| Spending time in the Scriptures Obadiah | by A. Kimber | |||||
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So we come to the shortest book in the Old Testament, here we see a prophet who prophesied no hope for a nation who opposed God’s people; instead we see judgement following judgement as God makes His displeasure obvious through His servant. The rivalry we are shown is between the descendants of Esau and Jacob; Esau, who saw his blessing pass to his younger brother and Jacob who received the blessing and became the father of the Children of Israel. Perhaps as we read the account of Jacob’s deception we can understand how Esau might have felt, however God’s will pervades Old Testament Scripture and so we have to understand that God has His purposes, even through the difficult circumstances of life. So we see Edom, this nation is presented to us as small, despised amongst the other heathen nations, living in the heights of the mountains, self assured and secure. Yet we see the analysis from God ‘thence will I bring thee down’. The judgement of God is contrasted with thieves who will take grapes from a vineyard but once they have taken what they need, leave the remainder. Yet here we are shown that God will strip them bare, leaving nothing and all the wise will be astounded at their fate. So what have they done to deserve this treatment? We are told that there are several things they shouldn’t have done. They have been found guilty of invading, gloating and rejoicing over the destruction of the Children of Israel, then looting what was left and ensuring that all who were left were taken into captivity. So God promises that they shall be condemned by their actions; that what they’ve done shall be done to them. None of Esau’s descendants shall survive what will happen and the kingdom shall once again be the Lord's. So we need to take heed and be careful that we honour God. We live in privileged days where God’s grace is clearly displayed and mankind are often given many chances. Yet God does not change and those who do not act in the best interests of His people will still find themselves judged in a coming day. Obadiah 1:8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? Obadiah 1:12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. Obadiah 1:18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
All quotes are from the King James version of the Bible unless otherwise specified. | ||||||
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