Title: God Breaks the Arrogant
1:2-4
You are greatly despised, says the LORD, because I have made you weak among the nations. You who dwell in the clefts of the rocks and live on high, say to your heart, Who can bring me down to the earth? The pride of your heart has deceived you like an eagle. Though you rise high and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says the LORD.
At that time, Edom was a very powerful country. I'm sleeping with pride in my heart. “What other country would dare to surpass our country?” At the same time, they are harassing and harassing Israel, God's chosen people.
Will God remain silent when he tortures and afflicts His people? It's not like that. God has declared Look at verse 2.
“Because I have made you feeble among the nations, saith the LORD.”
It looks like a powerful country now, but God made it very weak and made it a weak, insignificant, and lowly nation. What happened as a result? “You are greatly despised.” Who have you been despised? Answer with the words in verse 2. “Countries.” Since God is making us weak, Edom is no longer a threat to neighboring countries, but rather a people who are despised and despised. If God hates it, it will inevitably become an insignificant being that is despised by others.
However, no matter how lowly and small I am, I need to know that if God values us, people will also value us and respect us. We have no power. It is fragile. But because God loves us, no one in this world dares to look down on us.
Because the nation of Edom exalted itself, God made it weak. So even the neighboring nations have become weak and despised objects.
Now, what caused Edom to be judged by God for being so weak? You can find it in Section 3.
“The pride of your heart has deceived you.”
Pride. It was because of pride that they were judged by God.
So what motivated Edom to become so proud? It was geographically located. Look at verse 3. Where was Edom said to reside? “It dwells in the clefts of the rocks.” Edom is located in a mountainous region. There are cliffs everywhere. Look at verse 9.
“Teman, your warriors will be astonished, and the inhabitants of Mount Esau will be slaughtered, and all will be annihilated.”
Deman is a city in Edom. One of Job's three friends was from Teman. It was Eliphaz the Temanite. Deman and Deman are the same region. Eliphaz is from Edom. “The inhabitants of the mountains of Esau,” he said. Again, we can see that Edom is a mountainous region. And in verse 8 before that, we can see that “will not destroy the sensible on the mountain of Esau?” Let's read the next verse.
Song of Songs 2:14, "My dove in the clefts of the rocks and in the secret places of the cliffs."
Pigeons made their nests in the crevices of rocks. Why? Because it's safe. They nested in crevices of rocks, as no one could invade them. The same is true. “It dwells in the clefts of the rocks.” It is geographically safe. From there, he went up one step higher and said, “You who dwell on high”. Edom is said to be located in a mountainous region, but it lives at an altitude of about 1500 m above sea level. How high is Dobongsan Mountain? I know that Gyeryongsan in Daejeon is 600m above sea level. So you can see how high Edom is located.
To the north of Edom is the border with Moab. There is a deep valley called Sereth Sinai. So you don't dare invade from the north. On the left is the wilderness of Arabah. On the right is the Arabian Desert. Iron fortress. It can only be entered from the southeast. It is in a good position where no country can invade from both sides.
But the important thing is to look at verse 3.
“May you reach the center.”
Geographical conditions are natural. It's not that it's wrong. The problem is that the attitude of the heart is wrong. It is not wrong for us to work hard and earn money to live well. It is wrong to have an attitude of being proud, sullen, and contemptuous of others just because you have a lot of money. The same goes for Edom. How good are the geographical conditions? But because of that, he said, “You have reached the heart.” The attitude of the heart is wrong.
Well, let's see what you thought.
“Who can bring me down to the earth?”
I think that no one in this world or any country can bring me down to the earth. that is wrong. Edom was so proud that he was asking the wrong questions himself.
In verse 4, who said to bring down?
“Though you soar high like an eagle and make your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says the LORD.”
Jehovah God says he will bring down Edom.
Let's look again at the last part of verse 3.
“The pride of your heart has deceived you.”
Now the center of Edom is full of pride. That is, Edom is deceiving himself. It is like the devil deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the old days. “You will become like God.” Just as the devil deceived Adam and Eve in this way, the pride centered on Edom is now deceiving Edom itself.
Then look at verse 4.
“Though you soar high like an eagle and make your nest among the stars.”
What does the eagle symbolize?
Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait for the LORD will find new strength, and they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary, they will walk and not get tired.”
It symbolizes rising high. Where did you start in verse 3? It started in a crevice of the rock. He went up one step higher and said, “You who live in high places.” From there he climbed higher and soared like an eagle. How far did you go by going higher again? It is said to dwell “between the stars”. What does nesting mean? It means making a nest and making a nest there. Even if you nest among the stars, in the crevices of the rocks, to the heights, higher like an eagle, what will be the result? God said, “I will bring you down from there.” Jesus also said
Matthew 11:23, “Will you be exalted to heaven, Capernaum, and will you be humbled to hell.”
Matthew 23:12, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
When we humble ourselves, God exalts us. "Lord! I am a sinner. Have mercy on me!” When we do this, God surrounds us, loves us, and exalts us. Don't try to do it on my own. “Lord, I can’t. May God do it!” If you have this attitude, God will do everything for you. Do you have a complex problem? “Lord, I am a sinner. Unable to. May God do it!” Then God will do it. Why? Because we are God's beloved people. I hope that you will be the ones who do not try to do it, but leave it to God.
The last part of verse 4 reads:
“I, the LORD, have spoken.”
that is the word of God.
Let's look at just one verse of the Bible and close. Mi 6:78.
Micah 6:78, “Will the LORD take pleasure in oil like a thousand rams or ten thousand rivers of water? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression and the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
What is pleasing to God? First, he said, “Only doing justice.” God is a just God. Therefore, we who are children of God must not live crookedly, but live righteously and righteously. You want to live an honest life. I hope that we can live uprightly and honestly while thinking of a just God. Second, he said, “I love the Son of Man.” How merciful is our Jesus? Considering the kindness of Jesus, we should be able to show kindness and mercy to others. Just as God loves us, God wants us to love others and help our neighbors. Third is humility. “Lord, I am a sinner. Love me and have mercy and mercy on me!” We must live with this kind of heart. In addition, no matter what I do, I do not try to put myself first, but God wants the heart of “I will follow what God leads and what God does!”
I pray in the name of Jesus that you have a blessed day when you do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God to accomplish God's will. *