The Humbling Of A Wicked Nation—6

     Thus far in our examination of the nation of Edom we have seen nothing to commend him. His arrogance, pride, contempt, and hatred are forever exhibited by God as what a people should not be. We have seen that everything he prided himself in would fail when God chose to contend against him. God inspires the prophet Obadiah to let Edom know that the time of his reckoning was terrifyingly near. All of his opportunities to repent and change his ways had been squandered. At last it was time for him to reap what he had sown.

“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; and your deeds shall return upon your own head. For as you have drunk on my hold mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been” (Obadiah 15-16).

     The “day of the Lord” is often mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures. It described a day(s) in which Jehovah manifests Himself mightily in the defeat of those who oppose Him. It is a day of terror to His enemies but deliverance to the righteous. However, even those who were once righteous but had decided to turn away from the Lord could find themselves on the wrong end of the day of the Lord (Amos 5:18-20). Through long practice and a set mind Edom had established himself as a nation characterized by continuous evil. In essence his “fullness of time” had come and it was his turn to face a “day of the Lord.”

     The immediate context continues cataloguing Edom’s crimes against his brother nation during their time of turmoil. Edom had treated Jacob horribly and God says that he had drunk on the Lord’s holy mountain. Whether Edom had literally desecrated God’s holy mountain through some drunken celebration gloating over his brother’s humiliation, or whether this is a figurative idea expressing his violent treatment of Jacob throughout the entire ordeal, the point remains the same—it was time for Edom to taste his own medicine.

     Multiple nations would take part in the destruction of Edom. Multiple nations would help themselves to all those sources of pride Edom boasted in. While Edom had drunk on the Lord’s holy mountain, the nations would come and partake of Edom. Edom would not only be drunk by the nations, he would be swallowed and consumed by them. By the time of Jesus Christ Edom had entirely lost his identity and had been absorbed by the nations. God’s judgments are certain.

     There have been so many “days of the Lord” throughout the history of man. There is still one to come in the future that will end them all. The consistent teaching of Scripture is that a great and terrible Day is coming in which all people of all nations of all times will stand before God to give an accounting of the things that they have done in their lives (Romans 14:10-12). The faithful Christian, the backslider, the scoffer, and the unbeliever will all be there on that Day. Denying it is pointless. Edom could not conceive a “day of the Lord” coming upon him, and yet it did. Before all is said and done every man and woman who has ever existed will experience the Day of the Lord.

     Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” We can point to the atheist and the skeptic and easily see how they attempt to mock God. However, let us not imagine that Christians cannot seek to do the same. Does not a Christian seek to outwit God in some way when he lives a life of sin and expects to die the death of the righteous? Is God deceived by mere words? If I spend my days awash in immorality and yet declare my faith in the Lord with a hearty ‘”praise God” on Sunday and Wednesday, have my words somehow screened God from seeing what I do the remainder of the week? Does it cause Him to ignore my behavior? Consider:

     “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”        (Proverbs 15:3)

     “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6)

        “I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.” (Isaiah 1:13a)

     Passages like these could be easily multiplied. Edom sought to mock God through idolatry, pride, and hatred of his brother nation. We can seek to mock God through our behavior by claiming to be one thing and yet proving ourselves something else through our actions. The problem is that God is simply not mocked. Let’s not try!       

The Humbling Of A Wicked Nation—5

     Thus far in our consideration of Edom we have seen that one of his greatest sins was his overwhelming sense of pride in his location, his possessions, his wisdom, and his might. So proud was he of these things that he held other nations in contempt and lived in open rebellion against God. However, the prophet Obadiah indicates that Edom was guilty of two great sins, not just one. While his first terrible sin was pride, the second was his intense hatred of his brother nation. Consider God’s words to Edom from Obadiah 10-14.

     “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 of his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. 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; do not loot his wealth in the day of calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.”

     It would not have been possible for Edom to prevent the defeat of his brother nation (either by Babylon or the multiple nations of 2 Chronicles 21:8-18 depending on how one dates Obadiah’s prophecy) because it was designed to be a chastening from God. However, Edom could have been there to help pick up the pieces and show some sympathy for his brother after the disaster. Instead he chose to gleefully leap into the fray with both feet and become just like the nations routing his brother.

