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The Harvester Podcast is brought to you by the Florida School of Preaching. Listen weekly to take a dive into biblical topics and thoughtful studies on things that matter to our eternal souls.
Welcome to the Harvester podcast.
We are happy you have joined us this afternoon or today, whatever it might be when you're
listening.
We are in season five, entitled, Majoring in the Minors the Minor Prophets, that is.
And so we appreciate your listening up to the prophets up to this point, but in this
episode five, we're gonna take a look at Obadiah, Obadiah, and we have subtitled this,
Edom's Pride and Our Hide.
Edom's Pride and Our Hide.
And I'm your host, Brian Kenyon, and Forest and Steven are not able to be with me at this
time.
and we all have busy schedules and so that's why sometimes it's not all three of us but
ideally it will be all three of us but Obadiah is a very interesting book, it's a very
short book of the bible and i will and a breeding probably reverse here as we introduce
this book now the history of this book nothing is known about the prophet Obadiah except
what is revealed in this book which is not a whole lot about him but there are two
possible dates uh...
of this
prophecy we do not have we have no definite historical markers in there like reigns of
kings or anything like that we do have in verses 10 and 11 there's some some violence
going on in uh with with Edom and with the situation but that violence doesn't tell us
which violence and so there are a number of uh violences that could be but the bait
Basic two periods of time that this was written would be either during the reign of
Jeroboam, which was 848-844 BC, when the Philistines and the Arabians attacked Jerusalem,
and that would be recorded in 2 Chronicles 21, 5-10, as well as verses 16 and 17.
Or it could be during the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, which would be 586
BC, and that of course is given in 2 Kings 25, verses 8-12.
But again, I usually take the earlier date of that in the eight hundreds.
But again, if God wanted us to know, then He would have certainly told us and given us
some historical markers.
But we do know that the prophecy centers around Edom and the pride of Edom and their
arrogance.
And so just a brief history of Edom would be in order here.
The Edomites, of course, were descendants from Esau.
And this is found in Genesis 36 verses 1 through 17.
as well as Deuteronomy 2 verses 4 and 5.
Now Esau, you remember, was also called Edom, which means red because of the potage that
he desired in Genesis 25 verse 30.
Also the conflict between Edom, that is Esau and Israel, or Jacob, began in the womb
before they were born.
You remember the one had a hold, uh Jacob had a hold of Esau's ankle,
Even though Esau was born first, Jacob did become the preeminent one as we know from the
deception and such that took place.
But Genesis 25 22 through 26 talks about the beginning of that conflict.
All right, Edom was also known as Seir in Genesis 32 verse 3 and that was located south
and east of the Dead Sea.
If you can picture your Bible map there in the the promised land area
The Sea of Galilee is kind of toward the north of that and then the River Jordan and then
it spills out into the Dead Sea.
so, Sair or Edom was located south and east of the Dead Sea.
The region was very rocky and mountainous, thus it was a very strategic position and this
we'll see later contributed to the pride of Edom.
Notice also there were two major traffic routes that passed through Edom's borders and so
that gave it some
some importance on the map.
All right, then the third thing about the history of Edom is Edom is seen throughout the
history of Israel.
Now you remember back in Numbers 20 verses 14 through 21 as well as in Judges 11, 17 and
following that Edom refused Israel passage during the Exodus.
That is, would not allow them to pass through and so the children of Israel had to go
around another way.
Also, we realize that Saul fought against the Edomites in 1 Samuel 14 47, and David, he
defeated them during his reign in 2 Samuel chapters 13 and 14.
Solomon was also, according to 1 Kings 9, 26 to 28, he was able to build a port in
Aesion-Gibur, which would have been in the land of Edom.
And then also, Herod's of the Roman Empire, they were descendants
of the Edomites.
And so that's very pretty interesting to know.
All right, that's the history of that, of the background of the Edomites, which play a
major part in this.
