Sermon Tone Analysis

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!!!”