What to do with difficult passages in scripture (Edom and Satan)

This morning my scripture reading was from the Book of Obadiah in the Old Testament and Revelation chapter 9 in the New Testament. This is how "Bible in a Year" organizes the daily reading - a book or a few chapters in the OT and a chapter or a portion of a chapter in the NT. Interestingly, it happens not infrequently (or should I say God is really smart to organize it this way) that the OT and the NT readings often come together with enough of a devotional message to feed me spiritually for the day. Today is no different, except both the OT and NT passages are totally obscure to my understanding! Obadiah talked about the doom of Edom and Esau and the protection of Judah and Jacob. Revelation 9 talked about the first two of the three woes to mankind at the end of time. I am not sure if there is any one theme that unites the two passages. Well, one thing I learned over the years of reading God's Word - the Holy Spirit can help me work through this. So I began with praying to the Holy Spirit to open my heart for what God has prepared me to learn this day. Then I focused on the overall theme of the Bible - from beginning to end - which is God's salvation to mankind. Warning of punishment and trusting God's eternal promises are recurrent messages to draw me closer to God. So this is what I do with difficult passages in scripture. I believe that the harder it is to understand, the more treasure I will find.

These verses stood out from Obadiah:
Vision of judgement on Edom
"The pride of your heart has deceived you" (verse 3)
Though you soar like the eagle
    and make your nest among the stars,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord. (verse 4)
“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom,
    those of understanding in the mountains of Esau? (verse 6)
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,
    you will be covered with shame;
    you will be destroyed forever. (verse 10)
Vision of restoration and triumph of Jacob, God's people
But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
    it will be holy,
    and Jacob will possess his inheritance. (verse 17)
Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion
    to govern the mountains of Esau.
    And the kingdom will be the Lord’s. (verse 21)

I then looked through commentaries to support/enhance my understanding. These are some interesting finds (from David Guzik):

• There are 13 "Obadiahs" in the Old Testament, and one of these may be the Obadiah who wrote this book.  
• The Edomites are the people descended from Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:19-34). Esau was nicknamed "Edom" (which means, "red") probably because he had red hair.
• When Israel came out of Egypt and wanted to pass through the land of the Edomites to enter into the Promised Land, the Edomites wouldn't let them (Numbers 20:14-21) 
• In the days of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, Edom joined with Moab and Ammon to attack Judah, but the Lord fought for Judah and defeated them (2 Chronicles 20:1-27, the famous battle that was led with praise) 
• The brief prophecy of Obadiah ends on this high note. The Edomites seemed to have their day against God's people but at the end of it all, the kingdom shall be the LORD's. He knows how to take care of God's people and to advance His kingdom in a glorious way.

The first two woes of Revelation chapter 9:
Woe #1
The fallen star and the opening of Abyss (verses 1-2)
Locusts that dressed up like an army
They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (unbelievers). They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. (verses 4-6)
They (the destroying locusts) had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer). (verse 11)
Woe #2
“Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number. (verses 14b-16)
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. (verse 20-21)

The message is clear - there will always be unrepentant men awaiting judgement but God's people will be protected.
David Guzik again:

• this (fallen) star is best seen as an angel; whether he is a good or bad angel depends on his relation to the angel of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:11. If the angel of Revelation 9:1 one is the same as the angel of Revelation 9:11, it is an evil angel - perhaps Satan himself. If it is a different angel, it may be a good angel sent by God to open up this bottomless pit for the purposes of judgment.
• the key (to open the abyss) is given to this being (star), and that it is given at a specific time and for a specific purpose that furthers God's plan. This angel - evil or good - serves God's purpose, even if he does not intend to.
• The abyssos is a prison for certain demons (Luke 8:31, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6). This is probably the same place as this bottomless pit. More generally, this place is considered the realm of the dead, the same as Hades (Romans 10:7).
• these creatures are not literal locusts. The Bible tells us that literal locusts have no king, and these do (Proverbs 30:27). Their king is given a name. Abaddon and Apollyon both have the same thought of destruction or torment (perdition). The angel of the bottomless pit: Since this is the king of these locusts, and since he has the name Abaddon or Apollyon, this is obviously Satan himself or another high-ranking leader of demons.

So what do I get out of the reading this morning? There is a spiritual war going on. I maybe living a life of comfort; there are good days and bad days; but as long as I live in this physical body, it is waging war in the spiritual realm. "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11) Peter is urging me to have this perspective: I am just a sojourner on this earth. I have a heavenly home. Entertaining sinful desires (selfish, short lived gratification for the body) means losing the war in my soul. "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Matthew 16:26) God's promise is that the enemies (spiritual enemies mainly) will be defeated and I am protected to the end. Praise God!