Obadiah’s Vision

Read: Obadiah 1

Just 21 verses long, the prophecy of Obadiah is short and sweet. The descendants of Esau, the Edomites, are singled out by Obadiah for their pride. In a recent video, Francis Chan, talking with a group of staff at Facebook, concluded that of all the sins we see, perhaps pride is the worst because it leads to so many other sins. Obadiah reveals the pride of the Edomites, their gloating will be their downfall.

His vision of from the Sovereign Lord about Edom:

The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
Obadiah 1:3

It seems the clefts of the rocks and the hidden places meant to hide the Edomites are not so hidden after all.

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
“will I not destroy the wise men of Edom,
those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified,
and everyone in Esau’s mountains
will be cut down in the slaughter.
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,
you will be covered with shame;
you will be destroyed forever.
Obadiah 1:8-10

The Lord is Sovereign, we cannot hide from him nor choose that which we reveal.

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,
Obadiah 1:12

Gloating, one of the most common actions as a result of pride, is likely the first indication of that which would humble us. Anytime I feel a sense of pride in accomplishment, I do my best to recognize that all gifts come from heaven above and God is the one who deserves all the glory.

Pride will lead to destruction:

Jacob will be a fire
and Joseph a flame;
Esau will be stubble,
and they will set him on fire and destroy him.
There will be no survivors
from Esau.”
The Lord has spoken.
Obadiah 1:18

I can’t help but wonder if we believe we can hide in the clefts of mountains we create for ourselves, places we feel no one will see. One thing I’ve told our girls over the years is simple, “lies will eventually become known, you can’t hide the facts forever.” There are many deceivers in the world, those who believe they are getting away with something by their clever actions, but God is the ultimate judge from which there is no escape.

Do not hide. What if church was a place where we could live out the words of James?

Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other
so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person
is powerful and effective.
James 5:16

What if such a place existed? Lord, help us to build communities of faith that are committed to loving each other the way you envisioned for us. Throw away our pride and squelch our gloating. Let us be the people you called us to be so that those far from you would see authentic love and kindness, so they would find you because of the love they see in us.