Obadiah 1:10-14 Don’t Gloat
God punished Israel for their sins. Edom joined in with excitement at her fall. God condemns Edom saying “DON’T GLOAT”. They already did. They WILL pay for that.
We saw much of God’s pronouncement of judgment against Edom. Today, we see why that judgment. The root of the problem is that, instead of standing with ‘his brother’ in defense of him, Edom joined in on the looting and rejoicing when Israel fell.
I’m getting pronoun problems. Jacob and Esau are brothers so God refers to them here with the masculine pronouns. Most of the time though, God refers to ‘His bride’, Israel, with a feminine pronoun. Just thought it interesting in this era of ‘pronoun problems’. God was NOT confused. Nor did He change Israel’s gender. The pronouns are referring to the role, not the actual gender. There were BOTH males and females in Israel (of course).
Back to our reading. Edom stood back and watched as Babylon tore Israel apart. Afterwards, he joined in with those looting what was left and rejoiced over Israel’s fall. And he REFUSED refuge to those who escaped this judgment. NOT a “brotherly” response.
Last night, I was thinking about Edom’s response to Israel’s distress. I was reminded of the relationship between my brother, Tim, and I. When we were growing up, we were FOREVER fighting. Most of those fights started because he refused to follow some ‘correction’ or directive given when our parents were away. Our parents put our older sister in charge whenever they left. Tim was outright defiant of her ‘authority’ and would go out of his way to prove it. She wouldn’t stand up to him, so I took on the role of ‘enforcer’.
One of our most ‘memorable’ encounters happened when he jumped up on the washing machine and stood over her. As she was telling him to get down. He quickly unzipped his pants and peed in her mouth. This stopped her but it set me off to ‘make him apologize’. Before our parents arrived home and the famous “Nobody tell on nobody and nobody gets in trouble” line was shouted, I was chasing him with a tennis racket and at least one door had to be rehung as we were shoving from either side of it.
We were relentless in our rivalry as children; my brother and I. But if ANYONE tried to hurt him, I was the FIRST to his defense. This is what God was condemning Edom for not doing. Yes, siblings fight, but they are to defend the other against all others. They are “family”, and family sticks together.
Over the years, with my brother, resentment grew. It took a long time before I could be in the same place with him without wanting to ‘wring his neck’. I love him, but I often don’t like him at all. Many of his actions still angered me. And I have to admit to a little ‘glee’ when he would occasionally ‘learn a hard lesson’. But it never lasted long. My heart would quickly hurt for his misfortune and OFTEN shake my head in wonder as to how he let himself get into that position AGAIN.
Jacob, on his way back from Haran, wanted to settle things with his brother Esau. Jacob felt rightfully guilty for the way he had tricked Esau out of his birthright and stolen his blessing. Jacob was in the wrong. God told Rebecca that Jacob would rule over Esau, and she thought it was her job to make sure that happened. I wonder why God chose to do it that way. Another question for when we are face to face.
Even after apologizing, and Esau swearing that he held no grudges, because God had blessed him too, Jacob was afraid to get too close. Jacob left PLENTY of space between his home and his brother’s. Was Jacob suspicious of Esau’s welcome? Did he think it was a trick? Did he believe, if the roles had been reversed, that animosity would still exist? Or was the distance simply a ‘resources’ decision? Did Jacob think the land couldn’t support them both? Did he think their families would lose all distinction? Whatever his reasoning, the separation built an invisible wall instead of renewing bonds.
This animosity grew to the point that Edom was overjoyed to see Israel fall. Where God saw brothers, Edom saw enemies. The two nations’ relationship had moved beyond the sibling rivalry relationship. God still required it from these two people. He at LEAST required empathy from them. They WERE family.
I wonder if God will require/required empathy from Israel when Edom fell. Edom was also conquered by Babylon. They did not survive as a nation after that. Somehow though, Edom will be restored in the last days as Israel is supposed to rule over them.
A thought just occurred to me. Could God be speaking of Gentiles as brothers to the Israel in the last days? Will Israel rule over the gentiles? And if so, will it be the unbelievers who are under this rule as the believers are God’s children too? Just a thought. Something we will have to wait and see, when the time is right.
Father God, thank You for my family. Thank You for ALL of my brothers and sisters. They taught me MANY things. The greatest of these is love. Forgiveness runs a close second. We would have NEVER survived without both of these. Watch over all my brothers and sisters. Both my brothers need special attention from You. Step into their lives in a tangible way and bring them back to You.