Now the uh introduction of the prophecy, the occasion, is found in verse one where it
says, and I'll be reading from the New King James translation, thus says the Lord,
actually the vision, I'll start up in the very beginning, the vision of Obadiah.
Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom,
we have heard a report from the Lord and a messenger has been sent among the nation saying
arise let us rise up against her for battle and so we have a prophecy and this prophecy is
called a vision very interesting a vision and as we noticed in the introductory in the
first episode of this season that one of the names for a prophet is a seer a seer s e e r
and that of course emphasizes the fact that sometimes he will see a vision and then he'll
put it in words.
Now the whole book of Revelation is kind of like that.
John was told to write what he sees and so he is a seer, a prophet, he sees this vision.
And so this vision of Obadiah concerns all the nations gathering up to go against to go
against Edom.
And the movement among Edom, oh
rumor, it says there's a rumor or tidings the old ASV would say and that's a messenger
report and he says that a messenger has been sent or the King James would call that an
ambassador has been sent and this refers to an envoy sent by one of Edom's enemies to
summon opposition against her and so drumming up support if you will to launch an attack
against Edom and so God is not necessarily involved with the direct sending of the
ambassador or the uh messenger
but God is definitely in control providentially.
God uses heathen nations to accomplish his purpose.
And as we are undergoing this season, this fifth season, you know, our president has been
doing a lot of military stuff with Iran and all that.
And we do see sometimes that people maybe not like his attitude, but sometimes God uses
people like this to accomplish his purpose.
and we'll talk about this as we go through it but you know there is some pride coming from
the White House and we just hope that that pride is going to be under control because you
know we'll have a lesson on this later on but pride goes before destruction and a haughty
spirit before the fall.
But in any case we have the prophecy that's the introduction part of that.
the prophecy in Romans, well the verses 2 through 16, verses 2 through 16
Let me just go ahead.
We'll just read these in pieces.
uh In verses 2 through 9, judgment is pronounced.
uh Edom is not as she thinks, but she is blinded by her pride.
In verse 2, behold, I will make you small among the nations.
You shall be greatly despised.
The pride of your heart has deceived you.
You who dwell in the clefts of the rocks, whose habitation is high,
You who say in your heart, Who will bring me down to the ground?
Though you ascend as high as the eagle, And though you set your nest among the stars, From
there I will bring you down, says the Lord.
If these had come to you, if robbers by night, Oh, how will you be cut off?
Would they have not stolen till they had enough?
If great gatherers had come to you, Would they not have left some gleanings?
O how Esau shall be searched out, how his hidden treasure shall be sought after.
All the men of your confederacy shall force you to the border.
The men at peace with you shall deceive you and prevail against you.
Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you.
No one is aware of it.
Will I not in that day, says the Lord, even destroy the wise men from Edom, and
understanding from the mountains of Esau?
And then your mighty men, O Tiemann, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from the
mountains of Esau may be cut off by slaughter." And so that is the judgment pronounced
upon Edom.
Now Edom, and you see some of this in here, Edom thinks she is exalted, too exalted to be
touched, but God indeed says, I will bring you down.
In verse 2, the pride of your heart has deceived you, he says.
and I will make you small among the nations.
Now small is the idea of in value, not so much despised, or in size, because small is
parallel here with despised.
And so they will be made small in the view of the surrounding nations.
Now the attitude of her is found in this statement, this question, who shall bring me down
to the ground?
Now remember Esau had a lot of rocky places and she dwelt high up in the clefts of the
rocks.
Almost impossible to catch her.
And it says that she is exalted as an eagle nesting among the stars.
And because of that she thinks she is infinitely secure.
But yet God can bring her down.
She thinks her valuables are secure, but yet God has searched them out in verses five and
six.
Now usually thieves and great gatherers leave some behind, but notice in verses 5 and 6,
nothing shall be left behind in this case.
Where are the gleanings?
They're gone because they will so utterly be destroyed.
