Obadiah
Major Lessons From the Minor Prophets • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Obadiah / the shortest book in the old testament.
Who is Obadiah? He is one of the minor prophets about whom we know absolutely nothing. His name was a very common one in Israel, and it means “servant of Jehovah.”
Descendants of Esau, the Edomites settled in the region south of the Dead Sea.
The Lord enabled Obadiah to know what was going on among the nations that were allied with Edom against Judah. Thanks to today’s international media coverage and the instant transmission of information, very little can happen in political and diplomatic arenas without the world knowing about it. But in Obadiah’s day, the travels of national leaders and their political discussions were secret. There were no newspapers or press conferences.
1 The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom— We have heard a message from the Lord: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, “Rise, let us go against her for battle”— 2 “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ 4 Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
VS. 3 - The pride of your heart has deceived you / Who can bring me down to the ground.
4 Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.
I will bring you down
All eyes are on France and the enemy made sure to mock God.
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
So how should we respond to this?
Some are boycotting the entire Olympics.
Some are going to social media to share their distaste.
Maybe what we should do is double our efforts to bring the gospel to this lost world.
Knowing that the Lord reigns over all things ought to encourage the people of God as we watch world events and grieve over the decay of people and nations. The sovereignty of God isn’t an excuse for believers to be indifferent to evil in the world, nor is it an encouragement to slumber carelessly and do nothing. God’s ways are hidden and mysterious, and we sometimes wonder why He permits certain things to happen, but we must still pray “Thy will be done” (Matt. 6:10) and then be available to obey whatever He tells us to do.
18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
10 Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. 11 On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. 12 You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. 13 You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. 14 You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.
What did they do?
10 Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever.
11 On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.
12 You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble.
13 You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.
14 You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.
Violence against Isreal (v.10)
They “stood,” withholding assistance (v. 11)
They “rejoiced” over Judah’s downfall (v. 12)
They plundered the city (v. 13)
They prevented the escape of her fugitives (v. 14).
Obadiah reminds us that the battle belongs to the Lord.
