Will I Not...?
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Obadiah 1:5,8 The Context: Obadiah was writing a message from God to the people of Edom (also called Esau). Edom had oppressed Israel and other nations in the area. They were wealthy, felt powerful, trusted their alliances and thus felt secure in their destiny. They were proud and oppressive, not caring at all what God thought. God, through Obadiah, tells them a day of reckoning is near. They believed themselves wise and understanding so God asks them a rhetorical question about if they thought thieves would regard the power and prestige of the Edomites and only take what they needed. The obvious answer is that no, thieves would not be kind or caring. And thus neither will God hold back in His judgment on their sin.
God Asks Us: Obad 1:5,8 If thieves come to you, if plunderers came by night — how you have been destroyed! — would they not steal only enough for themselves?
If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?
Will I not on that day, declares the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau?
JNE: Don’t we all tend to think God grades on the curve. It is part arrogance and part ignorance, but it is all sin. God takes sin so very seriously that He came as Jesus to pay for every sin, little, big and in-between. Actually, there is no in-between, no curve, but all and every sin of individuals and nations is deserving of full punishment. And, God, not me, will have the last word. God won’t ignore anything. I can either repent and experience God’s grace through Jesus’ sacrifice; or sooner or later experience God’s wrath on my sin.
Who has blessed us so abundantly? We have chosen to serve a multitude of other gods of selfishness and pleasure. We are looking to godless politicians, and various counterfeit gods to rescue us from the destruction that looms before us. Greater than our need for national peace and prosperity is our individual and collective need to know again the God of our founding and sustaining. We all as individuals have participated in idolatry and our only True Hope is to repent and turn to the God Who alone can rescue us.
Obadiah 1:5,8 The Context: Obadiah was writing a message from God to the people of Edom (also called Esau). Edom had oppressed Israel and other nations in the area. They were wealthy, felt powerful, trusted their alliances and thus felt secure in their destiny. They were proud and oppressive, not caring at all what God thought. God, through Obadiah, tells them a day of reckoning is near. They believed themselves wise and understanding so God asks them a rhetorical question about if they thought thieves would regard the power and prestige of the Edomites and only take what they needed. The obvious answer is that no, thieves would not be kind or caring. And thus neither will God hold back in His judgment on their sin.
God Asks Us: Obad 1:5,8 If thieves come to you, if plunderers came by night — how you have been destroyed! — would they not steal only enough for themselves?
If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?
Will I not on that day, declares the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau?
JNE: Don’t we all tend to think God grades on the curve. It is part arrogance and part ignorance, but it is all sin. God takes sin so very seriously that He came as Jesus to pay for every sin, little, big and in-between. Actually, there is no in-between, no curve, but all and every sin of individuals and nations is deserving of full punishment. And, God, not me, will have the last word. God won’t ignore anything. I can either repent and experience God’s grace through Jesus’ sacrifice; or sooner or later experience God’s wrath on my sin.
Who has blessed us so abundantly? We have chosen to serve a multitude of other gods of selfishness and pleasure. We are looking to godless politicians, and various counterfeit gods to rescue us from the destruction that looms before us. Greater than our need for national peace and prosperity is our individual and collective need to know again the God of our founding and sustaining. We all as individuals have participated in idolatry and our only True Hope is to repent and turn to the God Who alone can rescue us.