Audio Download

Book of Obadiah – Oba 1:10 For Violence to your Brother…You Have Been Cut Off

[Study Aired February 7, 2024]

Oba 1:10  For slaughter, for violence to thy brother Jacob, Cover thee doth shame, And thou hast been cut off—to the age.

Oba 1:10  For slaughter^{H4480 H6993} For thy violence^{H4480 H2555} against thy brother^H251 Jacob^H3290 shame^H955 shall cover^{H3680 (H8762 Piel)} thee, and thou shalt be cut off^{H3772 (H8738 Niphal)} for ever.^H5769

H4480 – Min, from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than, some of, after (of time), from…even to, both…and, either…or, too much for, through, because, from H4482, Mane, musical chord, a stringed instrument from an unused root to apportion

H6993 – Kehtel, slaughter, from a primitive root H6991, Kawtal, to slay, kill (Used three times in OT)

H4480 – see above

H2555 – Khawmawse, violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice, from a primitive root H2554, Khawmas, to wrong, do violence to, treat violently, do wrongly, be treated violently

H251 – Awkh, brother, half-brother (same father), relative, kinship, same tribe, each to the other (reciprocal relationship), of resemblance, a primitive word

H3290 – Ya`aqob, Jacob = heel holder or supplanter, from a primitive root H6117, Awkab, to supplant, circumvent, take by the heel, follow/attack at the heel, assail insidiously, overreach, to hold back

H955 – Buwshah, shame, (Used 4 times in OT) participle passive of a primitive root H954, Boosh, to pale, be ashamed, be disappointed, delayed, confounded, confusion, become dry, delay, be long

H3680 – Kawsaw, (Piel) to cover, conceal, clothe, cover over, spread over, overwhelm, a primitive root

H3772 – Karath, (Niphal) to be cut off/down, be chewed, fail, a primitive root

H5769 – Olam, long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world, long time, always, continuous existence, perpetual, indefinite or unending future, eternity, from a primitive root H5956, Alam, to conceal, hide, be hidden, be concealed, be secret, dissembler, hide oneself

Here is the literal translation of Obadiah 1:10 with the root words included:

Oba 1:10 Because of slaughter and the treating violently (we do to our) brother Jacob, (our old man will be) supplanted, shame (become dry) covers (our old man and it will be) cut down perpetually (continually).

The old man in us is, by design, created to be a “very good” adversary to the New Man. “Very good” is in the sense of being very effective at carrying out its purpose. It is an appropriate tool for the job at hand. In the same way God comments on all the beasts of the earth of His creation (including the serpent), saying it was “good” [H2896: ṭôb, appropriate]

Gen 1:24  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Gen 1:25  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good (appropriate).

The old man is a very good (appropriate) adversary. However, we reap what we sow, and all actions have consequences. It is because of the violence against the new man, the old man is being covered in shame as it is being cut down. Ultimately, the old man in us “shall come to nought.” There are a few Hebrew words translated as shame

1. H955 boo-shaw’ feminine of H954, shame
2. H954 boosh meaning to be pale, become dry
3. H1322 bo’-sheth from H954 shame (the feeling and the condition, as well as its cause); by implication (specifically) an idol.

• a drying up of a land. 
• When a wetland dries up the fish and vegetation die and begin to stink from the rotting matter. 
• Something that gives off a bad odor or is loathsome. [Hebrew and Aramaic]: stink, abhor, abomination, loathsome, stinking, savour, displeased.

Shame is used in the context of being clothed or covered and also translated as confused

Psa 89:44  Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.
Psa 89:45  The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame [H955]

Job 8:22  They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame [H1322]; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought

Psa 71:1  In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion [H954]

The passage in Ezekiel about the Valley of the dry bones uses the Hebrew word H3002 yaw-bashe’ to describe the bones as dry. It comes from the root word H3001 yaw-bashe’ meaning ashamed, confused and confounded. 

Eze 37:1  The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
Eze 37:2  And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry [H3002].

These bones are dry, and we know Christ referred to living people as ‘dead’ when He said, “Let the dead bury their dead” (Mat 8:22). Spiritually speaking, our bones are very dry if we are not clothed with Christ. If we do not have Christ, the quickening spirit, to cover our bones, we do not have true life

Eze 37:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

It is only when we are given the breath (spirit) of Christ to cover our bones that we are given life. This life covers our dry bones as we hear the word. We “hear” in the full sense of the word, because we hear and understand.

Eze 37:4  Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
Eze 37:5  Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath [wind/spirit/make of quick understanding] to enter into you, and ye shall live:

It is Christ alone who gives us life, even though we were slain, His covering is life.

