Obadiah 1:10-21 slowly and repeatedly.
The main content of the text: When the day of judgment arrives, God will bring defeat and downfall to those who wielded violence, and victory and restoration to those who were persecuted and endured tribulation.
Verses 10,14 Edom had stood by and watched while Israel suffered. Although they did not lead the attacks, they aided the harassment of Israel. Just as a righteous judge does not overlook small sins, God remembered every one of Edom’s sins and inflicted just punishment. God did not only judge the sins of Edom but he also prepared a path to restoration for Israel. All sovereignty, governance and judgment belong to God. Only the kingdom of God, ruled by Christ the King, will last forever. Let’s look back and see if your life acknowledges God’s sovereignty and rule.
Verses 15-21 God judges the whole world and all the nations within it. What may seem like a vicious cycle of vengeance is actually the justice of God, who will gain ultimate victory, and the long-awaited rule of the Lord. God’s rule is the only ultimate hope of God’s kingdom (“the kingdom shall be the Lord’s”). Is your gratitude for salvation extending to a sense of duty towards God’s kingdom?
What lesson does God give me?
Verses 10-11 There is no difference between committing an injustice and being an idle spectator of injustice. Rather than being self-satisfied with not committing evil, should we not feel deep remorse for not actively doing good?
Community Prayer – Lord, help us not to be numb to the pain of others but to weep with those who weep.
Prayer for the Nations – North Korea has been designated as a country of special concern for international religious freedom for 22 years. Let us pray that members of underground churches and house churches will faithfully maintain their faith and provide a helping hand to North Korean people suffering from poverty and disease.