Accept God's Lordship - Obadiah 1:1-21

As I picked up the Book and read through the lesson for today it was the first time in my life that I was reminded that I am envious of Obadiah. “Why?” You ask. Because it is the first time that I remember that I have taken the time to read the briefest book in the OT and realize what was happening. When there is power in a message…that is great. When there is extra power in a brief message that is the ultimate in writing. I have always enjoyed teaching. I have always realized that it takes me too long and requires too much writing for me to totally cover a subject to my satisfaction. My admission is simply this: “I talk too much and say too little.”

History records an incident where one of our fore-fathers was invited to speak on some special occasion. Someone asked him how much time he would need to prepare his speech. His answer went something like this. “If you have in mind a subject that is technical or life threatening, I will need at least thirty days to research and prepare to bring you a thirty minute message. If the subject is not a technical one, and really does not have the possibility of serious consequences, I can probably be ready to speak in three days to a week and should be able to cover the subject in less than an hour. But if it is just about politics or religion, I am ready to speak right now, and there will be no time limit because I can go on and on for hours.

The point that I am trying to establish is that some of the writers that brought us the Word of God brought some powerful messages in very few words. The book of Obadiah is no exception. Class members will remember that during our discussion of the lesson we mentioned the fact that the bible actually is very brief in number of words written when we consider the number of topics covered and the degree to which each is explained for our understanding. It is truly an amazing book! Think again about the subject of history as taught in colleges today. In order to gain a major in American History, a scholar would have to cover at least eight to ten major text books. The same is true for a major in Chemistry, Math, Biology, or philosophy. And each of these texts would be equal in size to a good study bible. But one bible covers all the major issues that face man kind and answers all of the major problems that any of us can possibly encounter.

Some would ask; “How is this possible?” The answer is easy and without any doubt it is the only answer. The bible is the “inspired word of God” and there is no other such book on the press.

This is the shortest book in the OT, but it is explicit, meaningful, has a purpose and offers a warning that can affect any member of society. This book warns any and all that God will surely judge those who have harmed his children in any way. The warning is—don’t mess around with true Christian people—because you can’t win. The author is not famous, not even well known, but because of his name Obadiah, which means servant or [worshiper of the Lord] one can know that the message is true and should be heeded.

The exact time of the writing of this book and the problems that it covers probably came after the division of the nation into the northern and southern kingdom and sometime before the conquering of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. It was written to the Edomites and the key verse is No. 15, which says, “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” This warning was given to the Edomites—the key people in this study. It is fairly easy to narrow the picture to the area and people being instructed…they were the Edomites in Edom and the Jews in Jerusalem.

Remember that in OT days God spoke to his people in many ways, and in this case, verse one says that there was a vision from God. The message was that God would bring his judgment against the nation of Edom. This war between two nations started when Esau and Jacob were born with Esau holding on to Jacob’s heel as recorded back in Genesis 25. Later Esau sold his birth right and his blessing to Jacob, Esau became ruler in Edom and Jacob in Israel and the conflict continued.

The two nations descended from two brothers but there was always conflict. Edom had always rejoiced over the misfortunes of both Israel and Judah. Edom and Judah shared a common boundary with Judah on the north and Edom in the south rough mountainous country which they used as a military stronghold. The two brothers had fought each other and now the two countries continue to fight each other. God placed a curse on Edom because of their malicious actions toward his people.

In the third verse there is reference to the terrain of their country as being rough, with clefts and rocks in a place hard to penetrate. God tells them that they will be brought down…they will be defeated. The Edom capitol was Sela or Petra that was high up and could only be reached through some canyons beyond clefts that would remind us of some of the old western hide–outs shown in some of the bad western movies. [Note] let me digress here for one moment to say that many of the wars that we read about in the bible would resemble some of the “Western-shoot –outs more than what we think of as war today. These people were feeling secure because of their position, but the profit tells them that thy will be humbled.

Verse 4 tells them they will not escape their high places with strongholds that made them feel secure. The main thought that applies to us today is that they were depending on their position and self pride, and pride will not carry us through the hard times.

In verse six Esau was named was named here because he was considered the father of the nation of Edom. This is the bible way that demands an eye for an eye and tooth for tooth. The Edomites were getting what they deserved. Because they killed, they would be killed; because they robbed they would be robbed.

Edom must have been much like some of the leaders in our nation today because in verse eight, the prophet talks about the destruction of the wise men of the country. They were noted for their wise men; however there is a difference in human wisdom and Godly wisdom. They may have been worldly wise but they ignored and even mocked God and in the end it was their downfall. In fact, the central theme of this book deals with the punishment of Edom for its cruel and un-brotherly conduct toward Judah at the time of some great national calamity.

At least one of these hostile treatments is recorded in the Exodus when the Edomites refused to permit the Israelites to pass through their territory and then the continued the state of hostility even after the occupation of the land of Canaan. Look again at verse three and four where we find the description of their pride. They were a people that were irreligious, proud and self-centered. They were dwellers of the mountains and they lived in houses that had been hewn into the rocky mountain sides. This is where the author gets his idea about the eagles. Their dwelling places were like the nests of the eagles in the clefts of the highest rocks and almost inaccessible to an enemy. Their capitol city, Petra, lay completely hidden in a rocky defile about two miles long; and it could easily be defended by a handful of men stationed at the entrance. Again, you can vision this picture by thinking of some of the “hide –outs portrayed in the western movies of the John Wayne era.

You should not be discouraged as you study this book and wonder just how it applies to us today as we serve God here in First Baptist Church, of Heber Springs. There are several important lessons in the book for us:

The first one is the lesson of the family feud which has always been hard to deal with, bitter and most difficult to settle. It started with two twin brothers…with one hanging on to the others heal as they were born.

Then there is the lesson of the dangers of pride and arrogance, truly we know that “Pride goeth before the fall.” The third danger lies in one having a false confidence. These people believed in their security in their mountainous hide-away which may have been solid against man, but no problem for God to penetrate. There is another lesson that warns us to be careful of the problems of false confidence. Any time we place our confidence in any person, place, or power other than God we are sure to be brought down…and great will be our fall.

We see a beautiful picture of God dealing with his wrath—his mill-wheels grind slowly…they grind very small…and in this case Edom received what she had given. We can also see that there is hope for a dark hour in our life. God’s plan and purpose in our lives are not accomplished immediately—not on our time scale, but on God’s time clock. We will eventually receive our just reward…the important thing is that we be prepared to accept what God has for us…place our complete trust in him, and know that he will deal fairly with us in comparison to our dealing with his people.

This book tells us that God’s judgment comes on proud, overconfident people; and that friends turn against proud, uncaring people. It also tells us that if we turn our brother in is time of dire need—God’s wrath is aroused…and he will eventually establish his kingdom and bring down the deeds of the wicked on their heads.

Think seriously about these things: 1. Pride goes before a fall and brings God’s wrath. 2. Turning traitor against your own people is always wrong. 3. Attacking people who are down-and-out is wrong. 4. Working to help the enemy is always wrong. 5. We are to do –right by others if we are to expect God to do-right by us.

Oh, Holy and almighty Lord, forgive all of us that fit the description that Obadiah has described as the proud, self-reliant greedy traitors who break agreements for momentary gain. Help us, oh God, to develop the constant desire to always do unto others as we would have them do unto us.