Book of Obadiah – Oba 1:12 …Neither Shouldest Thou Have Rejoiced Over the Children of Judah in the Day of Their Destruction…

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Book of Obadiah – Oba 1:12 …Neither Shouldest Thou Have Rejoiced Over the Children of Judah in the Day of Their Destruction…

[Study Aired February 21, 2024]

Obadiah 1:12  But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

Oba 1:12  But thou shouldest notH408 have lookedH7200(H8799 Qal) on the dayH3117 of thy brotherH251 in the dayH3117 that he became a stranger;H5237 neitherH408 shouldest thou have rejoicedH8055 (H8799 Qal) over the childrenH1121 of JudahH3063 in the dayH3117 of their destruction;H6 (H8800 Qal) neitherH408 shouldest thou have spoken proudlyH1431 (H8686 Hiphil) H6310 in the dayH3117 of distress.H6869

H408 – Al, not, no, nor, neither, nothing, do not, let not, let there not be, a negative particle

H7200 – Ra’ah, (Qal) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider, have vision, regard, look after/at/upon/out, see after, learn about, observe, watch, find out, give attention to, discern, distinguish, gaze at, a primitive root

H3117 – Yome, day, time, year, a working day, a day’s journey, days, lifetime, period (general), today, yesterday, tomorrow, from an unused root meaning to be hot

H251 – Awkh, brother, half-brother (same father), relative, kinship, same tribe, each to the other (reciprocal relationship), of resemblance, a primitive word

H3117 – see above

H5237 – Nokriy, foreign, alien, foreigner, foreign woman, harlot, unknown, unfamiliar, wonderful, from H5235, Neker, calamity, disaster, misfortune, from a primitive root H5234, Nakar, to recognise, acknowledge, know, respect, discern, regard, be recognised, observe, pay attention to, pay regard to, notice, perceive, be willing to recognise/acknowledge, acknowledge with honour, be acquainted with, distinguish, understand, make oneself known, act or treat as foreign or strange, disguise, misconstrue, disguise oneself, act as alien

H408 – see above

H8055 – Samach, (Qal) to rejoice, exult, a primitive root

H1121 – Ben, son, grandson, child, member of a group/guild/order/class, children, youth, young men, people, of lifeless things, i.e sparks, stars, arrows, from a primitive root H1129, Banah, to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue, establish a family, be built/rebuilt, established, be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)

H3063 – Yehoodah, Judah = praised, from a primitive root H3034, Yadah, to throw, shoot, cast, cast down, throw down, give thanks, laud, praise, confess, give

H3117 – see above

H6 – Abad, (Qal) perish, vanish, die, be exterminated, be lost, strayed, a primitive root

H408 – see above

H1431 – Gadal, (Hiphil) to make great, magnify, do great things, a primitive root

H6310 – Peh, mouth, extremity, end, weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sam 13:21 from a primitive root H6284, Pa’ah, to cleave in pieces, break/dash into pieces, shatter (used once in OT)

H3117 – see above

H6869 – Tsarah, straits, distress, trouble, vexer, rival wife, from H6862, Tsoriy, Zorites or Zorathites = see Zorah, hornet, from H6881 Tsorah, Zareah or Zoreah or Zorah = hornet, apparently another form for H6880, Tsirah, hornets, from a primitive root H6879, Tsara, to be diseased of skin, be leprous, be a leper, have leprosy

The Hebrew word used for stranger is:

H5237 nok-ree’ meaning strange. Used in a variety of degrees and applications (foreign, non-relative, adulterous, different, wonderful): – alien, foreigner, outlandish, strange, woman.

From H5235 [neker] something that is strange, an unexpected calamity

From H5234 [naw-kar] A primitive root; properly to scrutinize, that is, look intently at; hence (with recognition implied), to acknowledge, be acquainted with, care for, respect, revere, or (with suspicion implied), to disregard, ignore, be strange toward, reject, resign, dissimulate.

This primitive root word appears first in Genesis 27:23

Gen 27:23  And he discerned (recognised) him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.

It is also used to describe how Joseph interacted with his brothers when they came to Egypt:

Gen 42:6  And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
Gen 42:7  And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

It is used in Ruth’s interactions with Boaz:

Rut 2:10  Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

In the new testament, the Greek words for strange include:

…and…

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers (G3581) and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

As fellow citizens of the household of God, we are taught by grace, not meat. This meat can be quite delicious, as ‘strange’ is translated in Hebrew as ‘wonderful.’ There are some “wonderful” sermons performed in Babylon by very charismatic “men of God”. When I was coming out of Babylon, I moved from a Baptist church to start attending an Assemblies of God church. Hillsong, at the time, was one of the largest churches in Australia, and they had just opened a new campus in Brisbane. Each Sunday night they put on quite a performance. For all the congregation it was a “wonderful” and entertaining experience. However, their doctrine was not the truth, and so when you pulled back the curtain, you started to see that their truth was not ‘truth’ at all. Their Sunday evening performances were actually a little “strange.” Now we see the truth in Christ. We are ministered to by the words of Christ (the bible), and we now know that it is a good thing we, the body of Christ, are established (built) with grace, not with meats.

