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TN_12_MacArthur_Bible_Dec.qxd 8/8/03 17:33 Page 1270

DECEMBER 17
10 “For violence against your brother Jacob,
Shame shall cover you,
And you shall be cut off forever.
1 The vision. The prophetic word often came 11 In the day that you stood on the other
from God in the form of a vision (Hab. 1:1). side—
Thus says the Lord GOD. Although the back- In the day that strangers carried
ground of the prophet is obscure, the source captive his forces,
of his message is not. It was supernaturally When foreigners entered his gates
given by God and was not motivated by unholy And cast lots for Jerusalem—
vengeance. Edom. Descendants of Esau (Gen. Even you were as one of them.
25:30; 36:1ff.), the Edomites settled in the
region south of the Dead Sea. Arise,…rise up 12 “But you should not have gazed
against her. The prophet heard of an interna- on the day of your brother
tional plot to overthrow Edom. The selfish In the day of his captivity;
motives of Edom’s enemies were divinely con- Nor should you have rejoiced over the
trolled by the Lord’s “messengers” to serve His children of Judah
sovereign purposes (Ps.104:4). In the day of their destruction;
Nor should you have spoken proudly
In the day of distress.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived 13 You should not have entered the gate
you,
You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, of My people
Whose habitation is high; In the day of their calamity.
You who say in your heart, ‘Who will Indeed, you should not have gazed on
bring me down to the ground?’ their affliction
4 Though you ascend as high as the eagle, In the day of their calamity,
And though you set your nest among Nor laid hands on their substance
the stars, In the day of their calamity.
From there I will bring you down,” 14 You should not have stood at the
says the LORD. crossroads
To cut off those among them who
“If thieves had come to you, escaped;
5
If robbers by night— Nor should you have delivered up
Oh, how you will be cut off!— those among them who remained
Would they not have stolen till they
had enough? In the day of distress.
If grape-gatherers had come to you, 15 “For the day of the LORD upon all the
Would they not have left some gleanings? nations is near;
6 “Oh, how Esau shall be searched out! As you have done, it shall be done to you;
How his hidden treasures shall be Your reprisal shall return upon your
sought after! own head.
7 All the men in your confederacy 16 For as you drank on My holy mountain,
Shall force you to the border; So shall all the nations drink continually;
The men at peace with you Yes, they shall drink, and swallow,
Shall deceive you and prevail against And they shall be as though they had
you. never been.
Those who eat your bread shall lay 17 “But on Mount Zion there shall be de-
a trap for you. liverance,
No one is aware of it. And there shall be holiness;
8 “Will I not in that day,” says the LORD, The house of Jacob shall possess their
“Even destroy the wise men from possessions.
Edom, 18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
And understanding from the And the house of Joseph a flame;
mountains of Esau? But the house of Esau shall be stubble;
9 Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall They shall kindle them and devour
be dismayed, them,
To the end that everyone from the And no survivor shall remain of the
mountains of Esau house of Esau,”
May be cut off by slaughter. For the LORD has spoken.

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