Audio Download

Book of Obadiah – Oba 1:7 The Men that were at Peace with thee have Deceived Thee

[Study Aired January 17, 2024]

Oba 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.

Oba 1:7  All^H3605 the men^H376 of thy confederacy^H1285 have brought^{H7971 (H8765 Piel)} thee even to^H5704 the border:^H1366 the men^H376 that were at peace^H7965 with thee have deceived^{H5377 (H8689 Hiphil)} thee, and prevailed^{H3201 (H8804 Qal)} against thee; they that eat thy bread^H3899 have laid^{H7760 (H8799 Qal)} a wound^H4204 under^H8478 thee: there is none^H369 understanding^H8394 in him.

H3605 – Kol, all, the whole, the whole of, any, each, every, anything, totality, everything, from a primitive root H3634, Kalal, to complete, perfect, make complete, make perfect

H376 – Eesh, man, male, husband, human being, person, servant, mankind, champion, great man, whosoever, each, contracted for H582, Enoshe, man, mortal man, person, mankind, of an individual, men, from a primitive root H605, Anash, to be weak, sick, frail, be incurable, desperate, incurable, desperately wicked, woeful, very sick

H1285 – Bereeth, covenant, alliance, pledge, treaty, league, constitution, ordinance, agreement, from a primitive root H1262, Barah, to eat, consume, for eating, devouring, to cause to eat

H7971 – Shalach, (Piel) to send off/away/out/forth, dismiss, give over, cast out, let go/down, set free, shoot forth (of branches), shoot, a primitive root

H5704 – Ad, as far as, even to, until, up to, while, of space, in combination, from…as far as, both…and (with ‘min’ – from), of time, unto, till, during, end, of degree, to the degree of, even like, until, while, to the point that, so that even, properly, the same as H5703, Ad, perpetuity, for ever, continuing future, ancient, for ever, of continuous existence, from a primitive root H5710, Ahdah, to pass on, advance, go on, pass by, remove, put on, remove

H1366 – Ghebool, territory, border, region, from a primitive root H1379, Gabal, to bound, border, set bounds, set bounds for

H376 – see above

H7965 – Shalowm, completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, safety, health, prosperity, quiet, tranquillity, contentment, friendship, from a primitive root H7999, Shalam, to be in a covenant of peace, be at peace, peaceful one, one in covenant of peace, make peace with, cause to be at peace, live in peace, be complete, be sound, be finished, be ended, be uninjured, complete, finish, make safe/whole/good, restore, make compensation, pay, requite, recompense, reward, be performed, be repaid, be requited, perform, make an end of

H5377 – Nasha, (Hiphil) to beguile, deceive, a primitive root

H3201 – Yakol, (Qal) to prevail, overcome, endure, have power/ability/strength, be able, be able to gain/accomplish/endure/reach, prevail over or against, be victor, a primitive root

H3899 – Lekhem, bread, food, grain, from a primitive root H3898, Lakham, to fight, do battle, make war, engage in battle, wage war, to eat, use as food

H7760 – Soom, (Qal) to put, place, set, appoint, make, lay, put/lay upon, lay (violent) hands on, direct, direct toward, extend (compassion), ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, determine, fix, station, set in place, plant, make for, transform into, fashion, work, bring to pass, give, a primitive root

H4204 – Mahzore, net, trap, (Used once in OT) from a primitive root H2114, Zoor, to be strange, be a stranger, become estranged, strange, another, stranger, foreigner, an enemy, loathsome, strange woman, prostitute, harlot, be estranged, be one alienated

H8478 – Takhath, the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas, under, at the foot of, sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened/oppressed, of subjection or conquest, what is under one, the place in which one stands, in one’s place, instead of, in place of, in exchange or return for, instead of, instead of that, in return for that, because that, into the place of (after verbs of motion), from under, from beneath, from under the hand of, from his place, from the same as H8430, Toakh, Toah = lowly, from an unused root meaning to depress

H369 – Ayin, nothing, not, nought, have not, without, for lack of, as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist

H8394 – Tahboon, understanding, intelligence, skill, intelligence, insight, teacher, from a primitive root H995, Bene, to discern, understand, consider, perceive, know, observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, have discernment, insight, understanding, be discerning, intelligent, discreet, have understanding, cause to understand, give understanding, teach, to show oneself discerning or attentive, consider diligently, instruct, prudent, regard

In this study we will look at the topic of deception exploring the following words:

[1] H5377 (naw-shaw’) a primitive root word meaning to lead astray, beguile, seduce
[2] H4820 (meer-maw’) meaning guile, deception, fraud, treachery
[3] H6601 (paw-thaw’) meaning to open, deceive, flatter, persuade
[4] H8267 (sheh’-ker) meaning an untruth, a sham
[5] G5579 (psyoo’-dos) meaning a falsehood, lying
[6] G5574 (psyoo’-dom-ahee) meaning to utter an untruth
[7] G533 (ap-ar-neh’-om-ahee) meaning to deny or disown

In verse 7 of Obadiah, the word used for deceived is H5377 (naw-shaw’) a primitive root word meaning to lead astray, beguile, seduce. The word first appears in Genesis:

Gen 3:13  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

We know Satan is the father of lies:

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Satan’s lies are nourished by the prideful heart of man, and it is through the pride of our own heart we are deceived: 

Jer 49:16  Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.

Oba 1:3  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee.

Here are some examples of how the words associated with deception are used in the old testament.

