Title: Edom's Violence
1:10-14
You will be shamed for your violence against your brother Jacob, and you will be destroyed forever. On the day when you stood afar off, when strangers plundered his wealth, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You will not stand by in the day of your brother, in the day of their calamity, and you will not rejoice in the day of the fall of the children of Judah; you will not open your mouth wide in the day of trouble; you will not enter the gates in the day of trouble for my people. In the day of affliction you will not stand by their afflictions, and in the day of trouble you will not touch their riches, stand at the crossroads and stop the fugitive, and in the day of trouble you will not deliver the remnant to the enemy.
The words of the text we read today explain the reason why Edom had no choice but to be judged by God. God's judgment is not done without any reason, but there must be a corresponding reason. There was a clear reason that Edom had no choice but to be destroyed by God's judgment. Today's text tells us that.
“You will be reproached for your violence against your brother Jacob, and you will be destroyed forever.”
“You” is Edom. “To your brother Jacob,” he said. Originally, Edom and Israel were brother nations. Esau and Jacob were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. He called it “the violence against his brother Jacob.” Are the words brotherhood and tyranny go well together? Is it a mismatched word? What should be said after brother? The words to help, comfort, cherish, and love should come out. The word tyranny is not appropriate. Nevertheless, Edom abused his brother Jacob. So there is no choice but to be judged.
He said, “Because of violence, they are bathed in shame.” Do you think you will be honored when you trample, bully, and torment your brother without helping him? It's not like that. Because a righteous God lives, we cannot escape God's judgment.
Let's look at verse 2 of what kind of disgrace he suffered.
“You are greatly despised, says the Lord, because I have made you feeble among the nations.”
Edom has no choice but to suffer such humiliation, that is, shame. What would happen to you in a bathing suit? “It will be annihilated,” he said.
Listen carefully. God also judges God's chosen people when they make mistakes. It is called discipline. I have a wound here and I'm sick. Then we do surgery to make our body healthy. Dig out the stench. It is to save our body. But when God punishes the wicked, he cuts them off completely. you judge. The wicked will be judged forever. It will be forever annihilated.
In verse 11 and below, we find the details of what kind of violence Edom did to Jacob.
“You were like one of them on the day you stood afar off, when the Gentiles plundered his goods, and when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem.”
If your brother is suffering, you should rush to help. But Edom is standing afar off and watching. It's impossible.
“On the day you stood afar off, the stranger plundered his riches.”
Gentiles invade Israel and plunder their wealth.
“For foreigners to enter his gates and obtain Jerusalem.”
Jerusalem has a gate, and what is inside it? There is a large square. The square also hosts markets and trials. Gentiles attacked and took over the city of Jerusalem. Then they all gathered in the square there to share the wealth they had taken from the city of Jerusalem. What do you do to share your wealth? draw lots.
“On the day of the lottery.”
But on the day of the lottery, Edom was like one of them. Instead of helping, he became an enemy. It means you have become one of the enemies.
Once upon a time, Japan ruled our country. I really hated Japanese people. But there were people worse off than them. As people of our country, they became the pawns of Japan and became a slave to the country. It was more vicious. That's what Edom did. It may be because a foreign country is an enemy, but Edom, a brother, was like one of them.
One of Jesus' parables is the parable of the good Samaritan. A man was going down to Jericho and met a robber. all have died The priest passed. A Levite passed by. I could have helped, but I just passed without help. But Edom is even more vicious than that. why? They did not simply stand by, but they became robbers and tortured them even worse. So you have to be judged.
Then, from verses 12 to 14, the warning against Edom is recorded. When I read it again, count the number of times the negative words "don't do it" come up.
“I will not stand by in my brother’s day, the day of their calamity, and I will not rejoice in the day of the destruction of the children of Judah; I will not open your mouth wide in the day of trouble, and you will not enter the gates in the day of my people’s trouble. And in the day of trouble you will not stand by it, in the day of trouble you will not touch their riches, stand at the crossroads and stop the fugitive, and in the day of trouble you will not deliver the remnant to the enemy. Nira.”
How many times do you come out? It comes out eight times. But how did Edom do what he should not do? It means you did something you shouldn't have done. First, verse 12 explains that Edom's attitude was not good.
“You will not stand by in the brother’s day, the day of their calamity, and you will not rejoice in the day of the fall of the children of Judah, and you will not open your mouth wide in the day of trouble.”
What did Edom do on the day that his brother suffered calamity? I was on guard. I had to help, but I didn't care. How did you go one step further from there? They rejoiced in the day of the fall of the children of Judah. The facial expression has changed. Instead of a look of indifference, it is now a look of joy. He went one step further and opened his mouth wide. Now it's blatantly getting worse and worse.
What is the situation for Edom on such a day? Look at verse 8,
“In that day, saith the LORD, will I not destroy the wise from Edom, and the sensible from the mountain of Esau?”
That is, God will judge according to what Edom did on that day.
From verse 13 onwards, it is no longer just a problem with attitude, but it is manifested in action.
“In the day of trouble you will not enter the gates of my people, and in the day of trouble you will not stand by their affliction, and in the day of trouble you will not touch their riches.”
It was no longer just a matter of mindset. “You will not enter the gates.” I entered the gate. What would you like to go into? Of course, I'm not here to help. It's for self-sufficiency.
Then he went a step further and said, “In the day of trouble, you will not stand by it.” Watching is just watching. I went into the castle and looked for something to steal. What did you say to go one step further? “You will not touch the riches.” Enter the castle and diligently find and take possession of the items to be stolen.
Look at verse 14. Now, we are not only dealing with material things, we are taking the lead in taking the lives of our brothers as well.
“I will not stand at the crossroads to stop the fugitive, and I will not give the remnant to the enemy in the day of trouble.”
The people who stood on the road and fled from the disaster were prevented from running and died. And even worse, on a day of hardship, the survivors of the war should be spared and protected, but they were handed over to the enemy. So, you have no choice but to be judged. I have done what deserves judgment. So God destroyed Edom forever.
As we go through life, there are people who, like Edom, break our hearts, make us suffer, and instead of helping us, make us miserable. But because God's justice lives on, God will avenge all our revenge on my behalf. Who said it was to take revenge? It is in God's hands.
Romans 12:1721, “Return evil for evil to no one, but do good in the sight of all men, if it is possible for you to be at peace with all men, my beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but leave it to wrath, as it is written, Enemies I have repay, says the Lord, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirsty, give him a drink; in so doing you will heap coals of coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
I pray in the name of Jesus that you will overcome evil with good and have victory today by entrusting everything to God and showing love even to our enemies. *