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"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." Psalm 119:18

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Deception of Pride - Obadiah

Edom is going to face the judgment of God to such degree that in the end, Edom will be no more! God’s chief accusation against Edom is that he took advantage of and rejoiced in the judgment of Judah. Edom delighted in the downfall of God’s people, and they wouldn’t get away with it.

The root of Edom’s cruel actions towards Judah was pride. Edom rejoiced that Judah fell while he was still standing well and good. Edom boasted in his fortunes and fortress-like setting. Edom was filled with pride, and his pride had deceived him!

vv3-4 “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’ Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord.”

Pride is terribly deceptive in at least two ways. (1) It convinces you of self-sufficiency. Edom’s security was not in his brilliant location; it was in the hand of a sovereign God! (2) It leaves God out of the equation. Edom looked all around and asked rhetorically, “Who will bring me down?” He was so prideful he never thought to look up and ask that question!

God would not allow self-sufficient, God-ignoring pride to remain in Edom. He will not allow it to remain in us either! It is a constant temptation for us to think too highly of self, depend on self, and leave God out of the equation. He is able to hold us up when all we have is Him, and He is able to bring us down when we forget that all we have is Him!

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