September 12, 2015
REPENT? WHY? I AM SO COMFORTABLE RIGHT HERE.
Obadiah 1–21
Audrey Morales
Central Truth
The Edomites were proud, and the Lord humbled them. They suffered retributive justice for their treatment of their relatives. The Lord warned them what would come if they did not repent. He hoped they would repent. Sadly, they refused.
Key Verse | Obadiah 3–4
"You have been deceived by your own pride
because you live in a rock fortress
and make your home high in the mountains.
'Who can ever reach us way up here?’
you ask boastfully.
But even if you soar as high as eagles
and build your nest among the stars,
I will bring you crashing down,"
says the Lord.
(Obadiah 1:3-4)
Obadiah 1–21
1 The vision of Obadiah.
Edom Will Be Humbled
Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom:
We have heard a report from the LORD,
and a messenger has been sent among the nations:
“Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!”
2
Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
you shall be utterly despised.
1
1:2
Or Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are utterly despised
3
The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,
2
1:3
Or of Sela
in your lofty dwelling,
who say in your heart,
“Who will bring me down to the ground?”
4
Though you soar aloft like the eagle,
though your nest is set among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,
declares the LORD.
5
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?
6
How Esau has been pillaged,
his treasures sought out!
7
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
3
1:7
Hebrew lacks those who eat
have set a trap beneath you—
you have
4
1:7
Hebrew he has
no understanding.
8
Will I not on that day, declares the LORD,
destroy the wise men out of Edom,
and understanding out of Mount Esau?
9
And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman,
so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.
Edom's Violence Against Jacob
10
Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob,
shame shall cover you,
and you shall be cut off forever.
11
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.
12
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
5
1:12
Hebrew do not enlarge your mouth
in the day of distress.
13
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 his calamity.
14
Do not stand at the crossroads
to cut off his fugitives;
do not hand over his survivors
in the day of distress.
The Day of the LORD Is Near
15
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.
16
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.
17
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.
18
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.
The Kingdom of the LORD
19
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.
20
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.
21
Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion
to rule Mount Esau,
and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.
Dive Deeper | Obadiah 1–21
Edom had it going on—defensively speaking. Their military stronghold, called Petra in Greek, was a fortress literally built into solid rock. The Edomites thought they were untouchable, but they were deceived by their own pride. God sent Obadiah to warn them to repent, but they refused. And God destroyed them.
This word from Obadiah is timely for me. Right now, God has me trying to turn away from some socially acceptable sins. I don't think it's a coincidence. To be honest, I struggle because I like my sin. I like the comfort food affords when I'm anxious. I like to cut some slack for myself when it comes to stewarding God's resources. I confess this is pride.
My pride says, “Hey God, I got this. I know you want me to turn to You in my time of need and to use all of my resources wisely. But You have transformed me so much I think it's okay if I keep these few vices.” Not true! He is never okay with my sin. He will never be. “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13, NIV)
In my reluctance to repent, I miss a key point from Romans 8:13. I have the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within me to guide my steps. I do not have to do this alone. I cannot do this alone. And I am thankful that I am not expected to do this alone. My self-sufficient way is to muscle through, too proud to ask for help. But His way gently and patiently transforms me into Christ’s likeness, often with a nudge such as Obadiah gives. I am confident that if I ask for His help, He will answer. I can trust in the truth of Philippians 1:6, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Thank You, Lord, for the reminder and the refinement!
Discussion Questions
1. Obadiah means “servant of the Lord." Do people know more about you and your achievements, or do they know you as a servant of the Lord? What can you do today so that every thought, word, and deed serve God?
2. What do self-sufficiency, indifference, gloating, and exploitation have in common? All are manifestations of pride displayed by the Edomites in the book of Obadiah. Which of these do you struggle with? How else does pride manifest itself in your life?
3. To what sin do you cling because it's comfortable? Hint: Begin by reflecting on the sins our culture deems respectable like pride, greed, or materialism. Need help and encouragement to make a plan to repent and turn from your destructive patterns? Re:generation, a biblically based 12-step program, meets each Monday at 7540 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX, at 6:30 p.m. We would love to serve you. (Shameless plug dutifully inserted—check!)