What lessons on humility can we learn from Obadiah 1:13? Setting the Scene - Obadiah addresses Edom, descendants of Esau, who stood by when Judah was invaded and even took advantage of Judah’s calamity. - Their pride showed itself in gloating, looting, and violence—actions the Lord rebukes in verse 13. The Verse at a Glance “You should not enter the gate of My people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over their affliction in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.” (Obadiah 1:13) Humility Lessons Drawn Out 1. Resist the urge to capitalize on others’ pain • Pride whispers, “Here’s my chance.” Humility says, “Their loss is not my gain.” • Proverbs 24:17: “Do not gloat when your enemy falls.” • Romans 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” 2. Guard the gate of the heart against secret celebration • Edom “gloated over their affliction.” Even silent delight in another’s setback offends God. • Proverbs 17:5 links such gloating with judgment: “Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker.” 3. Lay down any sense of entitlement • Edom “seized their wealth.” Humility recognizes everything we have is grace, not spoils to grab. • Philippians 2:3: “In humility consider others more important than yourselves.” 4. Remember accountability before God • Threefold “in the day of their disaster” underscores how God sees how we behave when others are vulnerable. • James 4:6: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Edom discovered that opposition firsthand. 5. Choose restorative presence over opportunistic presence • Instead of entering Judah’s gate to plunder, the humble would enter to aid and comfort. • Galatians 6:2: “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Putting It Into Practice Today • Speak words that heal, not headlines that entertain—refuse gossip about someone’s downfall. • Offer tangible help when a colleague, neighbor, or church member suffers loss; avoid the passive “Let me know if you need anything.” • Examine motives regularly: “Am I benefiting from someone else’s misfortune?” • Celebrate another’s restoration as eagerly as you might have been tempted to highlight their failure. • Keep Christ’s example central: “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) Obadiah 1:13 reminds us that true humility stays far from the gate of self-gain when disaster strikes others and, instead, walks the path of compassion, restraint, and Christ-like service. |
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