The Pulpit Commentary — Obadiah — Section 21

1 hce.r?" Some may remind us of the young man who, ou hearing the oommand- ments, ~aid he had kept them all; but when Christ searched him through and through he left Christ's presence, preferring his earthly possessions to heavenly riches. Hi: heart WRs e.s a gree.t stone, which, when disturbed, revealed numberleas creeping things which at once shrank from the light and hsstened away into new darkness. How a.re the things of Esau see.robed out I The disclosure must come. It is inevitable. "There is nothing covered that ahe.ll not be revealed, neither hid that ane.11 not be known," It may not be in this world, it may not be until the day-the great day-of judgment, but it must come. The things of Ese.u must be searched out, the folly of self-confidence must be made manifest. II. ln the ne:i.:t place, we may consider ESAU AS THE TYPB OF THE WORLDLY. We know how the first of the race be.rtered his birthright for a mess of pottage. And the race yet lives. There are yet multitudes ca.rnally minded, who reject joint kinship with Obrist for the sake of some mess of pottage, or some cup of pleasure, or some glittering toy, or the incense of human honour. How m.a.ny are ready to exclaim, when we offer them the religion of Christ, that it wonld ende.nger their success in the world I Bo Demetrius, the silversmith, alarmed his fellow-craftsman by telling them that Chris- tie.nity would jeopardize their profits. "Sirs, ye know that by this ere.ft we have our wealth." The world so fills the vision of such persons that they have no eyes for Christ, no eyes for heaven, no eyes for the coming glory, no eyes for immortality. They have eyes and see not; ears have they, e.nd hear not. Like the raven in the Flood they prefer the dead carcases to the security of the ark. Like Ishmael, they are ready to mock at those who differ from them. They ridicule the walk of faith. The cross of Christ is to them foolishness. Shall not God visit for these things? To be carnally minded is death. They are like the fabled vessel drawing nigh to the loadstone rock. They get nearer e.nd nearer, when, lo I every bolt and nail ia drawn out to the magnet, and the ship is e.n utter wreck. "How are the things of Esau searched out!" The worldly policy of multitudes may seem for a while to prosper, but the end of these things is death. Some years ago a woman was executed for murder. The fatal deed had been committed to obtain a five-pound note. When the coveted note was gained it was found to be only a pret.ence. It was ce.lled a five-pound "Bank of Elegance" note. Yet for this poor sham the miserable young woman risked her life and took the life of another. What an illustration of Esau's barter-a birthright for a mess of pottage I An inheritance incorruptible is forfeited for some gilded toy. " The wages of sin ia death." "How are the things of Esau searched out!" ill. In the next place, we m.a.y consider ESAU AS THE TYPE OF THE UNBYMPATHIZING .U."D CRUEL. In ver. 10 the prophet says, "For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever." This uneympathizing, hard-hearted, cruel spirit is directly opposite to that of Christ. The laws of the king- dom call to gentleness, meekness, brotherly kindness, charity. Christ hath left us an example, that we should follow his steps. He is the gentle Jesus. He is the tender Shepherd. He is the Brother born for adversity, He ga'\"'e him8elf for us. Hie mercy is everlastrng. He is the sympathizing High Priest. It is clear, then, that the sin of Esau was very great. Jacob from his dying couch denounced the cruelty of Simeon and Levi, although by grace the latter was ce.lled to high privileges in Israel. "Instru- ments of cruelty are in their habitations. 0 my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united!" And in a little while he adds, "Cursed be their anger, for it was great, and their wrath, for it was cruel." But here we have the inveterate cruelty of centuries. The hatred of Esau against Israel had survived many generations. An unyielding, deadly, cruel antagonism to the Jews had been a leading characteristic of Edom. Eeau's cruelty wss of a most unnatural type. And it bad grown worse and worse. The prophet tells us he first looked on Jacob's calamity, then laughed, then insulted, then plundered, and then imprisoned and murdered. We have, then, in Es:i.u a type of the unsympathizing e.nd _cruel. And is not the red hand of Esau, the cruel, blood-dyed hand of Eae.u, at work 1n our own day? What are the fearful atrocities, the horrible cruelties, the maiminge, the murders, the helliah plots, the demon-like machinations ? What mean . the heart- rending tears and sorrows of widows a.nd orphans? What mean the distress and 1,uverty of multitudes of ladies-Ireland's matrons and daughters? What mean the 1-21,] THE BOOK OF OBADIAH. 17