Unsanctioned
This is a prime verse some scholars point to in order to date the Book of Obadiah. This verse is talking about the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BC. And what this verse could mean is that the Edomites (located south of the Dead Sea and named for the red sand there [Edom means "red") actually assisted the Babylonians in the siege of Jerusalem or plundered and looted Jerusalem in her weakened state.
At times, it's difficult to sift through such prophetic literature for New Covenant inspiration, but one thing that this text teaches me is that just because God is dealing with the sin of one of his children, attacking that person is unsanctioned. God was dealing with Judah's sin, yet still God was displeased with Edom for participating (somehow) in the pain of the Jews.
Paul tells us in Galatians 6:1 that when a brother in Christ is overtaken by sin that "we who are spiritual" should restore that person in gentleness. Alienating ourselves from a struggling sheep or despising them angers the Lord.
Created about 1 year ago
