OUR FATHER WHO JUDGES HIS PEOPLE FIRST AND THEN JUDGES THOSE WHO EXPLOITED THEM DURING THEIR DAY OF JUDGEMENT

The book of Obadiah chapter 1 verse 11 - 19 says this;

On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.

You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble.

You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.

You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.

“The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. 

Just as you drank on my holy hill, so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been.

But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance.

Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame; Esau will be stubble, and they will set him on fire and destroy him. There will be no survivors from Esau.” The Lord has spoken.

People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines.

They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

This passage describes the error of the kingdom of Essau and judgement which was brought down on them as a result.

The wrongdoing of Esau;

• Violence against Israel
• Indifference to Israel's suffering
• Looting Jerusalem with the invaders
• Gloating over Israel's misfortune
• Rejoicing over Israel's destruction
• Boasting over Israel's day of trouble
• Triumphantly entering Israel's gates 
• Gloating over Israel's calamity
• Siezing Israel's wealth during a disaster
• Ambushing Israel's fugitives as they flee
• Handing Israel's fugitives to their destroyers

The judgement brought upon Esau;

• Esau will be reduced to stubble
• Esau will be set on fire
• Esau will be destroyed
• Esau will be annihilated
• Esau's land will be occupied by Israel

Israel, having be judged, will be restored and those who took advantage of Israel's day of judgement to exploit her will  themselves suffer whatever evil they inflicted on God's people.

In that day of retribution, Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame as agents of God bringing judgement against Esau.

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