Lesson 196

Judgment Of Edom
Obadiah

MEMORY VERSE
Obadiah 1:10 For v iolenc e against your brother J ac ob, S ham e shall c ov er you, And you shall be c ut off forev er.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Blank white 8 1/2 x 11 paper, 1x 6 black or silver strips of construction paper, scissors, markers and glue stick or a stapler.

ATTENTION GETTER! Got Caught

In todays lesson we will learn about the nation of Edom. They thought they were getting away with their sin but the Lord caught them. The Lord sees everything and can look into our hearts. The object of this game is to follow directions and not to get caught by the teacher. Give the children a number between 1-10. It is OK to double up on numbers. Have the children stand up against the wall in your classroom (facing the wall). The teacher should stand on the other end of the room facing that wall. The teacher will then call out 1 or 2 numbers. Those children will then turn around and hop three times towards the teacher. The only catch is that they must do their hopping before the teacher turns around and catches them. If the teacher catches them before they are done then they must start over. Give everyone a chance to play. The first person to make it to the teacher wins. But it might be that no one makes it to the end because they keep getting caught. Note to teacher You may want to make it to where no one does win to further illustrate that no one can get away with sin without being caught just as we will see in our lesson today.

LESSON TIME!
Have you ever heard the expression, What goes around comes around? As you grow older, you discover that this saying is true, but only because it expresses a truth found in Gods Word. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap (Galatians 6:7). As we read the book of Obadiah, we will see the truth of Gods promise. We will learn that God rights the wrongs against H i s people. The people of the land of Edom were full of pride and self-confidence that turned against Gods people in Judah. They had sown the seed of pride and arrogance against the Jews, only to reap destruction. Obadiah graphically illustrates on a national scale the truth of Proverbs 16:18, Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Obadiah predicted that God would destroy Edom as punishment for helping others invade Judah. Because of their indifference and defiance of God, their cowardice and pride and their treachery toward their brother in Judah, they stand condemned and will be destroyed. Edoms land would be given to Judah in the day when God rights the wrongs against His people. Let us see in our lesson today, what God will do to Edom to bring justice for His people. O B AD I AH 1 : 1 - 9 T h e v i s i on of Obad i ah . T h u s s ays t h e Lor d G OD c o n c e r n i n g Ed o m (We h av e h e ar d a r e p o r t f r o m t h e L O R D , An d a m e s s e n g e r h a s b e e n s e n t a m o n g t h e n a t i o n s , s a y i n g , " Ar i s e , a n d l e t u s r i s e u p a g a i n s t h e r f or bat t l e"): "Behold , I w ill m ak e you sm all am ong t he nat ions; Yo u s h al l be gr eat l y d es p i s ed .

The p rid e of you r heart has d ec eiv ed you , You w ho d w el l i n t h e c l ef t s o f t h e r o c k , Wh o s e h abi t at i o n i s h i gh ; Yo u w h o s ay i n y o u r h ear t , 'Wh o w i l l br i n g m e d o w n t o t h e gr o u n d ?' T h o u g h y o u a s c e n d a s h i g h a s t h e e a g l e , An d t h o u g h you set you r nest am ong t he st ars, From t here I w ill br i n g you d ow n ," s ays t h e LOR D . "If t h i ev es h ad c o m e t o y o u , If r o bber s by n i gh t ; Oh , h o w y o u w i l l b e c u t o f f !; W o u l d t h e y n o t h a v e s t o l e n t i l l t h ey h ad en o u gh ? If gr ap e-gat h er er s h ad c o m e t o y o u , Wo u l d t h ey n o t h av e l ef t s o m e gl ean i n gs ? " Oh , h o w Es au s h al l be s e ar c h e d o u t ! Ho w h i s h i d d e n t r eas u r es s h al l be s o u gh t af t er ! Al l t h e m e n i n y o u r c o n f e d e r a c y S h a l l f o r c e y o u t o t h e bor d er ; T h e m en at p eac e w i t h you S h al l d ec ei v e y o u an d p r ev ai l agai n s t y o u . T h o s e w h o eat y o u r br ead s h al l l ay a t r ap f or you . N o on e i s aw ar e of i t . " Wi l l I n o t i n t h at d ay ," s ay s t h e LOR D , " Ev e n d e s t r o y t h e w i s e m e n f r o m E d o m , An d u n d e r s t a n d i n g f r o m t h e m o u n t ai n s o f Es au ? T h en y o u r m i gh t y m en , O T em an , s h al l be d i s m ay ed , T o t h e e n d t h at e v e r y o n e f r o m t h e m o u n t ai n s o f Es au M ay be c u t o f f by s l au gh t er . Edom had rejoiced over the misfortunes of both Israel and Judah, and yet the Edomites and Jews descended from two brothers, Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:19-26). The struggle started in their mothers womb and they were always against each other. Edomites, the descendants of Esau, were rarely at peace with the Israelites, descendants of Jacob. God pronounced judgment on

