Oh, bad die, uh?

My Little Brother

Many of you know Jono. My “little” brother. You never stop being a big brother… but I wasn’t always a great big brother.

Sometimes it was direct. We would rough-house like brothers do, I’m having fun, he’s fighting for his life. Good times.

I vividly recall my “best friend” at the time, Nick. He was over… and for whatever reason, Nick didn’t like Jono. Didn’t want him hanging around, didn’t want him playing with us....

But worse than that, maybe because Nick had an older brother that picked on him, Nick would be terrible to Jono. Mocking him, making fun of him...

Not in a fun-teasing way… in a mock him till he’s crying than make fun of him crying, kind of way.

But, and here’s the important thing: I didn’t mock my brother until he cried. Nick did it. Not me, I’m blameless, blame Nick.

A Tale of Two Brothers

Two brothers, twin brothers in the Bible. One of them is famous because of what his name got changed to. Israel.

But his birth name was Jacob… and he was the younger twin brother of Esau.

The older brother, Esau, named because he was “red”. Jacob came out holding his brother’s heel. The brothers struggled all their lives, Jacob “trades” for Esau’s birthright for a bowl of soup, then tricks Isaac with his Mom’s help into getting the firstborn blessing… and so weirdly, the promise of Abraham does follow the line of Jacob. He gets named Israel and his 12 sons lead to the 12/13 tribes of Israel.

What about Esau. When Jacob ran away in fear of Esau’s wrath, it’s Esau who inherits Isaac and Abraham’s riches. When Jacob comes back, Esau is rich and powerful and Jacob is in fear of him. Esau founds a nation too. Edom.

The Edomites had kings long before the Israelites (little brother). Israel and his brothers go off to Egypt… not the Edomites. They setup and hold the kings road, the road that leads East to the rest of Asia and all that trade.

They are on the East side of the Jordan river, modern day country of Jordan. Their most famous site, Petra, which you might recognize from Indiana Jones and the Ark of the Covenant, built later than this was written, but s

When the Israelites come back in through the wilderness, the Edomites turn them away… and the whole rest of the history with these “brothers” is troubled. King Saul fights them, David conquers and occupies them for awhile, they rebel and fight against most of the rest of the kings.

They rejoice as “Israel” falls to Assyria and then Judah falls to Babylon. They laugh, maybe even cheer...

And then a prophet named Obadiah speaks with the voice of God.

What have you done to your little brother?

Think about this for a minute.

Esau and Jacob, born around 1836 BC.

Obadiah, prophesying around 586 BC.

That’s 1300 years. A “generation” is about 25 years, so that’s 52 generations. So, at best, an Edomite and an “Israelite” or Jew are 49th cousins. That’s… pretty distant.

But God sees family differently. This isn’t distant, these are brothers. And brothers are supposed to take care of each other. Instead… we have the book of Obadiah.

Obadiah writes this shortly after the armies of Babylon destroy Jerusalem. Daniel’s off to Babylon, Obadiah is looking East at Edom.

Obadiah

Obadiah (ESV)

1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!”

2 Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised.

3 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?”

4 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.

5 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?

6 How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!

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.

8 Will I not on that day, declares the Lord, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau?

9 And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.

Why are they going to be humbled?

10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.

11 On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.

“That day” = Babylonian captivity.

12 But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress.

13 Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity.

14 Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.

15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.

16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been.

Hear the turn there? From the punishment to “Edom” to “all nations.”

There’s a fun language thing here.

אֱדוֹם and אָדָם

Nation of Esau and All Nations (mankind)

There’s bit of play on words here, but Edom becomes a stand in, a type, for all nations. All those who have not only directly persecuted Israel… also all those who stood aside and watched.

I imagine Edom, Esau, “Not my fault. I didn’t do it! Blame Nick. Blame Assyria. Blame Babylon!!!”

And God, takes Edom aside, like my Dad did me. And said “that’s your brother. Someone picks on him, you step in.”

God steps in with judgment… for the Day of the Lord is coming. Jacob’s coming back in triumph.

17 But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.

18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.

This is hardcore. In the immortal words of Andre the Giant “There will be no survivors!!!”

Their pride is humbled. Standing aside and watching their brothers be persecuted, abused and mocked, imprisoned… that was sin and win worthy of judgment and destruction.

19 Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

These are the border lands on every side of Israel… and the people they struggle with. In every case, God’s people take the victory. God’s kingdom expands and there is no war… because God is absolutely victorious.

20 The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb.

21 Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Good News for Israel

Good news for the oppressed

If you are the oppressed, the down trodden… this is good news for you. Not only those who abused you will be receive judgment… those who stood by and did nothing will receive judgment too.

Sins of “commission” are things you actually did. If I punched my brother, yup, I got punished. Usually painfully.

I Didn’t Do Anything!!!

But what about the things I didn’t do? Is it a sin just to stand by and not intervene? Sometimes called “Sins of Ommission?”

I didn’t do anything!

Exactly. You didn’t. And you should of.

A Lutheran pastor, Martin NIEMÖLLER, was a Nazi sympathizer. He became a critic of Hitler during the war, and after the war wrote this:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

—Martin Niemöller

There is a note here at the end of Obadiah that is good news, even for Edom. Let’s hear it in the message:

Obadiah 21 M:BCL

21 The remnant of the saved in Mount Zion will go into the mountains of Esau And rule justly and fairly, a rule that honors God’s kingdom.

Esau, Edom, every Kingdom will be ruled by the King. There will be justice and righteousness everywhere in God’s kingdom.

There will never truly be a time where there is “no one left to speak for us...”

But our duty before God remains. It is a duty to our brothers and sisters, no matter how many generations may separate us.

Father Abraham has many sons. Many sons has Father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s all praise the Lord.

Obadiah speaks out to condemn Edom for first standing by and watching the destruction of their “brothers”, then joining in the pillaging. God will judge Edom, and all mankind, for sins of all kinds: ommission and commission, failing to recognize, love, protect and honor our brothers and sisters. Edom = Adam = All mankind. Justice and judgment is coming… but so is the Savior.

As Israel, know that all those who stood aside as you were mistreated and oppressed will face judgment.

As “Edom”, you are called and commanded to find your “brother” and love, protect, and honor them and theirs. No excuses.

Who is my brother?

Who is my neighbor?

It isn’t a question of “are you called to love and serve the oppressed.” It is “who and where” are you called to love and serve right now. “Not my problem” isn’t a valid excuse. Of those, there will “be no survivors.” The valid “excuse” is “God’s got me pouring my heart out, loving and serving over here, Lord provide someone to serve over there.” The harvest is plentiful but laborers are few.

No matter where you are, I have good news. The King and the Kingdom are coming.

To the oppressed and abused: the King is coming and “justice and righteousness will flow like rivers.”

To those loving and serving as God leads… the King is coming. The struggle is real, but it will all be fulfilled in glory. And there will be people in eternity because of the way you have loved.

To those standing to the side… wake up. The King is coming. Only in faith alone, grace alone, in humility before our Lord and Savior is their salvation.

Matthew 25:31–40 ESV

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’