Obadiah 1

Edom [my brother, my enemy!]

Turn to the shortest book in the OT – Obadiah. Last year I started looking at some of the minor prophets; we went through the books of Joel and Amos; the next is the tiny book of Obadiah, only 21 verses. It is a bit different to other prophecies that we have looked at – usually the prophecy was addressed to God's people: Judah or Israel; but read the first verse and we see that this prophecy was directed to Edom read 1-14. The prophecy is wholly taken up with the condemnation of Edom for its treachery toward Judah, with a prophecy of its utter destruction and Judah's salvation in the day of the Lord.

Having been in church we know quite a bit of the background to Judah and Israel, we heard all the Sunday School stories, but we possibly don't know so much about Edom. So before I look at this prophecy next time, I thought I set the context and talk a bit about Edom. Who was this Edom? Of what concern was it to Israel? Why was this book in their Scriptures? And of what concern is Edom to us? Is it totally irrelevant and we can ignore it? No, it's there for a reason. So who was Edom? Genesis 36 is all about Edom, its origins and early leaders, verse 8 states that "Esau is Edom". So how did the name come about? Read [Genesis 25:21-34 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; (Beginning of perpetual conflict – these two were forever enemies, not only the brothers but the people that came from them – we will see this enmity carried on through history, one always in conflict with each other and this conflict continues to this day in every one of us) and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.” When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came forth red (the word for "red" is from the root "edom"), all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau (meaning "hairy"). Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter (relied on natural strength and ability – natural man "Adam"), a man of the field (a man of the earth, earthly, no heavenly/spiritual perspective), but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.”Therefore his name was called Edom.(Why was he called "Edom"? Because of the red lentil stew) But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright (no interest in the hereafter, a man of this world, lived for the now)]. In this story is revealed the characteristics of Edom all contained in the meaning of "Edom": [OHP]

Rely on natural strength ("Adam" – man) - Esau was a man's man, skilled, strong – he'd probably the one we would take to, not Jacob the underhanded deceiver. He was the epitome of man doing things by his own strength. The word Edom has the same spelling as Adam, man. Edom is natural man, living by his own efforts, skill, ability and strength. - skilled hunter.

Live by lusts ("Adom" red stuff) - We see how he got the name Edom – it was from the red lentil stew that he hungered for. Forever he was known by a single incident – his hunger that had to be satisfied – that characterised him: ruled by appetite, by lusts – he wanted something, he had to have it. That is natural man ruled by lusts, hungers, desires – what I want. This is Edom! - natural man.

Earthly ("Adamah" dust, ground) Esau despised his birthright – it meant nothing to him. No concern for the hereafter, what did it matter? He had to have food now. We are a generation who live for the now. Even as Christians we tend to focus on the present rather, on our building God's Kingdom here and now, rather than looking to Jesus return, to the future, to the hope, to the eternal, the heavenly, the spiritual. We are caught up with tangible material things – things that do not last, that are a vapour! Edom was living for now, no spiritual sensitivity, no interest in spiritual things. A fine man – but dust (adamah) is what he was – no posterity, he gave it away for something that doesn't last, just as millions today are doing! That is natural man today: rely on our own strength, technology, knowledge, diplomacy, wealth, ability – live for lust, satisfying our appetites be they sexual, gastronomic, house, car, boat etc. - and above all we live for now – no thought of God or anything outside this material world. The natural man is a materialist and a humanist.

Later, and we know this story well from Sunday School, Jacob tricked Esau out of his father's blessing – Isaac had a tasted for wild game and sent Esau out to hunt some. He knew that God had said that the older would serve the younger but he favoured Esau, loved him and loved game – his fleshly desires won out over God's will. Rebecca favoured Jacob, heard what Isaac had said and had Jacob impersonate Esau – it was a bit dicey but it worked; Jacob got the blessing. Esau came back and found he'd been cheated – he was distraught [Genesis 27:34-41 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” And he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.” Then he said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” But Isaac replied to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your master, and all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” So Esau lifted his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said to him, Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, and away from the dew of heaven from above.“By your sword you shall live, and your brother you shall serve; but it shall come about when you become restless, that you will break his yoke from your neck.” So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” (lasting hatred)] This prophecy was fulfilled – played out in history – Israel and Edom were in perpetual conflict, much of the time Israel had Edom in subjugation but at times Edom would break out from under Israel and would treat his brother with bitter hatred.

Edom the nation: But before we have a brief look at some of that history, lets look at the nation of Edom that came from Esau: Esau became a nation: the nation of Edom. Edom lay to the south of Israel (map), south of the Dead Sea, going right down to the gulf of Aqaba, the north-eastern tip of the Red Sea. An important highway, called the King’s Highway (Num. 20:17), passed through the eastern segment of Edom in a north to south direction. It was this path that the Israelites wished to travel to the promised land, but Edom refused to let them through. It is a rugged, mountainous area, with peaks rising to over 1000 meters. While not a fertile land, there are good cultivable areas [OHP]. There are many references in prophecies concerning Edom to its mountainous nature – because the geography typified the spirit of the people – high and mighty, lofty and proud. On these heights they built fortresses which, because of their location, the Edomites considered impregnable. They were self assured, confident of their own security, that no one could bring them down from their lofty position. [Jeremiah 49:16 “As for the terror of you, the arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,” declares the Lord]. They were sure of their own security and sure of their own wisdom – Edom was renown for its wisdom. This is natural man relying on himself for security and trusting in his own wisdom. Edom is very close to us. That is natural man – proud, self-sufficient, doesn't think anything can touch him, assured of his own wisdom. Natural man relies on man – humanism!

