PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL

Transcription

1 The Sin Of Pride PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL (Oba. 1:3) 3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Ob 1:3 (KJV) Intro: The bible tells us to Love your neighbor as yourself (Mt. 22:39) Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. This is one of the greatest commandments ever given to the human race. 1. We are to love and care for one another and help each other when help is needed. Christ says that we are to love one another even as He has loved us (John 13:34-35) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 2. His love was a sacrificial love, a love that cost Him the ultimate sacrifice His life. Imagine what the world would be like if we all truly loved one another as Christ loves us.

2 3. The bible says in (Pro. 16:18) Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 4. Now Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament Probably containing one of the hardest messages for the New Testament Child of God. 5. The present Scripture shows what happens when a people begin to hate instead of love one another. God s judgment falls upon them. 6. He condemns all who betray others, who treat others with an unbrotherly spirit of hatred, abuse, and oppression. 7. Edom s bitter hatred of the Jews is a prime example of this situation. And God s judgment of Edom is the subject of Obadiah s message. 8. The prophet s message falls into three clear sections: a.) a description of the judgment (vv. 1-9), 1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. 2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. 3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. 5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have

3 stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? 6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! 7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him. 8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? 9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. Ob 1:1-9 (KJV) b.) The reasons for the judgment (vv ). 10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. 11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. 12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. 13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; 14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. Ob 1:10-14 (KJV) c.) The wonderful promises God gives to His dear people (vv ). 15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. 16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. The salvation and victory of Jacob 17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. 18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

4 19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. 20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. 21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S. Ob 1:15-21 (KJV) 9. Note that the promises can only be completely fulfilled in the coming kingdom of the Messiah (Christ). 10. So Who Were The Edomities The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Genesis 36:1 Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. and they hated their brother the Israelites. 11. They dwelt in the walled cities of Mt. Seir (Gen. 36:8) Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom. The King s Highway passed through this region (cf. Num. 20:14 18). 14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: 15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: 16 And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: 17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. 18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. 19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle

5 drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. 20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. Num 20:14-20 (KJV) 11. What Was Their Sin In mount Seir they were safe from all natural and physical danger. When their Brother Israel, (Jacob) would pass by and fall into the enemies hand, the Edomites would dwell safety on the other side of the road and make sport of the Israelites' calamity. 12. From there they had the attitude of, Ha, Ha, look what is happening to you. It can't happen to us." While they dwelt in their secure position, they forgot that God is greater. 13. Conceit is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it. (Proverbs 24:17) Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 14. Their actions come from the terrible sin of pride. God observed their pride and sent a massager with a message of judgment to them.

6 15. God always sends a message and a messenger before judgement. I. Consider Pride is Despised. (V. 1-2) The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. [2] Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. 1. The Edomites and anyone that is proud has a false perception of their self. Even among the "heathens" they are despised. 2. God pronounced His coming judgment on Edom. In studying this passage, keep in mind that Edom represents all who oppose God; all who refuse to believe in and follow Him. 3. Any person or people who continually reject the Lord and openly oppose His people are bound to arouse God s anger. Thus Edom stands as a prime example of how God s patience is poured out upon the unbelievers of this world.

7 4. God s patience will endure people s sins for years, but eventually He must execute justice. A. Notice a Rumor. (V.1) We have heard a rumor from the Lord. 1. The Lord gave the prophet a vision of what was to happen to Edom. The prophet actually saw a picture (vision) of God s judgment falling on those who rejected the Lord and oppressed His dear people. 2. In addition to the vision because of the awesome importance of the message the Lord also spoke to His prophet. The Lord shared the message of coming judgment with Him. 3. Obadiah both saw and heard the message that was to fall on Edom. By the use of the first person plural, We, the prophet includes the people of Judah along with himself as having heard a rumor from the Lord. 4. It is not a rumor in the English sense of that word but rather is a factual report having Jehovah as its source. B. Notice the Ruin.

8 1. The nation of Edom would be made small much smaller than it was in Obadiah s day. The people would also become utterly despised by the other nations of the world (v. 2). 2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. Ob 1:2 (KJV) 2. When the agent of God s judgment attacked Edom, the nation would lose much of its population, territory, and political influence. 3. The Edomites themselves would be humiliated and enslaved. God s judgment would strike Edom and the nation would become insignificant in the eyes of other nations. (Isa 23:9) The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. (Jer 49:15-16) For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men. {16} Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O

9 thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD. I. Consider Pride is Despised. II. Consider Pride Is Deceptive. (V. 3-4) The pride of the people would be cut down by God (V. 3-4). 3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. Ob 1:3-4 (KJV) The Edomites were an extremely arrogant people who rejected the Lord. Instead of trusting God, they placed their trust in their own arm of strength. 2. They trusted their own ability and power to protect and provide for themselves. Thus, pride a deceptive sense of human ability, strength, and self-exaltation was the cause of Edom s downfall. 3. God was going to cut the Edomites down to size for four reasons:

