As I have reflected on the book of Obadiah, it has
occurred to me that this book, perhaps uniquely among the prophets of the Old
Testament, speaks more directly to a time like our own. Most of the other prophets
speak to Old Testament believers—and to Christians in churches. But Obadiah
proclaimed a vision from the sovereign God to a people who knew no theology and
who had no place for the knowledge of God in their lives. Unlike the audience
of the other prophets, Obadiah's audience made no pretense of acknowledging
God. In other words, he spoke to a society much like our own.
In this little book, God teaches us about who he is,
who his friends are, and who his enemies are.
Who are God's enemies? (Verses 1-16)
First, then, who are God's enemies?
In the first few verses of the book, we immediately
observe one answer to that question: the proud.
Historically, Obadiah appears to have been written
sometime after the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 587 b.c. Amid this terrible
plight among God's people, their next-door neighbors to the southeast, the
Edomites, did nothing to help (to put it mildly!). The Edomites were the
descendants of Jacob's brother Esau (see Genesis 36).
But this little book is not merely the condemnation
of an outraged Israelite. In fact, we don't even know that Obadiah was an
Israelite; we don't know anything about him, really. Twelve different people in
the Old Testament bear his name. And it may not have actually been the author's
name. "Obadiah" means "servant of Yahweh," so perhaps the
name was simply a descriptive title for this messenger who wrote it. Obadiah
brought not his own message but the Word of God: "This is what the
Sovereign Lord says about Edom—We have heard a message from the Lord. An envoy
was sent to the nations to say, 'Rise, and let us go against her for
battle'" (Obad. 1).
It's possible that there were rumblings of war about
the time this book was written, and the Edomites may have been slightly fearful
that Babylon would invade them. Obadiah's language of wartime was not mere
scaremongering. He was genuinely warning them. Disaster was coming, and it was
coming from God! The envoy calling to the nations to do battle was calling, it
seems, to the nations of the Babylonian empire to wage battle on Edom.
At the same time, nothing in the book suggests that
Edom was in a particularly low state when Obadiah delivered his message. In
fact, God's promise to make Edom "small among the nations" (v. 2)
suggests that they regarded themselves somewhat highly among the nations. They
were proud. Obadiah's message would probably have come as a surprise to them.
Yes, a few rumors of war may have been circulating, but the people certainly
were not aware of any looming "judgment." Besides, they lived in a
naturally impregnable position, atop mountains in cities that could be reached
only by narrow, winding passages. Judah had just fallen, and, to be honest, its
fall had enriched Edom. More north/south trade was now passing through Edom's
side of the Jordan. In short, times were good.
But then that's how pride always works. If you are a
non-Christian, please recognize the futility of making anything your final
security other than God himself. God made us in his image so that we might know
him, and one day he will call us to account. There is nothing else in this
world that is so certain. It does not matter how strong or prosperous or
successful you feel. God made you to give account to him, and you will. He is
your only security.
That is what Obadiah told the nation of Edom, who
felt so strong and self-sufficient. The Lord said to Edom, "The pride of
your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make
your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to
the ground?'" (v. 3). Edom was a small nation, but it was situated, like Switzerland,
in an apparently impenetrable region of rocky heights and passes. And their
hearts were well symbolized by their geography—high and hard, certain and
proud.
But that's where they made a fatal error. They
thought they could see and survey all the surrounding country because of their
position. But they could not see themselves. Their pride deluded them.
"'Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from
there I will bring you down,' declares the Lord" (v. 4). God was not as
impressed with their natural strategic defenses as they were. Even if they were
in the most impregnable place on earth, God recognized no earthly power or
material advantage that could withstand the course of his justice. Once he
decided to bring down a proud and boasting people, he would. But the Edomites
were mindless of all this. Remember, their pride had deceived them. That's the
nature of pride, isn't it?
It is amazing to see what people proudly put their
trust in. You may remember learning about the famous Maginot Line between
France and Germany. From 1929 to 1938, the French built a line of defensive
fortifications along their border with Germany under the direction of French
war minister André Maginot. Heavy guns, thick concrete, air-conditioned living
areas, areas for recreation, and even underground railways all assured the
French that they would be safe against German aggression. When the German
military began to build itself back up under Adolf Hitler, the French smugly
thought they could ignore the matter. They had the Maginot Line! Of course,
when the Germans finally invaded, they came through Belgium, outflanking the
Maginot Line and rendering it utterly useless. It took ten years to build. It
took the Germans a few weeks to march around it.
Friend, that is a just a small picture of what it
means to trust anything apart from God. Spend as much time as you want building
something; imagine all the things it can protect you from; it still won't
protect you.