     God offered several prohibitions to Edom. He repeatedly told him not to gloat over the suffering of Judah. While Jerusalem suffered, Edom pointed and laughed at his devastation. God told Edom not to rejoice over Jacob’s misfortune. While the calamity engulfed his brother, Edom saw the event as a reason for rejoicing. God told Edom not to enter the gates of Jerusalem. Of course, Edom did not intend to enter as a brother but as a raider, looting whatever wealth he could find. God told Edom not to stand at the crossroads. It was bad enough that Edom was looting Jacob, but he compounded his sin by making sure his brother could not escape. Finally God told Edom not to deliver his brother over to the enemy as he rounded up whatever survivors managed to escape. Because Edom chose to do all of these things, his humiliation would be perpetual and permanent (Malachi 1:4).

     You and I must consider the lessons of Edom’s hatred in relation to how we should treat one another as brethren. David makes a very important statement in Psalm 133:1. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” When brethren unite upon their love for God, His will, and one another it is a marvelous and God pleasing thing. The love of brethren sharing the same precious faith and cherishing the same wonderful hope is a gift from God to His people. It is one of His greatest blessings to us and must be numbered close to the top every time we pause to count our blessings. It is something that must fill our hearts with a gratitude that manifests itself in regular expressions of praise and thankful prayer to God. At the same time it is something that must be worked at and improved upon with the passing of time. 

     An important point for us to remember comes from the pen of John, where he said,  “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Our love for one another serves as proof that we love God (John 17:20-21).

      It is difficult for us to imagine doing violence to our brethren because we tend to think of violence as physically attacking them. However, let us not forget the violence of inactivity. I can wish you warmth and a hearty meal if you lack those things but if I do not offer them to you when I possess the means to do so I have wounded you and failed in love (James 2:15-16). Never forget that the great sin of our Lord’s judgment scene from Matthew 25:41-46 was not a failure in doctrine or false teaching, it was violence done to the brethren through unloving inactivity.

       Edom hated his brother and proved it through his actions. Let us love one another and prove it in every way.                              

The Humbling Of A Wicked Nation—4

      Obadiah has had much to say about the spiritual shortcomings of the ungodly nation of Edom. Jacob’s brother nation was so filled with pride that it consumed his every thought and action. His pride was the seed at the heart of each sin Edom was guilty of committing. Ultimately it caused him to disregard God altogether. In this article we will examine two more sources of his pride. 

     “Will I not on that day, declares the Lord, destroy the wise men of out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau? And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter” (Obadiah 8-9).

     As one considers the testimony of Scripture, it is clear that Edom had gained the reputation for great wisdom and understanding. In Jeremiah 49:7 we read, “Concerning Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has council perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?” Many suggest that Teman may have been the capital city of Edom. If it was not the capital it was at least a very influential and reputable city. Both Obadiah and Jeremiah specifically connect wisdom and might with Teman, indicating that it was a city noted for prudence, council, and military might. You may recall that Eliphaz, one of Job’s “comforters”, was a Temanite (Job 2:11).

     Keep in the mind that Obadiah shows us God removing every source of Edom’s pride. Clearly he gloried in his own wisdom, confident that nothing could possibly arise that he could not overcome through his own council and planning. Scripture informs us that there are only two types of wisdom. There is heavenly wisdom (wisdom from above), and there is demonic wisdom (wisdom from below). Considering the vileness of Edom, it is clear which brand of wisdom he possessed (James 3:13-18). 

     As we’ve hinted at already, Edom had gained quite a fearsome reputation in battle. Obadiah connects “mighty men” to Teman just as Jeremiah had connected wisdom. There is no question that Edom presented a very formidable, intimidating adversary to anyone brave enough to take him on. Remember that something as fundamental as simply reaching him was very difficult because of his mountain stronghold (Obadiah 2-4). Should an adversary manage to reach his cities they would need to contend with Edom’s allies coming to aid him. If his allies were not enough Edom could easily dip into his wealth to hire mercenaries to fight on his side (Obadiah 5-7). Add to all of this his own wisdom and warriors (Obadiah 8-9). Edom was truly a nation to reckon with.  

     Unfortunately for him, Jehovah was doing the reckoning! His foolish trust in himself caused Edom to forget that the mightiest of men stand helpless before the Lord God Almighty (2 Kings 6:15-18). Edom could gather all of his military men and wise councilors against God and not even begin to frustrate His purposes or overcome His strength (Psalm 68:1-3). Truly it was his trust in his own might and wisdom that helped doom him to an eventual final destruction.

