Everyday Christianity

In a book entitled The Frog in the Kettle, published by Barna Research, whose research is solely focused on spiritual and church trends, noted in a chapter named Religious Beliefs and Involvement, “Although Americans generally possess orthodox beliefs about God, Christ and Satan, the momentum is against integrating spiritual belief with daily behavior. There is an interesting contradiction between what most of us say we believe and what we do or don't do in response to those beliefs. The vast majority of Americans have orthodox Christian beliefs. They acknowledge the virgin birth, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the power of prayer, the reality of miracles by God, the importance of the church, the reality of Satan and hell and the life of the Holy Spirit in the believer.  More than nine out of ten adults own a Bible and a majority of them even believe it is God's written Word, totally accurate in its teaching.  About three out of five claim they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. But the research data says our actions indicate that our beliefs are not held to be significant. Less than half of all adults attend church. Loyalty to the church is dropping. Attendance in Sunday school is diminishing. Membership in churches is waning. And willingness to assume a leadership role is declining… If we can help the world to recognize that our faith is not a one-dimensional experience but it is a multi-faceted way of life which permeates every thought, action and experience, then Christianity would not only assume greater importance in the minds of people but would challenge non-believers to explore this faith in a new way. This means we will have to demonstrate the relevance of Christianity in every dimension of our lives. More and more emphasis must be placed on how we live those beliefs. Christians must communicate the importance of the faith by exhibiting a lifestyle based upon a Christian philosophy of life.”  

Where the book focuses on America, we also live in a world where there are many who profess our faith, but far fewer who actually possess our faith. This is as true for us today as it was for the church in Thessalonica in 51 AD. This is not something we should take lightly or without consideration. As the children of God, we have an obligation to present ourselves pleasing unto the Lord every day and in every circumstance. Yet, somewhere along the way, we have lost sight of what we might call “Everyday Christianity.” 

Regarding the Christian faith, John MacArthur would say, “Christianity is a shoe-leather faith - a living, practical faith that hits the streets in normal, everyday life, affecting everything from believers' simplest attitudes and most mundane actions to their profoundest thoughts and noblest deeds.”

What MacArthur is simply trying to say is that our faith isn't one that is to be kept in the closet or worn only on special occasions, rather it is a faith that is to be worn every day before the world and publicly displayed. That is, it affects our daily life.  It's a walking faith.  It's a working faith.  It's a living faith. 

While it is true that any system of belief should affect a change in the way one lives their life, it is also true that mere religion cannot transform a person, no matter how high its ethical standards might be simply because they cannot really be attained. Only as Christians do we have access to the power of God to transform the believer’s life so that what we believe can literally become the way we live.  We have a shoe-leather faith.  What we believe touches the earth. It is hence that Matthew 5: 13 - 14 reminds us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Now, we may fail to realize it, but the world around us is watching our lives. They have heard many who profess Christ, only to see their actions betray their words. The world is looking for those who are real. As such, we have the privilege and obligation to present our faith to the world.

Now, even though we live in a high-tech world, the needs of the heart have not changed. 1 Thessalonians 4: 9 - 12 teaches us how to love others and how to live intentionally so our lives win the respect of the world outside, while also continuing to glorify our Triune God. We need this message because the church today has lost its witness to the world. And this portion reminds us as to how to simply live and be the witness.

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. - 1 Thessalonians 4: 9 - 12 ESV

Thessalonica was a Roman colony and very important in the life of the Roman Empire. It was located 100 miles west of Philippi and about 200 miles north of Athens. It was the chief city of Macedonia. In 316 B.C. Cassander (who succeeded Alexander the Great) named it in memory of his wife, Thessalonike. Thessalonica is still in existence, and the present-day name is Salonika. The church in Thessalonica was a model church. Paul cited it to the Corinthians as an example (see 1 Thessalonians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

Further, we need to know that this was the earliest epistle written by Paul. It was written from Athens or, more likely, Corinth on his second missionary journey. Paul had to leave Thessalonica due to the great opposition to the gospel. The enemy pursued him to Berea, and again Paul was forced to leave. He left Silas and Timothy at Berea and went on to Athens. It was evidently there that Timothy brought him word from the church in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:6), together with some questions that they had raised. Paul wrote his first epistle in response to their overture.

Our passage today contains two exhortations we need to take seriously. We see the first one in verses 9-10 and the second in verse 11. Each one describes what the church owes the world as a witness and how we can fulfill it.

Verses 9 - 10

Paul begins with a simple reminder: The word for “brotherly love” here is philadelphia. It refers to the love of family members for one another. It comes from two Greek words that have been joined together:

philos, which means “tender affection, fondness, devotion,” is a word that implies an obligation to love.

adelphos, which means “brother,” literally means “one born of the same womb.”

So, the word philadelphia literally means “tender affection owed to those born from the same womb.” It’s easy to understand why Paul chose this word to describe brotherly love. All Christians have been “born of the same womb” through the new birth. Everyone who is saved is saved the same way. Jesus simply said, “You must be born again” - John 3:3. To be born again means to receive new life through personal faith in Jesus Christ. It means to be born from God’s womb.

Further, where verse 9 is speaking of being “taught by God,” it speaks not of a lesson learned in a classroom but of truth learned through relationship. The same is true regarding love. We learn to love by associating with loving people. Love isn’t taught; it’s caught. Because we come from the womb of God, we share his basic nature, which is love. Therefore, love ought to be the most natural thing for the believer to express.

