Failure Porn - Obadiah 1:1-21

Introduction

Why is it that we like to see people fall? There are no TikTok videos of people showing how elegantly a mother with three children and two bags of groceries is able to traverse the wild unknown to her car with everyone in tact. But, if you have a patch of ice, a few steps, and a doorbell camera, it’s solid gold. Podcasts aren’t made about faithful churches of a few dozen people who want to help people and glorify Jesus; they’re made about megachurches with rockstar pastors who blow up spectacularly.

So, why is it that we’re so captivated by failure porn? Well, there’s probably a lot that we can say, but a starting place is probably that it makes us feel better about ourselves. “I may not be the greatest, but at least I don’t do that!” When others fail, it can gives us a sense that we have something figured out that those folks don’t. It can make us feel as though we’re in some way more justified in the things that we do (“see, my way works!”) and more faithful and approved in the eyes of God (“obviously God disciplined them, not me”). In fact, there are times when the failures of others seem to present us with opportunities. So, there’s an enjoyment because their failure makes life better for you (“Now I can get their job. Others will appreciate how good I am by comparison.”)

God’s Word

So, perhaps, we could say that the reason that we’re so enthralled with failure porn is simply one word: pride. The failures of others make us feel stronger, more faithful, and more approved. In the book of Obadiah, this is front and center. Babylon had just stormed the gates of Judah, taking them into exile. And, up in the high country looking down, there’s Edom taking in with delight their fall. In fact, Edom saw Israel’s fall as an opportunity to expand their territory and prosperity at Judah’s expense. So, God sends Obadiah to prophesy for Judah so they could know how to understand Edom’s benefit at their expense. And, it serves as a warning to avoid becoming like Edom and as an encouragement that the situation isn’t as bad as it looks.

Daniel, today we’re ordaining you as an elder. These are the same warnings and assurances that elders need. Church family, though these warnings and assurances must especially be taken to heart by an elder, they are to be heeded by every Christian. A Warning and an Assurance (Headline):

“Pride” destroys the “strong.”

You’ll remember that Isaac had twin sons: Jacob and Esau. Before his wife, Rebekah, gave birth, the Lord made said to her: And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” So, you’d expect that to mean that the younger was the stronger of the two. Esau was the oldest, and he was a man’s man. He was hairy, strong, and loved to hunt. Jacob was the younger, and he was soft-spoken and effeminate in comparison to his brother. But, Esau was a proud, brutish man who acted on impulse, and Jacob was a sly, cunning man who knew how to manipulate him. So, Jacob ends up swindling the proud Esau out of his birthright and his father’s blessing, just as the prophesy had been given to his mother. And, the two brothers did indeed become two nations. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, and the nation of Israel was born. Esau’s name was changed to Edom, and the nation of Edom was born. And, a conflict ensues between the two nations, and it comes to represent the conflict between the nation God chose (Israel), and the nation God rejected (Edom).

So, Edom becomes representative of an enemy of God. And, we see in Edom how God responds to his enemies, and we see in Edom at least three warnings for God’s people to prevent them from acting as enemies of God. These warnings should humble every Christian and sober any potential elder.

Do not “sin pridefully.”

Obadiah 1:2-4 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised. 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?” 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.”

Edom’s geography made them difficult to attack and easy to defend. Their name comes from the red, craggy, steep rocks that made up their terrain. So, as Babylon stormed the gates of Jerusalem, Edom was looking down from their perches and thinking, “That could never happen to us.” Like eagles, they viewed themselves as unreachable, unapproachable, and unconquerable. They were too strong and too protected to fall. So, they could do as they pleased. They could take advantage of Judah. They could benefit from their fall. What is particularly grotesque among Edom is how proudly and boldly they’ve sinned. They’ve spat in the face of God as though there are no consequences.

