I wondered at first, “Why, God, are you so interested in Edom? She was never a major player on the world stage or in the future of Israel. Bit parts here and there, so why all your interest, God?”
I cannot answer for certain, but Edom was the descendants of Esau, son of Isaac, brother of Jacob (Israel), so Edom is Israel’s family. Where there should have been some familial connection, there was none. Maybe this accounts for God’s interest.
Setting aside my question… I tried to listen to God’s Word to them. Edom’s pride seems to be at the heart of God’s W,ord to them. And pride is certainly an issue I battle so my ears perked up. “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. 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?’ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD (2-4).
The capitol of Edom, Petra, is apparently an amazing place to visit. I have not been there, but there is no shortage of Petra info on the Internet. One of the NEW Seven Wonders of the World, Petra is a city cut into the rock. It apparently seemed impregnable to its inhabitant, but today it is an ancient ruin located in a desolate part of the world. Their ‘haven and home’ is nothing today.
Pride gives us a false image of self. Pride gives us a false belief in our security. Pride, the author of Proverbs reminds us, comes before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.)
I felt a prompting to read up on Obadiah. In one commentary I came across this explanation:
Pride was Edom’s undoing. Her deception, the concomitant of pride, was rooted in an inordinate self-estimation. Not taking God into account, they expressed their presumptuous pride in a defiant challenge, “Who will bring me down to the ground?” Even if the Edomites could “soar like the eagle” and “make your nest among the stars,” they would be powerless under the scrutiny of the wisdom and power of God.**
Warning Bill Gestal… to this day, pride comes before a fall. Not taking God into account is a destructive attitude. We are all powerless under the scrutiny of the wisdom and power of God.
I think about this personally. Whenever I am tempted to think I have everything under control I can manage my way out of this situation. I can… fill in the blank. And I do this without parallel thoughts of ‘God, would You help me? God, would You lead me to the right way, solution, etc.?’ I am speeding down the highway to destruction. A devotion, I heard yesterday from a friend, reminded me that God’s ways are higher and wiser than our ways (read Isaiah 55). Yes, God has given me a mind to sort things through. Yes, God has given me friends with whom I can bounce ideas and options off of… but to stay only in the human plane and neglect God is to fall into Edom’s trap.
I wonder about this as I read the news from Washington, where our national leaders seem to have removed God from the equation. And add to this they seem to be looking inward, cutting ties with friends and allies relying only on self, us, the USA. I fear we are falling into Edom’s trap, thinking, Who can bring [us] down to the ground?
When I superimpose that thinking against this book of the Bible I do not see a good outcome.
Back to self… I need to be vigilant to keep pride under control.
Lord God, as I sit this morning, I pray to You and speak to myself, I will lean on You. I will use the gifts You have given me as I walk in relationship and connection with You to discern the way I am to go, regularly checking that I am in step with You. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
**Complete Biblical Library Commentary - The Complete Biblical Library – Daniel-Malachi.
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