Today is the day that the Lord has made. So let us rejoice and be glad in it. And everyone said, Amen. This week is an incredibly important historical and trajectory setting week for our country. Even though the election is on Tuesday, I know many of us, maybe most of us, believe that we will go to bed Tuesday night not knowing who our next president is. We can hope and pray for a smooth election.

I hope I'm wrong. Hope many people are wrong. But very few people have any hope that Tuesday night will provide an answer for us. But still, with that, with this election, with all the division and the uncertainty, and so much of the doomsday prophecies that's coming out of both sides of the aisle, I'll tell you this, this election should really force America to look into the mirror and try to figure out exactly what is going on in the heart of this country. Why are we so divided? Even now, just days away, all the polls are like, who knows?

It's a toss-up.

We don't know.

How did it come to this point that it's that evenly divided? We need to figure out what's going on in the heart of this country. And I'll tell you this, if we think that we are beyond God's judgment as a nation, then I'll just tell you, as my mom used to say, we got another thing coming. By all means, be invested in what's happening politically. Be passionate about it.

Serve the community. Serve at the polling stations get out there be involved. It's a great testimony great witness I love to hear about our people out there doing that and with that I say but if you are a Christian a Christian who is more passionate about getting out the vote than getting out the name of Jesus Something is drastically wrong wrong. If we were as fervent about sharing the gospel and getting our friends and family, not to mention the world or the community, let's just start with our friends and family. If we were as fervent about sharing the gospel with them and getting them to church as we have been about getting them to vote how we want, we would not be in this mess. We wouldn't have America that's great again. We'd have America that's better than it's ever been.

It's not revolution, it's not rebellion, it's not a return to the past that will save us, it is revival. Revival in the name of Christ the King. Before we can talk about joy, let's talk about Jesus. But church, dear, dear church, before we can think about any sort of change or any sort of victory, and even though it may seem obscure and maybe even obsolete, we need to heed the warning and embrace the hope that comes from this little known prophet Obadiah. Truly, his message was not specifically directed at America. As you're gonna see, it's directed at the nation of Edom. Truly, this is the case, but there are massive lessons for us to learn. And there's a reason that God has sustained this message for some 2,500 years is because the message is still the same and we need to hear it here and now. Because once we get going into this book, I'm sure that you'll see, like I have, there are some eerie, eerie parallels between what's going on in America and what was going on in Edom so long ago. So again, if you haven't yet, please open up your Bibles, Obadiah. If you do want to use the Bibles that we've provided, that's on page 890.

Now, rather than just jumping in and reading the book of Obadiah, I want to take a step back and let's just understand the context here. Because I think this is part of the reason we don't read books like Obadiah. We get to it in the Old Testament, we start reading, we get three or four verses in, and we're like, what is this even talking about next. But if we understood the context and did just a little bit of Bible study ahead of time, I think you'll see how incredibly relevant this message is. So let's

take some precious time and lay some groundwork for us. We'll start at the top. Obadiah, his name means servant of Yahweh. Yahweh, of course, was God's divine name that he revealed in the Old Testament. And Obadiah is a fairly common Old Testament name. There are other Obadiahs in the Bible, but none of them are in reference to this guy. The only thing we know about this Obadiah

is that he wrote this prophecy, or vision as he calls it. Now, this was a prophecy or a vision specifically given and pointed at one country, the country of Edom. Now Edom was outside Israel and Jerusalem, outside of Israel and Judah, but part of the reason that God gives this prophecy is because of what they've become and what they've done. They've done something horrible and they've become something horrible.

Today we're going to talk about what they've become, next week we're going to talk about what they've done that was the catalyst for this prophecy, before week three we look at the ultimate hope that can be have, even though this prophecy has a lot of harsh wording in it. So, where is Edom?

I don't know about you, but when I come to books of the Bible and I see names and places, I like to know what exactly we're talking about here. So, here's a part of the country that's in the news all the time. This is Israel.

Now we are in the Old Testament, we're at a time known as the divided kingdom. A lot of the swath of the Old Testament is set during this time. We just came off a sermon series looking at Asa, that was also during the divided kingdom. So to clarify, we had Israel to the north, and of course we had, what was the name of the southern kingdom? Anybody remember?

Judah!

