Today the church is under a lot of scrutiny. From every side the church is facing voices that are critical of her, and even the present author has from time to time has thrown a jab or two at my own perceptions of her failings. But as we continue on with our study here in the Minor Prophets, our next prophet brings some added balance to that picture. As much as the church may take rightful criticism from time to time, a person must not forget who the church is–it is the people of God himself. God is very jealous for his church, and despite its many failings, it is the witness of God on earth. Therefore, “if judgment begins in the house of God, how much worse for those who do not obey the gospel of God!” (1 Peter 4:17)
This is what the small prophetic book of Obadiah reminds us of. As we move along through our study of the prophets, we will see plenty of voices critical of Israel, God’s covenant people of the Old Testament period. But in the midst of that criticism comes a reminder of who Israel truly is. They are the sons and daughters of God…the people who have made covenant with him. To attack ancient Israel is to attack God himself.
The background to the book of Obadiah provides for us an interesting tale of nations. Many of you will know that one of the great powers of the ancient world was Babylon. Before there was ever a Rome, before there was ever a British Empire, before there was ever an American military presence around the world, Babylon was the great leader among world governments. It conquered what it wanted, when it wanted, and smaller nations like Israel were more or less powerless before its military might.
Israel had many unfortunate run-ins with the mighty Babylonian super power, and Obadiah seems to be written in the shadow of one of them. Funny thing is the book doesn’t mention Babylon in its condemnation. Others will at other times, like the book of Habakkuk for example. But the nation that is caught in the sights of this prophetic judgment is the small little nation of Edom, not Babylon. Apparently, after Israel had been slapped around by the Babylonians, the Edomites came flooding into Israel and ransacked the nation while they were still reeling from their battles with Babylon. It is clear from this little prophetic book, God is not pleased with this.
In truth, there is a long history here. Some of you may remember the dramatic stories of the book of Genesis about two twin brothers named Jacob and Esau. These two brothers wrestled in their mother’s womb, which was prophetic of their life to come. On several occasions Jacob tricked his brother Esau into giving away his birthright as the older brother, setting off a feud that lasted many years. Jacob and Esau eventually reconciled, but their descendants had problems for centuries to come. The descendants of Jacob eventually became the people we know as Israel. The descendants of Esau eventually became the nation called Edom. As nations they were neighbors. As descendants they were family.
However, from what Obadiah tells us, they don’t look like family. Or maybe we should say they look all too like many families we know…perhaps our own. So what does Edom do when the Babylonians inflict harm on their relatives in Israel? Do they come to their aid? Absolutely not. Instead, they take advantage of them while they are down. God promises to punish Edom for this.
Today the Church is under attack from all sides. To be honest, some of the attack is brought on by the church’s own failures, just as Israel brought many miseries upon her own head. But despite that, we should not mistake who the church really is–she is God’s covenant people, loved and defended by him. And while from time to time she may not live out the full obligation of her covenant, God is still jealous for her. For those who makes themselves enemies of the church, they should in fact know they make themselves enemies of God. Judgment will begin with the house of God…but it will not end there. Some conveniently forget that. And rest assured, no one who has made himself an enemy of the Church will be able to say to God, “But you can’t judge me.” God will not be quoted back to himself. Without Christ, who will stand as their advocate? Make no mistake, Christ will stand with his church, for she is his bride.
(Don’t forget to join me for A Message From the Heart radio program Sunday evening at 8:00pm on KJAK 92.7FM, or streaming live at www.kjak.com)
By: Curtis Baker (curtisbaker@hotmail.com)
Write to: P.O. Box 157, Slaton, TX 79364
