Though You Soar Like the Eagle: Obadiah’s Judgment on Edom’s Pride

Scriptures for Today

Obadiah 1-9
The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.  2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.  3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?  4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.  5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?  6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!  7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.  8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?  9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.

Introduction – The Fall of the Proud

Obadiah is the smallest book in the Old Testament—only one chapter—but it carries a message as tall as the mountains of Edom.

To understand this book, you have to look backward—way back—to two brothers: Jacob and Esau. They fought in the womb, as twins, they wrestled for the birthright, and that rivalry never died.

Esau’s descendants became the nation of Edom, a people who lived high in the red cliffs of Mount Seir, in what’s now southern Jordan. They carved their homes into the rock. They built their cities in the heights. They thought they were untouchable.

Sometimes where we live makes us think we’re high and mighty. The rich and powerful like to have their homes and offices in the high rise buildings. They love to look down upon others. But pride builds tall—and then falls hard.

When Jerusalem was attacked by Babylon, Edom didn’t help their brother Judah. They cheered. They watched from the sidelines as God’s people were dragged away. They looted what was left. They said, “Tear it down!” (Psalm 137:7). And God said, “I saw that.”

So He raised up a prophet named Obadiah—his name means “Servant of the LORD.” And God gave him a message to deliver to a nation that thought it was safe from judgment.

Edom thought judgment couldn’t reach them because they lived higher than everyone else.
But you can’t build high enough to escape God. How high do you think you can build to escape God’s judgment? We think we’re high and mighty at times and that we can’t be touched. Nothing can stop us. Pride builds and pride increases.

We’re about to see what God does to the proud, how He humbles them, and how He lifts those who trust in Him. You’ll learn that pride always deceives—and humility always delivers.

Verse 1 – The Vision of Obadiah

Obadiah 1:1
The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

This is not a rumor like gossip—it’s a heavenly dispatch. God sends out word to the nations: “Prepare for battle—Edom’s judgment has come.”

Imagine I had a sealed envelope right here, and I said: “This is Heaven’s declaration of war against you.” God is declaring war on you. That’s what happened right here. Not good news for the people of Esau, the Edomites.

Notice how it starts: “The vision of Obadiah.” God doesn’t always give explanations—He reveals the truth. This vision is short but sharp—like a lightning strike. That’s how God does things.

Edom thought they were hidden in their mountains, but God’s message found them. You can’t outrun the mailman of Heaven. Edom, your mail is here. When you open it, it’s going to be the worst news of your life.

When God has a message for your pride, it always arrives on time. It’s not like the Gardiner Lane USPS facility here in Louisville. The mail won’t be late. God’s message comes in perfect timing.

Verse 2 – From Mighty to Miserable

Obadiah 1:2
Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.

God says, “You’ve made yourself great—I’m making you small.” The same God who promotes can also shrink. Imagine that statement from God to Edom. “Thou art greatly despised.” Or looked down upon or thought as worthless.

Why would God destroy a people? Worthless. Why keep them around? Let’s say all you do is speak against God, get drunk, smoke marijuana, be nasty to people, lie, steal, cheat others. Worthless. Be careful. Esau was a profane person who God hated. Despised.

Edom’s sin wasn’t just arrogance—it was comparison. They measured themselves by the nations around them and thought, “We’re better.” But the second you start measuring yourself by others, you’ve stopped measuring yourself by God. Many people think they’re better because they haven’t done this or that. “Well, I’m better than you.” Be very careful.

The world says “believe in yourself.” God says, “Humble yourself.” One leads to promotion, the other to destruction. When you think you’re better, that’s pride. Get all of that out of your mind.

Pride always shrinks you before it sinks you.

Visual: (Hold up a balloon, blow it up, show increase in pride, then pop it.) This is what pride does—it swells first, then it bursts.

Verse 3 – The Deception of Pride

Obadiah 1:3
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

They lived in Petra, a fortress city carved into cliffs 5,000 feet high. From that height, they thought they could see everything—and no one could touch them. But pride blinds. “Who shall bring me down?” Well, who do you think can bring down the most powerful nation on earth at any time? God can because He has all power and all might.

Their problem wasn’t architecture—it was attitude. They didn’t just live above others; they looked down on others. They thought they were better.

Pride doesn’t start with where you are—it starts with how you see yourself. It’s not about your place—it’s about your attitude.

Every time you say, “That could never happen to me,” pride is whispering your downfall. “Nothing can every defeat me. Look at me. Look at how great I am.” I believe God allows leaders to think they are so great so you can watch how hard they fall because of their pride. And don’t think that doesn’t apply to every one of us either.