Now, Edom does think, as most of these people do filled up with pride, thinks that she has
all kinds of allies in verse 7, but yet she does not.
uh God has turned them against her.
and those who are put to protect her best interest deceived her just as her own heart did
inverse three and so he does left wondering how could this have happened notice also
verses eight and nine she trusted in her wise and mighty men but god will cut them down
but Edom was known for her wisdom?
Yeah, Job 2, 11.
1 Kings 4, verse 30-31, and Jeremiah 49, 7 mention or connect Edom with wise men or
wisdom.
Now, Teman, that's it, the Temanite.
Eliphaz, the Temanite.
But Teman was the southernmost of Edom's chief cities, and as Edom's allies dispersed, so
will her wisdom and might in verses 8 and 9.
Notice verse 9 again, then your mighty men, Tiemann, shall be dismayed to the end of every
one from the mountains of Esau will be cut off by the slaughter.
And so that's the judgment pronounced upon Edom.
Secondly, notice reasons why that judgment will come upon Edom.
Reasons why, verses 10 through 14.
Now notice this reads, for violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you and
you shall be cut off
forever.
Notice in verse 11, the day that you stood on the other side, in the day of the strangers
carried captive his forces, when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem,
even you were as one of them.
But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother, in the day of his calamity, nor
should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah.
in the day of their destruction.
Nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
You should not have entered the gate of my people in the day of their calamity.
Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor
laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.
You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped, nor
should you have delivered them up.
and those among them who remained in the day of distress." And so these reasons why God
brings judgment upon Edom are all because, well, lot of this had to do with the way they
treated their neighbor Israel.
But notice verses 10 and 11, Edom committed violence against Jacob.
In verses 10 and 11, you have committed violence against your brother Jacob.
Now, violence is a strong word indicating violent wrong.
and wickedness done to God's people and notice it was in the time of their distress in the
time of duress he mentions that several times in Israel's calamity you did this and of
course he does refer to him as brother because you remember Esau and Jacob were brothers
coming out of the womb and so they should have treated each other like brothers but Edom
numbered herself with the looting enemies of Jerusalem
uh in verse 11.
Notice also, Edom did what she should not have done, verses 12 through 14.
Namely, she looked forward to Jacob's misery.
She rejoiced or gloated that is ridiculed at Judah's disaster.
She spoke arrogantly in the face of Judah while she endured humiliating duress.
She entered into the gate of Judah as her enemies did.
she looked covetously upon Jerusalem's vulnerable possessions.
Edom laid their hands on the spoils.
They hindered those who tried to escape and they captured the fleeing refugees in order to
enslave or to sell them.
And so they did not help their fellow brother Israel.
They did not even just leave them alone, but they took advantage.
As it were, they uh
rubbed salt in their wound, kicked them while they're down, whatever cliche you want to
use about that, that's what they did to them.
And so they were judged.
so judgment was pronounced versus two through nine, reasons why that judgment will come
versus 10 through 14.
And then versus 15 through 16, Edom, like all the heathen nations, shall reap what she has
sown.
Now notice verses 15 and 16.
Obadiah 15 and 16.
For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near.
As you have done, it shall be done to you.
Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.
For as you drank on my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually.
Yes, they shall drink and swallow, and they shall be as though they had never been.
Through verse 16.
and so all people, Jew and Gentile, all of us must answer to God in the day of the Lord
and that's that theme and we've talked about this in several of the episodes but that
theme or that idea that the day of the Lord is brought up throughout well the major
prophets as well but especially to the minor prophets and remember that day of the Lord is
a good day if you're in a right relationship with God but it's a terrible day if you're
not and in this case they are not so the day of the Lord is the day in which the Lord
will manifest himself in the overthrow of his enemies.
Again, Amos 5, 18-20, that is a day of terror to God's enemies, but Luke 21-28 and other
passages is a day of deliverance for God's faithful.
So as Edom and the nations did violence upon God's holy mount, God's wrath will be upon
them continually.
Notice he does say in verse 15 and 16,
that
they will drink from the cup of God's wrath.
That is, as Edom and the nations did violence upon God's holy mountain, God's holy wrath
will be upon them continually.
