Commentary on Obadiah, Verse and commentary 2
Obadiah verſe 2.
Behold, I have made thee ſmall among the Heathen: thou art greatly deſpiſed.
2. The effect of this judgment.
1. From God. I have made thee ſmall, &c.
2. From God and man. Thou art greatly deſpiſed.
1. From God. Three circumſtances aggravate the judgment.
1. Edom is made ſmall.
2. Made ſmall among the Nations.
3. I have done it.
2. From God and man. 2. Circumſtances.
1. Thou art deſpiſed.
2. Thou art deſpiſed greatly,
Before I handle theſe parts, two things offer themſelves to conſideration, which make eaſie way unto the underſtanding of the Prophecie.
1. The preface to this Prophecie. Behold.
2. The phraſe thereof.
1. The Preface. Behold.
Whereby he openeth the eyes of the Idumaeans, to look into their future eſtate; it is a word much uſed in holy Scripture, and ever maketh way to ſome worthy and conſiderable matter; here the Lord would have the Idumaeans take notice of the judgment and wrath to come.
Not that they ſhould repent them of their ſins, and turne to God, for God hated them, and ſet his face againſt them, and they had hearts that they could not repent: but hence we learn,
Doctr. It is Gods manner to give warning of his judgments, even to thoſe who will not take warning, that they may be without excuſe; and Ezekiel muſt prophecie to thoſe that will not receive him.
And thou ſhalt ſpeak my words unto them, Ezek. 2.7.whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, for they are moſt rebellious.
He giveth a reaſon before;
Reaſon. 1 Uſe 5 Yet they ſhall know that there hath been a Prophet amongſt them.
God will have the ungodly know that he hath tendered to them the meanes of eſcape from his judgments by the miniſtry of his word, that they may have nothing to plead for themſelves in the day of judgment, that they may ſee, and perceive, and confeſſe that their perdition cometh from themſelves.
From whence we conclude, that to the reprobate all the means of grace are altogether ineffectual to ſalvation; the light that is in them is darkneſſe, their knowledge ſwelleth them; their faith is preſumption, their fear is deſpair, their joy is carnall, their hope temporall. Their mind and conſcience is defiled: abominable, Tit. 1.15.and diſobedient, and to every good work, reprobate.
Of this juſtice of God againſt the reprobate, I can give no other account, then that which the Apoſtle doth yeeld;
He hath compaſſion on whom he will, Rom. 9 18and whom he will he hardeneth.
Or if we would hear the ſame from the Son of God himſelf. To them it is not given. And, even ſo O Father, Matth. 13.11. Matth. 11.26.becauſe thy good pleaſure was ſuch.
So he ſaith, Behold, to them whoſe eyes in his juſtice he hath ſhut; and he ſaith heare, to ſuch whoſe eares in juſtice he hath ſtopped, and he giveth warning of his judgments to them whom he hateth, as in my Text.
O Lord, how unſearchable are thy judgements, and thy wayes paſt ſinding out!
Uſe Therefore let them uſe their eyes that can ſee, and let them hear that can hear, and let them take notice of the judgement and wrath to come.
The Elect of God ſhall finde many impediments, and ſhall feel a great reluctation of the fleſh againſt the Spirit, let not ſuch be faint-hearted, but let them ſo fight, not as they that beat the air: and let them ſo run that they may obtain.
2. The phraſe of this prophecie of judgement is,
I have made thee ſmall, Mal. 1.3, 4thou art greatly deſpiſed.
For God ſaith, That is done already, which yet is not executed.
But conſider the ground laid in the beginning, Thus ſaith the Lord,
The Lord to whom all time is preſent, and whoſe decrees give preſent reſolution of all things, though he ſuſpend the execution thereof.
But it was not long before this commination was fulfilled upon Edom.
I hated Eſau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waſte for the dragons of the wilderneſſe.
Whereas Edom ſaith, We are impoveriſhed, but we will return and build the deſolate places:
Thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts, They ſhall build, but I will throwe down; and they ſhall call them, The border of wickedneſſe, and the people againſt whom God ſhall have indignation for ever.
Concerning the fulfilling of this prophecy, it was long ere it was perfectly accompliſhed; for this was the work of ſundry Nations, to effect the judgement he…e denounced.
For, firſt they were waſted by the Chaldeans and carried into captivity; yet it is clear that they returned many of them back again: then was it fulfilled that is ſpoken before.
