There’s a city in the Old Testament that rarely makes it into our Sunday school lessons: Bozrah. Once the proud capital of Edom, Bozrah stood as a symbol of strength, security, and…if you listen closely to the prophets, pride that would not last.
Isaiah’s words are sharp:
“For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.” (Isaiah 34:6)
It’s a verse that can make us uncomfortable. We prefer stories of deliverance, not destruction. But the prophets refuse to let us look away from the consequences of unchecked power, pride, and (if we really want to call it what it is), sin .
The Grapes and the Winepress
In the Midrash (Lamentations Rabbah 1:45), the rabbis linger over Bozrah’s name, connecting it to the Hebrew word for “pressing grapes.” They imagine Edom, so sure of its own strength, being pressed in God’s winepress, just as grapes are crushed to make wine. The image is vivid: what looks unshakeable is, in God’s hands, as fragile as fruit.
This isn’t just ancient poetry. It’s a warning and a comfort. Be warned; because God is just, evil, pride and the abuse of power will not go unnoticed forever. Be comforted; because God is merciful, He sees when cruelty crushes us. He will act, though not always on our timetable.
The Long Wait for Justice
In Exiting Egypt, I wrote about the ache of waiting for God to set things right. Israel’s story is one of long, slow deliverance. They watched oppressors rise and fall. They cried out, sometimes for generations, before justice arrived. The wilderness was not just a place of wandering, but of learning to trust that God’s justice is sure, even when it is slow.
Understand, the prophets’ words about Bozrah and Edom are not just about ancient enemies, but about the human heart. Pride is the root of so much brokenness, personally and collectively. When we build our own Bozrahs, trusting in our strength or status, we forget that all power is borrowed, and all justice belongs to God.
God’s Justice, Not Ours
It’s tempting to want justice now, on our terms. But the story of Bozrah reminds us: God’s justice is thorough, patient, and perfectly timed. He presses the grapes when the season is right. He humbles the proud, not out of spite, but to make room for mercy and restoration.
If you’re waiting for God to set something right…if you feel pressed, or if you see pride flourishing unchecked, remember Bozrah. Remember the winepress. God’s justice is never late, and His mercy is never absent. That’s Worth Remembering.
Reflection Questions:
· Where do you see “Bozrah” in your own life—places of pride or self-reliance?
· How might God be inviting you to trust His timing for justice, rather than taking matters into your own hands?
· What does it look like to wait well, believing that God sees and will act?