Your presumptuous heart has deceived you— you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs, whose home is high in the mountains. You think to yourself, ‘No one can bring me down to the ground!’
Into the Text
The book of Obadiah was written to the people of the nation of Edom. The Edomites were relatives of the people of Israel. Back in the book of Genesis, Isaac and Rebekah had two sons, Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:19-34). Jacob tricked Esau into giving him his birthright and the blessing of the firstborn, and Jacob’s family became the nation of Israel (Genesis 27:1-28:9), while Esau’s descendants became the nation of Edom. For years to come, Israel and Edom would remain sworn enemies.
When the nation of Babylon invaded Jerusalem and sent the people into exile (2 Kings 25), one would think that Israel’s relatives would come to their aid. Instead, the Edomites looked on in pride at Israel’s destruction, and they even joined in the plundering of the city and killing some of the people. Because of these wicked actions, God was going to judge them and He called Obadiah to deliver that message.
Notice what God says in verse three, “your presumptuous heart has deceived you.” It was their prideful hearts that led them to their actions. Pride is deceiving. It leads us to justify or minimize our sins. We can think that our actions are merited or that they’re not that bad in comparison to someone else’s sin.
Pride prevents us from seeing ourselves in the light of Christ and seeing others as individuals made in the image of God. Take an inventory of your heart today. Can you spot the pride in your own heart? Do you often justify your behavior towards others or minimize your own sin? Are you able to admit that your attitude is bad and that you have wronged others?
Instead of being like the people of Edom, may we look to Jesus, our perfect Savior, who alone is truly humble, and pray for grace to become more like Him.
Prayer
God, so often I look at others with a prideful heart. Help me to remember the grace you have given me through Jesus. Help me to see my own sin, admit and apologize for it, and help me to exercise humility in all areas of my life. Amen.