Edom, the history - perpetual enmity [Ezek 35:2-6] - no natural compassion [Amos 1:11; Obad 10-14]

You will be relieved to know that I haven't the time to bore you with a full history of the long and unrelenting record of conflict between Israel and Edom (though it makes an interesting study) – the conflict was there before the twins were born and it continued unabated throughout their history. Despite a show of affection when Jacob appeased Esau when he returned to the promised land, he and his brother never lived together. In the Exodus Israel sought to travel the King's Highway through Edom to Canaan but were refused. Notwithstanding this discourtesy, Israel was forbidden to abhor his Edomite brother (Deuteronomy 23:7 You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land.). Later King Saul was fighting the Edomites, although some of them were in his service, a certain Doeg who betrayed David and the priests to Saul, killing 85 of them. David conquered Edom and put garrisons throughout the land. There was considerable slaughter of the Edomites at this time and Joab, David's commander remained in Edom for six months until he had cut off every male in Edom. Some must have escaped, for Gadad, a royal prince, fled to Egypt and later became a trouble to Solomon. In Jehoshaphat's time the Edomites jointed the Ammonites and Moabites in a raid on Judah but the allies fell to fighting one another. Under Joram, Edom rebelled, but, although Joram defeated them in battle, he could not reduce them to subjugation, and Edom had a respite of some 40 years. Amaziah later invaded Edom, slew, 10,000 Edomites in the valley of Salt captured their capital and sent 10,000 more to their death by casting them from the top of Sela, their capital. Uzziah, his successor, restored the port at Elath, but under Ahaz, when Judah was being attacked by Pekah and Rezin, the Edomites invaded Judah and carried off captives. The port of Elath, on the Red Sea, was lost once again. Judah never again recovered Edom. Edom became a vassal state of Assyria after c.736 BC. After the fall of Judah, Edom rejoiced (Psalm 137:7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom,the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it, raze it to its very foundation.”) - Babylon had invaded, taken Jerusalem captive, they were down and Edom put in the boot, rejoiced in their downfall and took advantage of them in their weakened position. The prophets foretold judgement on Edom for her bitter hatred (Ezekiel 25:12-14 Thus says the Lord God, “Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,” therefore thus says the Lord God, “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath; thus they will know My vengeance,” declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 35:2-6 Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out My hand against you and make you a desolation and a waste. “I will lay waste your cities and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end, therefore as I live,” declares the Lord God, “I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you; since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue you. I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation and I will cut off from it the one who passes through and returns.). Some Edomites presed into southern Judah and settled to the south of Hebron – they became the Idumeans king Herod was an Idumean, of Edomite stock. He had all the baby boys of Bethlehem killed in an attempt to destroy the Messiah! Still vehemently opposed to the spiritual man! A record of perpetual, bitter and unrelenting hostility. As a brother he should have had compassion [Amos 1:11 Thus says the Lord, "For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword, while he stifled his compassion; his anger also tore continually, and he maintained his fury forever. Obad 10-14] – there was a total lack of natural compassion. No love. This is the heart of natural man! In perpetual enmity with the man of Go, those who are spiritual [John 15:18-21,25 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’].

God hates Edom! [Malachi 1:2 “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation ... they will be called the wicked of the land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD] Why does God hate him? Because he is proud! God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. He relies on his own efforts, not on what Jesus has done – His free gift. He has rejected God's grace – fallen short of it by doing it his own way. He misses out because he does not repent – turn from his own way and do it God's way [Hebrews 12:15-17 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.]. There is in us a Jacob a twisted deceiver a rotten man that nevertheless seeks after God, God can turn him into an Israel, His son, His special possession There is also an Esau, Edom the natural man, who lives by his own wits, talents, skills, abilities and resources. Who thinks only of the now, this present life, no thought for God or eternity or anything spiritual. Who lives for self, for gratifying his appetites and desires. Proud man who trusts in himself is assured of his own security and wisdom – and God hates him! He is opposed to the man of God – and, despite displays of surface niceness, there is perpetual war between him and the spiritual man. We experience this conflict and tension with non-believers, but the tension goes on within each one of us. There is the natural man who has been crucified who seeks to assert himself. God hates him! [Romans 9:13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”]. There is perpetual opposition between the natural and the spiritual man within us- the red man, Adam, Edom was crucified with Christ, it should be put to death. [Galatians 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!] - we have an enemy very close to us! Edom, the natural man who lives by his won efforts, relies on his own abilities, lives for his own desires and has affections set on the things of this world. Proud self-confident and self-sufficient he is opposed to the things of God – he has been crucified with Christ and must not be allowed to gain the ascendancy. We see the new man being the master but, as with Edom, we sometimes see him break out and gain ascendancy. God's judgement is against him, as we will see in this prophecy.