Ask yourself: “What have I built high in my life that makes me think I’m safe from falling?”

Imagine a very high cliff and you live high above all the people. Let’s say you’re lifted up with pride. Do you think you’re too high for sin? Do you think sin can find a way up to your level? God is the only one HIGH ENOUGH were sin can’t reach. Sin reaches us in airplanes and in high places.

Verse 4 – Though You Soar Like the Eagle

Obadiah 1:4
Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

The eagle is majestic, powerful, and solitary—it represents strength and vision. Edom said, “We’re the eagle.” God said, “I made the sky.”

You can’t outfly judgment. No matter how high you soar, pride always meets gravity. The higher pride lifts you, the harder truth drops you. This verse shatters self-exaltation.

Every “I deserve,” every “I did this myself,” every “no one can touch me”—God brings down.

Pride feels harmless at first—like a light, gentle fall—but the landing is always painful. Many people will even encourage you in the pride you have. They will cheer you on until you hit rock bottom. The landing hurts.

Imagine God telling you: “I WILL BRING THEE DOWN.” That’s horrifying. When God targets you, it’s going to hurt. Edom is going to be hurting soon. Why? Because of pride.

Verse 5 – Robbers and Grapes

Obadiah 1:5
If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?

God says, “Even thieves leave something behind—but when I judge pride, nothing remains.” Thieves don’t steal everything. This is complete exposure. God is warning that He’s taking it all. You’ll have nothing left.

When sin has stripped you bare, you realize what pride was hiding: emptiness. Behind pride is true emptiness. A prideful person is an empty person. Pray for that person.

“You still see Nebuchadnezzars today — they just wear suits instead of crowns. They’re the ones on magazine covers, athletes thumping their chest after every play, CEOs saying, ‘I’m self-made.’
They talk like they control their destiny — until the market crashes, the fame fades, or the body breaks. And suddenly, the same people who shouted ‘Look at me!’ are whispering ‘God, help me.’

That’s what pride does. It blinds you on the way up and breaks you on the way down. You never know how much pride has stolen until humility starts restoring. Edom had wealth, armies, trade routes, allies—and God says, “I’ll leave you with nothing.” Every area of your life pride touches, it drains. Every relationship it infects, it isolates.

Verse 6 – The Exposure of Esau

Obadiah 1:6
How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

God says, “I’m about to open your vaults.” Everything you thought was private—your motives, your manipulations, your secrets—brought into the light. All of those private sins you have? God knows them. He says, “I’ll bring them out. I’ll make it all public.”

“Esau” is used here to remind them of their origin—the man who traded God’s blessing for a bowl of stew. The prideful man. Pride always sells eternity for appetite. Imagine selling your soul for money. Imagine selling your spot in heaven for a new car or a new house.

God doesn’t expose you to destroy you; He exposes you to deliver you.

Imagine I had a locked box right here with all your secrets. We all have secrets. But I had all of yours right here. And I unlocked it, and I started to share all your secrets with the world. All of your secret thoughts shared with the world. “When God opens your hidden things, it’s not for humiliation—it’s for healing.” Sometimes that’s what we need.

Verse 7 – Betrayed by Your Own Friends

Obadiah 1:7
All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.

Now the allies turn. Your friends turn your back on you. The nations Edom trusted—traders, treaty partners, friends—betray them. God can do anything. Pride makes terrible company and worse friends. Nothing good will come from pride. Nothing.

When you use people for position, God lets them use you for payback.

Edom had turned against Judah; now God turns Edom’s own allies against them. It’s poetic justice.

If pride built your friendships, betrayal will break them. Only humility keeps loyalty.

(Hold a knife behind your back.) This is what pride invites—people who eat with you but wound you. They’re just waiting for the right time to stab you in the back.

Pride in your life will invite those kind of people. We cannot be proud people. We must be a humble people. Some people believe that people are always out to get them. Well, that most likely comes from the pride they’ve had throughout their life. And then they’ll accuse others of betraying them when that’s what they expect because that’s what’s happened to them. It’s pride.

Verse 8 – When Wisdom Fails

Obadiah 1:8
Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?

Edom was famous for its wisdom—its scholars and strategists. Their capital, Teman, was known like Athens or Alexandria. But when pride takes over, even intelligence turns into arrogance.

You can have degrees and still be blind if pride holds the pen. Education doesn’t equal wisdom. You can have all the knowledge in the world — diplomas, titles, success — but if pride is writing your story, you’ll still miss the truth. In other words: Pride makes smart people foolish. It closes your eyes to correction, truth, and God’s voice — so even with “degrees,” you can’t see clearly.

