Good Triumphs Over Evil
Obadiah
This little book of one chapter is generally overlooked, but like the
other so called Minor Prophets, it may be short, but it has a great
Message. In verse 1 we see God declaring
war. Who are these Edomites? They were the descendents of Esau, Jacob's
twin brother. See the commentary on them
in Mal. 1:2, 3. "I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved
us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the
LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his
heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." It is popular to say that God loves everybody, but I will stick my neck
out for all those who will slice at it and say what about Esau?
What was Edom's great sin, which
would cause God to declare war on her?
In Numbers 20:14-21 we read of the time when the Jews were on their way
to the land of Canaan. Their journey
took them by the Edomites. They stood
against Israel. Remember that God told
Abraham that He would bless those who blessed Israel and curse them that cursed
her. Moses sent a message to the king of
Edom saying, "Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will
not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the
king's high way, we will not turn to the right
hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders." Num. 20:17. The king replied in verse 18, "And
Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee
with the sword." In Obadiah 10
we read, "For thy violence against thy
brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever."
Their sin was also guilt by
association. In verse 11 reference is
made to the day when strangers carried the Jews away into captivity. It says that in that day Edom stood on the
other side. The conclusion is made that
she was as one of the enemies of Jerusalem.
In growing up my parents said to me many times, "Be careful who you
run with." Guilt by association is
a very real danger.
In verse 3 we read of Edom's
pride in her self defense. Pride is an
abomination before the Lord. Verses 3-9
elaborate on that pride.
Edom is to be destroyed in the
triumph of Jesus Christ. Verses 15, 16
tell us that all the heathen shall be destroyed. Verses 17-21 tell us of the great triumph of
Jesus over His enemies even to their destruction.
Edom
is also a picture of the flesh in all of us.
In Rom. 7:18 Paul reminded us that we still have to deal with this old
sinful flesh. "For I know that
in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present
with me; but how to perform that which is
good I find not." This will not
always be the case. Christ will present
His church to the Father made totally righteous. See Eph. 5:27 "That he might present
it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." What a
blessed hope this is! According to 1
John 3:2 we shall be made like Jesus, "Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
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