Brotherly Shove

Thirty days… twenty-one verses… yes, I've been a little thin on blog material this month.  So I've been doing a little related supplemented reading, digging at the roots of Obadiah planted in Genesis chapters 25 & 27 and the well-known story of Jacob & Esau.

I'm always intrigued by fulfilled prophecy, and the historical events that both precede and follow the message of Obadiah fit the bill.  Let's take a look…

"Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah… Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.  The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.  The LORD said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger'." (Genesis 25:20-23)

As the centuries passed, that prophecy was clearly fulfilled as the nation of Israel, descended from younger brother Jacob, clearly overshadowed the nation of Edom, descended from older brother Esau.  The fulfillment of that prophecy is a fascinating example of God's providence at work in spite of (or, dare I say, through) man's depravity.  Israel's superiority came as a direct result of Jacob's con games (Genesis 25 & 27) which turned the cultural norms upside down and landed him both the birthright and blessing due his older brother Esau.

After convincing his blind father that he was the firstborn Esau, Jacob received the following blessing, intended for his older brother:

"May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness – an abundance of grain and new wine.  May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed" (Genesis 27:28-29).

Upon realizing he had been duped, Isaac offered the following blessing - a disappointing consolation prize for sure - to the unfortunate Esau:

"Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above.  You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck" (Genesis 27:39-40).

I suppose it could be debated whether a patriarchal blessing qualifies as a divine prophecy.  But in this case, given the lands eventually inhabited by the brothers' progeny, as well as the political and military superiority of Israel over Edom, there's no arguing that the predictions were accurate.

Ironically, the complete realization of Esau's blessing is what led to prophecies of Obadiah.  Edom did indeed grow restless and throw off the yoke of Israel.  But in doing so, by joining forces with Israel's foes, the Edomites not only fulfilled the prophetic blessing of Isaac but also incurred the wrath and judgment of God.

So what do I take away from this somewhat convoluted course of history?  It's not terribly profound, but… "God will accomplish His purposes."  It may take a looooong time, and it may even look at times like humanity has thwarted the plans of divinity.  But we would all do well to remember that the God who does not lie spoke these words through His prophet Obadiah: "The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head."

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

At least that's how the saying goes.  But as the single-chapter book of Obadiah demonstrates, it doesn't always hold true.  Obadiah is one of just two minor prophets who spoke exclusively to a nation other than Israel or Judah.  In this case, it was Edom, the Jews' next door neighbor to the east and cousin through Jacob's brother Esau.

In 586 BC, Babylon completed its conquest of Judah and deportation of her citizens.  Edom, due to family ties, should have come to Judah's military aid or, at the very least, welcomed her refugees crossing the western border.  Instead, the Edomites allied with the enemy and handed over the fleeing Israelites to the invading Babylonians.

In response, God said to Edom, through Obadiah, "Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever" (v. 10)  Within about 100 years, Obadiah's prediction came true as the Edomites were driven from their homeland by the Nabataeans and never again occupied that territory.

The fulfillment of Obadiah's prophecy is just one example of how God's covenant promise with Abraham has held true throughout the centuries.  "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:2-3).  The Edomites responsibility and culpability were surely increased by their blood relation to Israel, but the words "whoever curses you I will curse" should be enough to cause all nations to carefully consider their own relationship with God's chosen people.

Therein lies yet another reason I fear for the future of our own great nation.  Since the reestablishment of the Jewish state in 1947, the US has been a great blessing to Israel, and I believe has received God's blessing in return.  However, as the years go by, it seems our support for Israel is waning.  I can't help but wonder at what point we go from blessing them to cursing them and, as a result, go from being blessed by God to being cursed by Him.

Furthermore, like the Edomites, those who have trusted in Christ have a special family relationship with Israel (see Romans 11 & Ephesians 2).  My prayer is that Americans in general, Christians in general, and American Christians in particular will rise up to bless Israel and, in turn, be blessed by the God of Israel.  After all, when He makes a promise, He keeps it.