10 a.] The people boasted in their security their own ability to protect and take care of themselves. They totally ignored the Lord, the fact that He alone can give true security and protection to the human soul. b.] The people trusted in their fortresses their cities and homes (v. 3). 3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Ob 1:3 (KJV) The major cities of the nation had been built on the high cliffs of a rugged mountain range just southeast of the Dead Sea. Living on these towering cliffs with deep gorges all around, the Edomites felt secure. In their arrogance, they felt as though no one could ever bring them down. c.] The people felt totally self-sufficient. They saw themselves to be like the eagle who has built its nest on the most towering heights and soars above the rest of the earth (v. 4a). d.] The people rejected the Lord and His warning (v. 4b). though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. Ob 1:4 (KJV)

11 It was the Lord Himself who aroused the prophet Obadiah to proclaim this warning of coming judgment to the Edomites. Tragically, though, the Edomites refused to heed the warning and continued to reject the Lord. 4. There is no record whatsoever of the Edomites ever repenting by turning away from their sins and turning to the Lord. 5. In His message to the Edomites, God informed them that their pride had deceived them. Pride always deceives us. (1 John 2:16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. {Ill.} Here is a good illustration as to what pride will do to one s head. There was once a very proud woodpecker who was tapping away at a dead tree when the sky unexpectedly turned black and thunder began to roll. The woodpecker went on working. Suddenly a

12 bolt of lightning struck the old tree, splintering it into hundreds of pieces. Startled but unharmed, the arrogant bird flew off, and came back a little later with several feathered friends. He sat on the limb of a nearby tree and said to his friends, Hey, everyone, look what I did! Look what I did! 6. Pride causes us to think that I am so important that no one else matters. A. Notice We Can Think We Are Successful When We Are Failing. 1. The Edomites thought they were gaining a position above the people of Judah, but God revealed that the opposite was true. 2. The Edomites did not understand that they had nothing to do with the weakened position of the Jews, nor that it would never work to their good. B. Notice We Can Think We Are Secure When We Are In Danger. 1. The Edomites bragged about their home among the rocks. They felt secure in those rocky crags.

13 2. In reality, the stones of the hillside did not offer protection to the Edomites. What they needed was the Rock of Ages to protect them. (Luke 18:9) And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 3. Those who despise others. The word despise means to set at naught; to count as nothing, as unimportant and insignificant. 4. Such persons feel and act as though they are above and better, more important and significant than others. 5. They shy away from, ignore and neglect, pass by and downgrade, criticize and talk about others they feel to be less than them. I. Consider Pride is Despised. II. Consider Pride Is Deceptive. III. Consider Pride Is Destructive. (V. 4-9) 1. The nation and people would lose all wealth and possessions. All the treasures of Edom were to be plundered by the conquering nations (vv.

14 5-6). 5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? 6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! Ob 1:5-6 (KJV) 2. Moreover, the plunder would be thorough. God s judgment would not be like thieves who usually leave behind quite a few items as they rush to keep from being caught. 3. Nor would God s judgment be like grapepickers who leave a few grapes on the vine for the poor, the widows, and the orphans (Lev. 19:10; Deut. 24:21).LEFT MESURE FOR WIDNOWS AND ORPHANES 4. God s judgment would strip Edom bare. The people would lose all their treasures and wealth. They would suffer a total economic collapse. A. Notice God Separates The Proud. (V. 7) 1. Edom would be deceived and betrayed by the nation s allies (v. 7). 7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him. Ob 1:7 (KJV) When the invading enemy struck Edom, no ally would respond to the Edomite s cry for

15 help. In their hour of need, even their friends would desert and plot against them. 2. When we see two that are very proud, you will soon see them going their separate ways and soon turning on each other. 3. (Proverbs 28:25) He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat. 3. Then too, the Lord will separate Himself from the proud taking His Divine Providence and Protection. 4. Edom s allies will turn upon him and drive him to his borders and out of his land.. (Psa. 138:6) Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. {Ill.} Korah and Moses, [Num. 26:], Pride led to Korah rebellion against God and Moses. The people of God had to separate theirselves from the proud rebellious followers of Korah. 5. One can be sure of a fall, if arrogance is present in his heart!

16 B. Notice God Sentences The Proud. (V. 8-9) 8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? 9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. Ob 1:8-9 (KJV) 1. Edom would lose all its wise leaders. The implication is that the invading conqueror would slaughter or execute the leaders or else enslave and exile them to other countries (v. 8). 8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? 2. Finally, Edom would lose its army. The nation s military and its powerful war machine would be totally destroyed (v. 9). 9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. In fact, everyone soldiers and citizens alike would be slaughtered. 3. God pronounces judgment against the proud (Pro 16:5) Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. (Pro. 18:12) Before destruction

17 the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. 4. Pride was the sin of Lucifer (Isa. 14). Pride led to the sin of our parents in the Garden of Eden. Pride brought the curse of death on this earth. Pride; only God can deliver us from Pride.._,_. Attachment(s) from Pastor Chris Norris View attachments on the web 1 of 1 File(s) PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL.docx