If we are a Christian, we are “from the womb of God.” We love because God is love. It’s a family trait. That’s why Paul doesn’t have to teach it. To be a Christian is to enter a fellowship of brotherly love.

Paul recognizes this to be the case with the Thessalonians. It is therefore in vs. 10a he commends them on the same, ”for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia.” Note the phrase - “all the brothers.” That’s not easy to do. Most of us love some of the people, maybe even most of the people. But all of them? That’s a tough assignment.

Yet, let us be clear about this. We are to love all true believers everywhere all the time. That’s hard because most of us have some inner reservations. We don’t like this group or that denomination. We may distrust those who have a different worship style.

But we need to remember that there will always be points of difference among God’s people. Redemption in Christ does not homogenize the church. Believers have disagreed on important issues for the last 2000 years. I don’t believe we must abandon our doctrinal or cultural distinctives. But if we take Paul seriously, then we must seek to love other Christians who may see the world quite differently than we do.

Why? Because the love of God is not limited - not by nation or ocean or tribe or tongue or custom or clothing or race or politics or caste or any other human condition. When the love of God captures us, our hearts will be as big as his - reaching to the ends of the earth.

And it is therefore that Paul encourages the Thessalonian church to to do this more and more in vs. 10b. What does it mean that our love should increase? It means that we should increase in our Sympathy for those in need, Patience for those who are struggling, and Tolerance toward those with whom we disagree.

C.S. Lewis pointed out that “we may talk so much about loving people in general that we love no one in particular.” 

How does God help us grow in this area of loving all believers? By putting us in situations that force us to practice Christian love. Over the years I have observed God do this again and again. He allows two people to have difficulties with each other, sometimes to the point of anger and bitterness. He does it because the only way we learn to love is by dealing with unlovable people. I have seen it happen between husbands and wives, parents and children, between co-workers, neighbors, fellow students, and relatives. People who start out disliking each other sometimes end up as dearest friends.

Now, I acknowledge that some people are so miserably unlovable. That odorous person with the nasty cough who sat next to you coughing into your face. Those crude louts in the neighborhood with the barking dog. That smooth liar who lied to your face. By what magic are you supposed to feel toward these people anything but revulsion, distrust and resentment, and a justified desire to have nothing to do with them?

The most powerful recommendation for any church is that the members love one another! The world pines for this and flocks where it is found. When the unchurched are asked what they want in a church, the answer is always the same: They are looking for a caring church. Not just a friendly church or a relevant church or a church with plenty of programs for the kids. And not just a church where the Bible is clearly taught. As good as those things are, they don’t touch the heart cry of this generation for a place where they can be deeply loved. When the people of the world find such a place, they will stand in line to get in.

On the flip side, if we cannot learn to love, we will only continue to have people such as Gandhi come up and say, “I like you Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” 

In many cases, we will simply have to agree to disagree. In some cases, we’ll find it easier to love each other from a distance, at least for a while. We can’t love everyone the same way or to the same degree. But if we are Christians at all, we must find a way to love even when loving is hard to do. Also, we must remember that it is not magic but rather the power of the Holy Spirit who causes us to love the unlovable. The church is to be a community of love. We owe it to the Lord, to each other, and to the watching world. We owe the world that kind of example.

Now coming to the second exhortation Paul gives us in these verses, we see verse 11.

Verse 11

To understand verse 11, we need to know that in Thessalonica there had been a great excitement about the Lord’s return. When he was with them, Paul had taught them about the imminent return of Christ. It means that Jesus could return today or tomorrow or next week or next year. Problem is whenever people get excited about the Lord’s return, there are always those who take it to extremes. 

You may remember the worldwide commotion when a man named Harold Camping predicted the second coming on May 21, 2011. In answer to that kind of extremism, Paul issues a strong call for balanced living. He gives three commands, each of which answers a common problem.

1. Live Quietly: This is the answer to the problem of restlessness. The word “quiet” comes from a Greek word meaning “Sabbath rest.” It speaks of the cessation of work, of the end of conflict, of peace after warfare. Be ambitious, Paul says, to live quietly! We need this admonition because our ambition tends to be noisy, to stand out, to make a splash, to make a name for ourselves, to get ahead, to rise above the crowd.

Eugene Peterson translates this phrase with two words: “Stay calm.” It means to be less frantic and more settled in your life. With regards to the same, I came across the following quote: “You will never be happy until you learn to enjoy what you already have.” Those are good words for us to hear. We spend a lot of time, money and effort seeking happiness when the answer is learning to simply enjoy what God has already given us.

Further “Stay calm” is sound advice fit for our workaholic age. We live in hurried times, with little sense of stillness and rest. We work harder to achieve less. We are almost like a generation of hyperactive, overgrown kids who stay perpetually hyped up on caffeine, sugar, TV, social media and raucous music. 

Let us instead pray as Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the United States Senate in the years just after World War II prayed on May 8, 1947: “Help us to do our very best this day and be content with today’s troubles, so that we shall not borrow the troubles of tomorrow. Save us from the sin of worrying, lest stomach ulcers be the badge of our lack of faith.”

2. Mind Your Own Affairs: This is the answer to the problem of meddlesomeness. We all know people like this. They are busybodies who feel called to mind their own business - and yours too. They believe they have a right to invade your privacy. This is a perverted view of brotherly love. One writer speaks of “the busybody’s compulsive itch to set other people right.”