And so they will drink of the cup of God's wrath.
And that word cup is used several times in the prophets, like in Isaiah 51, 17, Jeremiah
49, 12, and yes, even in the book of Revelation it talks about that, that cup of judgment,
that cup of God's wrath.
And so as a result of that,
uh...
eventually no trace will be left of the even and we don't know of any itemized today
they're all gone is gone forever all right and so that is the judgment of even now like
all the minor profits there is doom and gloom their judgment there is captivity and
destruction but there is always a silver lining in that cloud a silver lining in the cloud
And that silver lining comes in verses 17 through 21 that, and this concerns God's
kingdom, that there will be deliverance, there will be a final triumph, that will be
there.
Now, so verse 17 talks about that, that the deliverance shall be found upon Zion.
Notice verse 17, but on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, there shall be holiness,
the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
and so deliverance shall be found now in contrast to the judgment on Edom in Mount Zion
deliverance and holiness shall be found now Mount Zion is you know Jerusalem but and I've
kind of noticed this just in my observation that most the time when Jerusalem is referred
to as Mount Zion there's more of a spiritual connotation to it as there is here a kingdom
type
God's people type, spiritual type, uh you know, influence upon it, Mount Zion.
And so as a spiritual entity, it often refers to God's stronghold, his place of
protection, his place of worship, and then notice he parallels that with the house of
Jacob.
And so that not only indicates the remnant of national Israel, but of all the redeemed,
eventually all the redeemed.
Luke 1.33 addresses that, all the redeemed will at one point come and belong to the house
of Jacob.
Now this, of course, is the climax of hope, if you will, for God's people.
Their desperate state will be righted and they will enjoy much blessings, much greater
blessings.
Now, of course, Edom has been the thorn in the side, and so Israel can take comfort, much
like God will
tell the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 1 there, you know, those that trouble you, they
will be judged eventually.
And so be at peace.
And so that will happen.
And then notice verses 18 and 20 that God's kingdom will consume Edom and the surrounding
nations.
In verse 18, the house of Jacob shall be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, but the
house of Esau shall be stubble.
They shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau.
For the Lord has spoken it.
The south shall possess the mountains of Esau, and the low land shall possess Philistia.
They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria.
Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
And the captors of the host of the children of Israel shall possess the land of the
Canaanites as far as Zarephath.
The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sefirot shall possess the cities of the south.
Then, well verse 21, let's do verse 20, 18 through 20.
18 through 20.
And so God's kingdom will consume Edom and the surrounding nations.
Now fire and flame in God's word often as here symbolizes that God's wrath will be the
cause of Edom's downfall.
God's wrath will be the cause of it.
And we find that language again in Lamentations 1.13 as well as Amos 1.4.
Now the instrument of Edom's destruction is the remnant that she tried to destroy.
And this is a theme that we find throughout scriptures, that weak, the weakness of man,
God turns into great strength because of him.
And so Israel is being harassed, beat up, if you will, by the Edomites, but yet those
people that they're beating up are going to come back, at least in the imagery here, going
to come back and overtake them and overspread them.
And so the instrument of Eden's destruction, again, is the remnant that she tried to
destroy, the children of Israel.
And then the prophet promises in these verses that God's remnant will return to possess
the land.
God's remnant will return to possess the land.
is a, for years there's been a doctrine floating around, a false doctrine about the lost,
so-called lost ten tribes of Israel.
And the idea is that these tribes were lost and that they never did return to Jerusalem.
And so we have to wait for Israel to be restored so that the kingdom can come.
And of course it's all a bunch of, and I learned that this is real word, gobbledygook,
okay?
A bunch of denominational gobbledygook.
that there is going to be no such thing because number one, as this verse here says, a
remnant did come back and possess the land.
We do find this throughout Ezra and Nehemiah, those books where they did return, a remnant
from each tribe returned.
And furthermore, in Luke chapter 2 verse 36, we read of a prophetess by the name of Anna,
and it says there she was of Asher.
