The Pulpit Commentary — Obadiah — Section 28

for knowledge is power for working and for waiting, for doing and for su!Tcring]; and to knowledge temperance [temperance, or self-control, is an urgently needed grace]. and to temperance patience [wo are all called to endure; we must not expect that w~ can be Obristians without any trouble; Christ's eoldiers must learn to endure hardness]; and to patience godliness [piety, devotion]; and to godliness brotherly kindness [Edom knew nothing of brotherly kindness; this brotherly kindness is love to the brethren- love to the godly].'' And one more grace is enjoined," Add to brotherly kindness charity [love to everybody]." Thus, in walking holily before God, we shall, by the power of bis Spirit, keep from the sin of Edom, "Even thou wast as one of them"- one of the Babylonians; and all will take knowledge of us that we are the God-Man's disciples. The ointment of the right hand bewrayetb itself. We are Christ's. His we are, and him we serve. He waa as one of us (sin only excepted), that we might be one with him for ever.-A. C. T. Ver. 15.-Recompense is sure. "As th011 hast done, it shall be done onto thee." Herein we have an immensely important principle laid down, Sowing and reaping always correspond. "Whatsoever a man eowetb, that Rhall be also reap." All actions are seeds, many of which bear fruit in this world, and many in the next. "As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee.'' Edom had been merciless and cruel, and the prophet says, -" Thy reward shall return upon thine own head." fo like manner we find mystic Babylon denounced in Rev. xviii. 6 (I give the new version as more exact and expressive): "Render unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double." Here you see the principle in force-rendering to Babylon as she rendered; doubling to her as she doubled; mingling for her as she mingled. We cannot overestimate the immense importance of this principle. In this life nations and individuals are constantly exemplifying the solemn truth which it involves. We should therefore all carefully remember that we are seed-sowing, and sooner or later must come the harvest. God told Edom, "Thy reward shall be upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continua.Uy." So Edom drank the cup at the hands of Babylon; Babylon drank it at the hands of the Medes; the Medes and Persians drank it at the hands of the Macedonians; the Macedonians drank it at the hands of the Romans; the Romans, in their tum, drank it at the bands of the barbarians (Dr. Pusey). Thus as they had done, it was done to them. Their reward returned upon their own head. In Ezek. xxxv. 15 we have a similar denunciation of Edom: "As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do 'lfflto thee: and thou shalt be desolate, 0 Mount Seir, and all ldumea, even all of it." It is, you will notice, exactly the same kind of denunciation. In Prov. xxvi. 27 God says, " Whoso diggetb a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him." And in Ps. ix. 15 we are told, "The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken." In Numbers we find Moab plotting to curse Israel, and the curse ea.me upon himself. In Judges we read of Adoni-bezek ta.ken in battle, and maimed in his hands ond feet. Adoni-bezek acknowledged that he had himself maimed three score and ten petty princes. His words are not dissimilar to onr text, "As I have done, so God bath requited me.'' He confessed that the law of Nemesis had reached him. The end of Haman will occur to us. Haman dug a pit, and fell therein himself. He set a stone rolling, and it returned upon him. He perished upon the gallows which he prepared for Mordecai. In Ps. xviii, David says, "With the froward thou wilt show thyself froward.'' He clearly means that Jehovah will be sternly opposed to the sinner's frowardness. A similar passage is in Lev. xxvi., "If ye walk contrary unto me, then will I walk contrary unto you.'' The stubborn will gain nothing by their obstinacy. God will render to nations and individuals according to their ways. They shall be filled with the fruit of their own doings. The enemies of Daniel were devoured by the lions which they intended for his destruction. The accusers of the three Hebrews were consumed by the fiery furnace which they kindled for them. 'l'he plotters of mischief were ta.ken in their own wickedness and filled with their own way11. "As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee.'' In the case of Jezebel we have a terrible example of this kind. In the pll\Ce where Jezebel caused the dogs to lick the blood of  THE BOOK OF OBADIAH. [1-21.