Years ago a ministry leader told me that he often reminded his staff to “feel free to have no opinion about that.” We need to remember that we don’t need to have an opinion about everything. Rather, if we take proper care of our own affairs, we won’t have the time or energy to worry too much about what others do or say.

3. Work with your own hands: This is the answer to the problem of idleness. Paul isn’t being metaphorical. He literally worked with his hands as a tentmaker so he could support himself while he preached the gospel. Even though he was highly educated, he didn’t mind hard work, and he didn’t find manual labor embarrassing.

The upper classes of Greece on the other hand despised manual labor. That’s why they owned so many slaves. But Christianity brought in a new ethic based on personal responsibility and hard work. Remember, Jesus was a Carpenter too!

With these directives being kept in mind, we also need to remind ourselves that those who get up in the morning with nothing to do but be religious are generally a great nuisance. 

Who makes a real impact for Christ in the world? The person who gets up in the morning, goes to his / her job whether in an office or at home and works all day, to pursue their daily tasks with cheerfulness and as an act of worship to God.

How we work is as crucial as how we pray. There is no greater testimony than the Christian scientist at his research, the Christian mechanic at his bench, the Christian teacher in the classroom, the Christian secretary at the desk, the Christian nurse at the hospital, or the Christian accountant keeping the books.

This is true Christianity. Going to church means little if we are going to be a lazy goldbrick on the job. Most of us don’t see our daily work as a way to worship God. But it is. What we do between Monday through Friday is just as sacred in the eyes of the Lord as what we do in church on Sunday. 

And it is only when we live as Paul teaches us in these verses that we see the difference we will make in verse 12 - namely, we will walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. Why? Because we might be the only Bible someone will ever read. We might be the only Christian someone will ever meet. What do people read, hear, and see when they look at our lives? 

If we want to make an impact on the world, these verses are where we need to begin.

Obadiah Part 5 - The Lord's Kingdom

 

Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s - Obadiah 1: 19 - 21 (ESV)

As we get into the final part of this 5 part sermon series, we have seen how the Lord was set upon bringing death and destruction on the Edomites due to their pride which manifested itself in various ways and forms, their violent attitudes towards the Lord and their own kin and their utter disregard for the Lord in the previous 4 parts A State of the Heart, A Violent Indifference, The Many Sins of Edom and The Day of The Lord. However, the crux of this whole book is not the death of the Edomites, as much as it is about the coming of the Lord’s Kingdom.

The final verses of our portion of scripture today brings a culmination to this judgment by the Lord of the Edomite people. This last portion from Obadiah removes us from the judgment of the people of Edom in the prophet’s day and looks ahead to the coming of Jesus Christ and the spread of the gospel throughout the world. The prophecy looks ahead to the Lord’s second coming, when the theme of judgment matches up with the final judgment of all the wicked when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead. It starts with a clear prophecy that states - “Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb.” - Obadiah 1: 19 - 20

Now if you are anything like me, the moment I start reading names of people or places in the Bible, I try to skip over these portions as much as possible. Yet, there is great significance to these names and much to be learnt. Why? What's in a name? 

This question has become a cliché in our culture. The significance of a name however is found in its ability to confer affluence and reputation. If one has a famous last name, they are treated with respect and honor. If they have a last name that has been associated with ill-repute, they will be disrespected and dishonored. But typically we use names as mere designators to distinguish one person from another. They do not have much significance to us, and any meaning attached to that name is either unknown to the bearer of that name, or the bearer is not concerned with such trivialities. This was not the way they viewed or used names in the Mid-East. Mid-Easterners even today attach a much greater significance to names. The fact that the Hebrew word shem and the Greek word onoma--both of which mean "name"--appear over 1000 times in the Bible should give us an indication of the significance of a name.

To the Hebrews a name was not a label, or a tool to distinguish one person from another; a person's name was viewed as equivalent to the person himself. A person's name signified their person, worth, character, reputation, authority, will, and ownership. It defined their character. It is hence that when people were seen as having a new character, their names were changed as well. Further, we need to keep in mind that since the names of places are essentially given basis the character / nature of the incidents surrounding them, or their close association with their respective Biblical characters, even to the extent of being personifications of their forebears; if we gave close attention to the names of places and people we would see a pattern emerging of God’s undeterred love for His people through the ages, over centuries and across geographies.

This same promise of God’s love continues in verses 19, 20, where we see that the victory of Christ over Satan is cast into simple terms of victory for God’s people. The south of Judah and the tribe of Simeon were located in a lowland known as the Negev. Those people–often persecuted by Edom–would be given the land of Edom (“Esau”) for their spoils.

The dwellers of the foothills, the tribe of Dan would be given the land on the other side of the mountains: Philistia. In addition, they would possess the land once occupied by Israel before the northern tribes were removed to Assyria. They would receive Ephraim (the towering highland north of Judah) and the rich fields of Samaria. The little tribe of Benjamin would be given the land of Gilead in the north. This is only a picture, mind you, of the blessings God will give to all believers when He brings us home to heaven. The blessings will be wonderful–unimaginable–so they are placed here into simple and clear terms, easily understood.

Further, we are told that the northern Kingdom and tribes will return from exile and spread out along the northern coastline of Palestine to Zarephath. And the southern tribes (note that their captivity is indirectly prophesied here) would also be granted an allotment of the Negev. More importantly, we seem to have a glimpse of the way the Gospel would travel in New Testament times. Zarephath might remind us of the widow who befriended Elijah (1 Kings 17:9-10; Luke 4:26). This also reminds us that Jesus traveled into Syrian-Phoenicia near Tyre, meeting a woman there with a remarkable faith. She was the one who asked for mere scraps of Jesus’ healing, since “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28).