Edom for their callous and malicious actions toward His people. God rights the wrongs against His people. Edom was the southern neighbor of Judah, who shared a common boundary. Yet, despite their common heritage Edom likes nothing about Judah. Edom was glad to see Judah in trouble (v. 12). Their hatred made them want the nation destroyed and because of this God would judge them. The Edomites were proud of their self-sufficiency, finding security in a place called Petra. This city was considered impregnable because it was cut into a sold rock cliff and set in a canyon that could be entered only through a narrow gap. Today it is considered one of the marvels of the ancient world, but only as a tourist attraction. The city, which boasted of security, impregnable by enemies, would be overcome by Gods judgment. The Bible warns us that pride is the surest way to self-destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Just as Petra and Edom fell so will those of us who are proud. A humble person is more secure than a proud person because humility gives one a more accurate perspective of oneself and the world in relation to God. In humility we see our need for God, pride will only give us a warped view of ourselves. In humility God will lift us up, but in pride we will only be brought down. What Edom perceived as strengths would be their downfall. God reveals five things in verses 3-9 that the people of Edom put their confidence in. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Safety in their city (God would send them plummeting from the heights). Pride in their self-sufficiency (God would humble them). Wealth (thieves would steal all they had). Allies (God would cause them to turn against Edom). Wisdom (they would be confused).

Though Edom felt secure from Gods judgment, they would have no place to hide when God would judge their pride. God rights the wrongs against His people.

Prophetic Shoes
Have everyone in the class (including teachers and aides) sit in a large circle. Everyone should take his or her shoes off. This game will help us to review the names of the prophets that we have been studying about in recent weeks. When you say go have the children raise their hands if they can think of a name of a Bible prophet. With every correct answer everyone should trade their shoes to their left. Keep playing until the children run out of names. If they are having trouble thinking of names you may give them hints. Some names would be Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel, Daniel, Jeremiah, Micah, Malachi, Nahum, Joel, Obadiah, Amos, Isaiah, etc When no one can think of any more have the children try to put on the shoes that are in front of them. This should be rather challenging for some. Heres the application you can make. The nation of Edom hated the nation of Israel. They took advantage of them and refused to turn to God themselves. God was now going to judge them. We need to remember to love those around us whether they know the Lord or not. We need to be willing to walk in their shoes for a while and try to relate to them. The Lord will help us to do that, but be must always be like Jesus towards them. O B AD I AH 1 : 1 0 - 1 4 "Fo r v i o l en c e agai n s t y o u r br o t h er J ac o b, S h am e s h a l l c o v e r y o u , An d y o u s h a l l b e c u t o f f f o r e v e r . In t he d ay t hat you st ood on t he ot her sid e; In t he d ay t h at s t r an ger s c ar r i ed c ap t i v e h i s f o r c es , Wh en

f o r e i g n e r s e n t e r e d h i s g a t e s An d c a s t J e r u s al e m ; Ev e n y o u w e r e as o n e o f t h e m .

lots

for

Bu t y o u s h o u l d n o t h av e gaz ed o n t h e d ay o f y o u r br ot h er In t h e d ay of h i s c ap t i v i t y; N or s h ou l d you hav e rej oic ed ov er t he c hild ren of J u d ah In t he d ay of t heir d est ru c t ion; N or shou ld you hav e sp ok en p rou d ly In t he d ay of d ist ress. Yo u s h o u l d n o t h av e en t er ed t h e gat e o f M y p eo p l e In t he d ay of t heir c alam it y. Ind eed , you shou ld not h av e gaz ed o n t h ei r af f l i c t i o n In t h e d ay o f t h ei r c al am i t y, N or l ai d h an d s on t h ei r s u bs t an c e In t h e d ay of t heir c alam it y. You shou ld not hav e st ood at t he c rossroad s To c u t of f t hose am ong t hem w ho esc ap ed ; N or shou ld you hav e d eliv ered u p t hose am ong t hem w ho rem ained In t he d ay of d ist ress. Out of all the neighbors of Israel and Judah, Edom would be the only one not promised Gods mercy. They took advantage of Judahs misfortune by coming into their land after another nation attacked them, then looting them and taking pleasure in it. They betrayed their blood brothers in times of crisis and also aided their enemies (Psalm 137:7, Amos 1:11-12). Edom was glad to see Judah in trouble. Whenever bad times struck, they waited and watched, hoping for their destruction. God would make an example of them for the entire world to see. His judgment on Edom would be a strong reminder that He alone is the judge. We must never take pleasure in the misfortune of others. Have you ever been happy to see the misfortunes of others, even if they may have deserved it? We should always help those in a time of need. It is a beautiful way to show and express Gods love to others as He

