As we continue looking at the short book of Obadiah, we come to a prophecy about the country of Edom (mentioned in the previous article).
Now, we might want to hear a prophecy from God that He will make our country – and us – great. (Personally, I think that turning to God, repenting of our sins, and loving both God and our neighbors would be a good start.) Let’s see what this prophecy about Edom said…
“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.Obadiah 1:2-4 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/oba.1.2-4.NIV
Unlike what we would probably desire from God, this verse says that God will make Edom “small”. That’s not usually our goal, is it? Not too many inspirational cat posters say that we should become “insignificant”, do they? Becoming minor or trivial is often not our desired state.
Having said that, consider what John the Baptist said in John 3:30, as part of his response to those who talked about Jesus’ ministry and people flocking to Jesus instead of John.
He must become greater; I must become less.”
John 3:30 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.3.30.NIV
Edom didn’t think that they were on a downward trajectory, though. They believed that they were doing pretty well. After all, who wouldn’t feel good about themselves when they were still around after their once-powerful neighbor to the north (i.e., Judah) had been overthrown? Edom was a rocky country (including the city of Petra whose impressively-carved rock-face entryway we might know from the third Indiana Jones movie [per Shank, p.314]), and so it seemed pretty secure.
One might think that it would be a cautionary tale to Jerusalem fall, especially when that city was supposedly untouchable; however, Proverbs 16:18 reminds us that pride and arrogance precedes destruction. Ultimately, though, God is sovereign over the nations, and only He decides which ones will rise and fall, and when that will happen for each one. (Ref. Jeremiah 18:5-10, Acts 17:26-27)
As pointed out by a commentator [Shank, p.313], if verse 3 has the Edomites saying “Who will bring me down…” [NASB], in verse 4 God says, “I will bring you down…” It doesn’t matter what a nation, country, or people group thinks about their security or their future; if that confidence is placed in anything except God’s promises, it is false bravado. Whether a group seeks to follow God or to reject God, they should expect His promises for their respective behavior to be fulfilled. We cannot mistake God’s timing for unfaithfulness, whether His patience and mercy is giving people time to repent, or His love and wisdom are delaying redemption to help build the faith of those who are enduring suffering for the sake of righteousness.
By the way [per Shank, p.303], the Edomites became the Idumeans in the time of Jesus, and Herod the Great in Jesus’ day had an Idumean father. However, after A.D. 70, they pretty much disappeared. God’s prophecies cannot be thwarted.
In Obadiah v.5-7, we learn more about the extent of Edom’s punishment (see also Malachi 1:4-5, Joel 3:19; also, Jeremiah 49:9 and its context have some similarities). Edom isn’t just going to be “conquered but still live happily with a new ruler”. Their country would be “picked clean”, we might say.
At this point of history, Edom’s pride seems to have clouded their judgment. In Obadiah v.8-9, we learn that both the wise and the warriors will be destroyed. Neither knowledge nor military power can make a country greater than God’s justice upon them for choosing to reject Him. Those who claim to be wise (and who say that Edom will remain strong) will be proven wrong. Those who claim to have military strength (and who say that Edom will remain protected) will also be proven wrong.
On the other hand, Psalm 20:6-8 is a reminder of where our trust can be placed. When someone asks you where your hope is, be sure that we have an answer ready (as 1 Peter 3:15-16 reminds us), but that answer shouldn’t be “because our country spends the most on defense of any other in the world” or “because our country was founded on Christian principles”. Only God determines our fate, not generals or grandparents, and God looks at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7), not the economy.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for August 3, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Minor Prophets Volume 1 (Hosea-Micah), by Harold Shank. © 2001 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 