Pride Rock

Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026

You might want to watch this short video overview of Obadiah from the Bible Project, providing context for the next leg of our journey through the "grand narrative" of Scripture.

The tiny book of Obadiah packs a massive punch. The shortest book in the Old Testament is a prophecy against Edom, a nation that literally lived in the clefts of the rocks and believed they were untouchable. ‘The pride of your heart has deceived you,’ God says. Edom’s sin wasn’t just arrogance; it was their gloating over the misfortune of their brothers in Judah. They stood by while Jerusalem was ransacked. Obadiah reminds us that neutrality in the face of suffering is a form of betrayal to God. But the book ends with a triumphant note: ‘Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion.’ While the rocks of Edom crumble, the Mount of Zion stands because God is there.

Psalm 107 complements this theme of deliverance. It tells the stories of those who wandered in desert wastes, those who sat in darkness, and those who were fools through their rebellious ways. ‘Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress’ (Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, 28). This is the core of the Gospel: we are the ones in the ‘clefts of the rocks’ and Jesus is the Deliverer who comes up on the Mount to save us. He is the one who ‘stilled the storm to a whisper’ (Psalm 107:29; Mark 4:39). Our spiritual maturity is measured by how quickly we stop gloating over others’ failures and how quickly we cry out for the mercy that we all equally need. This short prophecy ends with the reminder that the Kingdom belongs to the Lord, and we are invited to be citizens.

Devotional Prompts:

In what ways does ‘gloating’ or ‘indifference’ creep into your heart when you see others struggling?
Which of the ‘stories of deliverance’ in Psalm 107 (the hungry, the prisoner, the fool, the sailor) resonates most with your journey?

Prayer: King of Zion, humble my heart and keep me from the deception of pride. Thank You for being the Deliverer who hears my cry. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in me today. Amen.