shines His light through our lives. Allowing God to work through us allows Him to work on those who are against us. We can face the opposition, trusting God for God rights the wrongs against His people. O B AD I AH 1 : 1 5 - 1 6 "For t he d ay of t he LOR D u p on all t he nat ions is n e a r ; As y o u h a v e d o n e , i t s h a l l b e d o n e t o y o u ; Y o u r rep risal shall ret u rn u p on you r ow n head . For as you d rank on m y holy m ou nt ain, S o shall all t he nat ions d rink c ont inu ally; Yes, t hey shall d rink , a n d s w a l l o w , An d t h e y s h a l l b e a s t h o u g h t h e y h a d n ev er been . A time will come when God will judge all the Gentile nations. No one will escape Gods judgment for the evil way they treat His people. God said their acts would boomerang upon their heads. Just like judgment will come upon Edom, those who have taken pleasure in Israels troubles will suffer the same fate. There are some nations today that treat Gods people favorably, yet some are hostile towards them. God is going to judge everyone according to the way they treat others. Even believers will be held accountable for their actions. God will separate His obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers (Matt. 25:31-46). The real evidence of our belief is the way we act and treat others. May we be found faithful to reach out to everyone in need, even our enemies, allowing God to deal justly with them. God rights the wrongs against His people. O B AD I AH 1 : 1 7 - 2 1 " B u t o n M o u n t Z i o n t h e r e s h a l l b e d e l i v e r a n c e , An d t h er e s h al l be h ol i n es s ; T h e h ou s e of J ac ob s h al l possess their possessions.

T h e h o u s e o f J a c o b s h a l l b e a f i r e , An d t h e h o u s e o f J o s e p h a f l am e ; B u t t h e h o u s e o f Es au s h al l be s t u bbl e; T h ey s h al l k i n d l e t h em an d d ev ou r t h em , An d n o s u r v i v o r s h a l l r e m a i n o f t h e h o u s e o f E s a u , " For t he LOR D has sp ok en. T h e S o u t h s h a l l p o s s e s s t h e m o u n t a i n s o f E s a u , An d t h e Lo w l an d s h al l p o s s e s s Ph i l i s t i a. T h e y s h al l p o s s e s s t h e f i e l d s o f E p h r a i m An d t h e f i e l d s o f S am aria. Benj am in shall p ossess Gilead . An d t h e c a p t i v e s o f t h i s h o s t o f t h e c h i l d r e n o f I s r a e l S h a l l p o s s e s s t h e l a n d o f t h e C a n a a n i t e s As f a r a s Z arep hat h. The c ap t iv es of J eru salem w ho are in S ep harad S hall p ossess t he c it ies of t he S ou t h. T h en s av i o r s s h al l c o m e t o M o u n t Z i o n T o j u d ge t h e m o u n t a i n s o f E s a u , An d t h e k i n g d o m s h a l l b e t h e Lord 's. Obadiah assures Edom that Israel will reoccupy the land. By 185 BC the Edomites were over-thrown by Judas Maccabeus. The words of Obadiahs prophecy must have seemed ridiculous to Edom since they seemed more likely to survive. Yet today Edom has vanished and Judah still exists. Edom had reaped what they had sown. God was true to His Word and faithful to take vengeance on those who had mistreated His people. God rights the wrongs against H i s people. We have learned some important truths in our lessons today. We see the sovereignty of God to accomplish everything He promises. Evil will be punished, and those of us who are faithful to God will have hope for a new future. Nothing will be able to come against Gods eternal kingdom because He will establish it. Any nation or individual that mistreats those of us who obey God will be punished; regardless of how strong or powerful they appear. G o d

rights the wrongs against His people. God brought justice for His people to reward Edom for the evil they had sown. In the end they reaped Gods judgment.

Handcuffed by Sin
For this craft you will need blank white 8 1/2 x 11 paper, 1 x 6 black or silver strips of construction paper, scissors, markers and glue stick or a stapler. Fold the paper in half to make a 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 rectangle. Have the children place their left hand onto the paper. The folded edge should be on the right side. The edge of the hand should be placed on the fold of the paper. Using a pencil, trace the outline of the hand. After tracing, cut along the lines that make the hand. Cut everywhere except the fold of the little finger and wrist, this will hold the hands together. This should make two hands that are attached at the palm and along the small finger. Explain to the children that the people from Edom were bound and judged by God because of their sin. Sin will do the same thing in our lives. It will bind us and make us its slave. Where the fold connects the two hands cut a 1 slit near the bottom (by the wrist area). Find two 1 x 6 strips of black or silver construction paper. Pass them through the slit. Wrap one around one hand and the other around the other hand. Glue or staple the loops to make handcuffs. Write the memory verse or theme on the hands as a reminder to the children. Emphasize that sin will bind us just like being in handcuffs. When we follow Jesus we will find forgiveness and freedom from sin.

PRAYER
Lead the children in a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for how He takes care of His people. He is so good to us! If there are any children who have not yet responded to the gospel, give them opportunity to do so.