Sardis was a city in western Asia Minor, one of the seven Christian Churches addressed by Jesus in His letter dictated to the Apostle John (Revelation 3:1-6). Jesus said that although the church was dying or dead; “Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” Rev. 3:4. Even when judgment is made–either on Sardis or on Edom–the Lord is compassionate on those who have faith, just as he was patient and compassionate when he rescued Lot from Sodom (Genesis 19:15-24).

It is in this context that Obadiah verse 21 reads, “Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”

The word for “Savior” here is related to the word “Messiah.” Although more than one messiah is mentioned, we know that we have only one Christ (Messiah). Yet this term was sometimes used to describe the “rescuers” who saved Israel in the time of the Judges. More importantly and more clearly as a prophecy, “the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” Jesus is the King who reigns over all, occupying the place of honor at the right hand of the Father. He is both the judge who condemns all sinners and the Lamb whose sacrifice atoned for the sins of the world and have rescued all who put their faith in him. And he will reign forever and ever.

Obadiah’s message meant judgment and destruction for God’s enemies, but for us, this short little book reminds us of the great rescue that is ours through Jesus. He will preserve His people for all eternity, blessing us with all that we need. He will give whatever we might want, and more, because his mercy endures forever.

This note of encouragement is actually the central purpose for this prophecy of Obadiah. We might wonder if it ever had much of a reading in the streets or palaces of Edom; but it certainly was received as welcome encouragement among the suffering people of God. Obadiah tells all God’s people: “Don’t worry about those who ignore your need, those who rejoice at your problems, those who take advantage of your crises, those who join their hands with others in attacking you. I will take care of them.”

Calvin the Reformer, a contemporary of Luther, said about this scripture portion, “The Prophet proceeds with the same subject, -- that God would not only gather the remnants of his people from the Babylonian exile, but would restore the exiles, that they might rule far and wide, and that their condition might be better than it was before: for the Prophet, as I think, directs the attention to the first blessing of God, which had been deposited in the hand of Abraham. God had promised to the posterity of Abraham the whole land from Euphrates to the sea. Now this land had never been possessed by the children of Abraham. This happened, as it is well known, through their sloth and ingratitude. David in his time enlarged the borders; but yet he only made those tributaries whom God had commanded to be destroyed. So this blessing had never been fulfilled, because the people put a hindrance in the way. The Prophet now, speaking of the restoration of the Church, tells the people, who would return from exile, that they were to occupy the country which had been promised to their fathers as though he said, "There will come to you a full and complete inheritance."

Now it is certain that this prophecy has never been completed: we know that but a small portion of the land was possessed by the Jews. What then are we to understand by this prophecy? It does unquestionably appear that the Prophet speaks here of the kingdom of Christ; and we know that the Church was then really restored, and that the Jews not only recovered their former state from which they had fallen, but that their kingdom was increased: for how great became the splendor of the kingdom and of the temple under Christ? This then is what the Prophet now means, when he promises to the Jews the heritage which they had lost; yea, God then enlarged the borders of Judea. Hence he shows that they should not only be restored to their former condition, but that the kingdom would be increased in splendor and wealth, when Christ should come. 

The space was no doubt great: even when David reigned, the Jews did not possess that part or south portion of mount Seir. Then the Prophet, as I have said, shows that the borders of the kingdom would be more extensive than they had been. And the plain, he says, of the Philistines On that side also the Lord would cause that the Jews would extend farther than their kingdom. And possess they shall the fields of Ephraim. Here I will not spend much labor in describing the land: but it is enough for us to understand that the design of the Prophet was to show that the state of the people after their exile would be far more splendid than it had been before, even under the reign of David. What he means by Gilead is not very clear: but it is not probable that mount Gilead is referred to here, which was not far distant from the tribe of Benjamin, but rather that a town or some place distant from that part, and not included in their portion, is pointed out.

There is here an obscurity in the words. The Hebrews by Canaan mean the Illyrians as well as Germans, and also the Gauls: for they say, that the migration, which shall be dispersed in Gaul, and in Germany, and in these far regions, shall possess the southern cities. Now by Zarephath they understand Spain. But we know, as we have elsewhere said, that the Jews are very bold in their glosses: for they are not ashamed to trifle and to blend frivolous things; and they assert this as though it were evident from history, and easily found out. Thus they prattle about things unknown to them, and this they do without any reason or discrimination. The Prophet, I doubt not, means here that all those territories, which had been formerly promised to the children of Abraham, would come into their possession when the Lord would send his Christ, not only to restore what had fallen, but also to render the state of the people in every way blessed. The import of the whole then is, that the Jews shall not only recover what they had lost, but what had not hitherto been given them to possess: all this the Lord would bestow on them when Christ came.”

To summarize, Calvin's idea about this passage is essentially portraying how great things will be once the Messiah comes. He also clarifies that it would be not an earthly kingdom that would possess the land, but rather God's people living around the world. Further, that the perfect and full realization of the prophecy comes in the new heavens and earth as recorded in Revelations. What is possessed by faith now (as in the example of Abraham) is possessed by sight when the age-to-come has arrived.

It is therefore that Revelations 22: 3 - 5 reminds us, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see his face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

You see, where the book starts with what we might call the ruthlessness of God, where He has His heart set on destroying Esau, towards the end, the whole story is that of the coming of the Holy Spirit into the human heart; he has come to destroy Esau and all these characteristics of the flesh. He will destroy them in those who are His and bring Jacob into the full inheritance of all His possessions -- and the weapon He uses is the judgment of the cross.