She was of Asher.
And Asher supposedly is one of those lost ten tribes, but yet
she is identified as coming from Asher.
So those tribes were not lost when Luke wrote the book of Luke and Jesus' parents brought
him and he met with Anna.
Alright, so that is the destruction.
God's kingdom will consume Edom and the surrounding nations and then verse 21, the people
of God shall reign
in the messianic kingdom.
Notice in verse 21, then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau
and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.
And so the people of God shall reign in the messianic kingdom.
Now the word saviors or deliverers, some translations may have, through whom the message
of deliverance came.
yeah, so these
tie back into the messengers that gave the news.
But God's people, the point is that God's people are triumphant, but the people of the
world, that is Mount of Esau, are completely defeated, completely destroyed.
And so I'm thankful for this small book that we could read all the verses so you get it
all right here.
But we want to take a look at some practical applications here from the Book of Obadiah,
some practical applications from the Book of Obadiah.
And the number one here, and this is why we get the subtitle, Edom's Pride and Our Hide.
We can be as proud in a bad way.
Yeah, now I have to do have to clarify this.
In fact, I should say something about this right now.
Several years ago, I was filling in for a congregation while they look for a preacher, and
uh I used to King James back then, no problem.
And I was gone one time and a guy filled in for me.
And he preached a lesson on pride.
And he said, you know, pride is always bad, you know, whatever, whatever.
And then when I came back, the members told me about it.
And I'm like, whoa.
And of course, I had just been studying 1 Corinthians, 1 and 2 Corinthians.
And I know in the New Testament, Paul uses the word quite a bit when he says, I boast, or
I boast in my infirmities, or whatever.
And that's the same word that sometimes is used for arrogant pride.
and so the context has to tell the difference but it is true especially in the old
testament well fact i don't think the word pride occurs in the king james new testament
but it might but i in the old testament every place you do find the word pride it is using
a bad way in the king james translation okay in the old testament every time you see that
word pride is using the bad way okay uh...
and so uh...
you people may think price and now when i say pride in a good way which i don't use a word
a whole lot but it was a bit like i might tell my son i'm proud of you always put in
parentheses in a good way i'm proud of you in a good way which would be satisfied or
something like that but anyway it i just took a side on that to show that words have
meaning only in context and uh...
what word means one context is a necessarily means it in the other context and so we have
to be careful on that but pride
arrogance, if you will, goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall,
Proverbs 16, 18.
And there's a whole lot of pride.
People fall.
In fact, this verse is true all the way across, that arrogance.
And of course, Eden was very arrogant because they thought that they were impenetrable
because of the surroundings where they lived.
That city was built up in those rocks.
And uh no one could scale the rocks in their minds.
And if they did, we'd see them long before they came.
And so they let down their guard, and then the enemy entered in and they were destroyed.
And pride can do that to us.
In fact, we were just talking with some of the students on a break recently about how, you
know, scientists, in fact, I think he said the very day that the first Jurassic Park movie
was released.
That very time we were discovering, were discovering, paleontologists were discovering
soft tissue preserved within fossils indicating that they couldn't be billions and
billions of years old.
But the comment was made that these scientists have so much pride, and arrogant pride I'm
gonna say, some of these, have so much arrogant pride in their assessment of fossils
And they're using air quotes, their certainty of organic evolution that they're not going
to accept any evidence.
They're going to jump hoops and do jumping jacks to try to get around just a plain
evidence.
Well, why is that?
It's because pride.
Because they're proud of their so-called discoveries, arrogantly proud of their so-called
discoveries and all this stuff, their so-called science.
which is not science at all.
And because a person who is arrogantly proud will not listen, will not, you know, he
thinks he knows everything, he is subject to a great and mighty fall.
Again, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
A second lesson we learn from this is we must trust in God.
We must trust in God.
Of if no earthly dwelling is stronger than him.
You know, a house is built by somebody, but God made all things.
