You know the people of Edom, don't you? The Edomites are a very rugged, very individualistic, very prideful people. They live in the rocks and use them for their refuge. They live harsh lives, and they call themselves the gods of the land. They are totally ignorant of God and His ways--just as I used to be! No one really cares for them very much, so I was a little scared when God told me to go to them! But go to them I did, and I delivered God's message to them.
Sometime before my ministry, Edom rebelled against Judah (some of God's people), and at the same time Arabia and Philistia decided to lay waste to much of the land. The Edomites gloated in the ravaging of Judah, which really made God angry. It made God angry because the Edomites are descendents of Esau, the brother of Jacob, from whom the Judeans are descended. God is very upset when brothers do not treat brothers accordingly. I told the Edomites that God was upset and that God was going to judge them, and judge them harshly. I told them, "Because of how you treated Judah--and because of your arrogant pride--God is going to lay waste to your strongholds and even to your peoples! You can run, and you can try to hide, but God will chase you... and He will find you."
His judgment of them took place in three stages. First, the Arabic Nabataeans came in and invaded their fortresses, scattering the Edomites. Second, the Jews moved into the land and circumcised the Edomites (King Herod, remember, was half-Jew and half-Edomite because of this!). Third, the Romans completely wiped them out A.D. 73. The bottom line: don't screw with God, He'll screw you up.
Despite the message I preached and the hostility I encountered, I really enjoyed the scenery of Edom. Check out this picture I took of Sela (modern-day Petra):
2 comments:
Did you write this. I really like how it is told in first person retrospect. Mom
yuppers :)
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