No one sins more boldly, more proudly, more audaciously than pastors. We warn people away from sin, and then don’t heed those very warnings ourselves. And, “the pride of your heart deceives you.” Like Edom living in the clefts of the rocks, the gifts that we’ve been given can serve to further embolden us and further deceive us. Tim Keller tells the story of an ultra successful pastor he knew. Eventually, it was revealed that the man had carried on a secret relationship for decades. Keller asked him how he was able to deal with it, and the pastor responded: “I would indulge Monday through Friday. On Saturday, I would tell God how sorry I was and be filled with guilt and shame. Then, on Sunday, I would preach, my gifts would take over, and everyone loved it. I mistook that to mean that my sin really wasn’t that bad. So, I kept going.”

But, you see, no one is sin is safe hidden “in the clefts of the rock.” There is one who made the rocks, and there is one who made the eagle and there is one who painted the skies, and He will humble the proud. He will bring down the most majestic eagle, the most gifted nation, and the most admired pastor.

Do not “profit unethically.”

Obadiah 1:5-9 “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? How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures 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 Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.”

What has happened in Edom’s mind is that they’re finally turning the tables on Israel. Perhaps, they’re thinking of it as giving them a dose of their own medicine. Jacob had noticed his brother’s impulsiveness and decided it provided a pathway for profit. Now, Edom sees Babylon’s attack, and sees it as a way to increase their own prosperity and success. They had plundered Judah’s remains. They took away Judah’s treasures. They allied with Judah’s enemies.

But, God’s message is one which should send a chill down every elder’s back. God’s people are not an opportunity for personal profit. Edom will be plundered by the Lord himself. They had gained wealth by seizing upon God’s people, but their ill-gotten gains won’t last. They had attained esteem by aligning themselves with Judah’s enemies, but their ill-gotten esteem won’t endure. They had become famous for their wise men, but they will become far more infamous for their lack of understanding.

The pastorate has become a pathway to profit for too many. It has become a means by which people build their platforms, advance their agendas, and accomplish their ambitions. But, Peter says that elders must minister “not for shameful gain.” Paul says that false teachers are “imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” God’s people are not an opportunity for personal profit. Wherever you find a pastor in for the profit, you can be sure that an abuser is in the pulpit. Guard your motives. Why is it that you’re a pastor? Do you want the esteem? Do you want the recognition? Do you want the pay? Or, do you want the Kingdom to come?

Do not “live forgetfully.”

Obadiah 1:10-16 “Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. 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. 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. 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. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. 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. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow…”

Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of beans because he lived only for what he could profit today. He was dominated by his appetites and his impulses, not his future. Esau lived as though he forgot that tomorrow was coming. Edom has picked up right where he left off. They have taken advantage of Judah. They have aligned themselves with Babylon. They’ve done what seemed best for them today, but they have forgotten what’s coming in the future. They have forgotten that they will reap what they have sown. 11 times in just six verses, God uses the word “day.” For so many days, they lived only for the day in front of them. They lived only to do what pleased them and profited them. They took the bowl of soup every time, and they impulsively traded their birthright. But, they will give an account. All of those days are going to add up to an account on “the day of the Lord” when God lets every nation and every person reap what they have sown.

2 Corinthians 5:10 says that every person, Christian and non-believer, will stand before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account for their lives. But, this is even doubly true for those of us who shepherd the people of God. James 3:1 “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.” Daniel, brother elders, we will give a greater account to God for how we shepherd the church. We will give an account for our motives, our attitudes, and our actions. Don’t live forgetfully. Don’t trade your birthright for soup. Don’t trade your integrity for your appetites.

But, this passage isn’t just about warnings to Edom; it’s about assurances for Judah.

“Grace” upholds the “weakest.”

