Obadiah 1:3-4
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.
Truth: God HATES pride
When we read Scripture, it is no doubt that we can see that God HATES pride. Notice what King Solomon said about pride:
Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
Notice what another prophet will say about pride:
Amos 6:8
The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts:
“I abhor the pride of Jacob
and hate his strongholds,
and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”
We don't often think of God as hating. But, God does hate and as these verses indicate, He hates pride. Pride was the reason for the sin in the garden. Eve was tempted by Satan to eat the fruit in order to "become like God." Satan was kicked out of heaven because he attempted to promote himself over God. So, the issue with pride is that it is everything against God. Pride is the thing that keeps God's grace away from us:
James 4:6
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
In the prophet Obadiah's words we see that God is condemning Edom for their pride and their arrogant way. During the time in which the Babylonians were conquering Jersusalem, the Edomites helped capture Israelites who were trying to escape. They became the allies of Babylon and this angered God. They also, in the earlier days of Israel's history, did not help Israel ... even though they are, Israel's brother. God was angered by their pride of their heart and send Obadiah to tell them about their certain doom and destruction. God hates the pride that enters are hearts and when we fail to recognize Him and His glory and truth. Edom exalted himself against God and that was the reason for their destruction. We can't exalt ourselves and live in pride and not think that we are sinning against God.
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