And again, the Edomites, because they dwelt in such great strategic rocks, they trusted
more in that than they did in God.
And sometimes we can trust more in things, in power.
And that's one thing that scares me about our president.
is that he is talking, we do have a great military, I'm not down in the military, but he
talks about it as if the military is the key to everything.
But it's not.
Our great military can be brought down just as quick as with somebody's pinky finger.
Get espionage in there, get a spy in there, get somebody that turns everything around.
I mean, we can't trust in our military.
I mean, I'm glad we have a good military, but our trust must be in God.
Our trust must be in God.
You remember the Israelites were not allowed to have horses and chariots.
From way back in the Pentateuch, why?
Because with horses and chariots, you start putting your trust in military.
But God wants us to put our trust in Him.
Eden was very wealthy, but yet riches, we can't trust in riches.
1 Timothy 6, 17, they are uncertain.
And yes, a lot of things can be done with wealth and might.
with money, we cannot trust in our eternal well-being in that or even our physical safety.
Let us trust in the Lord.
Again, earthly allies, and Edom had many earthly allies, but they can easily turn against
us.
We read about that in Jeremiah 17, 5, as well as in Psalms 118, verse 9.
Allies can turn against us.
We see this in the book of Revelation.
And we kind of see this a little bit even in our country today, again, presently.
And when we launch attacks against Iran, our so-called allies wouldn't allow us to use
airspace or even our own bases in their countries.
And that's maybe not quite to the same extent as Edom making Israel go around the long
way.
But the principle is kind of there.
We can't trust in allies.
And of course, we cannot ultimately trust in our weapons either, but we must trust in God.
You know, trust in the Lord, Proverbs 3, with all your heart.
Lean not upon your own understanding, and all thy ways acknowledge him that is God, and he
will direct our paths.
So pride goes before destruction.
Secondly, we must trust in God.
Thirdly, we can learn from this, the same should nots
that applied to eat them, that were given to eat them, you should not have done this, you
should not have done that, those same should nots apply to us as well.
Again, we should not look forward to anybody's misery.
And I know sometimes we see some of these countries and the way they treat America, the
way they treat what's good and right, makes us angry sometimes.
Well, I speak for myself, makes me angry sometimes, makes me wanna just wipe them all out.
Let's just wipe them all out.
but we cannot look forward and cannot look forward to the misery of other people.
uh Esau was told that they should not have rejoiced in Judah's disaster or downfall.
They should not gloat or ridicule.
We should not do that even against our enemies.
They should not have spoke arrogantly in the face of Judah while she endured her
humiliating duress.
And so we should not ever do that.
That comes from a place of pride.
We should not enter into the gate of Judah.
uh
the Edomites were told that you should not have entered into the gate of Judah as your
enemies did.
So we should not treat people we don't like as we would treat enemies.
They should not have looked covetously upon Jerusalem's valuable possessions, and we
should not covet other people's goods either.
They should not have laid their hands on the spoils, and we should not either.
They should not have hindered those who tried to escape.
And we should not do that either.
should have pity and mercy upon people like that.
They should not.
Esau should not have captured the fleeing refugees in order to enslave or sell them.
And we should not do things like that either.
And so the same should-nots that apply to them apply to us as well, at least in principle.
You it's never morally right to gloat and rejoice in the misfortunes of others.
And that's...
quotes from a source of commentary here said that but yes Matthew 5 45 44 love your
enemies do good them do good to them that use you and persecute you and say all manner of
evil against you falsely and Romans 12 17 through 21 Paul tells us how to treat our
enemies you know leave the vengeance to God vengeance is mine I will repay but you know if
he's hungry feed him if he's thirsty give him something to drink and so doing you'll heap
coals of fire upon his head
And so when one shares in the spoils of wrongdoing, although he or she may not be the
instigator of the crime, that person becomes, as we might say, as one of them.
And so the same should-nots that Esau was condemned for should not be in our lives either.
And so we need to live like Christ would do.
A fourth lesson we learn from this is we reap what we sow.
