What do we do when pride begins taking root in our own hearts—or in the hearts of our children?

In today's episode of The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries, we're beginning the second half of our Bible reading journey together as we study Obadiah, Psalms 82–83, and 2 Kings 1. Through these passages, we discover God's unwavering opposition to pride, His patience toward sinners, and His invitation for every heart to walk in humility before Him.

The book of Obadiah warns the proud nation of Edom that self-reliance and arrogance always lead to destruction, while God's people are continually invited to trust Him instead of themselves. As Christian parents, these truths remind us why helping our children learn humility, repentance, and dependence on the Lord is one of the greatest gifts we can give them.

We'll also explore God's heart for justice in Psalms 82 and 83 and see in 2 Kings 1 why seeking the one true God matters more than looking anywhere else for wisdom, security, or hope.

If you've ever struggled with stubbornness in your children, sibling conflict, or wondered how to shepherd your kids' hearts instead of simply correcting behavior, this episode offers biblical encouragement for the journey.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

• Why pride is so dangerous—for adults and children alike
• What the judgment of Edom teaches us about humility
• How to shepherd your children's hearts instead of only their behavior
• God's compassion, justice, and righteous judgment
• Why true security is found in God alone
• Encouragement for Christian moms raising children to love the Lord
• Practical lessons from reading through the Bible chronologically

Today's Bible Reading

• Obadiah
• Psalm 82
• Psalm 83
• 2 Kings 1

Featured Themes

• Christian motherhood
• Biblical parenting
• Raising humble children
• Parenting the heart
• Pride and humility
• Family discipleship
• Bible study for women
• Reading the Bible in a year
• Christian encouragement for moms
• God's justice and mercy
• Faith and family

Whether you're just beginning your Bible reading journey or catching up after falling behind, remember that God's desire isn't simply for us to finish a reading plan—it's for us to know Him more deeply. Join us as we continue discovering His character together, one chapter at a time.

If The Dwelling Place has encouraged your walk with Christ, would you take a moment to follow the podcast, leave a written review, and share this episode with another mom? Every review helps more women discover God's Word and the mission of Entrusted Ministries to equip families to delight in Christ together.

Resources Mentioned

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary, Spurgeon's Treasury of David

This is The Dwelling Place

from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox, and I am so

proud of you for making it to the

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second half of our Bible reading plan.

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Today as we begin the book of Obadiah and

Psalms 82 and 83 and 2 Kings 1, we'll

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be reminded why it's so crucial that

we deal with pride that's festering in

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the hearts of our kids and certainly

in our own lives, Obadiah reveals

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that there will come a day for judgment

for those who walk in arrogance and

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self-sufficiency, and we don't want anyone

in our families to be found in that camp.

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I want to apologize that I didn't make

it more clear that we were going to

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take a couple day break to reflect

on what the Lord has been teaching us

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through His Word the past six months.

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I wanted to do that before we move

forward to give a little time for anyone

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to catch up And to make sure that this

isn't just a checklist, but that we really

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are dwelling with the Lord today you're

officially halfway through scripture

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And I'm confident God has been

faithful to transform you through it.

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If you have any testimonies

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Feel free to email me.

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I'd love to hear.

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I found myself gaining greater peace in

my parenting As I see God's undeniable

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sovereignty in scripture, and I know that

He is just as sovereign in the lives of

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my kids because I'm convinced in God's

goodness I can be like that sparrow in

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Psalm 84, placing my nest at His altar

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Psalm 82 begins, " God has taken His

place in the divine council; in the

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midst of the gods He holds judgment."

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This is best to be understood as

the judges and kings and leaders of

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the earth rather than pagan gods.

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And the Lord addresses them, " How

long will you judge unjustly and

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show partiality to the wicked?

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Give justice to the weak and the

fatherless; maintain the right of

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the afflicted and the destitute.

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Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver

them from the hand of the wicked."