An Embaſſadour is ſent amongſt the Heathen, Ariſe ye: for firſt the Heathen ariſe.
Then in the time of the Machabees.
Judas fought againſt the children of Eſau in Idumeaa, 1 Mach. 5.3.at Arabatine, becauſe they beſieged Iſrael, and he gave them a great overthrow and abated their courage, and took their ſpoils.
And again after this,
The Idumaeans having gotten into their hands the moſt commodious holds,2 Mac 10.15, 16. &c.
Then they that were with Machabaeus, made ſupplication and beſought God that he would be their helper, and ſo they run with violence upon the ſtrong holds of the Idumaeans:
And aſſaulting them ſtrongly, they wanne the holds, and kept off all that fought upon the wall, and killed no fewer then twenty thouſand.
There was an eſcape then of nine thouſand who had taken a ſtrong caſtle: theſe many of them by corruption of money made an eſcape, which coſt the blood of more then twenty thouſand.
And ſo was fulfilled that other part of this prophecy, We alſo will ariſe againſt her in battell.
Yet did not the Idumaeans ſink, for they recovered ſtrength,Joſephus de bello Jud. lib. 4. c. 6. and did vex the city Jeruſalem, and came againſt it with a great Army, being by letters, and by a ſet oration of one called Jeſus, entreated firſt to help their brethren the Jews, then to lay down arms, and not to fight againſt them.
They brake into Jeruſalem in the night with fury of war:Cap. 7. and he ſaith,
Templum redundavit ſanguine:
Octo millia et quingentos mortuos dies invenit, 12 Millia nobelium periere ab Idumaea trucidata after the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, Lib 5. c. 1. Lib. 7. c. 28and the diſperſion of the Jews that remained of that cruell Maſſacre, wherein the Conquerour left no cruelty undone; he ſaith,
Horum furoris aemuli etiam Idumaei fuere: illi enim ſceleratiſſimi peremptis pontificibus, ne qua pars conſervaretur pietatis in Deum, totum quod ex Civitatis facie ſupererat abſcidere.
Thus the Jews that remained after all theſe bloody wars diſperſed, and do yet continue in diſperſion: but with promiſe of being recalled before the end of the World: but the Edomites are now periſhed from the face of the earth, no mention of their names is left in the World, no promiſe of their reſtitution, ſo that this Prophecy is at laſt fulfilled, and hath been many yeers accompliſhed; ſo long was it before the performance hereof, and Judgement began at Gods houſe; yet in the end it was executed in their finall ruine upon the earth.
This text calleth all this done; for no length of time could evacuate the Truth of God herein, which teacheth us to look aſſuredly for all theſe things which God hath ſaid ſhall come to paſſe; eſpecially, The fall of Antichriſt, The calling of the Jews, The reſurrection of the dead, The laſt judgement, and everlaſting Life.
Let us come now to the parts of this Text.
1. The effects of this judgement from God.
1. Edom muſt be made ſmall.
Edom or Eſau, though he loſt the firſt bleſſing after he had ſold his birth-right, yet he obtained a bleſſing of his father.
Behold thy dwelling ſhall be the fatneſſe of the earth, Gen 27.39 40.and of the dew of Heaven from above.
And by thy ſword thou ſhalt live, and ſhalt ſerve thy brother, and it ſhall come to paſſe when thou ſhalt have the dominion, that thou ſhalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
This bleſſing was a Prophecie of the greatnes of Edom whoſe increaſe was ſuch, that Moſes doth rehearſe that he was fain to depart from his brother Jacob and dwell in Seir.
For their riches were more then that they could dwell together, Gen. 36.7.and the land wherin they were ſtrangers could not bear them, becauſe of their cattel:
They had many Dukes and Kings of Edom, Verſe 31.before there reigned any king over the children of Iſrael.
So that in greatneſſe they out-ſtripped Jacob.
This greatneſſe continued ſeven hundred yeer after the prophecie of Iſaac till Daniels time.
And he put gariſons in Edom: thorowout all Edom put he gariſons, 2 Sam. 8.15.and all they of Edom became Davids ſervants.
There God made them ſmall.
Again, Amaziah king of Judah prevailed againſt them: he ſlew of Edom in the valley of Salt ten thouſand, 2 Reg. 14.7.and took Selah by war. This made them ſmall.