We reap what we sow.
And so it was told of Edom and Obadiah here that as you have done unto them, God's going
to turn around and destroy you.
And we know that principle in Galatians 6, 7, and 8, for whatsoever man sows, that shall
he also reap.
And so that principle is true in all aspects of life, physical and spiritual, and so we
must continue to do what's good, be not weary and well-doing in that same context in
Galatians 6.
for in due season you shall reap if we faint not and so we reap what we sow so let's be
careful how we treat one another remember God said Jesus said sermon on the mount for if
you forgive men their trespasses then your heavenly father will also forgive your
trespasses but if you don't forgive men their trespasses neither will your heavenly father
forgive you and so we reap what we sow so let's sow good things let's sow mercy let's sow
grace
and if that comes back on us then no problem with that.
A fifth lesson here is that God is in control and God's enemies will never prevail against
him.
Now his people may be attacked, his people may even have to die.
Be faithful unto death in Revelation 2 10 I'll give you a crown of life.
But that doesn't mean his enemies have defeated him and that doesn't mean his enemies have
defeated us.
If we're faithful in Christ, death is not a loss, it's a victory.
so God is in control.
God uses nations for the rise and fall of other nations.
And uh God is using us today, and I hope he's using us in a good way, and I hope this is
going to end good for what's good and what's right.
And it should, but who knows?
and that's again one thing scares about our president i agree with his policies most of
his policies but seems that it is very prideful very arrogant and we just want to make
sure that you know we don't all fall because of that and i would love to have about say
within one day and i'm sure some of you who are listening think the same way i'd rather
see him to be a christian and curb all that stuff and be heaven bound only through the
word of god can that be done
Alright, then finally, let's look at this, our final uh practical lesson here, or takeaway
if you will, is that God's kingdom, which of course is the church, is the only place of
deliverance.
Again, that short book of Obadiah concludes, then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to
judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.
And so God's people can rest in his kingdom.
That is the place of deliverance.
You remember when Jesus promised to build his church, Matthew 16, 18, thou art Peter and
upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
For whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
And then in Acts 2, when Peter preached that first gospel sermon, this side of the
resurrection, he concluded, therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that
this same Jesus that you have crucified, God has made him both Lord and Christ.
And then they were pricked in their hearts, and they asked Peter and the rest of the
apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?
And Peter said, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for
the remission of sins.
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." And so notice there the the answer to
their question was to repent and be baptized.
And then in verse 41, they that gladly received his word were baptized and the Lord and
whether they gladly received his word were baptized.
Actually verse 40, let me start with that, verse 40, uh with many other words did Peter
testify saying
many words of peter testify saying exorcism exhorted them saying save yourself from this
untold generation with the very next verses they think let it receive his word were
baptized and the loop and they think i received were baptized in the same day there about
three thousand souls added to them and so baptism is the answer to salvation it's the
answer to deliverance what shall we do repent be baptized save yourselves from this toward
generation
they that gladly received His word were baptized.
And so, obedience to the gospel is the answer and according to Acts 2.47, when we're
baptized into Christ, the Lord Himself adds us to the church, adds us to Mount Zion, if
you will.
And so, in Zion, in the Messianic kingdom, we're safe.
We have rest.
We have eternal existence with God.
And so, we do look forward to that.
And so there's many things we can learn from this short book of Obadiah.
And of course, Obadiah is about the pride of Edom, but that pride of Edom can be ours if
we allow it to.
But let's not allow Edom's pride to be our hide or our destruction.
But let us continue to live for God, even though people will mistreat us.
So we appreciate your listening here.
appreciate your feedback as well.
I do thank those of you who listen and I do thank the comments that you have made out and
about at lectureships, at gospel meetings, and where I see you in public.
And feel free to ask us any questions.
Most of these we can send you a transcript of.
And if not, you can get it from AI off of YouTube or whatever.
But we do appreciate your being with us.
And so we will continue our study in the Minor Prophets.
Until then,
Have a great rest of the day.