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Regarding these unjust rulers,

God says, " They have neither

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knowledge nor understanding.

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They walk about in darkness.

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All the foundations of

the earth are shaken

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And the Psalm concludes, " Arise,

O God, judge the earth, for you

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shall inherit all the nations."

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Psalm 83 echoes this prayer

for God to judge rightly.

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" O God, do not keep silence.

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Do not hold your peace or be still, O God.

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For behold, your enemies make an uproar.

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Those who hate you have

raised their heads.

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They lay crafty plans against your people.

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They consult together

against your treasured ones.

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They say, "Come, let us

wipe them out as a nation.

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Let the name of Israel

be remembered no more."

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For they conspire with one accord.

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Against you, they make a covenant

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continuing in verse 13, " O my

God, make them like the whirling

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dust, like chaff before the wind.

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As fire consumes the forest, as the

flame sets the mountains ablaze, so

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may you pursue them with your tempest

and terrify them with your hurricane.

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Fill their faces with shame, that

they may seek your name, O Lord.

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Let them be put to shame

and dismayed forever.

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Let them perish in disgrace, that

they may know that you alone,

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whose name is the Lord, are the

Most High over all the earth."

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We serve a God abounding in

steadfast love and slow to anger.

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But his righteous judgment is also a

part of his perfect character as he

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puts an end to those who set their

heart on doing evil to his people.

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we'll continue this theme

in the Book of Obadiah.

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This is one of the minor prophets written

by a man named Obadiah, but there are so

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many references to this name in scripture

that we can't be certain which it is.

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The minor prophets are grouped together

in our Bibles, not chronologically,

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but because of the length it doesn't

mean that they're of less importance

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to be titled minor, but just that their

books are more brief, and Obadiah is

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the shortest of the minor prophets

His name means servant of the Lord

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and he probably lived around

the time of Elijah and Elisha.

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There are several perspectives

regarding the time that this prophet was

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addressing, but two seem most likely.

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The early date would be right where

we're reading right now as we're

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walking through Chronicles and Kings.

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This earlier date seems more likely

because the Philistines and the Arabians

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attacked Jerusalem in the 840s and

the Edomites encouraged this attack

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The main theme of this book

is judgment upon the Edomites

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And that God will righteously judge all

nations that do not submit to His lordship

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Let's take a quick walk down memory lane

to remember just who the Edomites are.

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We'll go back to the middle of Genesis

when Rebecca, the wife of Isaac,

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finds out she's pregnant with twins.

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She inquires of the Lord why the

pregnancy is so difficult, and he

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tells her she's pregnant with twins

and two nations are in her womb, and

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that the younger will serve the older.

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One day Esau is famished from hunting

and he comes in and decides to exchange

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his birthright for a bowl of stew.

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The name Edom is given to his

line because it means red And

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it refers to this red stew

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Scripture tells us that He

despised his birthright.

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He wasn't just hangry and later,

as he marries Canaanite women

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his character flaw continues

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And then we have that moment that

Jacob deceives his father Isaac

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into blessing him instead of Esau.

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Esau was so furious he wanted to kill

Jacob, so Jacob fled, and God took him

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on a different path, allowing him to

be humbled through many circumstances

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Eventually, there was forgiveness

between these two brothers, but even

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after their reconciliation, they don't

set up camp together, and the family

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lines that come from them embrace

this tenuous relationship after

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God led the Israelites out of Egypt,

they requested to pass through the

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Edomite land on the King's Highway.

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God cares deeply about hospitality

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And for the Edomites' refusal to show

kindness to their brothering nation

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and causing about 150-mile detour

for them through rocky, arid land

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God rebuked them.

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This conflict continued through the reigns

of Saul, David, Solomon, and Jehoram.