Eze 37:6  And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 37:7  So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
Eze 37:8  And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them

Here is how flesh and blood is described in the New Testament. Spiritually speaking, flesh is not flesh; flesh is “meat”, and blood is not blood; blood is “drink.” Meat and drink are how we are transformed from the old corruptible state (having dry bones) to the nourished New man.

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Joh 6:57  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Joh 6:58  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Christ lives by the father; meaning Christ is in the Father and obedient to the words of His father having come to do not His will but the will of His Father. We can say the same. We are in Christ and He is in us because we are obedient to His words. We are filling up behind of the afflictions of Christ in our bodies as Christ increases in us. Our new sinew and flesh covering us is the New man dwelling in us. Christ dwells in us the same way drinking water dwells in us (physically) and gives us nourishment and life.

Eze 37:9  Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live

Eze 37:14  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

While the old man will be clothed with shame, the new man is clothed with white raiment. Being clothed with Christ means He is putting His spirit in us.

Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

In Revelation we see the contrast of the old man (whatsoever worketh abomination) and the new man (they that are written in the Lamb’s book of life).

Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

In Zimbabwe, I remember growing up in a very warm and welcoming Church. The people were very genuine, loving and kind. During Sunday church I remember clearly singing the worship song with the lyrics, “Is your name written in the lamb’s book of life?” Most Christians, if you asked, would say yes, they want their name written there, and their name is written there because they have welcomed Jesus Christ into their heart. In their hearts they have the assurance of their salvation. However, the mystery of our salvation, and how this happens, is revealed in scriptures. We know it to be a process; a process in which we are more of a bystander than author. Ultimately, Jesus Christ is the author of our salvation (Heb 2:10) and author and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2). This process of salvation which Christ is orchestrating is described using the Greek word [G341] renewed:

Rom 11:25  For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery—that ye may not be wise in your own conceits—that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in;
Rom 11:26  and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it hath been written, ‘There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety [wickedness] from Jacob,
Rom 11:27  and this to them is the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.’
Rom 11:28  As regards, indeed, the good tidings, they are enemies on your account; and as regards the choice—beloved on account of the fathers;
Rom 11:29  for unrepented of are the gifts and the calling of God;
Rom 11:30  for as ye also once did not believe in God, and now did find kindness by the unbelief of these:
Rom 11:31  so also these now did not believe, that in your kindness they also may find kindness;
Rom 11:32  for God did shut up together the whole to unbelief, that to the whole He might do kindness.
Rom 11:33  O depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
Rom 11:34  for who did know the mind of the Lord? or who did become His counsellor?
Rom 11:35  or who did first give to Him, and it shall be given back to him again?
Rom 11:36  because of Him, and through Him, and to Him are the all things; to Him is the glory—to the ages. Amen.

Rom 12:1  I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice—living, sanctified, acceptable to God—your intelligent service;
Rom 12:2  and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing [G342] of your mind, for your proving what is the will of God—the good, and acceptable, and perfect.

The word “renewing” appears twice in the New Testament (Rom 12:2, Tit 3:5). Renewing is the Greek word G342 [an-ak-ah’ee-no-sis] derived from G341; renovation: – renewing.

Tit 3:5  (not by works that are in righteousness that we did but according to His kindness,) He did save us, through a bathing of regeneration, and a renewing of the Holy Spirit.

It is derived from G341 [an-ak-ahee-no’-o] meaning:

• to cause to grow up, new, to make new
• new strength and vigour is given to one, to invigorate
• to be changed into a new kind of life as opposed to the former corrupt state

G341 also appears twice in the New Testament

2Co 4:16  wherefore, we faint not, but if also our outward man doth decay, yet the inward is renewed day by day.

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, having put off the old man with his practices,
Col 3:10  and having put on the new, which is renewed in regard to knowledge, after the image of Him who did create him

The process of our salvation is Jacob supplanting Esau within us. It is us putting on the new, and putting off the old man with his practices. This is what we are instructed to lay hold of: “to lay hold on the hope set before us.”

Heb 6:18  that through two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, a strong comfort we may have who did flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us,
Heb 6:19  which we have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and entering into that within the vail,
Heb 6:20  whither a forerunner for us did enter—Jesus, after the order of Melchisedek chief priest having become—to the age.

Conclusion and Spiritual Principle

Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ASV)

2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture at all is becoming its own explanation

We see that our valley-of-dry-bones experience is Spiritual. It is our coming out of Babylon and putting on Christ which renews and invigorates our dry bones, transforming us into the New Man.