They ſuffered many changes, yet this is noted of them, that
1. They were growen often very great, yet ſtill God made them ſmall.
2. That they were great before Iacob, and continued ſo after Iacobs poſterity were gone into diſperſion.
3. That now their memory is ſo extinguiſhed on earth, that their poſterity is not known.
Let no man meaſure the favours of God by the acceſſe of his poſſeſſion, by the territories of his dominion, by the multitude of his men, by the force of his ſtrength: God gave all theſe things to Eſau whom he hated.
Rather let men fortunate and proſperous in their wayes, who have the deſires of their hearts ſatisfied, and whoſe paths be annoynted with butter, ſuſpect that God hath ſet them in ſlippery places. Vivunt inter laquies.
Let them know that their fulneſſe doth come of Gods open hand, aperit & implet: and let them know that The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, and therefore let them take out both Saint Pauls leſſons:
I have learned how to abound, and how to want.
We are not to ſeek in our own times of examples of ſmalnes turned into greatneſſe, and of greatneſſe again made ſmall.
It is a judgment that David complained of, Thou haſt lifted me up, and caſt me downe: how much more peace have they in their boſomes, that were ever ſmall, then they who having riſen above others, are ſtooped beneath themſelves, and laid ſo low, that the foot of pride treadeth on them: down ſtout heart; there is no perpetuity in things temporall.
Great Edom is made ſmall, rough and boyſterous Edom, that carries all by ſtrong hand, is made meek and tame.
2. Made ſmall amongſt the Heathen.
Theſe were numbred among the Heathen, and amongſt them they were great, they ſeparated from the Church of God, like the ſons of ſober and religious parents that turne gallants and roarers; and amongſt theſe they ſhine awhile; amongſt theſe Edom was made ſmall.
Abraham had an Iſhmael that was caſt out among the Heathen.
Iſaac had an Eſau that put himſelf in amongſt them; all the ſons of Iacob were Patriarches, great Fathers of the Church.
Eſau, where he roſe to glory and greatneſſe, there he ſunk into ſmalneſſe; the eyes that ſaw him in his ſhining, ſaw him eclipſed.
3. God hath done this; there be few that look ſo high when they are down, but they do rather complain of evill fortune, or of ſome great wrong done to them here below, failing of means, diſertion of friends, or injuſtice in ſuperiours. The Heathen look to ſecond cauſes, and to naturall agents, they conſider not that it is God who lifteth up, and caſteth down.
But God taketh it upon himſelf, and would have Edom know that this is Dextra Iehovae, the right hand of the Lord.
Others look high at firſt, and upon every degree of downfall, do charge God with hard meaſure, and murmure at his uneven hand, as if he had not done them right; which as Job ſaith, is to charge God fooliſhly.
But let men take it how they will, God is the Author of the riſing and falling of the ſons of men, of their growth and withering; can God hate, and his hatred ſit idle and look on? as his love is operative, ſo is his hatred: ſuch is his love, that all things work together for the beſt to them whom he hath called; Saint Auguſtine addeth, etiam peccata, even their ſins; another, etiam adverſa their adverſary; and ſuch is his hatred that all things work contrary to the ruine of them whom he hateth; etiam proſperitas, even their proſperity, for the proſperity of fools doth destroy them.
2. This judgment is aggravated by two circumſtances, from God and man.
1. Thou art deſpiſed.
2. Greatly deſpiſed.
1. Deſpiſed.
The children of Edom had two great temptations to ſwell them, that is riches and power; theſe they inſolently abuſed, to oppreſſion of their neighbours. God, who powreth contempt upon Princes, covered them with contempt: This is the ſevereſt vengeance that pride feareth; Edom that was higheſt and bore rule over the Nations, and lived by the ſword, is now made ſmall; after this fall followeth contempt.
God hath ſaid it, They that deſpiſe me, ſhall be deſpiſed.
2. Deſpiſed greatly.
Pride will have a fall, it never falleth lower here on earth, then when it falleth into great contempt,
1. Of God, that he turneth away from them, or ſetteth his face againſt them.
2. Of man, and that
1. When the Prophets of the Lord do ſet their faces againſt them, as in this caſe.
Son of man, ſet thy face againſt Mount Seir, Ezek. 35.2& prophecie againſt it; it is no ſmall matter to have the Meſſengers of God againſt us, which do carry his ſure word of prophecie; for they ſpeak from the mouth of the Lord, and where they denounce the judgment of God againſt impenitent ſinners, whoſoevers ſinnes they retaine, they are retained.
