“In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.” (Obadiah 1:11)
Obadiah had a vision about Edom. Edom were the descendants of Esau. (Genesis 38:1, 9, 19, 43) There had always been animosity between Jacob and Esau, even from the womb. “And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.” (Genesis 25:21-22) Then when they were older, Jacob tricked Esau into giving up his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34) and schemed with his mother to deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing of the eldest. (Genesis 27:1-35) And so the Edomites were anti-Israel. Obadiah’s Word from the Lord to Edom, after over fifty years later, says that when Israel was taken captive, in His eyes, they were as the captors. In Psalms 137, the psalmist records the words of the Edomites. “Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. (Psalms 137:7)
The Lord Who is just in all His ways gives us the commandment not to rejoice over our enemy when they are down. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.” (Proverbs 24:16-18) It’s a terrible thing to be under the hand of the Lord. The word mischief means wretchedness and calamity. The Edomites had rejoiced when Israel was taken captive. It displeased God. “The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him. Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.” (Obadiah 1:1-9) All the heathen nations came against Edom, hated it and considered it small and easy prey. And although they lived in cliffs protected by the steep way to their communities, the Lord said He Himself would bring them down. Robbers and thieves would wipe out their treasures. Even those who were related to Edom through marriage and birth: the Hitites, Hivites, Amalakites and Horites would come against it. There would be no wisdom nor knowledge in Edom and they would be eradicated completely. There are no survivors of Edom today. It was completely wiped out in the fifth century as God declared.
It doesn’t please God if we rejoice when God is avenging us of our enemies. It is holy justice being served. We should have the fear of God and be in awe.
Comments