The Age Old Battle
Hello Bride of Christ,
Good vs Bad, Light vs Darkness, Hero vs Villain, Spirit vs Flesh... it is an age old battle captured in some of the best movies and books we all love. The amazing thing about it is there is truth within the battle. It is not fiction. It is not a made up battle in someone's mind.
In fact, it started back in beginning when God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit made all of creation and Eve was tempted in the garden by Satan. It continues to today for as, the apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavens."
There is though one epic account of this battle I would like to share with you, and it could be found in the book of Obadiah.
History
Not much is known about the prophet Obadiah, but is speculated that he lived around the same time as the prophet Jeremiah. Also the text of Jeremiah 49 are very similar to the entire book of Obadiah. None the less Obadiah's words speak of the age old battle between the spirit and the flesh displayed through the lives of two brothers. Two twin brothers, in fact, who battled even in the womb.
These brothers were Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac and Rebekah, and the grandsons of Abraham and Sarah. Esau and Jacob wrestled so much in the womb Rebekah became concern and inquired of the Lord we are told in Genesis 25. The response she received must have left her bewildered, but the Lord responded and said "Two nations are in your womb, Two people shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger."
As the boys grew older, Rebekah would see this play out and actually assist in its realization. Jacob tricks his brother Esau, the stronger one, to give him his birth right (his blessings and privileges for being the first born) for a bowl of soup. Esau traded in his position and his blessings for something temporal, something we may call fleshly. Unlike Esau, Jacob was not short sighted.
Years pass, Isaac begins to feel his days coming to an end and asks his son Esau to catch him great game, for he was an excellent hunter, so that he can lay his blessings upon him. Rebekah over hears this and informs Jacob, and fixes a plan to have Jacob disguise as Esau and obtain the blessing (for all details read Genesis 27). The plan is executed and Isaac is tricked, Jacob is blessed, and Esau is left furious. So much so in Genesis 27:41 it is recorded, "Esau hated Jacob because of the blessings with which his father blessed him, Esau said in his heart 'The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.'"
The Battle
Unfortunately like many families with unresolved issues, Jacob and Esau let years pass and the grudges grow deeper. During these years of separation, for Jacob is sent away by Rebekah for his safety, Jacob grows closer to the Lord and Esau becomes less interested in spiritual matters. Like their grandparents (Abraham and Sarah) they are given new names by the Lord, Jacob is renamed Israel, and Esau is renamed Edom. Further establishing how the Lord saw them, Jacob representing wrestling with spiritual matters, and Esau representing red with anger, the flesh.
Obadiah's vision of God's concern with Edom shed's light on the traits of the flesh: proud heart, deception, false security, greed, lack of mercy. And much like what God declared in the garden that the women seed would crush the head of the serpent; and Jesus declared in the garden, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. The Lord sends a messenger "Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle." With the feud not resolved, "For violence against your brother Jacob, Shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever." Declares the Lord (Obadiah 10). The Lord steps in for Jacob, for us who are concerned with the spiritual. He rises up and battles our Edom, our flesh.
Hope
Obadiah's vision declares spiritual victory over the flesh. Complete victory! The Edomites no longer exist (Obadiah 18). The same can be true for you and me. We can walk in complete victory because the Lord will strength us and cause our spirit to take possession of parts of us once owned and lead by our flesh. He will take residency in our hearts and establish a kingdom. The Lord will set us, the captive, free!
So hang tight and do not give up. Although this battle wages on; do know the Lord in the end will have the victory. You will stand before Him and hear well done you good and faithful servant, enter into the rest of the Lord!