Yes! Judah, yes. Also, we find Jerusalem, arguably the most famous city in the world, is located in Judah, the southern kingdom. And so, where's Edom? Edom is down here, the southeast. That was the country of Edom. It's in modern-day Jordan, or an extension of modern-day Jordan. Now, a couple things we need to know about Edom, that if you understand these things about Edom, man, it really brings to light the prophecy here. So, Edom was well fortified, and it was known for its wisdom and it spoused great wisdom from this country. So let me ask you a question real quick. Who here has seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? It's the best of all the Indiana Jones movies. Okay, so you if you've seen it, you probably remember this place. At the end of the movie, this is where they find the Holy Grail. So this is in This is called Al-Qazna, and it is located in what used to be known as Edom.

Now what's important about this structure in particular, this particular famous structure was built around two to three hundred years after the prophecy of Obadiah, but what it does is it lets us know what was going on in that region. See, that region was marked by these massively tall red sandstone cliffs that were only separated by very narrow paths. And so what happened is that the people, the Edomites, they would carve houses into the rock, into the sides of the cliffs, and they would make these homes really up high. It was really well fortified. Also, it was a place known for great wisdom. If you went to Sunday school, you may have learned that the three friends of Job, remember when Job goes through all of his affliction, he has three friends that come and visit him?

All three of those friends came from Edom. They all came to share some wisdom. Edom was a place known for its wisdom, and it's thousand great wisdom. When the Bible talks about, in the Old Testament, when it talks about the wise men of the East, not necessarily referring to the men who came to visit the baby Jesus, but in the Old Testament, the wise men of the East are brought up fairly often. Those are Edomites, those are men from Edom, because they kept, collected, and espoused great wisdom. So why does God care about this country that's outside of the northern and southern kingdoms? It's because there's great history between God's people and the Edomites. Edom is brother to Israel.

Now how does this work? Let me clarify. Who remembers the third person in this generation? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You remember that Jacob, Jacob actually was a twin. Jacob had a twin brother, Esau.

They're biological twins. What's interesting about both these men's life is that they both grow and they are given new names later on in life. Jacob, of course, is renamed Israel and he becomes the father of the Israelites. The banner name for both the northern and the southern kingdom. He becomes the father over the Israelites. Esau, I'm sure you're seeing where this is going to go, Esau was renamed Edom and he becomes the father of the Edomites are ancestral brothers.

And that means something to God, that they have a shared common history. And so this sermon series is about bringing the same message to us that I think Obadiah brought to the Edomites so long ago. It's a message of great hope, but also immense warning. And so the short prophecy, there's no chapters, there's only 21 verses, and we're going to look at the first nine verses today as we look at the warning of judgment.

And so, because we are going old school with this sermon series, if you are able, would you please stand for the reading of God's Word as we look at Obadiah verses 1 to 9. Would you hear God's Word, Obadiah verses 1-9. The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord concerning Edom. We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent out among the nations.

Rise, let us rise against her for battle. Behold, 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 clests 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. If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night, how you have been destroyed.

Would they not steal only enough for themselves? If great gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? How Esau has been pillaged, his treasure sought out. All your allies have driven you to your border. Those at peace with you have deceived you. They have prevailed against you. Those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you. You have no understanding. Will I not on that day, declares the Lord, destroy the wise men out of Edom and understanding out of Mount Esau. And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Timan, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter. This is God's holy word.

Let's pray and we'll continue. Let's pray first. Father, your word is holy and true, even if it is harsh and hard to hear. So we ask here and now that you would send us the Holy Spirit, the same

spirit that inspired these words, that we would not just understand them, but rightly apply them to our lives as we heed your warning, but we rejoice in the hope that you offer. For it is in Jesus' powerful name that we pray these things. And everyone said, Amen and Amen. Go ahead and take a seat. So in this series, we're going to see God lay judgment upon the kingdom of Edom for what they've become and what they've done. Again, next week we'll talk about what was the catalyst, what did they do that sparked this prophecy. But today we're going to talk about what they have become. Now listen to me, especially if you are an American in the house. In one word, this is what they have become. Prideful. And let me give you a very clear definition, simple definition of pride.