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Edom represents a prideful, self-reliant,

uncompromising nation And if you can

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picture a map with me for a moment, when

the Israelites reach the Promised Land,

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they have the Mediterranean Sea on the

west, and on the east, the Dead Sea And

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Edom is on the southeast of the Dead Sea,

through a region with rock formations

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that extended high into the sky where

eagles built their nests, and these rock

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formations had clefts and tunnels through

them, providing them an amazing refuge.

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but surely the God who created the rocks

would not be limited by them Their

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Edomite city of Sela is also referred to

in scripture as Mount Seir, and it's in

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modern-day Jordan and the city of Petra.

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And when a foreign nation came

to attack their brother Israel,

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instead of being an aid, they

encouraged the attack and plundered

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and looted the people of the Lord.

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Now that we have that recap, let's

hear this powerful rebuke that Obadiah

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issues against the nation of Edom.

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But try to listen for the moment that

it shifts to rebuke all nations that

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don't humble themselves before the Lord

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Thus says the Lord God concerning

Edom: We have heard a report from

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the Lord, and a messenger has been

sent among the nations: " Rise up,

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let us rise against her for battle."

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Behold, I will make you small among the

nations; you shall be utterly despised.

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The pride of your heart has deceived

you, you who live in the clefts of

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the rock, in your lofty dwelling,

who say in your heart, " Who

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will bring me down to the ground?"

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Though you soar aloft like the

eagle, though your nest is set

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among the stars, from there I will

bring you down, declares the Lord.

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If thieves came to you, if plunderers came

by night, how you have been destroyed!

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Would they not steal only

enough for themselves?

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If grape gatherers came to you,

would they not leave gleanings?

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How Esau has been pillaged,

his treasures sought out!

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All your allies have driven you to

your border; those at peace with

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you have deceived you, they have

prevailed against you; those who eat

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your bread have set a trap beneath

you—you have no understanding.

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" Will I not on that day," declares the

Lord, "destroy the wise men out of Edom

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and understanding out of Mount Esau?

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And your mighty men shall be dismayed,

O Teman So that every man from Mount

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Esau will be cut off by slaughter.

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Because of the violence done to your

brother Jacob, shame shall cover you,

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and you shall be cut off forever.

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On the day that you stood aloof,

on the day that strangers carried

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off his wealth, and foreigners

entered his gates and cast lots for

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Jerusalem, you were like one of them.

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But do not gloat over the day of your

brother and the day of his misfortune,

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do not rejoice over the people of

Judah in the day of their ruin.

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Do not boast in the day of distress.

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Do not enter the gate of my people

in the day of their calamity.

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Do not gloat over his disaster

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In the day of his calamity, do not loot

his wealth in the day of his calamity.

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Do not stand at the crossroads

to cut off his fugitives.

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Do not hand over his survivors

in the day of distress.

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For the day of the Lord

is upon all the nations.

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As you have done, it shall be done to you.

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Your deeds shall return On your own head

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For as you have drunk on my

holy mountain, so all the

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nations shall drink continually.

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They shall drink and swallow, and

shall be as though they had never been.

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But in Mount Zion there shall be those

who escape, and it shall be holy.

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And the house of Jacob shall

possess their own possessions.

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The house of Jacob shall be a fire,

and the house of Joseph a flame,

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and the house of Esau stubble.

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They shall burn them and consume them,

and there shall be no survivor for the

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house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.

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Clearly, there was judgment

to come for this nation.

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and We'll cover it more later,

but in 2 Chronicles 25, 10,000

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of these Edomites were taken to

the top of a rock and thrown off.

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It seems that these rock formations that

were their refuge became a place for

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many to be destroyed Ezekiel 35 also

records their judgment saying over and

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over that they shall know that God is

the Lord God's hand is often evident

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through His love and His mercy, but

the reason it's so important for us to

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walk in the fear of Him is because His

character is also perfectly displayed in

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His righteous judgment Later, King Herod

came through the line of Edom, but God

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completely wiped his line out as well.

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The nation of Edom has been erased

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but Israel remains today.

