A Divine Pride Check – Obadiah 1-4
Pride is any internal deliberation, or outward attitude that diminishes others. It is an insidious emotion that disrupts the community and isolates us from others. The Prophet Obadiah’s message is a divine pride check for the nation of Edom centuries ago and for us today who maintain the same sense of unhealthy pride. In order to become a spiritually, and emotionally healthy community, we must reflect on the destruction egotistical pride has the potential to cause in our life, and then we must look to our subversive savior for direction.
Welcome to a community pride check.
Call them pride checks, or embarrassing moments; we have all had moments when our pride does not allow us to move forward well, and love others in the process.
What we do know about Obadiah and the minor prophets.
The prophets are messengers sent by God to call the People of God back to covenantal or relational faithfulness.
The Old Testament Covenant was an agreement between God and Israel. When a covenant is broken, the relationship is broken, and there is fallout from the broken relationship.
God does not just leave the people in their brokenness. He works to restore his relationship with them, the covenant through the prophets. He helps them learn to live in his new kingdom.
There is space for a good sense of pride.
Good pride is acknowledging accomplishments you (and others) have worked hard for.
Bad pride is any internal deliberation, or outward attitude that diminishes others.
(We should not resist vulnerability. We should resist the urge to use our past hardships or accomplishments to attempt to gain power in relationships.)
Bad pride is the hard truth of when it gets in the way of revealing the Kingdom of Jesus in Kansas City. (God hates this.)
Problem: The more we allow ourselves to abide by pride, the more we do it subconsciously. Pride is the root cause of all sin.
Historical Context:
Jacob’s line = Israel (God’s chosen nation).
Esau’s line = Edom (Systematically self-focused).
When Israel was being destroyed by Babylon, Edom chose to watch their brother nation come to ruin. Then, they looted the ruins.
Edom took pride in their physical security. Edom’s capital city, Petra, literally means “rock.” It was an impenetrable fortress high up in mountain clefts. This was Edom’s pride and joy; the centerpiece of their security. Their primary attitude existed as “Who could ever reach us from up here?” Which applied both to their geographic location, as well as their spiritual relationship with the Lord.
But hedges mean nothing to God.
Obadiah 6 says “Every nook and cranny of Edom will be searched and looted. Every treasure will be found and taken.”
Edom took pride in their strong alliances. They participated in the destruction of Israel by siding with wicked Babylon. They wanted to maintain connections to success, even if that meant evildoing.
Edom took pride in their own sense of wisdom. They assumed that because they were smart, they were also independent from God.
“The first and worst cause of errors that abound in our day and age is spiritual pride. This is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of Christ. It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit to darken the mind and misleads `judgment. Pride is the main handle by which he has hold of Christian persons and the chief source of all the mischief that he introduces to clog and hinder the work of God.” - Johnathan Edwards
May spiritual wisdom not be used to gain leverage or power over others, as so many have done. May it not morph into a mode of pridefulness, taking place of humility.
Edom was prideful of:
their own sense of security;
their strong alliances;
and their perception of wisdom.
They were blinded by their pride, and they disobeyed God by aiding in the destruction of their brother/neighbor. (FOR THIS, GOD WAS ANGRY.)
He pride-checked them. God called them out for (at least) three things:
Verse 11. Edom! You should have helped Israel when strangers plundered Jerusalem. But because you stood back, you are as guilty as those who invaded (11).
Verse 12. Edom, you gloated over their brothers in the days of their misfortune. You took pleasure in the harm that came to Israel (12).
Verses 13-14. Edom, you exploited Jerusalem by looting the city. When you stood at the crossroads while people fled. And when you captured Israelites to traffic (13-14).
Verse 15. Obadiah reminds Edom that the day of the Lord is coming. What they have done will be done to them.
“Those who are high and powerful today should not be so overconfident in themselves, whether they are a nation, a corporation, a church, or a family. Just as Edom was destroyed for its pride, so will anyone who lives in defiance of God” (What Ticks God Off, Jantz).
To start the pride-checking process we must acknowledge where it is occurring.
Where are the patterns of pride in your life?
Does it get in the way of having genuine relationships with people?
What are the messy closets you’re trying to hide away, making sure no one can see?
Is the pride of your home a hindrance to enjoying your family?
Is the pride of your friend group excluding people you know you need to support?
Is the pride of your education or your accolades coming into conversations more than your ability to listen to someone else’s ordinary life?
Are you paying more attention to protecting your pride or allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you?
Solution: Take the cue from the Son of God.
When Edom, a spiteful nation was destroyed, it was rubble. When Jesus, a holy man was destroyed, there was resurrection. Out of His destruction came life.
Luke 14:11 “All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
God’s solution to pride based on our idea of independence and self-sufficiency is to humble ourselves. Humility is not weakness. It is not solving our problems alone. It is not holding superiority over others. It is a radical, subversive way of life that Jesus has taught us.
1 Chronicles 7:14 "My people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways.”
Defending against pride according to the Father:
Prayer
Seek His face
Turn from wicked ways
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:9 (NLT)
Just as Edom was responsible for taking care of its brother nation, we are responsible for taking care of the brother/sisterhood of humanity. God has not called us to always be waiting to do the right thing. In our doing, may we not be so inwardly focused, overwhelmed by the big picture of everything, that we forget about our own neighborhoods and apartment complexes
The beginning of Obadiah is a somber declaration of God’s impending judgment upon a prideful nation. The ending contains a joyful noise of “the Lord himself will be King.”
Blessed by God, for we have realized our need for Him. For the Kingdom of Heaven has been given to us.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3