Yet we want our own Maginot Lines, and then we put
our trust in them. So we give obsessive attention to our appearance, our
bodies, our possessions, our accomplishments, our jobs, or our friendships. We
trust in them to bring peace and security. All of these things, of course, are
extensions of our own power, reflections of our own ability, declarations of
our own proud independence from God. But what if none of these things last as
long as you do? Consider for a moment, what is it that you expect will last as
long as you do? Then ask yourself, what will you do if it doesn't? What if your
employer, your wealth, your parents or children, your house, your health, your
ministry, a particular relationship, even your physical life does not last as
long as you do? That's what the Bible teaches will happen. Listen again:
"'Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from
there I will bring you down,' declares the Lord" (v. 4).
When God decides to judge a proud nation, no
economic stimulus package or Department of Homeland Security can save it. The
nation that puts its trust in its own strength is the nation that will soon
encounter the limits of its strength and eventually the loss of it, just as God
promises Edom in Obadiah.
The grandest of this world's powers have always
declined. It has been fashionable ever since America's war with Vietnam to
write about American decline. Since September 11, 2001, the world's sole
remaining superpower, a so-called imperial power, has almost always been written
about in terms of its limitations and attendant problems. British decline has
been an accepted fact of life in Britain for most of the past century. The
U.S.S.R. fell, as did the short-lived empires of proud power built by Hitler
and Mussolini and Hirohito and Kaiser Wilhelm and Franz Joseph and on and on.
For the rise of every great power in world history, a decline follows. Having
power is one of the most trying experiences that humans—individually or
collectively—can ever know. It will not last. Christians need to be the ones
who understand the reality of power's passing nature and address it—honestly,
humbly, and lovingly.
And who better to bring God's judgment than the very
ones Edom had trusted and relied upon in place of God. "Your allies will
force you to the very border; your friends will deceive and overpower you"
(v. 7a). If you like suspense films, you know that skillful directors often
employ the gullible, inordinate trust one character will place in another
individual who appears to be a friend or ally but is really a mortal enemy. The
Edomites placed such an inordinate trust in the Babylonians, and now their
protectors would become their devourers: "those who eat your bread
[meal-sharing companions] will set a trap for you, but you will not detect
it" (v. 7b). The Edomites thought they were wise, but they were deceived.
They detected nothing.
God promises that the proud will be humbled. And he
abhors the nation who treats other people as if those other people belonged to
the nation rather than to God.
Especially when those others are God's own special
people!
God makes this point throughout the Bible. Do you
remember what the risen Christ said to the Christian-persecuting Saul when he
appeared to him on the road to Damascus? "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute
me?" (Acts 9:4). Christ identifies so closely with his people that he
refers to them as himself. God demonstrates a similar kind of identification
with his people in the book of Obadiah. Actions against God's people are
actions against God.
If you have acted against God's people, you have
sinned against God. In fact, the Bible teaches that all of us have sinned, not
just Edom—"all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom.
3:23). All of us have alienated God by our actions.
In verse 8, God restates his promise to destroy
Edom, but in much more explicit terms: "'In that day,' declares the Lord,
'will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, men of understanding in the mountains
of Esau?'" Whatever cleverness or wit had been previously demonstrated in
arranging Edom's political affairs was shallow and short-sighted. Their wise
men could not save them now.
Neither could their strong men: "Your warriors,
O Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down
in the slaughter" (v. 9). Why would this happen? "Because of the
violence against your brother Jacob . . ." (v. 10a). The Lord refers to
Edom's "brother Jacob" because Edom, or Esau, was the brother of
Jacob (also called "Israel"). God is referring to them according to
the individual ancestors to whom they trace their identity—Esau for the
Edomites and Jacob for the Israelites. The larger point being made, of course,
is to demonstrate how outrageous it was for Edom not to offer hospitality to
fleeing Israelites, but violence instead. Their violence was not violence
against strangers, but against brothers. Because of this outrage, says God,
"you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever" (v.
10b). Notice, God would not temporarily destroy them, as he temporarily sent the
Israelites into exile. He would destroy them forever. God cares how his people
are treated.
That's why I will use my Sunday morning pastoral
prayers to ask God to give Christians around the world just governments that
will not oppose the spread of God's gospel. Every nation and government around
the world should realize that it is not in the best interest of the nation to
abuse its citizens. God has made all people in his image to worship him freely,
and he has called his people to worship him particularly. As we have already
said, opposing God's people is opposing him, as Edom did.
In verses 11-14, Obadiah explains more fully the
nature of Edom's violence against Israel. Part of their violence was simply to
comply with the violence of others: "On the day you stood aloof while
strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots
for Jerusalem—you were like one of them" (v. 11).
Any nation should have known better; but given their
relationship to Judah, Edom especially should have known better. So God
reproaches them: "You should not look down on your brother in the day of
his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their
destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble" (v. 12). By
"look down," God is not referring to a passive stare; he means an
active condemnation and gloating. What's more, the Edomites joined in with
their brother's destroyers. "You should not march through the gates of my
people in the day of their disaster, nor look down on them in their calamity in
the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their
disaster" (v. 13). Edom took advantage of the situation and exploited
Judah's weakness. Like looters after a hurricane, they plundered the family's
store. Edom became an accessory to the destruction and murder of his own
brother.