Pride is believing that we do not need God. So the main idea for us, I think, is the same idea that Obadiah gave 2,500 years ago, and it's simply this. God warns us that he will cut down those who boast in their pride. You don't have to be in a Bible study very long before you come across this notion in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. God does not tolerate pride. He cuts down those who boast in their pride. And as we look at these nine verses here today, let's just pull out three things. Three things. God warns us against pride because pride dooms us, verses one and two. Pride deceives us, verses three to seven. And pride destroys us, verses one to eight. Now you may be saying, hey Pastor Ryan, what's with the alliteration here? Charles Spurgeon used alliteration, so okay, we're going to go on. Verse 1, or point 1, pride dooms us. Look at verse 1, the vision of Obadiah.

Okay, so Obadiah starts by calling this a vision and whoever this man is, he's telling us these words come from God. He says, thus says the Lord concerning Edom. I tell you what, I know many people who want a word from the Lord. They want a vision from God, they want to hear God's voice. And Obadiah reminds us, you might not want that so quickly.

Because the word God brings aren't always exactly what we want to hear. Look at this vision. He goes on to say, we have heard a report from the Lord. So this is a vision from the Lord, but it says we have heard this.

So what does that mean? Probably means that Obadiah is speaking on behalf of the people or that what's happening to Edom or about to happen is common knowledge across the land. It's well known. And here's what it goes on to say.

A messenger has been sent among the nations. Rise up. Let us rise against her for battle. So God has let Obadiah know that judgment is coming for Edom but even in that very moment a coalition of forces is gathering to come against this nation and Then God tells us what he'll use this coalition of forces for in a word for Edom's doom Verse 2 I will make you small among the nations. You shall be utterly despised Again, this is where you have to remember the context. Edom, Edom was so fortified, so fortified, they were so wise, they were so full of pride, and they're about to be humbled. And not just embarrassed or humiliated, they're about to crumble and be hated by everyone. A judgment of doom is coming and it's their pride which is what is going to bring them down. And it's at this moment we have to pause. I really want you to ask yourself a question here. If, if you find yourself thinking right now, this seems like a pretty harsh punishment just for pride, then you've just exposed, you do not realize how horrible pride is in God's eyes.

And that should terrify us. The reason that pride is so insidious and so corrosive is that it seeks not just to elevate us Beyond our rightful place, but pride is saying to God. I don't need you. You aren't enough for me I don't like your plan your plans not good enough for me I'm gonna go with my own plan Pride is thinking that you know better than God does pride is thinking that you know better for your life than what God does

And God does not tolerate that for long and he warns us. But what you have to understand is already for us, we get a glimmer of hope. How are we getting hope in the midst of what we're reading here? Here's how, my friends. If God is still warning us, then that means destruction hasn't yet come. If destruction hasn't yet come and God's warning us, he's giving us a chance to change

our ways and repent and to seek his face. He warns us and it's hard to hear, but warning us means destruction hasn't come yet. God again will only tolerate this so long, so we need to heed the warning because pride dooms us, but it also deceives us. Look at your verse, verse three, very clearly. 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? Again, you know now the context, what's going on here. Again, as we said, Edom was in these cliffs of red sandstone. Their homes were in the cliffs. They felt really secure.

Again, their homes were only navigated by these very narrow ravines. Military strategists will tell us that a group of about two dozen men could defend Edom because of that terrain against an army five times that size. They felt really secure. They're high up, they're well fortified, they're easily defendable. They thought they were impenetrable. They were very haughty in their security. And then look what God says, albeit in a poetic way, but he goes to say, verse four, 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. You know another country that has an eagle as a symbol? Or maybe some stars in their flag? 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." Church, hear me on this. They thought they were so safe. They sat in their houses high in the cliffs and they thought we are impenetrable up here. No one can come at us. We're smarter than them. We're more fortified than them. And God is like, yeah, you're high up, but that's exactly from the place that I'm going to bring you down. And I sit and I think about America and I wonder, are we any different? We think we are undefeatable, we think we are so smart. We look at our country and honestly, I mean, I can understand why, like look at our country. We are guarded by two massive oceans.

Who's going to attack us? Who's gonna invade us? Canada? Please, Ohio could defend us against them. But seriously, we're like, see the shining sea. Who's going to come at us?

