Day 267: Obadiah; Prophecy against Edom

Posted on Sep 24, 2013 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, Obadiah | Tags: , , , , , , , 4850

Today and tomorrow we are going to branch off from the original reading plan that we set up at the beginning of the year.  I have decided to split up Obadiah and Jonah into two separate posts as they are two rather different books.  So today’s reading is simply the book of Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament.  There is not much that is known about the prophet Obadiah.  In some Christian traditions, Obadiah is the same person who shows up briefly in 1 Kings 18 as the man who is hiding the prophets of God from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.  In this tradition, Obadiah is given the gift of prophecy as a sort of “reward” for being faithful to God and hiding the prophets during this time.  That would place Obadiah’s ministry somewhere in the 800’s B.C.  Others hold that Obadiah was a prophet during the fall of Israel and many of the surrounding nations (including Edom) to Assyria.  In any case, it is clear that the judgment of the Lord will also come to Edom for their antagonistic relationship with Israel.

Obadiah the prophet (Овдий in Russian), Russia...

This issue animosity between these two nations was as old as the nations themselves.  The nation of Edom is descended from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob who sold his birthright and basically lost everything to his conniving “little” brother.  Even though the story of Jacob’s return to his brother being full of love and happy tears, the two settle in different places and, as far as we are told, only reunite because of Isaac’s death.  Other than that, we hear very little from Esau except through the nation of Edom.  Their feud is long standing, like one of those family arguments where no one can remember what brought it about… but in this case it seems as though everyone remembers.

Russian Icon XVIII century. Prophets Amos-and-...

Russian Icon XVIII century. Prophets Amos-and-Obadiah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to this prophecy, the main reason that judgment was coming to Israel was because of this relationship.  Edom was rejoicing over the troubles that had fallen on Israel.  In fact, there are many times when the Edomites attacked Israel, or didn’t come to their aid when they needed help.  More over, when the people of Israel and Judah were taken into exile, some sources say that the land of Edom plundered what was left of the land.  It was because of their contempt, because of their rejoicing at the difficulties of God’s people that Edom was the only nation that was not promised any mercy from God.

Like Judah, the nation of Edom actually survived the time of exile and the kingdoms of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and even Greece for a time.  It seemed as though the prophecy of God wasn’t going to come to pass.  However, in the mid 160’s B.C. during the Jewish revolt from the Greek Empire, Judas Maccabeaus routed the Edomites signaling the beginning of the end of their nation.  By the first century A.D. the nation of Edom no longer existed.  While it may take a while for God’s judgments to become reality in what we know as the physical world, the Word of the Lord is as sure as the breath that you took a moment ago.  When God spoke, the universe was made, when God judges it will come to pass.

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Day 234: Jeremiah 49; Messages against the Nations (Part 2)

Posted on Aug 22, 2013 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, Jeremiah | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 3991

Today we read the messages against Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar and Hazor, and Elam.  This chapter has a similar ring to the last couple chapters and the next few as well.  My first thought about today’s reading was that we should just read it for what it is, the judgment against many nations for the sins they had committed.  I didn’t think that there was much else to say about it.  But as we read this, and yesterday’s reading as well, there are very specific traits that each of these cities and nations are being punished for, and each city and nation has a particular history with God and the nation of Israel.

The Ammonites worshiped other gods and sacrificed children to them.  Edom, the decendants of Esau, boasted in its wisdom and the strength of its city in Petra. They rejoiced at the fall of Jerusalem, only to see its own boarders fall only years later.  Aram, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam all were pagan cultures, likely worshiping a pantheon of gods and relying on their own strength and wealth rather than placing their trust in God alone.

I see bits and pieces of our culture in the United States here as I read this chapter.  We think we are wise and cunning at times, full of street smarts and crafty.  We often look to other things, leaders, or even money as that which can bring about our salvation, our strength, and our prosperity.  Yet none of this really amounts to a hill of beans before the Lord.  There is nothing in this world that is more powerful than God.  We may have the strongest military, the best technology, the greatest wealth, and even the smartest people, and yet all of that crumbles before the Lord, the God of the Universe.  We must keep in mind that it is God that has placed us where we are today, it is God who has empowered our nation, and it is in God whom we need to be placing our trust.  Before the Lord nations rise and fall, they are but a speck, a blip on the timeline of history.  Only by placing our hope and trust in the Lord can we find forgiveness and salvation.

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Day 206: Isaiah 32-34; Final Judgments

Posted on Jul 25, 2013 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, Isaiah | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 4091

Today’s reading overflows with images of death and disaster while also intermingled with the message of righteousness and grace.  These are very different images and conjure up very different reactions.  In many ways, it is difficult to see how today’s reading flows together.  We’ve been talking about judgment for several days now, Isaiah‘s prolonged writing about the the coming judgment of the nations and also the continuing work of the Lord seems to get a little drawn out, yet there is a purpose for what He is doing here (or else it most likely wouldn’t be in the Bible).  I won’t claim to know what the purpose is completely, however I would like to try to weave these two very different images together today.

In many ways, much of what has been said in recent days is also applicable here so I find it hard to come up with any sort of new revelation about today’s Scripture verses what we have already read.  This is, for all intents and purposes, the same message that Isaiah has been giving to the people for the last 20 or so chapters.  Yet here we seem to come to a significantly more bloody portion of prophecy that we have recently encountered.  I’m sure Isaiah has his reasons, those being things that the Lord has told him which he is now repeating to the people of Israel and the surrounding nations.

I can’t help but notice, when I read this, the stark contrast between the imagery of grace and righteousness and that of those still under judgment.  The beginning of chapter 32 and most of chapter 33 have some imagery of the disaster that is coming, but primarily maintain the motif of God’s mercy, justice, and grace.  Even though the people are crying out in the face of disaster, God will still raise them up and exalt those who have turned to Him.  We see a vision of the one who will reign in righteousness, yet another Messianic prophecy, and all the good that comes with Him in spite of the judgment that is taking place.

The contrast then, is those who have not turned to God.  We are given the message of hope, but we are also given a vision of judgment that has a level of finality to it as well.  This judgment seems to be a bit different than what we have encountered thus far.  There is a significantly larger amount of bloodshed here, more speech about death and an air of finality that seems to be hovering over all of it.  I think that Isaiah is trying to point out the contrast between the judgment and the grace.  While those that find their strength in God (perhaps those that didn’t return to Egypt as we talked about yesterday) still experience difficulty in these troubling times, they will be lifted up and exalted after their perseverance.  However, those that do not turn to God (represented here by Edom) will indeed be cast out and destroyed in a final judgment.

Tomorrow, as we read Chapter 35 of Isaiah, keep this in mind, because I think that this message gets amplified.  Isaiah is talking about the time in which Babylon is going to be the instrument of judgment against the nations and especially against Jerusalem.  The point has been made, judgment will come.  However, as we read this tomorrow, and as we have heard before, judgment also comes to the instrument of the judge, and the people of God will not be forgotten and will be returned to their homeland and will be restored before God.  Not only will they be brought back, but it will be with joy and songs that they return.

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