Commentary on Obadiah, Verse and commentary 8
VERSE 8.
Shall I not in that day (ſaith the Lord) even deſtroy the wiſemen out of Edom, and underſtanding out of the mount of Eſau.
Their fourth hope deſpaired.
Doctr. They truſted to their wiſdome; God doth threaten to deſtroy both the wiſdom, and the wiſe men of Edom.
In this paſlage conſider we
1. The judgment upon Edom, Destruam ſapientes, I will deſtroy the wiſe men.
2. The aſſurance, Dicit Dominus, ſaith the Lord.
3. The time, in that day.
1. Concerning the judgment, we are taught that humane wiſdome and counſels without God, are no fenſe for a State.
Here is the mother diſeaſe of humane nature; Eva heard that wiſdome was to be gotten by eating the forbidden fruit, and ſhe aſpired in the pride of her heart to be like God, knowing good and evill; ever ſince, man hath much affected wiſdome; therefore God, who hath revealed the true wiſdome to his Church, hath ever profeſſed himſelf an enemy to the wiſdome of this world: it hath two titles, inimicitiae apud Deum, & ſtultitiae, enmity and folly.
The true and ſaving wiſdome is Chriſt, he is made unto us of God wiſdome; and his word is ſufficient to make the man of God wiſe unto ſalvation.Eccl 9, 14
There was a little City and few men within it; and there came a great King againſt it, and beſieged it, and built a bulwark againſt it.
Now there was found in it a poor wiſe man, and he by his wiſdome delivered the City.
This little City is the Church of God, the few men in it, be the little flock of Gods choſen; the enemy that aſſaulteth it is Satan, the Prince of darkneſſe, the god of this world.
The poore wiſe man in it is Jeſus Chriſt, the Carpenter, the ſon of poor Mary, of whom the Scribes and Prieſts ſaid, Is not this the Carpenter? he by his wiſdome ſaved his Church.
This wiſdome directeth to the whole Armour, and teacheth how to fit it to us, that we may be able to reſiſt Sathan, Epheſ. 6.
But the wiſdom that is of the world, that ſtudieth how to carry things on without God, ſometimes againſt God, for God is not in all their wayes, and this was ever a broken reed, it doth both deceive and wound him that leaneth on it; For,
The wiſdom of the fleſh cannot be Subject to the Law of God, Rom. 8.7.yet it ſtriveth in vaine; For
There is no wiſdom, nor underſtanding, Prov, 21.10.nor counſel againſt the Lord, for it is written, Job 5.13. He taketh the wiſe in their own craftineſſe.1 Cor 3.19
1. The reaſon is given by the Prophet.
Yet he alſo is wiſe, meaning there the wiſdom of direction,Jſa. 31.2. and counſel, for that belongs to him only; the wiſdome of obedience and ſequence is that which we moſt ſeek.
Therefore God reſiſteth and deſtroyeth all thoſe that uſurpe his wiſdome, but take counſell and not of him;Jſa. 30.1, and cover with a covering, but not of his ſpirit; that is, ſeek protection and coverture againſt evils, but not conſulting his ſpirit, who alone claimeth right in that title to be cuſtos hominum, the preſerver of men.
2. God hath choſen the fooliſh things of the world to deſtroy the wiſe, the reaſon is given.1 Cor. 1.…7
That no fleſh ſhould glory in his preſence; ver. 19.God is the only ſubject of glory properly in himſelf; we give it to him in our Lords Prayer. Tuum eſt regnum, potentia & gloria. Thine is Kingdome, &c.
He is a jealous God, he hath ſworn that he will not give his glory …oany creature; wiſdom is one of his glories,1 Cor. 1.25 For The fooliſhnes of God is wiſer then men. And for this cauſe God will deſtroy the wiſe men of Edom: both their perſons, and their wiſdom, as he did Achitophel the Oracle of thoſe times, he defeated him, for he turned his wiſdom into folly, and left him not wiſdom enough to ſave himſelfe from the halter.
Ʋſe. Therefore by Edoms example let us learn not to truſt to humane wiſdome, flattering our ſelves, that we can do any thing without God; for even the wicked when they oppreſſe the Church, and hurt the Saints, do it not without the counſell and wiſdom of God: ſo he ſaith before, thus ſaith the Lord, an Embaſſadour is ſent to the Nations. Ariſe ye againſt him in battaile.
It is God that maketh their confederates forſake Edom, and the men of their peace be the ſword of God drawn out againſt Eſau.
Reviling Rabſhakeh the Generall of Senacheribs forces againſt Ieruſalem, Iſa. 36.10.could ſay, and he ſaid truly, And am I now come up without the Lord, againſt this Land? The Lord ſaid unto me, go up againſt this Land. For God ſtirred them up, and animated them to fight his battails againſt Iſrael.
The wiſdome of the world is not worth the ſeeking, becauſe it may be loſt and taken from us, the wiſdome of God which is from above, God giveth to his choſen, and he cannot take it away from us, becauſe the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
But the wiſe men of the world, when they have moſt cauſe to uſe their wiſdome, then it faileth them, like the Sea-mans cunning in a violent ſtorm, it is gone ſaith David.
The wiſdom of God in man, is ever at the beſt in the greateſt tempeſt of danger and ſenſe of ſin.
The Diſciples when they are brought before Kings and Rulers are promiſed, Dabo vobis ſapientiam I will give you wiſdom; and further, Dabitur illâ horâ; it ſhall be given in that houre.
Steven at the houre of his death not diſtracted with the fury of them that ſtoned him, dyed calling upon God, calling on him for them that killed him.
God takes away wiſdome from them that know not how to uſe it. Such as are wiſe to do evil, but to do good have no underſtanding.