2. When the Lord hath expreſſed his hatred, and pronounced his judgment, the Church of God deſpiſeth their power, and derideth their malice, ſaying, Thou O God ſeeſt it, for thou beholdeſt ungodlineſſe and wrong to take the matter into thy hand.
3. This maketh it a great and full contempt, when they that ſerved them, ſhall be Lords over them, and their ſword can no longer help them; ſo is Edom deſpiſed among the Heathen; this is great contempt to have the contempt of God and man.
You ſee their puniſhment.
Theſe points of Doctrine do follow by juſt conſequence.
1. That Gods enemies, though for a time they proſper and thrive in the world, yet they ſhall by little be at laſt conſumed.
The whole courſe of holy ſtory runneth very clear this way.
Cain, a runnagate, and many learned do think, after killed by Lamech.
Iſhmael, every mans ſword againſt him.Exod. 14.28. 2 Reg. 20.37
Pharaoh drowned in the red ſea.
Senacherio ſlain by his own ſons.
Haman hanged on his own gallows, H…ſt. 4 9.which the Poet calls Arte perire ſuà.
Nebuchadnezar turn'd beaſt.Dan. 4 30.
The Jewes have Chriſts bloud on them and their children.
Herod eaten with worms.Act. 12.23
Judas went to his own place.
But in the execution of judgment, God doth not all at once alwayes.
Moſes telleth Iſrael, Deut. 7.21God will root out theſe Nations before thee by little and little; Thou muſt not conſume them at once.
As Amos prophecieth.Amos 4.9 1. Blaſting and mildew, then the Palmerworme, then the Peſtilence, then the ſword, and at laſt as Sodom and Gomorrah.
So he deſtroyed Egypt with ten plagues, one ſucceeding another; he doth not empty his quiver all at once: ſo here are two points conſiderable.
1. He doth deſtroy them.
2. Not all at once, but by little and little.
1.2 Theſ. 6 7 The reaſon why he doth deſtroy them.
It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that trouble you.
2.Pſal. 136.15. When he maketh inquiſition for blood, he remembreth the complaint of the poor. His mercy endureth for ever.
3. The enemies of the Church are Gods enemies. Exurget Deus & diſſipentur inimici ſui, let God ariſe, and let his enemies be ſcattered. Out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings haſt thou ordeined ſtrength, becauſe of thine enemies, that thou mayeſt ſtill the enemy, and avenger.
Uſe. 1 The Ʋſe.
1. It teacheth us to exerciſe our patience in all afflictions as Chriſt ſaith,Rom. 5.3. Rev. 14.12 Fear not them that can kill the body, &c. Patience bringeth forth experience, and experience hope. Here is the patience of the Saints.
Uſe 2 2. It ſtoppeth any courſe of revenge that we may think upon; that is Gods title.
O Lord God the avenger, O God the avenger, Pſ. 94 1.ſhew thy ſelfe clearly.
Dearly beloved avenge not your ſelves.
Uſe. 3 3. It miniſtreth matter of joy to the Church,Rom. 12. and of thankſgiving to God, when the ungodly fall. The feaſt of Purim was kept with joy for the fall of Haman, and the delivery of the Church.
There is great joy at the fall of Babylon.
Uſe. 4 4. This miniſtreth matter of terrour to the ungodly, Heſt 9 17. Rev. 19.to hear that the Lord Jeſus comethwith thouſands of his Angels; he will render vengeance unto them with flaming fire, and puniſh them with everlaſting perdition, from the preſence of the Lord,2 Theſ. 1.6, 7, 8. and from the glory of his power.
Gather together on heaps O ye people, and yee ſhall be broken in peeces; hearken all ye of far Countries, gird your ſelves, Iſa. 8.9, 10.and yee ſhall be broken in peeces; take counſell together, yet ſhall it be brought to nought; pronounce a decree, yet ſhall it not ſtand; for God is with us.
So let all thine enemies periſh O Lord, but they that love him ſhall be as the Sun when he riſeth in his might.Jud. 5.31.
2. But this is not done all at once, God doth judge the wicked by little and little ofttimes. The reaſon is.
Reaſon. 1 1. In reſpect of the wicked themſelves, that they might finiſh their unrighteouſneſſe: ſuffer ye the tares to grow till the harveſt. When the harveſt is yellow, then he putteth in the ſickle; and tarrieth, as David ſaith, Till their abominable wickedneſſe be found worthy to be puniſhed.
