Stand on the Right Side

Obadiah 10–16 (NKJV)

¹⁰ “For violence against your brother Jacob,

Shame shall cover you,

And you shall be cut off forever.

¹¹ In the day that you stood on the other side—

In the day that strangers carried captive his forces,

When foreigners entered his gates

And cast lots for Jerusalem—

Even you were as one of them.

¹² “But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother

In the day of his captivity;

Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah

In the day of their destruction;

Nor should you have spoken proudly

In the day of distress.

¹³ You should not have entered the gate of My people

In the day of their calamity.

Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction

In the day of their calamity,

Nor laid hands on their substance

In the day of their calamity.

¹⁴ You should not have stood at the crossroads

To cut off those among them who escaped;

Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained

In the day of distress.

While Edom and Israel were relatives, there was contention between them, beginning with Jacob’s deceit in taking Esau’s birthright and his blessing, and continuing on later in the history of the nations when Edom did not side with Israel.  This failure to defend the people of God, and the fact that Edom was actually standing with her enemies, has led to the judgment upon Edom.  

¹⁵ “For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near;

As you have done, it shall be done to you;

Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.

¹⁶ For as you drank on My holy mountain,

So shall all the nations drink continually;

Yes, they shall drink, and swallow,

And they shall be as though they had never been.

Edom unholy alliances with the nations has brought them into the judgment of those very nations.  Reprisal is coming.  The vengeance of the Lord for His people against the nations is falling on Edom as well.  Just as Edom drank from the vineyards of Israel in conquest, they shall drink the cup of judgment as well.  Make sure you stand on the right side of a conflict.  The only right side is God’s side!