Isn't it interesting that when we get to the New Testament we find these same two principles personified again in two persons who meet in the pages of the Gospels face to face. In the last week of our Lord's sufferings, he stands before Herod. Herod, we are told, is a remnant of the Edomite people. Jesus before Herod -- the representative of Jacob and the representative of Esau face to face. Herod the Edomite, proud, arrogant and rebellious, watches the cruel mockery of the soldiers as they strip the Lord down and dress him in his royal robes. The Gospel writer says that Herod plied him with many questions, but for the son of Esau there is no answer from the son of Jacob. He has nothing to discuss with him. There can be no compromise. God has nothing to say to the flesh, nothing at all except judgment - the judgment of the cross.

And what is the final issue of that account? The prisoner went out to a cross and a grave, and from it he emerged a king; but King Herod went on to disgrace, exile, and, finally, to a grave in a foreign country. Beyond that he is a prisoner, bound by chains of his own making, eternally.

Now which are we? A king or a prisoner? Is Esau or Jacob ruling? Do we know about this ruthless cross that denies us any right to self-sufficiency, to self-expression, to self-advantage, to self-exploitation, to all these things -- denies us indifference, gloating, or self-righteousness? Have we learned yet to reign with Christ, not in heaven, but right now? Have we learned to possess our possessions -- as Jacob is intended to do -- so that the kingdom shall be the Lord's, the kingdom of your life? Or are we still a prisoner, like Herod, fancying ourself to be free, on a throne in authority, but still bound by unbreakable chains because you refuse to pass through the death that sets you free?

Let’s pray!

Obadiah Part 4 - The Day of the Lord

 

“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been. But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.” - Obadiah 1: 15 - 18 (ESV)

Today as we get into the 4th part of this 5 part sermon series on the book of Obadiah, let’s briefly review what we’ve learned so far from the earlier parts, A State of the Heart, A Violent Indifference and The Many Sins of Edom. We learned that the book dealt with God’s judgment on the nation of Edom for its sin of pride. Edom is the nation that descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob. The two brothers maintained great animosity toward one another for many years, and though they seemed to finally make peace, the two resulting nations continued with these feelings of animosity. Remember that Edom refused to allow Israel passage through their land when they were trying to reach the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses.

God said in Malachi that He hated Esau, and the reason He hated Esau, or Edom was because of their pride. They were proud of their national defenses, their strong allies and their superior wisdom, and that pride was manifested in their treatment of their brother Israel when the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar. When Babylon descended on Jerusalem, the Edomites stood by watching. They laughed and mocked and even encouraged the enemy to destroy the place. When the battle was over they went into the city themselves to steal and loot anything that was left behind, and then in a final display of hatred they rounded up all the refugees they encountered and handed them over to the Babylonians.

As with any prophetic book and any true prophet, Obadiah starts with forth telling the actions of Edom with which God has a grievance and then goes on to deliver judgment as a result of those actions. We see this judgment starting in verse 15.

Now, let us notice the first little word in this verse 15. It is the word for. It means because. This is a continuation to the ‘you should not have dones..’ that we see in verses 12 - 14. Obadiah tells the Edomites quite plainly that they shouldn’t have acted so violently toward their brother Israel, and why? Why should they not have done all they did? Because the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.

That’s quite a statement. If we think for a moment that God doesn’t remember our behavior, we ought to think again. The Edomites practiced this animosity toward their brothers for centuries, and while they might have thought they were getting away with it God was keeping His record.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 reminds us, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” Why doesn’t He always execute judgment immediately then? Because like the Bible tells us in Psalms 103, 145, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Why doesn’t the Lord execute judgment right away? Because He is longsuffering and He gives us space to repent and turn toward Him. This is the same reason He didn’t just wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah when He first wanted to. This is the same reason He didn’t just clean the city of Nineveh right off the face of the earth. This is the same reason He bothered with Jonah. Because His desire is repentance, not judgment.

Edom would not repent though, and because they wouldn’t repent, Obadiah told them that the day of the Lord was near upon all the nations. Now, we consider this a split prophecy, because it had an immediate fulfillment on the nation of Edom, but its ultimate fulfillment will take place when the Lord returns.

Edom, which was once a very rich and prosperous nation, is now a barren land. It is a wasteland and its people are gone. Let us notice one of the laws of God that we don’t pay much attention to the latter part of verse 15, “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.”

How often do we think of that? We know the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as we would have them do unto us.” But we need to remember this rule as well – whatever we do to others will be brought back to us. Can we be certain God holds us to that rule? Let’s look at James 2:12-13 for a New Testament example of the Lord’s teaching. What does James say about our actions toward others being returned upon our own heads? He said that if we are unmerciful to others, we can expect the same treatment from the Lord. Isn’t it funny that we want God to punish others for their sinful acts, but when we sin against Him we cry out for mercy? Isn’t it funny that we hold on to anger and bitterness because of the sins of others against us, but then we sin against God and expect Him to forgive us?

This doesn’t just apply to Edom, or even to us, because Obadiah said that the day of the Lord was near upon all the nations. It is a tragedy of nations that their people somehow think themselves exempt from the judgments that have overtaken others. The day comes when God will judge everyone.

Verse 16 therefore goes on to say. “For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.”

