Whenever the Lord has someone in His aim to destroy, those who are His target should be in great fear. Such is the case with Edom. It seems that no matter how many times Edom is warned for their behavior against Jacob, they just will not listen. They are stubborn hearted and believe themselves to be self-sufficient. They do not realize their need for God, and now the absence of their reverence is going to cause them destruction. Obadiah has warned Edom of the impending judgment ahead, and he has given them sufficient admonition. Now their time has come, and Obadiah employs colorful metaphors to describe their annihilation. He wrote in verse eighteen of his prophecy:

And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be [any] remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD has spoken [it].

Obadiah likens Jacob to a “fire” and the house of Joseph “a flame”. The destructive burning of a fire is an inauspicious site. As fire tears through kindling and consumes materials, the effects of fire leave nothing but smoke, charred pieces of wood, and melted residue in it's path. This is the destiny of Edom. Edom has enjoyed their prideful, greedy and self-sufficient state over Jacob, but now the law of reciprocity has engaged. Edom will be the fodder by which the flames of Jacob are kept alive. Where those in Edom were once ridiculing and impeding the escape of Jacob, they now will pay the price for their rebellious nature.

Obadiah states, “the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them.” Where they once were great, Edom will now be “stubble”. Where they once enjoyed domination over Jacob vicariously, they now will be direct participants of Jacob's fire and Joseph's flame. Where Edom once thought themselves to be indestructible, they would now be “devoured,” and there is no hope for them now. Their epitaph has been written, and their fate has been declared.

Obadiah continues, “and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau”. This destruction shall be complete. No relatives, kin folk, or ancestors shall be left. All of Edom will be destroyed. This will be a thorough judgment, and none will escape. Why? “for the LORD has spoken it.” When God speaks we all would do well to listen and listen closely, and who among us needs further warning that it is a terrible idea to be against God's chosen people Jacob or Israel? There shall be no Edomites around, and the people of Esau are to be eliminated from existence.

Remember how we liken Edom to satan and our fleshly nature in our earlier studies. When the fire of God's word penetrates our lives, it is a consuming fire. We cannot be around the word of God for very long without its convicting power to burn within us. Our ways are confronted, and our attitudes are challenged. We are consumed with the need to allow the Lord to change our ways, challenge our thinking, and bring us into alignment with His way of existing in this world. Our flesh nature is dissipated, and we can no longer remain the same.

Satan also shall be kindling for the fires of God. One day he too will receive judgment for his prideful, greedy and self-sufficient nature. He who was so adamantly opposed to us will be destroyed. John the apostle wrote of his fate in Revelation chapter twenty and verse ten:

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

When we consider the fate of Edom and their destruction, may we ever keep in mind how the trying fires of God's love will use the natural tendencies of our hearts as kindling to melt away behaviors and attitudes that are contrary to Him, and the pinnacle of His fires will be the destruction of our enemy satan. May the Lord God complete His consuming work in us and against our enemy.

Next time we will talk more about the restoration of Jacob after Edom is destroyed, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

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