|The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the cleft of the rock, in the loftiness of your dwelling place, you who say in your heart, who will bring me down to earth?| Obadiah 1:3
Through the prophet Obadiah, God sends a final and sure message to the nation of Edom. They had touched the apple of His eye, the nation of Israel. Not only had they touched them, they felt secure in their doing so. This nation took pride in their dwelling places. Their prideful thinking led them to believe they were untouchable. There is truth in this. They dwelt in places difficult for their enemies to attack. However, there is no place so secure that God’s Sovereign judgment cannot reach.
This post goes along with our study Reading Twelve Old Testament Books. You can purchase the workbook here: Study Guide for Reading Twelve Old Testament Books.
Pride Comes Before a Fall
|Though you build high like the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, ‘declares the LORD.’| Obadiah 1:4
Edom will reap what it has sown. They invaded Israel and also sat back and gloated when other nations came in to destroy them. Obadiah 1:10-14. Edom’s pride was clouding their judgment. They were feeling secure in their own doings. Their arrogant heart was deceiving them.
There is no fear of God before their eyes. Proverbs 8:13, teaches those who fear the Lord hate evil. What the Lord hates His children should hate. In Proverbs 16:18, we learn that pride comes before a fall. Isaiah 2:17 teaches the pride of man will be humbled and God will be the One exalted.
Building our lives on pride is like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. When the rains came his house was destroyed and great was its fall. Matthew 7: 24-27.
Guard Your Heart
|Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.| Proverbs 4:23.
Edom became very secure in themselves. The pride of their heart and the deceitfulness of sin clouded and guided their steps. God commands us in His Proverb to guard our hearts with all diligence. This is not a passive work. We are to be persistent in it.
I can attest to the fact, pride will take you down a road you do not want to travel. You will end up in a place much different than you planned.
Each of us deals with pride. It is the makeup of our human nature. We will fight it until the day we die! And fight we must. Lest we end up in the same line of judgment as Edom.
God is our resting place. His plans are perfect and His guidance will keep us from stumbling. Let’s be women who delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night.
|Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.| Psalm 119:105
Sobering words from the book of Obadiah. But there is hope for those who put their trust in the Lord. God will defend and protect His people!
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Obadiah is certainly sobering. We see a scathing judgment from God concerning Edom. Esau will be totally cut off! He has betrayed his brother Jacob. We see Samaria being ended and also Ephraim. No man can change what God has done. These judgments will come to complete fruition and fullness in their time. The saints need to be patient. We will see God’s justice.
Yes, Lindam! We need to be patient and about our Father’s business waiting on God’s perfect timing! Resting in the Sovereignty of God!