Yeah, we're looking at what's going on across the ocean and many of us are very nervous, rightfully so. Are we on the brink of World War III? That's terrifying. But we also think, well, it's all going to be over there. Surely we don't want our young men and women to go over there and fight and die, but we here in the homeland

We're gonna be safe

Man

Your passport might as well say eat them at this point if you think that This is this is unnerving This is unnerving and it should be for a country that's turned its back on God This is unnerving I'm fearful that we are becoming eat them that our pride and our fault sense of security is deceiving us. And it's keeping us as a nation from the repentance that we so desperately need.

Conservatism today, becoming a lot like liberalism from 40 years ago. This is why we, we who bear the name of Christ, we cannot find our identity on either side of this cultural divide. We cannot find our identity in either political party, but in Jesus Christ alone for he is truly the only hope that we have God brought edom down because of their pride and by all accounts. How could we not begin to think we're on the same trajectory? The warning continues as if four verses wasn't enough verse five

Let's read it and we'll explain what's going on here because it's actually pretty profound If thieves came to you if plunderers came by night, how you have been destroyed. Would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings, meaning some left behind? So what this verse is saying is that when human forces attack you, they're going to leave something behind. When human forces attack you, they can only carry off as much as what their two arms can carry. When human forces attack you, it's devastating, but it's not total.

But God has drawn a contrast here to say, when he comes against them, the destruction will be total. There will be nothing left. This is why you don't see Edom in the United Nations. This is why the people of Edom, that's not a passport that exists. They were completely wiped away.

The only thing that's left now is some historical, archaeological markers and a tourist trap. Edom is gone. They did not heed the warning and God removed them from the face of the planets.

God's drawn a contrast here and we need to hear it.

Look what it goes on to say, verse 6, how Esau, oh, using the birth name now, kind of like using the middle name, you know when you yell at your kids, you use first and middle name, that's when you know they're really in trouble. God's using the birth name here. Verse 6, how Esau has been pillaged, his treasure sought out. God is saying the destruction, hear me on this, God is saying the destruction will strike you at your core, at what you hold dear. Everything that you think makes you special, that's what I'll strike and that's what I'll remove. Everything that you think is sacred to you, that's what I will destroy. And then this next part, I think is of particular interest to us. God is saying, this has happened because your pride has deceived you. And then God in verse 7 talks about how all of Edom's allies will even turn on them. Look at verse 7.

All your allies have driven you to your border. Those at peace with you have deceived you. They have prevailed against you. Those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you. You have no understanding. To a country that was so fortified, to a country that thought they had such strong allies, to a country that was so prideful about their own wisdom, God just says, you have no understanding. God is saying to eat them, you think you're wise, but your pride has blinded you because those who you think are your friends and allies, they are not. They are only with

you while you are prideful, but as soon as I humble you, they will turn on you and destroy you. Here's what this means for us. Those who rally around and are held together by their pride, they will eventually turn on each other and eat each other. Just a quick side note. This is how you know who a true friend is. A true friend has your back when you're standing tall, and a true friend has your back when you are brought low.

Proverbs 18, verse 24 says this, it says, A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Meaning, there are people who have large circles of quote-unquote friends, but those friends aren't really friends. They're just acquaintances and just because you have lots of acquaintances doesn't mean they're going to have your back.

True friends are few and far between, but when you have one it can be closer even than family. But the Bible is reminding us what Edom shows us. It's not about having a wide circle. It's about having a deep friend, which leads to the last warning about pride. Pride destroys us This is the inevitable end for all prideful people It may be a fun ride for a while But it will destroy you in the end

You will crumble under the weight of it. Edom has said God. We don't need you and God is like well Okay, then if you don't need me, then you don't need my presence and you don't need my grace. And so God removes it. And with that is an announcement of a terrible judgment because anytime you're outside God's grace, even his common grace, which is available to all, it's only going to lead to destruction. And this next verse, verse eight has a twofold nature to it. Hopefully you can pick it up. Let's look at it. Verse eight. Will I not on that day declares the Lord destroy the wise men out of Edom, and then God says, and understanding out of Mount Esau, which again, another name for Edom. So God is saying to the country of Edom, follow me on this. I will destroy your wise men, and with it your legacy of wisdom.