Rebekah deceives her husband Isaac in blessing Jacob instead of Esau. To carry out the deception, she commands Jacob to obey her voice:

Gen 27:8  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

When Jacob questions this, she responds:

Gen 27:11  And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
Gen 27:12  My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver (a cheater); and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
Gen 27:13  And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

After Jacob is blessed, Esau returns and the deception is revealed. Isaac is said to have trembled (shudder with terror) upon finding out about the deception

Gen 27:32  And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
Gen 27:33  And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
Gen 27:34  And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
Gen 27:35  And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty (H4820), and hath taken away thy blessing.

Rebekah orchestrated the deception, causing Jacob to come with subtilty H4820 (meer-maw’) meaning guile, deception, fraud, treachery.

Another example is when Laban acts with treachery in giving Jacob Leah as a wife, instead of Rachel. The word used here is raw-maw’ (H7411) meaning to hurl, delude, or betray.

Gen 29:25  And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled (H7411) me?

Another example of deception is Rachel deceiving both her husband and her father by stealing Laban’s idols and keeping it secret from Jacob. Jacob even went as far to say whoever Laban finds as the thief, shall not live:

Gen 31:32  With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

Rachel deceives her Father in hiding the idols:

Gen 31:34  Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
Gen 31:35  And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

The Lord abhors deception:

Psa 5:6  Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful (H4820) man.

Pro 11:1  A false (H4820) balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
Pro 11:2  When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

These deceitful acts by Rebekah, Rachel, and Laban are an abomination and abhorrent. However, we know that ultimately, it is the Lord orchestrating deception:

Ezk 14:9  And if the prophet be deceived (H6601) when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived (H6601) that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Samson’s wife is instructed to deceive/entice/flatter persuade her husband.

Jdg 14:15  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice (H6601) thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?

This Hebrew word is further described as a lying spirit:

1Ki 22:20  And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade (H6601) him.
1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying (H8267) spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying (H8267) spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

H8267 (meaning an untruth) comes from the primitive root word H8266 shaw-kar’ meaning to cheat, that is, be untrue (usually in words): – fail, deal falsely, lie.

Lev 19:11  Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely (H8266), neither lie one to another.

Jer 7:8  Behold, ye trust in lying (H8267) words, that cannot profit.

In the New Testament we see how this lying spirit is destroyed by Christ.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying (G5579) wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

No lie is of the truth, and the antidote to this untruth is to remain in Him and his Word.

1Jn 2:21  I did not write to you because ye have not known the truth, but because ye have known it, and because no lie is of the truth.

1Jn 2:28  And now, little children, remain in him, that when he may be manifested, we may have boldness, and may not be ashamed before him, in his presence;
1Jn 2:29  if ye know that he is righteous, know ye that every one doing the righteousness, of him hath been begotten.

Col 3:9  Lie (G5574) 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.

Laban, Rebekah, and Rachel’s deceptive acts are examples, in type and shadow, of the old man with his lying practices.

Conclusion

How are we to handle deception, knowing the Lord is orchestrating all things? We know that discerning truth from error is the process used to strengthen our character in Christ. In Revelation the question is asked, “Who is similar to the beast? Who is able to make war with the beast?” It is discerning truth from error that is the waging of war against the beast and the multitude of lies and false doctrines:

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto (similar, in like manner) the beast? who is able to make war with him?

In the previous study we saw how similar Jacob and Esau were, because they were twins. In Revelation 13 the question is asked, “Who is like unto the beast?” Ecclesiastes answers the question:

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Those who know they are desperately wicked and therefore the chief of sinners, understand the need for pruning. Our hedge is removed for the trials to accomplish their good work in us. The Lord will make us overcomers while we strive to work out our own salvation as we wage war against the beast within. Here is how Christ “wages (spiritual) war”:

Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight (to be engaged in warfare) against them with the sword (G4501) of my mouth (language).

The Greek word for sword (G4501) is used 7 times in the New Testament:

G4501 ῥομφαία (hrom-fah’-yah) Probably of foreign origin; a sabre, that is, a long and broad cutlass (any weapon of the kind, literally or figuratively): – sword.

Luk 2:35  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed

Rev 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Rev 19:21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Christ’s words are spirit and, just as the sword, they proceed from His mouth as fire:

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

What is the symbolic meaning of fire? The Greek word translated fire here is ‘pur‘, from which we get our English word ‘pure’ or ‘purify’. What is it that purifies all men? Here is what it takes to be purified and made worthy to enter into the temple of God undefiled.

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire [Greek: pur]; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are.

“The spirit of God dwells in you… you are saved by fire”. What is that spirit?

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and [they] are life.

Christ’s words are spirit, and our new man dwells with these words as we search out the scriptures and are given to be obedient to the words of Christ:

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

We speak uprightly when we speak the words of Christ. We deny our old man as commanded in Matthew 16. The same Greek word for deny (G533) is used to describe Peter’s denial of Christ three times:

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mat 26:35  Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Mat 26:75  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

We have all denied Christ first, but as the old man is defeated in us we are given to start walking in truth and as his children, we remain in him, we remain in his truth.

Spiritual principle: Christ’s words are Spirit, and it is only this Spirit that is sharper than a two-edged sword able to purify our heavens. While the pride of the heart (the old man in us) is susceptible to deception, it is impossible to deceive Christ, because Christ is the truth.

3Jn 1:4  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

1Jn 2:28  And now, little children, remain in him.