From Obadiah 1:9-21

^1:9 Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter. ¹⁰ Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. 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. 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. 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. ¹⁴ You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.

¹⁵ “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. ¹⁶ Just as you drank on my holy hill, so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been. ¹⁷ But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance. ¹⁸ 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.

¹⁹ People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead. ²⁰ This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath; the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev. ²¹ Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

Through the prophet Obadiah, the Lord rebuked the Edomites because they were arrogant and proud. If we were to describe them with one word, it would be “godless” for they thought of themselves as God. As a result, the Edomites feared no man.  The Lord rebuked their injustice and unrighteousness through the prophet. From verses 12-14, the prophet used the phrase “you should not” eight times.

• v12: “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.”
• v13: “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.”
• v1:14: “You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.” “You should not” means it is wrong to do such things.  Because Edom was godless, the people would not acknowledge anyone before them and assumed they would not be called into account for what they’ve done.

But in verse 15, the Lord said, “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” The Lord will do to you as you have done.  The Lord will treat you as you have treated others. Verses 16-20 reveal that the Lord’s hand was against the Edomites and they were completely wiped out in the end.  Those who belong to the Lord, however, are recipients of the grace and mercy that He bestows. Verse 21 says, “Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.”

Paul tells us in Galatians we will reap whatever we have sown. This is an unchanging law. Let us be careful to examine our lives.

Previous Post: The Proud Will Be Brought Down

心中無神、目中無人 | 俄巴底亞書 

張國強牧師

 俄巴底亞書 1:9-21

^1:9 提幔哪, 你的勇士必驚惶, 甚至以掃山的人, 都被殺戮剪除。¹⁰ 因你向兄弟雅各行強暴, 羞愧必遮蓋你, 你也必永遠斷絕。¹¹ 當外人擄掠雅各的財物, 外邦人進入他的城門, 為耶路撒冷拈鬮的日子, 你竟站在一旁, 像與他們同夥。¹² 你兄弟遭難的日子, 你不當瞪眼看著, 猶大人被滅的日子, 你不當因此歡樂, 他們遭難的日子, 你不當說狂傲的話。¹³ 我民遭災的日子, 你不當進他們的城門, 他們遭災的日子, 你不當瞪眼看著他們受苦, 他們遭災的日子, 你不當伸手搶他們的財物。¹⁴ 你不當站在岔路口, 剪除他們中間逃脫的, 他們遭難的日子, 你不當將他們剩下的人交付仇敵。

¹⁵ 耶和華降罰的日子臨近萬國, 你怎樣行, 他也必照樣向你行, 你的報應必歸到你上。¹⁶ 你們猶大人在我聖山怎樣喝了苦杯, 萬國也必照樣常常地喝, 且喝且咽, 他們就歸於無有。¹⁷ 在錫安山必有逃脫的人, 那山也必成聖, 雅各家必得原有的產業。¹⁸ 雅各家必成為大火, 約瑟家必為火焰, 以掃家必如碎秸, 火必將他燒著吞滅, 以掃家必無餘剩的, 這是耶和華說的。

¹⁹ 南地的人必得以掃山, 高原的人必得非利士地, 也得以法蓮地和撒瑪利亞地, 便雅憫人必得基列。²⁰ 在迦南人中被擄的以色列眾人, 必得地直到撒勒法, 在西法拉中被擄的耶路撒冷人, 必得南地的城邑。²¹ 必有拯救者上到錫安山, 審判以掃山, 國度就歸耶和華了。

神藉著先何俄巴底亞責備以東人, 因為她自傲自大, 用一句話來形容她, 她心中無神, 因為她以為她就是神, 結果帶出來是目中無人; 神藉先知責備她的不公不義。從 12-14節裡, 先知先後用了八次「不當」; 1:12 你兄弟遭難的日子, 你「不當」瞪眼看著, 猶大人被滅的日子, 你「不當」因此歡樂, 他們遭難的日子, 你「不當」說狂傲的話。1:13 我民遭災的日子, 你「不當」進他們的城門, 他們遭災的日子, 你「不當」瞪眼看著他們受苦, 他們遭災的日子, 你「不當」伸手搶他們的財物。1:14 你「不當」站在岔路口, 剪除他們中間逃脫的, 他們遭難的日子, 你「不當」將他們剩下的人交付仇敵。不當就是不應該, 她作錯了, 因為她心裡沒有神, 她眼中根本看不見人, 她所作的一切都以為不會有報應。

但在15節, 神說: 耶和華降罰的日子臨近萬國, 你怎樣行, 他也必照樣向你行, 你的報應必歸到你上。你怎樣行, 神也必照樣向你行。你怎樣對人, 神怎樣對你。不單如此，16-20節我們看見神的手加在她的身上, 最後完全歸於無人。但對屬神的人, 神總留下恩典與憐憫, 21節說: 「必有拯救者上到錫安山, 審判以掃山, 國度就歸耶和華了。」保羅在加拉太書告訴我們, 種什麼? 收什麼? 這是千古不變的定律, 我們要好好省察我們的行為。

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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。

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