Not only will your wise men be destroyed, but your even legacy of wisdom will be destroyed, which is why I had to explain to you all that Edom was known for wisdom back in the day, because God has removed it all. God is saying the humility I will bring to you will be final and complete. God is saying I'm going to wipe you clean. Your wisdom will be gone and then God says so will your strength. Look at verse 9. And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Timon. Now Timon was a region or a city in Edom. And your mighty men shall be destroyed, O Timan, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter." Did God have to add that part, by slaughter? I think God's painting a very grim picture here.

It's like God is saying, I'm not going to just drop a bomb and make it easy and go lights out with one fell swoop. No, no, no. You're going to be taught a lesson. The judgment will come not by a bomb that's quick and fast, it will come by an invasion and a sword. It will come by slaughter. And again, this is where we need to stop. We need to stop and really consider something. If slaughter is God's just and right response to the prideful than two things. Number one, this should show us how grievous pride is. It's a wicked and a perverse posture for any person. So I'm going to ask you a question. The answer here is probably painfully obvious, but I'm going to ask it anyway. Who would you rather be around? Would you rather be around a group of prideful people or a group of humble people?

Humble. Unless you have a proclivity to cults, then you probably would rather be around a prideful person. But for most people, we'd rather be around a group of humble people because there's just something about that that we like better. We as a country pride ourselves on our pride.

So this leads to the second thing we need to understand here. God is being extremely patient with us. Our nation, which prides itself on pride, how have we not been destroyed yet? How have we not even been, how have we not even crumbled under the weight of our own pride?

Here's how.

It's because of God's grace. Look at, I'll read it for you, but 2 Peter 3, verse 9 says this, 2 Peter 3, verse 9 says this, the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing anyone should perish, but that each should reach repentance. God has not destroyed us because he's giving us time to repent. And so now is the time for us, not just to share the prophecy of Obadiah, but to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, to bring a hope that comes with the warning. Because we have to remember, this is true in the Old Testament and the New. God warns us that he will cut down those who boast in their pride.

We need to humble ourselves and seek God's face right now. If ever before, now is the time We also need to remember that we have something that Obadiah does not We have the full picture of the gospel That when we turn from our pride we can find eternal life in Jesus Christ Not a prideful president, but a humble King who died on the cross in our place

Taking the punishment for our sins and after he died He died, He rose again from the dead, where He ascended to heaven, where He rules and reigns and He's coming back again to bring full restoration to all things. And in the meantime, He sent us the Holy Spirit that we may live unto Him, doing good in this world until He returns. Do you believe that?

Then why do we worry? Then why do we get anxious about what's going to happen on Tuesday or this month? None of this is outside God's control. None of this is an excuse for us to get lazy and not stand up and speak up. But at the end of the day, we sleep.

We sleep like victors because we know our King is victorious. Church, we are setting a trajectory

for our country this week.

And I fully believe something. I believe the church has the power to sway this election. But listen to me, listen to me ever so closely. We have the power to sway the trajectory for this country for good even after the election. For whatever happens this week or this month, whoever the president is determined to be, we still have the Holy Spirit. We can still bring good and a new trajectory to this country, but it will not happen if we don't stand united and it will not happen if we don't stand strong. If we try to say to the world at large, hey, believe in the name Lord Jesus. Look at the peace that I have. He's kind of a cool guy. He looks at our life and it's like, where exactly is this king of yours evident in your life? I mean, you don't even come to church half the time. Why would they believe anything we have to say? Many of us wonder, how did it get to this point?

Here's how it got to this point, because the church wasn't doing our job. We weren't showing up, we weren't speaking up, we weren't standing up. We weren't being patient with those who are lost. We weren't being kind where we needed to be kind. We got into the midst of the battle, the cultural battle, instead of the spiritual battle. We wonder how this happens?

Well, either way, let's realize it now. Let's hear the warning and let's respond. Let's respond with the gospel, which is for all people. We need to show the world a strength and a commitment and a bravery and a unity that this country longs for in this political hour.

Let me remind you, our effectiveness for the gospel is directly tied to the experience of peace that we have in the gospel. While the rest of the world boasts about their pride, we need to show off our peace. The peace that surpasses understanding that can only be had through Jesus Christ. And so I invite you to remember, humble yourself. Humble yourself to the point where you find peace knowing that your life and this election is in God's hands. That whatever the outcome may be, no matter what, the one thing we get to do is cling to the old rugged cross, amen? is cling to the old rugged cross, amen? Let's stand and sing that now, shall we?