Ever found yourself delighted in strange satisfaction when someone forever bragging, finally isn't having that fabulous day? I know that is a horrible admission of a prideful heart. It's more of a middle school mentality, but still there's that twinge that springs up in the heart when that one person won't ever stop telling me about everything fabulous in their life... and all the fantastic friends they find, forever fulfilling and fruitful. Blech!! It makes me want to flog them. (sorry, had to use an f-word to keep the flow) But it's just that pride in us that get's tired of hearing all the "great," when our's is just ordinary. And when they are down... Shoot! I should have compassion. But sadly, I typically climb up on my highest horse and ride around them in circles. I don't say anything... uh... that would be rude. But man would I like to. Nope, I just secretly gloat in the fact that they are not fabulous, fantastic, forever fulfilled or fruitful that day. And. I. am. horrible! So, just in time... I need a spoonful of Obadiah! Say what? Yep, a spoonful of Obadiah. He's one of the minor prophets in the Bible. Hang with me here a bit... I have a point. Obadiah doesn't seem to get much popular mention, nor are his verses commonly "tweetable" like the Psalms or the sayings of Jesus. Nevertheless, as part of the word of God, value can always be found even in a single-chaptered book such as this. And for certain, I DID find a spoonful of what I needed in my predicament, here in this very tiny book. But we need a brief history lesson or it won't make much sense. Obadiah was a prophet sent by God with a message for the people of Edom. This was land inhabited by descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob, Now, in case you don't remember, Jacob and Esau were twins. Esau came out first, with Jacob grabbing his heel on the way out. Since Esau was "first born," he had the rights to the biggest blessing from his father Isaac. Back then... this was a BIG deal. The first-born got a larger inheritance. If there were only two sons... 2/3 went to the first born, and only 1/3 to the second born. But Jacob was a bit of a trickster and he not only traded Esau for his birthright at a vulnerable time, but he also schemed to steal the blessing from their father. So Jacob, instead of Esau, went on to became one of the patriarchs of the Bible. You know, like we hear of... Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And later, God re-named him Israel. That's where the land settled called the Promised Land got it's name, and his descendants became the Israelites. But this land which Esau settled, called Edom, was not one which followed the ways of God. You see, Esau watched his brother Jacob get the first-born blessing... the first of this, and the first of that. And as their father, Isaac spoke over him, he very clearly, sent him away... to take himself a wife... and as he blessed him, gave him a charge, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” Genesis 28:6 Right then, Esau realized how to please his father... and how NOT to please him. And since Esau was bitter that his blessing of the firstborn was taken and given to Jacob... and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother... Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael... Genesis 28:7-9 Esau married the very women his father advised against. Now, just to be clear, it wasn't that Isaac's prejudice or stubborn heart for these people made up this rule. He was being obedient to God since the Canaanites were known idol worshippers. And these women and their families had been forbidden by God to marry, as they would cause divided hearts. So Esau settled the land of Edom which became a pagan nation that worshiped idols rather than worshipping God as the Israelites did. I should note that the two brothers did make amends after many years even though they settled in different lands. (read more in Genesis 33) But the Bible will still reference their nations, using their individual names... Israel is Jacob, Edom is Esau. And their nations remained enemies... often at war, for centuries. And Israel might have been, to Edom, this "favorite," of God that wouldn't ever stop telling about everything fabulous in their life... and all the fantastic friends they find, forever fulfilling and fruitful. But maybe Edom got tired of always hearing about it over, and over, and over again. And it's not that Israel was always staying faithful to God. Because they too started up with idol worship, building altars, and wandering far from God. Until finally, the walls began to crumble and their forever bragging fell flat. And so sat Edom gloating over Israel... that they were not fabulous, fantastic, forever fulfilled or fruitful that day. In fact they didn't even contemplate compassion. But eagerly climbed upon their highest horses, and rode around them in circles. Eagerly watching God execute punishment for their idolatry and pagan ways as He carried Judah away captive. This, now Obadiah's assignment. Tell big brother, he doesn't get to gloat now that little brother is no longer succeeding. Evidently they had taken much pleasure in watching Judah's demise, and destruction, as Babylon took siege. So Obadiah says... The pride of your heart has deceived you, You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’ Though you ascend as high as the eagle, And though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord. Obadiah 1:3-4 NKJV And as they sat high and watched the smoldering embers of Jerusalem fade... God wanted to let them know that they should not gloat or be so pleased, for they just may be next. How cautious we must be... I must be, to take this spoonful of advice willingly and without undue pride. Word of God train me, today... To be careful how I watch others demise, for all too soon, it could be me as well. To avoid the high perch from which to watch, for it only leads to a farther fall.
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January 2019
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