When Jerusalem fell, the Edomites entered the city and began to rejoice, plundering the goods. In other words, they went into God’s capital city and partied – they “drank on God’s holy mountain.” Then we read something interesting. Just as Edom went in and drank on God’s holy mountain, all the nations will drink continually and they shall be as though they had not been. What does that mean? Our answer is in Jeremiah 25: 15 - 17, 27 - 28: “Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.” So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it…“Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.’ “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: You must drink!”

Edom, Obadiah says with poetic justice, along with the other nations, is going to drink again. But this time the cup will not hold wine. It will be the cup of the wrath of God. If we are to learn anything from all of this, it ought to be that Edom wasn’t singled out for its enmity against God’s people Israel, which was really enmity against God Himself. Whatever form wicked pride takes; pride is an affront to God, and God will judge all who refuse to humble themselves.

It is therefore that Isaiah 2:12 reminds us, “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it:” On a similar note, Ezekiel 30:3 reminds us , “For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.” There are a number of other places in the Scripture that speak about the day of the Lord, and many of them mention another fact that Obadiah points out – the day of the Lord is near.

Now, here is a problem for some people. Obadiah wrote this almost 600 years before the birth of Christ, and now it has been around 2600 years since he wrote it. How could he possibly say that the day of the Lord was near when he wrote it that long ago and the Lord still hasn’t returned?

Just to make sure we’re on the same page, remember that the day of the Lord he is speaking of is the one referred to in 1 Thessalonians 5, the day when Jesus returns to this earth to execute judgment on the nations. It is the day when He returns to set up His kingdom and establish righteousness. It is the day when people will see Him not as the Lamb of God but as the Lion of the tribe of Judah with a rod of iron in His hand. On that day the nations of the earth will be destroyed and all earthly governments will be put down. This is directly alluding to what Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:44-45, “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

So, the nations will be destroyed on the day of the Lord, but getting back to what Obadiah said, how can it be that His day is near? Certainly for Edom it was. Edom was most likely put down when Nebuchadnezzar marched through that land to get to Egypt. They probably used the same route that the Israelites tried to use when they were refused passage. Knowing that these were a thieving and wicked people, Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t afford to just leave them alone. They most likely subjugated the Edomites, killing off many of them and capturing a good many more, but they didn’t wipe them out because we find that later on in Israel’s history, during the time of the Maccabees that there were still Edomites that had to be dealt with, and then of course during the time of Christ there were still Edomites living, such as the Herods. During the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, when the temple was destroyed, the Zealots, a group that the Apostle Simon was identified with, sent for the Edomites, who only added further torment to the destruction of Jerusalem. After this battle their name disappears from history. Most of them perished during the Jewish extermination that accompanied the siege and destruction of Jerusalem.

But what about the rest of the nations? They were not all dealt with at that time. Author, James Montgomery Boice wrote about this passage explaining this idea of nearness of the day of the Lord.

“…we need to understand that the Bible’s view of nearness is more what we would intend by the word “imminence.” That is, the judgment is near in the sense that it can occur at any moment. Imminent means “threatening to occur immediately, impending.” An imminent event does not necessarily occur immediately, but it could. Therefore one must be ready for it.

“An illustration may help. Imagine that a preacher is talking to a large congregation and that, as he begins, he places his Bible on the pulpit so that it is hanging out over the edge. This Bible is very precariously balanced. Although the preacher is not aware of it himself, the congregation notices what has happened and is anxiously wondering when the Bible will fall. No one knows when it will fall. It might sit there throughout the sermon. But, on the other hand, the preacher might jar the pulpit or even knock the Bible off deliberately. The situation is critical. When the preacher is speaking quietly and is not touching the pulpit, the congregation relaxes somewhat. When he gets louder and begins to thump the pulpit, they become worried.

“This is the sense in which God’s judgment is near, not only to nations but to every one of us. There are times when things are quiet and we do not anticipate the judgment so much. At other times we hear of wars and rumors of wars, the sea of the nations is troubled, and we wonder if God’s final intervention in history may not be just around the corner. We become anxious. But notice: Judgment is no less near in quiet times than in stormy ones. At any moment God may set the wheels of his final reckoning in order. That is why we must prepare for the Day of the Lord and be ready through faith in Jesus our Savior. Jesus himself said, “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.””

So, with the day of the Lord and His judgment on the nations – what happens to Jerusalem and God’s people Israel on the day of the Lord?. We see this in verses 17, 18, “But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.” While Edom could only look forward to doom and destruction, verse 17 says that there’s going to be deliverance on mount Zion, which is sort of a poetic name for Jerusalem. When is Obadiah talking about? When is this time that God is going to give deliverance to His own people, bless them and enable them to possess all this land mentioned in verses 19-20? It is the time of the millennial reign of Christ! It is the time that follows the day of the Lord, when Christ our Savior is going to put down all nations and exalt His own people and sit on His throne!

Those days will be characterized by true holiness. There is no true holiness in our world today – we can write all the laws we want and govern people with an iron fist, but sinful people will be sinful people and no matter what we do, we can’t change that. Even God’s people in His churches struggle daily with real holiness. We always have! You can’t find a period in all of history since the fall when the world hasn’t been characterized by lawlessness and wickedness, but in that day, the day when God will bring deliverance, when the kingdom shall be the Lord’s, the Bible says that Christ will rule and reign with righteousness!

