Obadiah
COMMENTARY:
: 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you that dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that say in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? (2087 “pride” [zadown] means arrogance, presumptuousness, insolence, over-confidence, or unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem.)
DEVOTION: Each of us faces the idea that we think we are better than other people. We can sometime look down on people because they are poor or not as smart as we think we are. We can be caught by the enemy of “pride.”
Edomites were caught by this bug. They thought that their location was better than any other location. They thought the mountain would protect them from invasion. They even stated: Who can ever reach us way up here?
They were thinking in human terms. We sometimes get caught thinking that nothing can touch us. We sometimes think that we are protected because we are a believer. That is true if we don’t trust in our own thinking rather than the LORD.
Too often we can think we are OK and don’t need to pray or confess our sins. We don’t need church or anyone to teach us the Bible. We are wrong to think those thoughts. It is pride which precedes a fall.
CHALLENGE: Don’t fall like Edom for the false hope found only in humans or location.
: 10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off forever (2555 “violence” [chamac] means wrong, cruelty, injustice, or oppressor.)
DEVOTION: The relationship between Esau and Jacob was that they were brothers. They had conflict. Jacob took Esau’s blessings and birthright from Isaac. The trouble between them has lasted for generations. Does this sound like something that happens in some churches? Esau lived on mount Seir. The nation he founded was called Edom.
When the nations invaded Israel, Edom was there to pick up the people and possessions that were left behind. They even turned those who escaped over to the invading armies. They hurt their Jacob’s children over an age-old fight.
The LORD was using the prophet Obadiah to tell them that judgment was coming. They had hurt Jacob in his day of affliction. He had hurt Jacob in is day of distress. Relatives are supposed to help one another. There is supposed to be support for one another in the family. This is not true even today. Families are fractured.
Edom thought they had a natural defense against all enemies because they lived in the mountains. They were wrong. If the LORD is against them- they are going to fall. HE was against them for their treatment of Jacob. God promised that they would not only fall but they would be cut off forever. Many people have never heard of the nation of Edom. They have heard of the nation of Israel.
We have to realize that nothing can protect us from the judgment of the LORD except the blood of Christ. Those who are outside of a relationship with Christ will have the judgment of God on them. They will be cut off from heaven for all eternity.
One other thought is that those who treat fellow Christians poorly will have to answer to the LORD. Are we doing harm to our fellow believers or brothers in the LORD? Are we carrying bitterness in our lives toward someone else? If the answer is YES, we need to change soon. Remember that judgment is going to BEGIN at the house of the LORD!!!
CHALLENGE: Don’t pick on others. Especially, don’t pick on those who are in the family of God. Judgment is going to begin at the household of God but the rest are going to face HIS wrath.
: 15 For the day of the LORD is near on all the heathen: as you have done, it shall be done to you: your reward shall return on you own head. (1576 “reward” [gamuwl] means recompense, benefit, deserve, requital, ill done, retribution, or what you deserved.)
DEVOTION: One of the teachings of the Word of God is that what we sow we will also reap. Farmers understand these things better than most. They go out into the fields in the spring and get the ground ready for planting. They have to clear the fields of anything that the winter has left. Then they break up the soil and plant the seeds. They are going to reap according to the number of seeds they plant.
Weather has a lot to do with the harvest. If there is too much rain, cold, heat or other weather conditions the crop will be small. If all works right, there will be a large harvest.
God wants us to know that the same thing is true in our life. If we get rid of our fallow ground and plow it up it is ready for seeds to be planted. Too often we just allow the ground of our heart to get hard. We think we can’t change. We think the LORD can’t use us. We are wrong. Those are thoughts that come from the enemy. God wants to use us for HIS service.
What type of seeds are you planting in your mind? Are they Biblical seeds or worldly seeds? God’s Word is full of seeds that can grow into much fruit in our life if we allow it to happen.
CHALLENGE: Watch what you sow into your life. Change is necessary. There is no status quo in the Christian life.
: 21 And saviors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau’ and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S. (3467 “saviors” [yasha] means deliverer, liberate, to set free, preserver, aid, receive help, be victorious, or rescue.)
DEVOTION: Israel has been taken into captivity. The LORD judged her because of their refusal to follow HIS commandments. However, every prophet informs us that there is still a future hope for Israel.
Here we find a nation that was related to Israel who mistreated them while the enemy had them surrounded and was taking them captive. This relative helped the enemy. The people of Edom who were cousins to Israel rejoiced over their captivity and helped in every way they could capture more Israelites.
Now they were rejoicing and trusting in their mountain location to save them from any enemies. They had allies they thought they could count on if there was an attack. It was not true. They were placing their trust in the wrong place.
Israel was gone. Jerusalem was destroyed. The LORD was not finished with Israel. HE had a plan to deliver them in the future. HE had a plan that would have them ruling of the nations in the future. They were going to be victorious in the end.
Why was this going to happen in the future? Israel is the chosen people of the LORD throughout the Bible. They have been set aside for a time period called the “Church Age.” When this age ends there is going to be a final judgment of the world. Once that is done, Israel will reign over the world because the “the Kingdom is the LORD’S.”
CHALLENGE: We need to understand that the LORD never stops working HIS plan for the nations of this world. Don’t trust in anyone but the LORD for help in times of trouble because HE always blesses those who faithfully serve HIM.
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