Foretold / Prophets of the Bible | Part 8

The big idea

Pride is natural, but humility and compassion are intentional choices we make when we remember Jesus, not ourselves, is the hero of our story.

Even an obscure, one-page Old Testament book like Obadiah has something to teach us about God's fierce love for His people, our human capacity to forget where we came from and exploit others in their suffering, and the intentional call to walk in humility and compassion instead.

Point 1 of 7

Pastor Scott opens by admitting that read on its own, Obadiah can feel completely irrelevant, but points to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 to argue every part of Scripture is useful. He gives five questions to ask of any text: what it teaches about God, about people, about ourselves, whether there's a command to obey, and who to share it with.

Point 2 of 7

Pastor Scott traces the story from Abram in Genesis 12 through Jacob and Esau, explaining how Esau's line became Edom and Jacob's became Israel, and how old sibling bitterness carried down through generations. Edom, proud and seemingly untouchable in their rock-cut cities, let Babylon pass through to destroy Jerusalem, then looted the wreckage and handed over fleeing survivors.

Point 3 of 7

Pastor Scott reads through Obadiah, showing how God condemns Edom's pride, their gloating over Jerusalem's destruction, and their violence against Jacob, declaring that their deeds will return on their own heads and expanding the warning to all nations.

Point 4 of 7

Pastor Scott asks whether God was unjust toward Edom given what they had done, using an illustration of someone attacking his own kids to argue that a father's fierce response to protect his children isn't evil, it's justice, and God's anger at Edom reflects the same protective love.

Point 5 of 7

Pastor Scott points out that Edom was part of Abraham's covenant family yet still let Babylon overrun Jerusalem and then picked over the ruins, showing how easily people forget their own story and turn savage toward the vulnerable.

Point 6 of 7

Pastor Scott shares personal and pastoral stories, marriage struggles, starting a business, to show how easily we forget God's role in our victories and credit ourselves instead. He offers the practice of saying 'Jesus is the hero of my story, not me' and points to Philippians 2's kenosis, Christ humbling Himself, as the model to imitate.

Point 7 of 7

Pastor Scott defines compassion as recognizing shared humanity, contrasting it with Edom's gloating, and cites Matthew 9:36 where Jesus has compassion on the crowds because they are harassed and helpless. He tells his friend Scott Richards' childhood story of picking the bullied kid first for a basketball team as a picture of everyday compassion, and closes by praying for anyone who has been exploited while vulnerable.

Take it into your week

Pastor Scott frames the charge as trading a natural posture of pride for the intentional practice of humility and compassion.