Obadiah saw the Hebrew nation resettled in the Promised Land. Their sifting time would be over forever, the Jewish people will fully possess all the territory that God promised to Abraham. Holiness will be established throughout the kingdom, and the teachings of Jesus will stand as good and right for all the world. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the day that Christ returns and sets up His kingdom. I’m looking forward to the day when God is going to sort things out and punish unrighteousness. Sometimes we can feel like Asaph when he wrote Psalm 73 – he noticed that the wicked and unrighteous enjoyed good lives and godly people were stricken, but God’s Word tells us and Obadiah shows us that in the end God is going to sort all of that out and His people will be eternally blessed!

Why hasn’t the Lord returned yet? Why hasn’t He come to judge the nations? We already saw - it is because God is so gracious – every moment He delays His coming is a moment for people and nations to repent – even people like you and me. God is delaying the ultimate working out of His judgment on many nations until those who respond to the gospel in faith come to Him of their own free will.

So, what are we to learn from today’s portion? Vastation is defined as the great emptying out of concepts formed by self-intelligence and self-love. We all have to go through varying degrees of vastations at various times. What comes to mind is that parable in Matthew 13: 24, about the enemy coming to sow seeds of darnel while the owner slept. The owner of the field told his workers to wait until harvest time. If they had pulled the tares out too soon, they probably would have pulled out the good with the bad. So, the Lord remains patient. Question is, are we ready for our vastations, so that we will truly and daily take up our cross and follow Him? 

For when we pray in the Lord’s prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done” whether we realize it or not, what we’re actually praying for is that the Lord’s Kingdom takes root in our hearts to begin with and in all the world as a result. And His Kingdom takes root in our hearts when we truly and completely surrender ourselves to Him daily and take up our cross and follow Him, of our own free will.

Let us pray!

Obadiah Part 3 - The Many Sins of Edom

We have seen in the previous two parts of this sermon series from from Obadiah - The State of the Heart and A Violent Indifference as to how Edom continued to commit sin despite Israel and Judah being their own relatives and how Edom let it’s pride manifest in different ways - specifically violence and indifference. Today we continue to see how they allowed their pride to manifest in other ways that God hated them for it.

But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity - Obadiah 1: 12 - 13a (ESV)

In verse 12 and the first part of verse 13, God charges Edom with the sin of gloating as a manifestation of this basic problem of pride. Notice how we hear this so frequently in children who haven't yet learned to cover up what they feel with a subtle varnish of politeness: "Yay, yah, yah, good for you. You had it coming!" Have we ever said that in your own heart about somebody? "You had it coming." We were gloating over them. Adults learn to disguise this sometimes, but it comes out once in a while. For example, what do we say when someone doesn’t take our advice and fails and we hear about it? Do we ever say, "Well, I told you so. I knew that would happen. I expected it all along"? That is the sense of gloating, you see. 

Now, what causes this? Why do we like to rub salt on another's wounds? What is behind this perverse delight we take in another person's failure or his faults? It is Esau in us. The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. In our pride and indifference we don't care what happens to someone else, as long as everything is alright with us.

In our most recent COVID context, the whole need for vaccinations and the mask mandates has been a prickly topic. I remember on many occasions as I debated with some people I knew as to why these were required and they would come back with the wildest possible conspiracy theories and try and base it on the Bible. Ultimately, all of them caught COVID - some really bad and then some of them got wiser. I am reminded how at those times I had to check myself to not say in my heart - “I told you so. You had it coming.”

Story goes of a hypochondriac who got it written on his epitaph - “I told you I was sick!” Even death cannot relieve some people of their attitudes.

Gloating over the misfortune of another person has become a default response by some to the sorrow experienced by those who hold opposing views. Gloating is an indicator of the sad condition of the heart of the gloater, not the person who suffered an injury because of what the gloater deemed as the cause of their misfortune. This takes place with regularity in some of our news outlets. 

I saw one headline today where a man’s death was offered as proof that his position on a particular subject was, according to the nuance of the headline, the cause of his death. It lacked heart and compassion. The news lead was a form of gloating crafted as a subtle rebuke.

Let us be careful to not align our voice with a spirit that gloats over the misfortune of anyone, even those we deem as the enemy of the good. One of the most profound and memorable texts in all of Scripture begins with the words “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). That kind of love can never be extended to the world if we allow our voice to join the gloating chorus of “I told you so” when sorrow visits people who according to us might have a faulty worldview or a misguided understanding about an important subject. 

For when we gloat over the misfortune of others, we are behaving like Edom did on the day of destruction of their own kin.

But Edom went one step further, and did the unthinkable. 

Do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity - Obadiah 1: 13b (ESV)

The latter part of verse 13 makes their crime clear - they looted their own. Now imagine this, you have had a major disagreement with your brother / sister / relative and choose not to keep in talking terms with them. At a later point you see that they are going through tough times and you not only gloat to their face, but you also go into the house and take away their things?

That is exactly what Edom did. They stood by the gates as Israel and Judah were attacked, rejoicing and reveling. Then as the raiders stomped about the home of their own kin, they joined the marauders in raiding and stealing from the home of their kin.

Edom’s sin started with doing nothing, then progressed to pride over Judah’s distress. Soon, they took advantage of their brother Judah’s misfortune and laid hands on their substance.

Gloating is one thing, it is a subtle manifestation of our pride. But looting your own - that is being perverse. It is blatantly and outrightly saying, “I take what I want - God has nothing to do with it!” This verse is directly alluding to verses 5 - 6 which reads, “If thieves came 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? How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!”

