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Book of Obadiah – Oba 1:3  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee

[Study Aired December 19, 2023]

Oba 1:3  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

Oba 1:3  The pride^H2087 of thine heart^H3820 hath deceived^H5377 thee, thou that dwellest^H7931 in the clefts^H2288 of the rock,^H5553 whose habitation^H7675 is high;^H4791 that saith^H559 in his heart,^H3820  Who^H4310 shall bring me down^H3381 to the ground?^H776

The 13 Hebrew words of Verse 3:

H2087 – Zadown, pride, insolence, presumptuousness, arrogance, from a primitive root H2102 Zood, to boil, boil up, seethe, act proudly, act presumptuously, act rebelliously, be presumptuous, be arrogant, be rebelliously proud, deal arrogantly (with ‘al’), defy proudly (with ‘el’)

H3820 – Leb, inner man/part, mind, will, heart, understanding, midst, soul, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory, inclination, resolution, determination, conscience, as seat of appetites/emotions/passions/courage, a form of H3824, Lebab, inner man/part, mind, will, heart, understanding, midst, soul, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory, inclination, resolution, determination, conscience, as seat of appetites/emotions/passions/courage, from a primitive root H3823, Labab, to ravish, become intelligent, get a mind, to take heart, become enheartened, become intelligent, to ravish the heart, encourage, make heart beat faster, to make cakes, bake cakes, cook bread

H5377 – Nasha, (Hiphil) to beguile, deceive, a primitive root

H7931 – Shakan, (Qal) to settle down, abide, dwell, reside, a primitive root

H2288 – Khagav, clefts, places of concealment, retreats, from an unused root meaning to take refuge (Used three times in OT)

H5553 – Sehlah, crag, cliff, rock, as stronghold of Jehovah, of security, from an unused root meaning to be lofty

H7675 – Shebeth, seat, dwelling, place, infinitive of a primitive root H3427, Yashab, (Qal) to sit, sit down, be set, remain, stay, dwell, have one’s abode

H4791 – Marowm, height, elevation, elevated place, in a high place, proudly, of nobles, from a primitive root H7311, Room, to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted, be set on high, be raised, be uplifted, be lifted, raise or rear (children), cause to grow up, to exalt, extol, raise, lift, lift up, take up, set up, erect, remove, lift off and present, contribute, offer, be taken off, be abolished, exalt oneself, magnify oneself, be rotten, be wormy

H559 – Amar, (Qal) to say, answer, say in one’s heart, think, command, promise, intend, a primitive root

H3820 – See above

H4310 – Me, who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever, an interrogative pronoun of persons

H3381 – Yarad, (Hiphil) to bring/send/take/let down, lay prostrate, a primitive root

H776 – Erets, land, earth, country, territory, district, region, tribal territory, piece of ground, land of Canaan, Israel, inhabitants of land, Sheol, land without return, (under) world, city (-state), ground, surface of the earth, soil, space or distance of country, level or plain country, land of the living, end(s) of the earth, from an unused root probably meaning to be firm

Here is a version of this verse including root words to expand on the meaning. This is an exercise in translating the verse to agree with the sum of God’s word (Psa 119:160 – CLV) and accord with the Truth, using the keys to the kingdom principle.

Oba 1:3 The pride (Acting presumptuously) of your heart (intelligence/conscience) (will boil up) beguile and deceive you. You dwell in places of concealment in the (clefts, lofty) lofty clefts. (Have your) abode (where you) magnify yourself. Say (in your) heart (your intelligence/conscience), who (will) prostrate (me) down to earth?

Our carnal nature is self-focused, lifting itself above all as a way of protecting itself. We are born with a natural tendency for self-interest and self-preservation. It is in our human nature to look after oneself and put self first. In the old testament pride is translated from the Hebrew word H2087 (Zaw-done), and in the new testament, one word used is G5243 (hoop-er-ay-fan-ee’-ah).

It first appears in the old testament translated as ‘acting presumptuously’:

Deu 17:12  And the man that will do presumptuously ^H2087, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

In the new testament G5243 only appears once:

Mar 7:20  And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
Mar 7:21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride^G5243, foolishness

Jesus labels pride of our heart as “an evil thing that comes from within.” The old man has learned to take refuge in high and lofty places. Figuratively, these lofty places are a place of refuge for the prideful heart. As in the story of Job, Elihu condemns Job for his self-righteousness:

Job 35:1  Elihu spake moreover, and said,
Job 35:2  Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

Here is how Job is described in the first chapter of the book:

Job 1:1  There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect (morally pious) and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Later here is how Job is described in one of the last chapters of the book.

Job 40:3 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile [H7043, to be of little account, trifling, insignificant]; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

Before Job experiences God’s wrath, he is seen to be contending with God from his lofty level, as if he is on the same “higher” level with God and can speak to Him as an equal.

Here is how Job describes himself:

Job 29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
Job 29:15  I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
Job 29:16  I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
Job 29:17  And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

Job 29:20  My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
Job 29:21  Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
Job 29:22  After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

The proud heart deceives us into thinking we can not only contend (grapple) with God, but also reprove, influence and argue with God:

Job 40:1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

It is from our high and lofty places our old man is deceived into thinking he is his own savior. He believes the false doctrine that he can choose to accept Christ into his heart so he may have eternal life. In essence he is the one who takes responsibility for saying the ten-second sinner’s prayer, and with that decision gains entry into the Pearly Gates of Heaven. The truth is, it has little to do with the old man who willeth (chooses to be saved), but instead it is all about God who shows mercy, as shown in Romans 9.

Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Rom 9:14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

We come to see we are the “created” not the “creator” and that our high and lofty places are not high at all. That realisation, given by the Lord when He begins to open our eyes and ears, is a humbling and scourging experience for the old man.

Job 39:8  The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

Isa 41:20  That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

Psa 95:3  For a great God is Jehovah, And a great king over all gods.
Psa 95:4  In whose hand are the deep places of earth, And the strong places of mountains are His.

It is edifying to know that even the high places are His, and He is orchestrating all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). High places (lofty, H7682 to be exalted, and G5308, figuratively, dignity) and carnal pride often coexist in scripture:

Isa 2:17  And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isa 26:5  For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.

1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with lofty speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2Co 10:5  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Eze 17:24  And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the lofty tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.

As we battle with the old man we are encouraged to see that Christ is calling us, His bride, from these high (dangerous) places typified by Lebanon:

Son 4:8  Come [depart] with me from out of Lebanon, my spouse, with me from out of Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from out of the mountains of the leopards.

Isa 33:9  The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

Just as in the physical, high and lofty places are synonymous with high and impressive falls, and the elect are familiar with the principle of falling seven times, meaning we fall as many times as is necessary to form the humble and contrite heart we need to be a vessel of value to the Lord.

Pro 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. 

Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

It is by the renewing of the Spirit of Christ and by the washing of the word we are transformed from a haughty prideful heart into one having a meek heart:

Num 12:3  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Psa 25:9  The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Psa 37:11  But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

1Pe 3:4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Jesus Christ is our guide, and He is the one whom we should emulate:

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Conclusion

Spiritual Principle: The pride of heart is the carnal mind/ intelligence. It is, by design, how we were created in the flesh. It is only Christ (the new man/the hidden man of the heart) who has the power to impel/drag us away from the high, lofty, and dangerous places, and it is this process which transforms us into one being meek and lowly in heart (Mat 11:29).