Your presumptuous heart has deceived you, you who live in clefts of the
rock in your home on the heights, who say to yourself, “Who can bring me down
to the ground?”
Obadiah 3
As I continue to
journey through the Old Testament, I have a fresh appreciation for how the prophets
address contemporary issues with great precision. Obadiah is the shortest book
in the Bible, but it packs a powerful punch when it comes to the dangers of
pride. The question of Obadiah 3 is attributed to Edom, the descendants of
Esau. It’s a question that is saturated with pride: “Who can bring me down?”
Great question Edom, are you ready for the answer? Of course, the answer is “God”.
Obadiah shows that pride encourages foolish invincibility. Though we may never
ask such a presumptuous question with those exact words, it’s an attitude that can easily creep into our lives. How do we overcome
it? In the 6th century, Benedict of Nursia addressed the need of his
day with an ironic call to ascend the
“Ladder of Humility”. It’s a ladder that we need to climb.
“The first step of
humility is to have a constant reverence for God before our eyes. We must shun
our tendency of forgetfulness and be always mindful of God’s commands…Let us
remember that God sees all form heaven, that the eyes of God are upon us at all
times and in all places.”
Benedict
reminds us that it is impossible for our pride to grow alongside of reverence
for the Almighty and a mindfulness of God’s commands.
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