What does "none of them shall remain" teach about God's judgment? Setting of the phrase “Then the house of Jacob will be a blazing fire, and the house of Joseph a burning flame; but the house of Esau will be stubble—they will set them on fire and destroy them. No survivor will remain of the house of Esau—for the LORD has spoken.” (Obadiah 1:18) What “none of them shall remain” reveals about God’s judgment • Judgment is total. – When God decrees judgment, nothing escapes His reach (Genesis 7:21-23; Psalm 106:11). • Judgment is certain. – The phrase carries prophetic certainty: “for the LORD has spoken.” What He says always comes to pass (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 55:11). • Judgment is just. – Edom’s sins—violence against Jacob, pride, and gloating over Judah’s fall (Obadiah 1:10-14)—invite a proportional response: complete removal. God repays in exact measure (Romans 2:5-6). • Judgment is inescapable. – No remnant, refuge, or delay exists when God sets the limit (Amos 9:1-4; Revelation 6:15-17). • Judgment vindicates God’s people. – The extinction of Esau’s line secures Israel’s future and displays God’s covenant faithfulness (Deuteronomy 32:35-36). • Judgment displays God’s holiness. – Sin cannot coexist with His presence; removal of every offender underlines His purity (Habakkuk 1:13). • Judgment foreshadows final destiny. – Obadiah’s picture previews the lake of fire where “anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life” is cast (Revelation 20:14-15). • Judgment warns all nations and individuals. – Edom serves as a permanent signpost: unchecked pride and hostility toward God’s people end in irreversible loss (Jeremiah 49:17-18). Why God’s judgment can be this severe • His character is perfectly righteous; compromising with evil would deny His nature. • His promises to the righteous demand removal of unrepentant wickedness (Psalm 37:38-40). • His patience has limits; when grace is spurned, only justice remains (2 Peter 3:9-10). Hope woven into the warning • While “none… remain” for the unrepentant, a remnant always exists for those who trust Him (Joel 2:32; Romans 11:5). • Christ bore judgment in our place so we might “not perish” but have everlasting life (Isaiah 53:5-6; John 3:16). Takeaway truths • God’s judgments are comprehensive, final, and fair. • Sin’s end is utter ruin; grace’s end is eternal security. • The phrase urges immediate repentance and humble reliance on the Redeemer who alone rescues from the fate summed up in the sobering words, “none of them shall remain.” |
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