The deception of pride

The pride of your heart has deceived you, You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’ Though you ascend as high as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,” says the LORD.

 - Obadiah 1v3-4

I grew up in Alabama. We had a saying there that I don’t hear a whole lot anymore. When someone got too uppity and sure of themselves we would say ‘She’s getting’ too big for her britches.’ It just had the idea that someone thought more highly of themselves than they ought to have thought.

The judgements of the prophets were not just for God people. Sometimes the judgements were aimed at surrounding nations. In this case the target was the neighbouring nation of Edom. The nation was founded by Jacob’s brother Esau. It was located southeast of Israel and now makes up parts of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The name means ‘red’ which may refer to the red cliffs, or it may refer to the bowl of red beans which cost Esau his birth right.

Edom and Israel never got on after that. There was a constant running quarrel through the centuries. Now that Israel was in her last days of power Edom was rejoicing in her strength and power. She took pride in the fact that she was strong and powerful. From her elevated geographical position she was viewing the destruction of Jerusalem with a haughty arrogance.

God was dealing with Israel, but He would also deal with Edom’s pride. We all know how God feels about pride. If we don’t know it is our own fault. Pride is always deceptive. It makes us ‘too big for our britches’ and it was Edom’s turn to learn that lesson.

‘Even though you are settled on those high cliffs like eagles in their nests I am going to bring you down from there’ said the Lord.

God has the power to deal with our pride just like He did with Edom. We had better make sure that our britches still fit before God has to do something about it.