There’s nothing wrong with knowledge, education, learning the truth, math, English, writing, science, physics, art. All of those things are great. But pride ruins all of that.

God removes wisdom when men stop fearing Him. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” When pride enters, wisdom exits. Remember that. Edom was full of pride. No wisdom. It’s gone. Esau was a foolish man. Pride filled him. He was an empty man.

Imagine I am holding the book of wisdom. Let’s say you need this book for wisdom. It’s your book. But I close it up and seal it forever. “When God shuts the book of wisdom, even the smartest stumble.” No more wisdom for you. Why? Because of pride. That’s what pride does. We must be humble, get rid of all the pride in every way, and gain wisdom from God.

Verse 9 – The Mighty Fall

Obadiah 1:9
And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.

That’s scary right there. “Every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by SLAUGHTER.” When God says slaughter, that’s what He means. Teman was Edom’s stronghold—the pride of its power. Now its warriors tremble. God dismantles not only their wisdom but their strength.

Teman, the man, who the Temanite came from, was Esau’s grandson. Jeremiah 49 tells us they had wisdom at one time. The Temanite was known for wisdom. You see Eliphaz the Temanite in Job. “Even the smartest, strongest, and most established people in Edom — the ones everyone admired — are about to be brought to nothing.”

When God starts breaking your idols, He begins with the ones you trust most. They thought no one could reach their mountains. But judgment doesn’t climb—it descends. They were lifted up with pride.

The proud man says, “No one can bring me down.” The humble man says, “Only God can hold me up.” Do you see the difference? It’s night and day difference.

Imagine I had a huge stone right here in my hands. And I dropped it. And it shattered everywhere. God can break any stone, any stronghold, any nation, and any man into pieces. Every mountain without mercy eventually becomes rubble. Without God’s mercy, you’re done.

Teman represents the height of human pride and intellect—and its downfall shows that no fortress of wisdom or might stands against God’s justice.

Closing Challenge – Lessons from the Eagle’s Fall

Edom’s story is every person’s story. When you think you’re too high to fall, you’re already falling. God resists the proud—but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Make sure you hear that again. Let me show it to you from God’s word:

James 4:6
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Think about that. GOD RESISTS THE PROUD. Always. Run from pride. The high and mighty eagle falls. That eagle dies. Pride is thinking too highly of yourself and too little of God and others. Maybe you refuse to admit you’re wrong. Maybe you brag about what you did instead of thanking God. Maybe you look down on others because they have less. Maybe you act like you don’t need help when you do. Maybe you won’t even ask God for help. That’s pride.

Pride is when you take credit for what God gave you. In short, pride says, “I don’t need God.”

Obadiah shows us that God’s justice is exact—but His mercy is still available. He brings down the proud so He can lift up the broken.

Ask yourself tonight:

• What heights have I built that God needs to level and demolish? And get ready.
• What secret pride have I mistaken for strength? It’s not strength at all. You just thought it was.
• What “mountain” have I been hiding behind instead of kneeling on? Do you have a mountain like the Edomites did? What are you hiding in the high mountains?

Hiding behind success — thinking as long as things look good, you’re good. Hiding behind religion — showing up to church but never bowing your heart. Hiding behind anger — because it’s easier to lash out than to humble down. Hiding behind busyness — doing everything for God but not spending time with God.

Pride builds walls—but humility opens doors. You can soar like an eagle, but if pride builds your wings, God will bring you down to grace. He will flatten you. And look, we can correct things before God has to flatten us. Let’s get it fixed now.

Be humble. I’m going to give you 8 things you can take right here, right now that will prevent pride and destruction in your life:

1. When you’re wrong, admit it. Don’t double down. Don’t defend. Don’t excuse. Hey, I was wrong. I was dead wrong. I’m sorry. No excuses.
2. Listen more than you talk. When someone is speaking, stop waiting for your turn to respond. Ask questions. Care about their story. Humility listens before it lectures.
3. Serve someone who can’t pay you back. Do something small for someone. Mow a lawn. Bring some groceries to someone struggling. Encourage a coworker secretly.
4. Start you day on your knees. Try it. This humbles you. You’re on your knees privately because you need God. Kneeling in private keeps your heart right in public.
5. Give away something you want to keep. “I earned this.” Instead, God gave me this.
6. Take correction without getting defensive. Don’t get all defensive. Take it and learn.
7. Celebrate the success of others. Clap for people who win. Jealousy shrinks you. Gratitude grows you.
8. Apologize first. Even if they hurt you too. Even if you’re more right. Apologize. Try it. You take the first step towards peace.

Let’s pray.