How does Obadiah 1:11 connect with Proverbs 17:17 on friendship? Portrait of Steadfast Friendship • Proverbs 17:17: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” • God’s design for friendship and kinship is unwavering, crisis-tested love. • “At all times” means ordinary days and disaster days; “born for adversity” means the hard moments reveal real loyalty. Edom’s Failure of Friendship • Obadiah 1:11: “On the day you stood aloof, while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.” • Israel and Edom were brother nations (Genesis 25:23-26; Deuteronomy 23:7). • Instead of rushing to help, Edom: – “stood aloof” – passive indifference. – Watched outsiders plunder Jerusalem. – Became morally indistinguishable from the attackers: “you were like one of them.” How the Verses Connect • Proverbs 17:17 defines the gold standard: love shows up in adversity. • Obadiah 1:11 provides the negative illustration: absence of love is betrayal. • Together they teach: – Silence or neutrality in a friend’s crisis equals siding with the enemy (James 4:17). – True friendship demands action, not merely warm feelings (1 John 3:18). Lessons for Today • Love is proven, not proclaimed. If I see a brother in need yet “stand aloof,” I mirror Edom, not Proverbs. • Proximity or shared heritage (church membership, family ties) is meaningless without sacrificial involvement (Luke 10:30-37). • Practical checkpoints: – Show up unasked when hardship strikes. – Guard a friend’s reputation when others “cast lots.” – Share resources when “wealth is carried off” (Galatians 6:2). Walking in Covenant Loyalty • Commit to be the friend who “loves at all times,” reflecting Christ, the ultimate Brother who entered our adversity (Hebrews 2:17). • Repent quickly of any Edom-like detachment, resolving to stand with God’s people whenever trials come. |
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