Obadiah 1-9--Edom Will Be Humbled

Obadiah 1-9
English Standard Version

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.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,
    you who live in the clefts of the rock,
    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 have set a trap beneath you--
    you have 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.

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Yesterday, we finished the book of Amos with a vision of the people being restored in the Messianic Kingdom.  Today, we start another of the Minor Prophets, Obadiah.  It's one of the shortest with the whole book being what we would call a single chapter (there are no chapter divisions, just verses). 

The LORD gives Obadiah a vision concerning the nation of Edom that it will be destroyed.  Though Edom (the descendants of Esau) desired to take the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant that belonged to Jacob--Land, Descendants, and the Messiah and His Eternal Kingdom--the LORD promises the opposite of this blessing (a curse) to them.  They will be considered small among the nations with almost no descendants to be counted.  They will be utterly despised where Israel will be exalted and honored among the nations.  Edom will be at war where Israel will be at peace.

Why will the LORD do these things?  Because they are proud like their father the devil.  They live in the cleft of the rocks (mountain fortresses), but these will not save them from the wrath of God that is coming.  They believe they are high and lifted up (like the arrogance of Lucifer before he fell), but great will be their fall.

Thieves come and steal everything, not thinking to only take what they need.  Those who come to rob the farmers of their crops take everything, not leaving the gleanings of the field so that the poor and indigent would have something.  They take everything--much more than they need.  This is how Edom has treated and thought of Israel  They wanted to steal from them what did not belong to them, but the LORD knew they would consume everything just like they had with the resources He had entrusted them with.  There is no coexistence with those who desire to destroy you and take (and squander) everything you have.  The LORD will cause the very things that Edom wanted to do to Israel to be done to Edom.  Its resources will be plundered and it will never again be the strong and powerful people it once was.

The LORD will destroy Edom's wealth, their "wisdom" and their warriors.  Everything they are proud of will be gone in an instant.  It will be like the chaff that the wind drives away or that the fire consumes.  All the men of their capital called Mount Seir or Mount Esau (which stands in stark contract to Mount Zion) will be killed by the sword.