoiced in their distress and calamity.

• Then they took advantage of their vulnerable state.

• Then they joined in the violence against God’s people.

Are we doing the same today? From today’s verses, we need to ask ourselves these questions:

1. Are we the kind of people who don’t help others but we don’t mind finding out the details of some other Christian’s failure? Have you heard of someone who has fallen into some sin, and have we been tempted for curiosity’s sake to see what the trouble is - only to gloat albeit within our heart?

Let us make no mistake - Gloating is a subtle sin, but it is a sin that stems from pride and it is sin nonetheless. In gloating we behave like Edom.

2. Do we take advantage of brothers / sisters who fall? Do we prey on them with our works and behavior? Do we move in and gather the spoils? What are some ways that believers can take advantage of other believers when they fall?

Have you ever heard anyone say, "Well, I had a contractor bid on some work I would like him to do, and the fellow made a mistake and he has underbid this. But I am going to hold him to It. After all, I've got the contract. He signed it and I am going to hold him to it"? That is taking advantage of another's mistake. We find this spirit coming up so easily when something like that happens. We say, "Oh, that is your hard luck." We try to move in and take advantage of another's distress.

"If we’re thinking right now, Oh, I could never do a thing like that." Well, how many of us are on the lookout for some old coin, or some antique chair, or some widow selling her stuff who doesn't know the value of them? We move in on that and take advantage of it?

Taking advantage of others is a sin that stems from pride. In taking advantage of others, we behave like Edom.

3. Do we stand in the way of our brothers and sisters who are hurting? 

Now figuratively speaking, God’s people can be guilty of this very thing. We serve Satan, our enemy by treating Christians who have sinned or erred with an unbrotherly love. Some Christians spend more time delivering fellow believers into the hands of unbelievers than they do serving God. Our duty is to build up, to edify our brothers and sisters and restore them, not to turn them over to the enemy every time they fall.

All too often it is we, believers in Jesus Christ who behave like the Edomites. We can behave very hurtful, we say things we ought not say, we do things we ought not do, and sometimes, perhaps more often than not, we refuse to get involved when we should. There is a Bible verse that says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” - Proverbs 18: 24 (ESV)

We have such a friend in Jesus. When we had fallen to sin and death, Jesus didn’t just stand by. He didn’t look on with contempt or with indifference. When we were helpless and hopeless, Jesus didn’t rejoice or boast of His own perfection, though He was. He didn’t move in and exploit us, nor did He turn us over to the enemy – He didn’t do any of these things. Because He loved us, He chose to get involved and do something about it – His love drove Him to the cross, and because He was lifted up, we too can be lifted up.

Let me close today’s reflection with a poem “My Name is Pride” by Beth Moore:

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny…because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment…because you “deserve better than this.”

I cheat you of knowledge…because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing…because you are too full of you to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness…because you refuse to admit when you are wrong.

I cheat you of vision…because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship…because nobody’s going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love…because real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in heaven…because you refuse to wash another’s feet on earth.

I cheat you of God’s glory…because I convinced you to seek your own.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

You like me because you think I’m always looking out for you.

Untrue.

I’m looking to make a fool of you.

God has so much for you, I admit, but don’t worry…

If you stick with me you’ll never know.

Obadiah Part 2 - A Violent Indifference

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:

I was hungry and you formed a humanities club and discussed my hunger.

I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel and prayed for my release.

I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.

I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.

I was homeless and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.

I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.

You seem so close to God; but I am still very hungry, and lonely, and cold.

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.