Sermon Central
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I Saw Esau
Contributed by John Lowe on Apr 1, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: I don’t understand why God loves Tom Lowe and puts up with me, but believe me, I am thankful that He does.
I SAW ESAU
1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard tidings from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Rise up! let us rise against her for battle!”
2 Behold, I will make you small among the nations, you shall be utterly despised.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, whose dwelling is high, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”
4 Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, thence I will bring you down, says the Lord.
5 If thieves came to you, if plunderers by night— how you have been destroyed! — would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?
6 How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!
WHO IS OBADIAH? The man who wrote this.
He is one of four prophets that we know nothing about except what it says about them in their book of prophecy.
Esau’s name means "Servant of Jehovah."
Obadiah ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah, and he was also God’s messenger to Edom, Judah’s hostile neighbor across the Dead Sea.
The Old Testament describes a history of conflict between these two nations.
Obadiah proclaimed God’s judgment on Edom for injustices done to Judah, and also God’s future blessings on His people.
The book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.
It is a little book with a really big message.
It has a message for the world in which we live.
It has a message for America.
It has a message for Laurens, South Carolina.
It has a message for ______________________.
It has a message for you and for me.
We need to hear that message, but first you may be asking--
WHO IS EDOM?
Verse 6 is the key verse: “How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!”
EDOM IS ESAU.
The Edomites are the descendants of Esau.
Genesis 36:1, 8, and 9 talk about Esau.
Verse 1 says, “Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.
And verses 8 and 9 add this: {8} Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom. {9} And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:
God says that the nation of Edom stands for Esau.
Esau’s story is the story of twins.
It’s found in Genesis 25:19-34.
If you think the story took place like this --"Poor old Esau was out in the field and was just about dead from hunger and Jacob took advantage of him and stole his birthright"—you’re wrong.
That birthright meant nothing to Esau.
He is the true picture of one controlled by the flesh nature.
This is how Genesis reports what happened when Esau sold his birthright; beginning in verse 19.
19 This is the story of Isaac's children:
20 Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram. Rebekah was the sister of Laban.
21 Isaac pleaded with Jehovah to give Rebekah a child, for even after many years of marriage she had no children. Then at last she became pregnant.
22 And it seemed as though children were fighting each other inside her! "I can't endure this," she exclaimed. So she asked the Lord about it.
23 And he told her, "The sons in your womb shall become two rival nations. One will be stronger than the other; and the older shall be a servant of the younger!"
24 And sure enough, she had twins.
25 The first was born so covered with reddish hair that one would think he was wearing a fur coat! So they called him "Esau."
26 Then the other twin was born with his hand on Esau's heel! So they called him Jacob (meaning "Grabber"). Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.
27 As the boys grew, Esau became a skillful hunter, while Jacob was a quiet sort who liked to stay at home.
28 Isaac's favorite was Esau, because of the venison he brought home, and Rebekah's favorite was Jacob.
29 One day Jacob was cooking stew when Esau arrived home exhausted from the hunt.
30 Esau (said): "Boy, am I starved! Give me a bite of that red stuff there!" (From this came his nickname "Edom," which means "Red Stuff.")
31 Jacob (replied): "All right, trade me your birthright for it!"
32 Esau (said): "When a man is dying of starvation, what good is his birthright?"
33 Jacob( answered): "Well then, vow to God that it is mine!" And Esau vowed, thereby selling all his eldest-son rights to his younger brother.