Jacob is contrasted with Esau similarly to the way that Saul is contrasted with David. He’s not the son we would’ve chosen. He’s the weak one. He prefers to “dwell in tents” with his xBox and sowing kit rather than hunt in the fields like a man. Yet, Obadiah’s prophecy to Judah is in contrast to Hosea, Joel, and Amos. They all told of a great fall that was coming, but in Obadiah the fall has already come. So, his message is one of assurance. They were so weakened, so beaten down, so far from their peak that their oldest enemies were dancing on their ruins, but just as God had sustained Jacob as the weak, unworthy son of promise, so he would sustain them too. That’s just what God’s grace does. And, this may be what you need to hear most this morning after all these weeks of hard messages. God’s grace hasn’t left you. God’s grace hasn’t abandoned you. God’s grace will uphold you.

Daniel, it’s the weakest sons that God always chooses to carry his promise. Your ministry is not an opportunity for you to look inward for strength, but upward for grace. Hold fast to these three assurances that God gives to Judah:

Your “promises” will “endure.”

Obadiah 1:17-18 “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. 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.”

There are at least two promises of God that are in view here, and both appear to be failing. In Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”” But, here are Israel’s enemies dancing in the end zone. In Genesis 26:23, God had promised that the older would serve the younger, but here the older is helping to enslave the younger. Both promises appear to be in real peril. These are the promises that would’ve been on the minds of Judah as they were paraded in defeat down the streets of Babylon. And, these are the promises on the mind of God as He prophesies through Obadiah. So, notice what God says to Judah: “You will be the fire, and Edom will be the stubble.” But, what’s the assurance? “For the Lord has spoken.” In fact, the whole oracle of Obadiah is bookended with God speaking (prose/narration begins in verse 19). Adonai God spoke in verse 1, and the covenant YHWH spoke again in verse 17. And, the point is simple: You are secure because God is sovereign.

The sovereignty of God is the security of God’s people. And, the sovereignty of God is the security of God’s pastors. The trouble with the Christian life is that you can’t live it. And, the trouble with the Christian ministry is that you can’t do it. You can’t save people. You can’t change people. You can’t open the eyes of the people. You can’t make the people come. You can’t make the people serve. You can’t. And, if you feel like you must, you’ll always feel like a failure. But, rest in this. God can. God can. He is sovereign, and his will cannot be thwarted. So, what can we do, Daniel? We can open the Bible and, say, “God has said.” This is how God has promised to work in his people. His promises will endure.

Your “exile” will “end.”

Obadiah 1:19-20 “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. 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.”

Nothing looked to Judah like it was supposed to look. They looked forsaken, not loved. They looked lost, not found. They looked abandoned, not kept. They were supposed to enjoy the Promised Land as a gift from God forever, but instead Edom was enjoying it instead. That’s a commentary on life before the return of Christ. Like Judah, we live in Babylon and long to go home. We’re supposed to have peace and security, but we know anxiety and worry. We’re supposed to enjoy full fellowship with God, but we keep stumbling away from him in our sin. We face hostility and opposition. We face frustration and disappointment. We face failure and suffering. Our world doesn’t love our message. Our church won’t always appreciate our ministry. Our lives won’t always match our message.

But, rest assured, your exile will end. This isn’t forever. Christ is coming back for his church. The Sojourners will find their way home. The Pilgrims will complete their journey. Christian will reach the Celestial City. Don’t lose heart. Don’t back down. Press on.

Your “Savior” will be “exalted.”

Obadiah 1:21 “Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”

Israel knew their history. This wasn’t the first time they’d fallen on hard times. It wasn’t the first time that the promises appeared to be in trouble. Yet, every time, what had God done? He’d always raised up a savior. They could know that He would raise up more saviors for them in the future. They would be messengers of God’s grace and rulers of God’s justice. Oh, but then He would raise up THE Savior. And, with him, they would rule over Mount Esau forever.

As Paul prepared Timothy for his ministry, he said in chapter 2: The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.” He adds in chapter 4: Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. How will you experience this ruling with Christ, Daniel? How will you experience this ruling with Christ elders? How will you experience this ruling with Christ church? Just before that he tells us: “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” Fulfill whatever ministry has been set before you.