"God’s Care and Judgement XIV"
Did you know that God loves to send messages to nations, people groups, or even religions that don't specifically claim him as their deity? That's exactly what Obadiah 1:1 suggests, which says, "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 nations, saying, 'Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle')" (NKJV). Obadiah's brief letter-prophecy foretells the doom of Edom, because they helped Babylon overthrow the Kingdom of Judah when Nebuchadnezzar invaded and pillaged the country (Obadiah 1:10-14). Nevertheless, what is most problematic about Edom's involvement in Judah's downfall is the merciless and malicious way they went about it: God implies that Edom took more than they needed from Judah when Babylon conquered it (verse 5); Edomite soldiers gleefully celebrated the ruin and devastation that befell the people of Judah (verse 12); and Edom stationed troops at major crossroads leading out of Judah so they could slaughter fleeing citizens or capture them and turn them over to Babylonian forces (verse 14). There are even hints that God views Edom's treatment of Judah as reminiscent of Lucifer's assault on God's throne (Obadiah 1:2-4 echoes Isaiah 14:12-17) and Ham's dishonor of his father, Noah (Obadiah 1:10-14 repeats some of the same themes as Genesis 9:18-27), which makes Edom's treatment of Judah especially malevolent and purposeful.
But why is God talking to Edom at all? If God intends on vindicating his people, why not just lambast Edom and call it a day? Why address Edom by giving them a personalized message - basically, a "coh amar y'adonai," a "thus says the Lord?" After all, Edom worshiped Qos as their national god, a being who bears resemblance to Yahweh but who ultimately represents a different interpretation of his character. The reason seems to be that God cares about all the nations, especially Edom (in this instance), as much as he cares about his people (Obadiah 1:15-21). Apparently, God wants a relationship with everyone, which is why he attempts to talk to everyone and goes so far as to compose messages for them.
Friends, God wants to be your friend - that's the reason why he speaks any "thus says the Lord" in the first place. And God counts you as his best friend, since God desires to speak to his friends about how they're feeling and what they're doing with their lives. Let's not be like Edom, who behaved with nastiness and hostility toward their neighbor, Judah. Instead, let's heed the message God gave to Edom, so that we can learn to be open and receptive to what God is telling us through it - because "thus says the Lord."
God bless,
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
