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November 7, 2020

The Proud Will Be Brought Down | Obadiah

By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

From Obadiah 1:1-8

1:1 The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom — We have heard a message from the Lord: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Rise, let us go against her for battle”— 2 “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. 3 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?’ 4 Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord. 5 “If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night— oh, what a disaster awaits you! — would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? 6 But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged! 7 All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it. 

8 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” God’s word stands firm in the heavens; it is eternal. 

The prophet Obadiah received a vision from the Lord. Obadiah 1:1: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom — We have heard a message from the Lord.” This message was a rebuke and a call for repentance. Although the target is Edom, we can say that this is a reminder to every nation and every man that we must not be arrogant, for the Lord brings low the proud.

Edom was arrogant, and the people felt they had a right to be proud: 

  1. Edom had a superior position. Obadiah 1:3 “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?’” Edom had superiority of terrain. They lived in a high place and believed they could not be brought down. But Obadiah 1:4 says, “Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.”  Her superior position would not keep the Lord from bringing her down. 
  2. Edom had a secret hiding place. Obadiah 1:6 “But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged!” Edom built the city in a  secluded place, confident that no one could find it. Yet the city is wholly exposed once its location is discovered. 
  3. Edom had hidden treasures. But these treasures were all taken away in the end, and nothing was left. Obadiah 1:5 “If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night— oh, what a disaster awaits you!— would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes?” Such a loss happened to the Edomites not by human hands, but by the hand of God.
  4. The people of Edom had allies who would ultimately turn on them. Obadiah 1:7 “All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it.” 
  5. Edom had men who were wise and understanding. But the Lord declared that in that day, He will destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau.

We must not be proud before the Lord. Everything we have comes from Him. Apart from Him, we have nothing at all. We must always humble ourselves before the Lord.

 

狂傲人的傾倒 | 俄巴底亞書 

張國強牧師

俄巴底亞書 1:1-8

1:1 俄巴底亞得了耶和華的默示。論以東說, 我從耶和華那裡聽見信息, 並有使者被差往列國去, 說, 起來罷, 一同起來與以東爭戰。2 我使你以東在列國中為最小的, 被人大大藐視。3 住在山穴中, 居所在高處的阿, 你因狂傲自欺, 心裡說, 誰能將我拉下地去呢。4 你雖如大鷹高飛, 在星宿之間搭窩, 我必從那裡拉下你來, 這是耶和華說的。5 盜賊若來在你那裡, 或強盜夜間而來, 豈不偷竊直到夠了呢? 摘葡萄的若來到你那裡, 豈不剩下些葡萄呢? 6 以掃的隱密處, 何竟被搜尋, 他隱藏的寶物, 何竟被查出。7 與你結盟的, 都送你上路, 直到交界, 與你和好的, 欺騙你, 且勝過你, 與你一同喫飯的設下網羅陷害你, 在你心裡毫無聰明。

8 耶和華說, 到那日, 我豈不從以東除滅智慧人, 從以掃山除滅聰明人。

箴言書16:18「驕傲在敗壞以先, 狂心在跌倒之前。」神的話安定在天, 永不改變。先知俄巴底亞從神那裡得到了默示。1:1論以東說, 我從耶和華那裡聽見信息。這是一篇責備的信息, 也是一篇悔改的信息。雖然對象是以東, 但我們可以這樣說, 這是對每一個民族, 每一個人的提醒, 不要作狂傲的人, 因為祂必要將他們傾倒的。 

以東狂傲, 因為她自以為狂傲的本錢, 

  1. 她有地勢的優越。1:3 住在山穴中, 居所在高處的阿, 你因狂傲自欺, 心裡說, 誰能將我拉下地去呢？這是地勢的優越, 她居所在高處, 自以為沒有可以拉下她。但1:4 你雖如大鷹高飛, 在星宿之間搭窩, 我必從那裡拉下你來, 這是耶和華說的。神要將她拉下來。
  2. 她有隱密藏身之處。1:6 以掃的隱密處, 何竟被搜尋。以東建城在非常隱藏的地方, 自以為沒有人可以找到她的, 但如果卻是被搜尋出來, 完全顯露在人前。
  3. 她有隱藏的寶物。但結果都被全奪去了。而且什麼都沒有留下。1:5 盜賊若來在你那裡, 或強盜夜間而來, 豈不偷竊直到夠了呢? 摘葡萄的若來到你那裡, 豈不剩下些葡萄呢? 這不是人的手, 這是神的手啊! 
  4. 她有盟友, 但想不到最後卻被盟友出賣。1:7 與你結盟的, 都送你上路, 直到交界, 與你和好的, 欺騙你, 且勝過你, 與你一同喫飯的設下網羅陷害你, 在你心裡毫無聰明。
  5. 她有智慧聰明人。但神卻說, 到那日, 我豈不從以東除滅智慧人, 從以掃山除滅聰明人。

我們不要在神面前自高自大, 我們所有的一切都是從祂而來的, 離開了祂我們真是一無所有, 要永遠謙卑在祂的面前。