Reaſon. 2 2. In reſpect of his Church that he may exerciſe the patience of his Saints. If thou faint in the day of adverſity, thy ſtrength is ſmall.Prov. 24.10. Therefore God ſaid he wou…d not caſt out before Iſrael any of the Nations that Joſhuah left,Jud. 2.20. That through them he might prove Iſrael, whither they will keep the way of the Lord to walke therein, or not.
Reaſon 3 3. In reſpect of himſelf, for the glory of his juſtice; for his juſtice is not ſpeedily executed upon them that do evill; all the world ſhall ſee that God hath awaited the repentance of the wicked, and given them time for it; and becauſe they will not repent, he doth whet his ſword, and he prepareth inſtruments of death.
Uſe. This teacheth us to tarry the Lords leaſure; the ſons of thunder were too quick with Chriſt to offer to pray to God for fire from heaven to conſume the Samaritans.
This is our common fault, when any one offendeth us, that we ſtrait fall to curſing, wiſhing the pox and the plague, the vengeance and curſe of God upon them.
If our fury had the managing of Gods vengeance, who ſhould live? take heed of provoking the patience of God: that juſtice that thou doeſt awake by thy curſes, owes thee a puniſhment for thy impatience and uncharitableneſſe.
2. We are taught that the reward of pride is fall and contempt.
So David faith, thou Wilt bring down high looks: no ſooner doth God make the great ones of the world ſmall, but they are greatly deſpiſed.
It needs no proof where examples of great falls do fall ſo thick as they have done on this ſide the Alpes within theſe few yeers.
Never ran the ſtreame and current of Suitours more ſtrong to riſing, and growing, and growen greatneſſe, then it ranne away from the fall thereof, and ſought another channell.
And they that flattered theſe in their ſpring, and tendered them ſervice, and made them their gods in their fair weather, in their fall of leaf forſake them, and then humble petitions turne to ſcornfull libels.
I may ſay of our times truly, as Hecuba, Non unquam tulit
Documenta fors majora, Sen. Tio…squam fragili loco ſtarent ſuperbi.
Thus men lay by the walls the ladders that they climb by, and like thoſe people, of whom Boemus writeth, they bleſſe the riſing, but curſe the ſetting Sun.
Every man ſeeks the face of the Ruler; ſo again, low hedges are troden on.
This is the language of this Prophecie, and Edom is one example hereof: this point is throughly preſſed afterwards.
Therefore let him that thinketh he ſtandeth, take heed leſt he fall.
There is a naturall evill eye, which beholdeth the proſperity of riſing men with much envy; that eye is glad of the fall of great ones; obſerve the text how ſoone it followes, I have made thee ſmall.
Thou art greatly deſpiſed; ſo ſoone doth contempt follow after a fall.
Let Edom be Sathan, and let God bind him in chaines, and give us faith to reſiſt and overcome him; how do we deſpiſe him, and ſcorn him diſarmed?
Let the world be Edom, and let God declare the vanity and caſualty that is in all theſe things that Satan tempteth men withall, and we ſhall ſee the ſervants of God will deſpiſe it, and uſe it as though they uſed it not.
Let a mans own corruptions be the Edom, the luſts of the fleſh that fight againſt the ſoule, that make a man forget his piety to God, his charity to his brother; but let God by his word reveal to us the body of ſin, and by his law humble us under the mighty hand of God: we ſhall deſpiſe and contemne the deſires of our heart, and we ſhall ſay, I will go and returne to my firſt love, for then I was better then now.
This making ſmall is ruine to the ungodly, it is medicine to the juſt; the narrow gate that leadeth to life, is eaſily entred by them whom God hath made ſmall in their own eyes, and eſtimation of themſelves.
Chriſt made himſelf of no reputation, not only ad ſacrificium, to a ſacrifice; but ad exemplum, to an example, that we might walk as he walked.
Small threads will paſſe through a Needles eye, great cables are too big; God reſiſteth the proud; a ſmall womb containeth us, a ſmall tomb burieth us; and never doth the favour of God ſhine more on us, or the attending ſervice of Angels more miniſter unto us, then when the world deſpiſeth our low growth, and our contentment with our daily bread; there is much difference between thoſe that be humiles, humble, and thoſe that be humiliati, humbled and between thoſe that be Humiliati ad vindictam, humbled to puniſhment, & thoſe that be humiliati ad medicinam humbled to medicine.
This prophecie is full for it, that God reſiſteth the proud, and pride ſhall have a fall; and after the fall, followeth contempt.
And what reward have they of all thoſe things?