What is the Lord saying in this verse to Edom? Essentially they are being told that if thieves came to their house, they would only take what they wanted / needed and leave the rest behind. Think about it - a thief in your house will always only take what they deem of value. When they have had their fill, they leave. Similarly the example is given here of grape gatherers. We are all familiar with the concept of not so well to do people gathering the leftovers of produce from our land to meet their needs. This verse tells us even such people who were coming out of blatant disregard to take away or out of need to use what can be found would leave something behind. But it would not be so for Edom!

Instead, because of their gloating on the day of their brothers misfortune and further looting their brothers goods, by the time God was done with them - they wouldn’t even have a semblance of anything left over. It would be as if they never existed! For me it is a chilling thought. This is God seeking vengeance against Edom. God is literally cursing them to say that they would be erased from existence.

And that is exactly what happened with Edom. They were erased from history. The perspective of verses 12, 13, and 14 is a common technique in ancient literature. The author speaks as if shouting back in time, to warn someone. The crimes Edom is being told "do not" do are the very ones they have already done - to serve as a future warning to those who might listen and not follow suit. A frequent feature of God's judgment is a sinner's own crimes coming back to them. Edom looted Jerusalem and helped defeat them. Not long after this prophecy was written, the Edomites were driven from their lands by foreigners. Their nation wallowed in poverty and obscurity until 70 AD, when the Roman Empire virtually annihilated them.

Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. Obadiah 1: 14 (ESV)

The final progression of Edom’s sin was worst of all – they joined in the attack against vulnerable Judah. You can picture what has happened. As Edom moved in to plunder the city, they encountered stragglers, men and women, or lone women with their children, perhaps whole families who had fled the city to escape the destruction and certain death or captivity. They would naturally try to take refuge in the rugged country south of the Dead Sea – but on their way they met up with these Edomite brothers who had no sympathy for their plight – the Bible says that they turned them over to the Babylonians, gave them up to their enemies for who knows what future. Did they care? Certainly not, for they were the lowest sort of people, thriving on the defeats of others, even their own kinsmen. 

Bible expositor John Trapp is known to have said - “Sin proceeds by degrees; neither is any man at his worst at first.” 

All in all, Edom treated God’s people terribly when distress and calamity came upon them. 

• First they perpetrated violence.

• Then they did nothing.

• Then they rejoiced in their distress and calamity.

• Then they took advantage of their vulnerable state.

• Then they joined in the violence against God’s people.

Are we doing the same today? From today’s verses, we need to ask ourselves these questions:

1. Are we the kind of people who don’t help others but we don’t mind finding out the details of some other Christian’s failure? Have you heard of someone who has fallen into some sin, and have we been tempted for curiosity’s sake to see what the trouble is - only to gloat albeit within our heart?

Let us make no mistake - Gloating is a subtle sin, but it is a sin that stems from pride and it is sin nonetheless. In gloating we behave like Edom.

2. Do we take advantage of brothers / sisters who fall? Do we prey on them with our works and behavior? Do we move in and gather the spoils? What are some ways that believers can take advantage of other believers when they fall?

Have you ever heard anyone say, "Well, I had a contractor bid on some work I would like him to do, and the fellow made a mistake and he has underbid this. But I am going to hold him to It. After all, I've got the contract. He signed it and I am going to hold him to it"? That is taking advantage of another's mistake. We find this spirit coming up so easily when something like that happens. We say, "Oh, that is your hard luck." We try to move in and take advantage of another's distress.

"If we’re thinking right now, Oh, I could never do a thing like that." Well, how many of us are on the lookout for some old coin, or some antique chair, or some widow selling her stuff who doesn't know the value of them? We move in on that and take advantage of it?

Taking advantage of others is a sin that stems from pride. In taking advantage of others, we behave like Edom.

3. Do we stand in the way of our brothers and sisters who are hurting? 

Now figuratively speaking, God’s people can be guilty of this very thing. We serve Satan, our enemy by treating Christians who have sinned or erred with an unbrotherly love. Some Christians spend more time delivering fellow believers into the hands of unbelievers than they do serving God. Our duty is to build up, to edify our brothers and sisters and restore them, not to turn them over to the enemy every time they fall.

All too often it is we, believers in Jesus Christ who behave like the Edomites. We can behave very hurtful, we say things we ought not say, we do things we ought not do, and sometimes, perhaps more often than not, we refuse to get involved when we should. There is a Bible verse that says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” - Proverbs 18: 24 (ESV)

We have such a friend in Jesus. When we had fallen to sin and death, Jesus didn’t just stand by. He didn’t look on with contempt or with indifference. When we were helpless and hopeless, Jesus didn’t rejoice or boast of His own perfection, though He was. He didn’t move in and exploit us, nor did He turn us over to the enemy – He didn’t do any of these things. Because He loved us, He chose to get involved and do something about it – His love drove Him to the cross, and because He was lifted up, we too can be lifted up.

Let me close today’s reflection with a poem “My Name is Pride” by Beth Moore:

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny…because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment…because you “deserve better than this.”

I cheat you of knowledge…because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing…because you are too full of you to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness…because you refuse to admit when you are wrong.

I cheat you of vision…because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship…because nobody’s going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love…because real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in heaven…because you refuse to wash another’s feet on earth.

I cheat you of God’s glory…because I convinced you to seek your own.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

You like me because you think I’m always looking out for you.

Untrue.

I’m looking to make a fool of you.

God has so much for you, I admit, but don’t worry…

If you stick with me you’ll never know.