Wiſdom in an ungodly man is armata nequitia, armed wickedneſſe; and therefore David prayeth againſt it, let not their wicked imagination proſper.
It was Davids wiſdom, Audiam quid loquaturin me Deus, I will heare what the Lord will ſay. For he will ſpeak to our hearts peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt. He will uphold us with his counſell; the feare of the Lord is the beginning of our wiſdome.
2. The Aſſurance. Thus ſaith the Lord.
For the truſt in wiſdome is ſo confident, that the holy Prophet, though he had called his prophecy his Viſion, and though he had begun his whole Prophecy with Thus ſaith the Lord, yet the more to aſſure the events threatned, he reſumeth this authority.
1. He bringeth in God himſelfe deſperſing their firſt hope, I have made thee ſmall, the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee.
2. In their ſecond hope, which was in the ſtrength of their habitation, he bringeth in God ſpeaking to Edom, I will bring thee down ſaith the Lord.
3. Now again in this third hope of theirs, in the wiſdome of their wiſe men, two things do meet in this verſe to fortifie the aſſurance.
1. The authority of him that ſaith and doth thoſe things, Thus ſaith the Lord.
2. His appeale to them, for he doth not ſay I will deſtroy the wiſe men out of Edom: but he appealeth to their own hearts, ſaying, Shall I not deſtroy them, q. d. Do you think that I will be over-reached by your wiſe men? No, they ſhall not have wit enough to ſave themſelves, much leſſe to ſave you. For I will deſtroy them.
Which peremptory declaration of the will of him who is judge of all the world, doth leave no place for evaſion; for the Pſalmiſt ſaith of him, that He doth whatſover he will in heaven and in earth, and in all deep places.
By vertue of this certaine word of God we do gather this aſſurance againſt all the enemies of the Church in all ages thereof; for he hath ſaid it by the mouth of Iob;
How often is the Candle of the wicked put out? Job 21.17.And how oft cometh their deſtruction upon them? God diſtributeth ſorrowes in his anger.
What though the execution of this wrath be deferred? he addeth,
God layeth up his iniquity for his children, that is the puniſhment of his iniquity;ver. 19. as there is a decree againſt them in the counſell of God, and word againſt them, declaring the decree of God, ſo dies erit, there ſhall be a time.
3, The time in that day.
Our days and times be all in the hand of God, and they be hid in his own power, who in his ſecret wiſdom hath appointed them; when that day ſhould come, he hath not yet revealed to Edom in this Prophecie.
God is ſo patient and long-ſuffering that he doth not puniſh preſently; for vengeance is his, he may take his time when he will, and no man can reſiſt him.
The point here conſiderable is, That God in his ſecret wiſdome, hath deſigned a particular day for every execution of his will; yea the Scripture goeth ſo far as to the houre: even to a moment, the leaſt fraction of time.
This declareth that the wiſdome of the world and of fleſh hath but its time; there is a period fixed, wherein it muſt detertermine.
Ahitophels counſels went for Oracles till this day, then God turned his wiſdom into folly and deſtruction.
So God threatned Ieruſalem with a day in which the Lord would take away from them the mighty men, Iſa 3.2and the men of warre, the judge and the Prophet, the prudent and the ancient.
This he doth two wayes;
One by turning all their knowledge into ignorance, and their wiſdome into folly.
Another, by deſtroying their perſons, either by his ſore judgements, or by leading into captivity; here both are threatned; for he will deſtroy both prudentes, wiſe men, and prudentiam, their wiſdome in that day.
This may remember us of that great day of which St. Paul preached to the Athenians, Act. 17.31that God had appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteouſnes, by that man which he hath appointed.
For as the day of Ieruſalem, and the day of Edom, and the time of Gods particular judgements is ſet and fixt; ſo is the day of the laſt judgement, in which every man ſhall give an accompt to God of himſelf, and all our works ſhall come to judgement.
What manner of men then ought we to be, expecting this day, and providing for it?
This Doctrine of the ſet day of particular execution of Gods threatned wrath againſt ſinners, doth teach
1. Holy patience in waiting the Lords leaſure, and as the Apoſtle admoniſheth
Caſt not away therefore your confidence,
For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye may receive the promiſe.Heb. 10 35 36, 37.
For a little while, and he that ſhall come will come, and will not tarry.
And bleſſed is he that endureth to the end.
This living under the rod of the ungodly, and this beholding the proſperity of the wicked doth much diſquiet even the Saints of God on earth: as is the example of David we ſee.
Therefore we have need of patience, to ſweeten the ſorrows of life to us, and to clear our eyes, that we may not mourn as men without hope.
2. It teacheth faith; for the ſame Author ſaith,Ver. 38 Now the juſt ſhall live by faith; for he that hath promiſed is faithfull, and no word of his ſhall fall to the ground unfulfilled.
Faith cometh by hearing; let us then uſe it as the beſt remedy againſt the oppreſſions of the ungodly, to be ſwift to hear the word of God; that we may get the ſhield of faith to bear off all the darts of Satan: ſo David in that diſquiet went to the houſe of God; there he was taught the end of thoſe oppreſſors.
3. It teacheth holineſſe; for ſeeing the wrath of God from heaven is revealed againſt the enemies of the Church; there is no ſafety but in the Church of God, and that is the Congregation of Saints, theſe are ſafe in that day, he hideth ſuch under his wings, his faithfulneſſe and truth is their ſhield and buckler.
There ſhall no evill happen to them, neither ſhall any plague come nigh their dwelling.
So long as we make conſcience of our words, and thoughts, and wayes, and labour our ſanctification, and ſtrive againſt ſin, we need not fear in the evil day: holineſſe is our dore mark, and our forehead mark, the deſtroying Angel ſhall paſſe over.