      It is imperative that we understand that everything about man, every source of his pride, is incredibly tenuous at best. We sometimes boast in things like our wealth, our health, our possessions, our strength, and our wisdom. Edom possessed each of these in spades. However, there came a time when God simply had enough of his proud arrogance and acted against him. What good did Edom’s wealth, health, possessions, strength, or wisdom do him then? If there is one lesson we must take from Edom it is that placing our complete trust in anything but God is the height of foolishness. Wealth, possessions, health, strength, and the mind all eventually fail. God does not.

     A favorite passage of mine is Isaiah 49:14-15. “But Zion says, ‘The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” The bond between a mother and her brand new nursing infant is so strong! Having witnessed it for myself three times now I cannot but marvel at the beauty and devotion of a mothers love for her baby. God’s love for His people far excels even that. Let us never forget the Father up above looking down in tender love. Let us make Him our boast and nothing else.        

The Humbling Of A Wicked Nation—3

     As we begin this third post considering the humbling of Edom, please remember that pride was at the heart of so many of his problems. Pride made him arrogantly self sufficient, boastful of his possessions, and contemptuous of God. Jehovah noted his increasing pride and his unwillingness to repent of it. His judgments against Edom are found spread throughout the writings of many prophets. Obadiah dedicates his entire prophecy to the eventual humbling of that sinful nation. As we consider Obadiah’s prophecy, we continue to note how the pride of Edom would lead to his destruction.

     “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! All your allies have driven you to your border; those at peace with you have deceived you; they have prevailed against you; those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you—you have no understanding.” (Obadiah 5-7)

     Scripture indicates who some of Edom’s allies would have likely been. Moab and Ammon were his neighbors so it would have behooved him to make treaties with them. In Amos 1:6, 9 we see that Edom was involved in the slave trade with Gaza and Tyre. Doing such business would require certain understandings and agreements that likely came in the form of treaties and alliances. Doubtless some of the Arabian tribes living near Edom would have seen the benefit in an alliance with such a powerful neighbor. As we will see in a later article, Edom’s hatred of his brother nation seems limitless. He truly appears to have adopted “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” mentality toward Jacob as evidenced by Asaph’s cry to God in Psalm 83:1-8. If a nation wanted to damage Jacob in some way, they could count on Edom supporting their decision and perhaps even lending his own warriors to the endeavor.

     Edom’s lofty dwelling in the mountains had him gazing imperiously and contemptuously at the nations dwelling below. Even without any support from any outside source he felt secure and utterly untouchable (Obadiah 3-4). However, he did have outside support. Edom had made alliances. So confident was Edom in his alliances that Obadiah’s prophecy indicates utter shock on his part when his allies turn on him, pillage him, and force him from his mountain strongholds. Dismayed, he would watch as his “friends” so thoroughly searched out his treasures that not a single valuable remained. The godless nations Edom placed so much hope and trust in would deceive him, attack him, and plunder him. 

     As I consider this step in Edom’s humiliation, I see some practical lessons for today. First, ungodly people behave in an ungodly manner. This truly is a “dog eat dog” world. More often than not the ungodly are faithful to their promises only up to the point where they see that remaining faithful benefits them in some material, physical, or social way. This is true of nations, businesses, and individuals. Edom’s allies knew of his wealth for Edom’s arrogance likely moved him to flaunt it often. Clearly those allies were biding their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to break whatever agreements were in place and utterly ruin their “friend.” Nothing has changed over the years. Ungodly nations/people will behave in an ungodly manner. It is never a question of if, but only of when (Isaiah 30:1-5; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

     So what does this mean for us? It means that before we ever seek an alliance with any nation, business, people, or person we need to ensure that we have made an alliance with God. If Edom had been a God fearing nation, if he had humbled himself before Jehovah and praised him as the source of blessings and goodness, then there is no reason to imagine that he would have been destroyed the way he was. Edom would not have been proud, hateful, or wicked. When wind came that enemies were approaching his borders with cruel intentions he would have been able to appeal to God just as Asaph did in Psalm 83. He would not have been forced to rely upon his own strength or wisdom (another area of pride which will be discussed in the next article) but upon wisdom and might from God. Sadly, his wicked pride ensured that such an avenue for aid did not exist to him.

     In James 4:10 we read, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” What might have become of Edom had an alliance with God meant more to him than his alliance with ungodly nations? We’ll never know. Let us make God our Ally by humbling ourselves before Him. He promises exaltation if we will.