Edom Judged for Mistreating His Brother

Obadiah 1:10-16

10 "For violence against your brother Jacob,
Shame shall cover you,
And you shall be cut off forever.

11 In the day that you stood on the other side—
In the day that strangers carried captive his forces,
When foreigners entered his gates
And cast lots for Jerusalem—
Even you were as one of them.

12 "But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother
In the day of his captivity;
Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah
In the day of their destruction;
Nor should you have spoken proudly
In the day of distress.

13 You should not have entered the gate of My people
In the day of their calamity.
Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction
In the day of their calamity,
Nor laid hands on their substance
In the day of their calamity.

14 You should not have stood at the crossroads
To cut off those among them who escaped;
Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained
In the day of distress.

15 "For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near;
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.

16 For as you drank on My holy mountain,
So shall all the nations drink continually;
Yes, they shall drink, and swallow,
And they shall be as though they had never been.

Edom née Esau was judged by God for violently mistreating his brother Jacob who was later named Israel.  Edom would be shamed and cut off from the promises because of the rebellion according to the word of the LORD given through Obadiah.  He was already judged for rebellious pride and now this charge was laid on top of that.  Because Edom stood by and did nothing to help Jacob when under attack by other nations and leered with proud derision at Israel in his captivity while rejoicing in his destruction, judgment held Edom to account.  It is a similar derision which Christ suffered while crucified (Psalm 22:7-8, Luke 23:35-36) as His people mocked and hated their long-expected Messiah.  God told Edom that he should not have joined those set against His chosen ones nor acted in such hateful pride when Jacob was facing calamity and affliction or plundered them at the opportune moment when he was down at the hand of the enemy.  Edom should not have turned over his brother’s children to the enemy in their distress as collaborators with the ungodly.  The warning included the fact that judgment was closing in as the Day of the LORD came nearer and their sin would come back on their own heads.  Just as they had done, it would be done to them.  The nations set against God’s children would be defeated as if they never even existed, so any alliance with them was futile and their rejoicing over the difficulties of God’s chosen through Jacob would not bring joy, but eternal sorrow.  This applies to all who persecute the chosen children of God in Christ before and after His appearance on earth among us (Emmanuel).  God will avenge His people and magnify His name in honor and glory according to His grace and judgment (Colossians 3:24-25, Revelation 6:9-10).  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands as Hebrews 10:30-31 tells us.