Reasons For Judgment

In our lesson tonight Obadiah gives the reasons why Edom would be judged so severely by God.

10 Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,

This is a very clear statement of why Edom is being judged by God. Someone may try to argue that Edom did not do violence against Israel. They were not the one’s attacking Jerusalem. However, they didn’t try to stop the Babylonians and even helped them capture fugitives.

Notice Obadiah uses the personal name of Jacob rather than nation of Israel. He also points out the relationship of being “brothers”. I don’t deny Jacob did Esau wrong in stealing his birthright and blessing. However, forgiveness must dominate our lives or it will rob you of joy.

Dr. Tony Garland made this assessment of the situation “The passage before us today reveals the motivation behind Edom’s opposition of Israel: rooted in the jealousy of one brother in rejecting the blessings God had bestowed upon his twin brother”.

Jealousy can tear you down. The descendants of Esau kept the hatred of jealous alive from one generation to the next.

God revealed to Rebekah a prophesy of who was in her womb.

"Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger." (Genesis 25:23)

Jacob and his mother deceived Isaac for the blessing. In my thinking that ought to have been something you could withdraw, once it was leaned it was done deceitfully. However, not in Jewish culture. When Esau learned he had loss his father’s blessing, he begged for a blessing. In Genesis 27:39-40

39 His father Isaac answered him,

“Your dwelling will be

away from the earth’s richness,

away from the dew of heaven above.

Was this fulfilled? Yes. The region where the Edomites lived was desert.

40 You will live by the sword

This also came true. They fought and were at war it seems constantly. Angry people fight a lot.

and you will serve your brother.

This is the part of the blessing, that bothered Esau the most.

But when you grow restless,

you will throw his yoke

from off your neck.”

When Israel was taken captive by the Babylonians, they were able to remove the symbolic yoke off their neck.

you will be covered with shame;

Shame on you! Although you didn’t do anything wrong, you failed to do what was right and come to your brother’s aid.

you will be destroyed forever.

This nation no longer exists. The descendants of Esau are no more as a nation. God fulfilled this promise to completely destroy them

11 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.

Complacency - The Edomites sat and watched their relatives be destroyed and they didn’t even care. In fact, they probably believed that the Israelites had it coming. They just turned a “blind eye” to what was going on.

Edom may argue we didn’t do anything wrong; God says differently. You “stood aloof” NIV or KJV “stood on other side” – you did nothing to stop them. Strangers and foreigners entered the gates of Jerusalem – “you were like one of them”’ NLT “you acted like one of Israel’s enemies”.

Three charges against them – each one begins with “you should not …”

12 You should not gloat over 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.

KJV – thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger;

NLT - “You should not have gloated when they exiled your relatives to distant lands. You should not have rejoiced when the people of Judah suffered such misfortune.

They spoke proudly; they had what we call the ''pharisaical attitude.'' Edom stood by and said, ''That's all right; they probably deserved it.''

At this point their jealousy is passive, later it becomes active in looting, then grows worse to capturing fugitives.

13 You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster,

nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.

The Edomites came into the city of Jerusalem after the Babylonians had pillaged it and the Edomites took what was left.

14 You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors

in the day of their trouble.

Not only did the Edomites stand and watch the Babylonians kill, steal, and destroy without doing a thing to help; they also would hand them over to the Babylonians.