In all this, the book of Obadiah foreshadows the
figure of Herod, who we know from extrabiblical literature was a descendant of
the Edomites. He too attacked the infants in Bethlehem, attempting to kill
God's chosen one.
This chosen one faced throughout his life the kind
of opposition described in Obadiah. He was opposed and rejected by men. And
like the Edomites in Obadiah's book, those who oppose God and God's people will
one day face "the wrath of the Lamb" (Rev. 6:16).
The Edomites had been ruthless in their sin.
"You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor
hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble" (v. 14). If robbers
take only what they need, robbers are more considerate than the Edomites! Edom
waited at the crossroads for those who fled. When they found survivors, they
handed them over to their killers. The invaders would not have known the local
roads, but the Edomites did. And they guided the invaders right to the
miserable people who were fleeing.
Keep in mind, this is not some grim fairy tale, this
really happened. This is history. There were a real attack, a real siege, and a
real fall. Real people ran from Jerusalem screaming. And it was in the very
roads of Edom, reached after an exhausting flight, roads leading to the
Israelites' only hope for survival, that their cousins the Edomites waited in
ambush and then pounced, hoping to ingratiate themselves with the Babylonian
superpower.
Some people have thought that the book's indignant
tone suggests that Obadiah's relatives must have been cut down by the Edomites.
We don't know. We do know that the Lord was indignant with the Edomites,
whether or not Obadiah's relatives were present. The Edomites could hardly
complain that God was being too severe on them.
God would bring justice: "The day of the Lord
is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds
will return upon your own head" (v. 15).
There are many implications of God's justice that we
could consider, but let me point to just one. The promise of divine justice
should encourage us as Christians. It should encourage us when we personally
face unjust suffering, and it should encourage us when we hear of our Christian
brothers and sisters around the world facing unjust suffering. It will not
always be so!
Furthermore, we can expect that the world will hate
and oppose us, even as they hated and opposed the one we follow—Christ. If you
complain about the trials that you have experienced for following Christ, I
wonder who it is you thought you were following. After all, what was Christ's
life like? How can we complain when lesser things happen to us? Suffering and
persecution was the way of Christ (cf. 1 Peter 2).
We know from other prophets that we have studied in
this series that Judah was punished by God because of their idolatry. Through
God's sovereign rule, he used the Babylonian army to invade, conquer, and exile
his people. Likewise, we trust that Edom's sinful compliance was also ordained
by God as part of God's punishment of his own people. How God worked all this
out is beyond us. But this much is clear: even though God employed the Edomites
to participate in bringing his judgment on Judah, the Edomites had no intention
of serving as God's minister of justice. Where God sought what was holy and
right, the Edomites sought what was carnal and wrong, just like the marauding
hordes who destroyed Job's family according to their own malicious desires, all
the while being used by God to accomplish his good and perfect ends. God uses
his enemies as skillfully as a surgeon uses a scalpel to cut, but that does not
mean God's enemies are exempt from responsibility or punishment. They earn his
judgment for their malice. "As you have done, it will be done to you; your
deeds will return upon your own head" (v. 15b). Or as Jesus would later
say, "in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Matt. 7:2).
Oh, Christian friend, we who belong to the church must never be unwitting co-conspirators with those who persecute God's people; we are part of God's people who are persecuted! We must therefore remember the importance of membership in the church, which assists us in clearly and publicly identifying ourselves with God's people. Church membership helps us to remember that we cannot rely on the culture of the world to define virtue and good.
Oh, Christian friend, we who belong to the church must never be unwitting co-conspirators with those who persecute God's people; we are part of God's people who are persecuted! We must therefore remember the importance of membership in the church, which assists us in clearly and publicly identifying ourselves with God's people. Church membership helps us to remember that we cannot rely on the culture of the world to define virtue and good.
Sadly, the American church has become diluted for a
number of decades by its embrace of American culture. The United States as a
whole experienced great reforms in the nineteenth century, and many Christians
laid down their guard and began to assume that God would use the
culture-at-large as his primary instrument for reforming and caring for his
people. But that is not so! We see the effects of this mistake today in
everything from marriage to modesty, from morality to murder itself, in which
the church has been shaped by the culture. Christians must recognize that God teaches us to
live according to his laws, regardless of what the state or the culture says is
vice or virtue.
This was excerpted from The Message of the Old
Testament by Mark Dever, copyright © 2006. Used by permission of Crossway Books
& Bibles, an internationally recognized, not-for-profit publisher of
significant Christian books, the ESV Bible (English Standard Version), and
gospel literature.