Heb 13:8-9  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange (G3581) doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

John 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 
John 10:5  And a stranger (G245) will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers (G245).

The voice of the stranger is subtle because false doctrines are wrapped around the “gold and silver” of Babylon:

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images [doctrines] of men, and didst commit whoredom with them.
Ezk 16:18  And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.
Ezk 16:19  My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.

A few verses prior describes how beautiful and appealing these false doctrines seem:

Ezk 16:13  Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Ezk 16:14  And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezk 16:15  But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

The Hebrew word for fornication is H2181 A primitive root meaning “highly fed and therefore wanton.” Wantonness means “lack of care”, bad behaviour that is intentional or shows no care about bad things that might result. It is the same word as lascivious.

Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jud 1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Eze 16:26  Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.
Eze 16:27  Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.

The word ‘lewd’ is H2154 zimmaw meaning “a plan, especially a bad one.” From H2161 zaw-mam’ a primitive root meaning to plan, usually in a bad sense: – consider, devise, imagine, plot, purpose, think (evil). The word is first used in Genesis referring to the tower of Babel. My eldest daughter has been introduced to Lego and is becoming quite skilled at building towers and cities. Children have wonderful imaginations, and their schemes and plans to build a great city are “wonderful” to watch. Her Lego towers are not very strong though, as for the tower of Babel the issue God had was their hearts and their desire for building it. They were building it for a name (H8034) meaning the idea of a definite and conspicuous position, an appellation (denomination), honour, as a mark of individuality. It was a defiant act saying, “Look, God, at all we can do, all we can touch, all we can achieve on our own and in our own name, so as to establish our own name.” 

Gen 11:4  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name [H8034], lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Gen 11:5  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
Gen 11:6  And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined [H2161] to do.

Any doctrine that is antiChrist (against Christ) is the voice of the stranger. The word ‘imperious’ is used to describe the true nature of “her”, meaning domineering:

Eze 16:30  How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;
Eze 16:31  In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;
Eze 16:32  But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband.

Isa 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Christ is the truest example of a faithful wife because He was obedient to God. In type, Christ is a faithful wife of God, teaching us the importance of submission, faithfulness, and obedience to one husband. Likewise, we the elect are called the bride of Christ, in the same manner being submissive, faithful, and obedient to our one husband, Christ.

1Co 11:3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God

Both Adam and Eve followed the voice of the stranger (the serpent) instead of the voice of God. They didn’t have the tools to try the spirits, and so in that sense they were blind.

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground [Your own dying, carnal body of dust] for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour

2Pe 3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Nevertheless, we have been given Christ’s light, His word, His grace which teaches us to forsake ungodliness.

Conclusion and Spiritual Principle. We have been given valuable (and valuable is an understatement) riches the world sees not. While the world (the strangers: Egypt and Babylon) are desiring the fruits of the tree of knowledge and evil, we have been given to eat the words of life. The voice of the true shepherd leads us, drags us, and impels us to eat his bread. His words give us life and it is his words alone that will remain. 

Ricky Gervais, an atheist, has a different view, he says “… Science is constantly proved all the time. You see, if we take something like any fiction, any holy book… and destroyed it, in a thousand years’ time, that wouldn’t come back just as it was. Whereas if we took every science book, and every fact, and destroyed them all, in a thousand years they’d all be back, because all the same tests would [produce] the same result.”

This is known as the empirical method. In Science, so as to ensure reliability and validity of results, they follow the rule of seeing is believing and the importance of controlling for variables and being able to have repeatable results, but Science cannot see faith. Men of Science are not willing to admit they don’t actually know how hot the center of the sun is. They provide estimates, and speak with confidence on the topic, but no scientist has been brave enough to venture out and collect reliable and valid samples. 

The Achilles heel of science is “things unseen,” and things not seen do exist, such as faith. We know faith is:

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

We don’t have to feel threatened by the atheist’s arguments above, because we can discern the voice of the stranger in Ricky’s words. We should be grateful we have been given the gift of faith in greater supply than him; not of our own doing, but ordained of Christ before the world began. That truth is humbling. Like Gideon’s army being whittled down to 300 men, it is God who has preordained who will lap of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, compared to you ‘will boweth their knee to drink.’ 

Interestingly, it is those that lap like a dog who are chosen. A dog symbolises obedience to their master, and we are willing to let our master guard us while we drink.

I read a quote somewhere which says,‘time will destroy all your books.’ The books of Babylon, the scientific works, and wonderful treasures of Egypt won’t last. While physical books of the bible gather dust on shelves, the words written within the bible cannot be destroyed because they are life and truth. It is these words, the words of Christ, we consider of most value because we have been given the faith to see value in things unseen.

Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Heb 11:27  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Heb 11:28  Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
Heb 11:29  By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Heb 11:30  By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
Heb 11:31  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Heb 11:32  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Heb 11:33  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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