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And as it's fresh in my mind, I'm

returning from a trip to see Betsy,

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the executive director and founder

of our ministry, and the author

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of Entrusted With a Child's Heart.

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We did a little bit of a cousin camp

together and watched eight kids.

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We had so much fun, and

the kids were wonderful.

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But you know what?

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There were some times where pride

popped up, kids didn't want to

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apologize, and hearts weren't humbled.

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and we had to pull kids out of pools, and

plans got delayed so that we could take

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time to get to the root of the issues.

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Because we know how important it is that

we learn to humble ourselves before the

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Lord and before others when we wrong them.

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While we can't force our kids to

be sorry, we also don't need to let

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them continue to splash in pools, eat

ice cream cones, or go shopping for

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surprises when there are deep issues.

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So I want to encourage you that as

you go to bat for your kids' hearts,

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it will be worth it when you lovingly

and patiently walk with them to help

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them acknowledge the selfishness that

is so deeply rooted in all of us.

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You'll be blessing their walk

with the Lord and helping set a

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foundation for them to thrive later

in all of their relationships.

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We'll also see the importance of this

in 2 Kings 1 as we conclude our reading.

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If you recall, the Book of Kings

is a continuous storyline, but it

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was separated because it wouldn't

fit entirely on one scroll.

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Though we're beginning a new book

of the Bible, we don't need a new

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introduction as we continue to learn

about the history of the kings that

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reigned over Judah and Israel after

wicked Ahab died, his successor was

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ahaziah, he fell through the

lattice in his upper chamber,

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sustaining pretty major injuries.

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He was wondering if he was going to get

better, and even though that showdown

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at Mount Carmel between Yahweh and

the prophets of Baal was relatively

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recent, he asked his messengers to go

inquire if he was going to get better,

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and he sent them to ask Beelzebub.

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This could translate to the Lord

of the Flies or to Prince Baal

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And in the New Testament, it translates

to Beelzebub, which is another name

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for Satan, the prince of the demons.

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This is the exact opposite of what he

should be doing, and an angel intercepts

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and tells Elijah To tell these messengers,

to tell the king, " Is there a reason

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you're not consulting the true God?"

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And no, you will not get better.

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You will die in your bed.

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The messengers report back to the king,

and he sends a captain with 50 of his men

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After they're devoured by fire,

and then another captain with

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his 50 men is devoured by fire

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The third captain is much wiser.

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He shows Elijah and the

God of the Bible honor.

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And the angel tells Elijah,

you don't have to be afraid of

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this captain or of the king.

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Elijah delivers the message

to Ahaziah in person.

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And verse 17 tells us that he died

according to the word of the Lord.

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And I'm not even going to get into it

today, but listen to how complicated

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our timeline is going to get.

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Jehoram became king in his place

in the second year of Jehoram, the

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son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

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So we'll have a Jehoram reigning in

Israel and a Jehoram reigning in Judah.

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But in the words of Scarlett O'Hara,

"Let's not think about that today.

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We'll think about that tomorrow."

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Most Holy Father, we come before

you full of gratitude That when we

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were wayward and full of pride, you

were patient to lead us to yourself.

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We pray for those around us

that have not humbled themselves

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before you, that are walking in

defiance, relying on themselves.

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We pray that you would break

through and that your kindness

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would lead them to repentance.

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May they come to the end of themselves and

embrace your strength and your salvation

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And it's this strength that we need,

Lord, to confront the stubbornness and the

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selfishness that we so often see in our

kids, whether it's in sibling conflicts

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or disobedience, give us wisdom

and patience as we guide their

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hearts to submit to you as the one

who deserves to rule and reign.

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We pray you would help us to

recognize when those same sins are

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prevalent in our lives as well.

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May we not justify or minimize our sin,

but see it correctly as an affront to you.

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We thank you that you are so quick to

receive us When we bow ourselves before

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you, and it's in this posture that

we want to remain today and all days.

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In your name, Jesus, we pray.

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Amen.