Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20051130.htm

JEREMIAH: STAYING UPRIGHT AMIDST EVIL PRESSURES
Part XIII: Prophecies Against The Sinful Nations Around Judah
C. Prophecies Against Judah's Relatives
3. Prophecies Of Edom's Annihilation For Her Perpetual Hatred Of Jacob's Seed
(Jeremiah 49:7-22 with Obadiah 10-18 and Ezekiel 35:1-7)
  1. Introduction
    1. Strains in relationships with extended family members may arise especially where differences of belief exist. At times, we may even have to withdraw company from abusive kinfolk to heed 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
    2. However, truly spirit-controlled believers who exhibit God's love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (or faithfulness), meekness and self-control should NEVER be guilty of a growing malice toward anyone, especially toward a relative!
    3. The sin of a developing or sustained malice toward Israel from her relative nation, Edom was judged by God with the annihilation of Edom as a nation. This was predicted in Jeremiah 49:7-22 and other Old Testament passages, and bears a great lesson for us today (as follows):
  2. Prophecies Of Edom's Annihilation For Her Perpetual Hatred Of Jacob's Seed, Jer. 49:7-22 et al.
    1. Jeremiah 49:7-22 was God's prophecy through Jeremiah of the destruction of the nation, Edom, 49:7-8.
    2. To understand God's judgment against her, we view the history of Edom's relationship with Judah:
      1. The Edomites descended from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob the father of Israel, Genesis 25:25-30.
      2. However, when Jacob tricked Esau out of his older twin brother's birthright, Esau began to hate Jacob, vowing to kill his brother when their father Isaac had eventually passed away, Genesis 27:33-36, 41.
      3. Jacob thus fled from Esau to give his brother time to cool his wrath, Genesis 27:42-45.
      4. When Jacob returned and met Esau, he did not fully trust Esau's attitude toward him, so Jacob avoided Esau's land even when he said he would pay a visit to Edom where Esau lived, Gen. 33:4, 14-17 NIV.
      5. From this time onward, the Edomites became Israel's foes: they rejected Moses' request to pass through their land when Israel traveled to Canaan (Num. 20:14-20); they opposed Saul (1 Sam. 14:47), David (1 Kings 11:14-17), Solomon (1 Kings 11:14-25) Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:22) and Jehoram (2 Chron. 21:8), cf. "Introduction to the Book of Obadiah," Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., p. 1275.
    3. This perpetual hatred flared up in a special demonstration of malice when Judah fell before the invading Babylonians, and Obadiah verses 10-14 describe this exhibition of Edom's malice as follows:
      1. The Edomites initially failed to help Judah when Babylon first invaded her, Obadiah 10-11.
      2. Then, Edom's passivity turned to expressing joy and pride over Judah's fall, Obadiah 12.
      3. As though that were not enough, the Edomites participated in the destruction of the fallen city of Jerusalem, and even took spoil of some of Judah's possessions, Obadiah 13.
      4. However, in great malice, the Edomites "helped set up roadblocks to prevent the escape of the Jewish people" from their Babylonian captors, Obadiah 14; Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Obadiah 11-14.
    4. The prophet, Ezekiel, summarized God's disfavor of such a perpetual hatred of Judah, cf. Ezekiel 35:1-5.
    5. Hence, God promised to judge Edom with the most severe judgment of all: for her perpetual hatred of her relative, Judah, God would annihilate Edom so it would forever cease to exist as a nation, Ezekiel 35:6-7; Obadiah 15-16, 18. The final annihilation of Edom is thus detailed in Jeremiah 49:9-22 as follows:
      1. Unlike plunderers who might leave some grapes for the future upon plundering a vineyard, God promised to leave Edom bare so that it would no longer exist as a nation, Jeremiah 49:9-10, 12-13.
      2. [Yet, note how God mercifully pledged to help vulnerable widowed and orphaned Edomites, 49:11!]
      3. God promised to bring down proud Edom who had boasted on the day of Judah's fall, 49:14-17, 19-22.
      4. Consequently, just as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah near Edom were no longer inhabited, God promised to make Edom perpetually uninhabited, Jeremiah 49:18.
Lesson: For a PERPETUAL HATRED of the descendants of Jacob, God promised to judge Esau's seed with a final annihilation as a nation so they would be PERPETUALLY DESOLATE.

Application: (1) May we never hold a malicious grudge or hatred against anyone, especially a relative. (2) Even when we must withdraw from abusive kinfolk in obedience of 2 Timothy 4:1-5, it must be only for purposes of personal holiness, NOT of HATRED in SPIRIT!