Obadiah 1:1-21 ~ Revelation 4:1-11 ~ Psalm 132:1-18 ~ Proverbs 29:24-25
Today is the 13th day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is a pleasure and an honor to be here with you today and every day as we continue the rhythm of the scriptures and our interaction and relationship with the scriptures that never ends and is never not new and always speaking. So it is exciting that we can take this next step as we near the end of another year and as we end the end of the year, things kind of do speed up and they bring us to new books and letters continually and today is no different. We will read the book of Obadiah today.
Introduction of a New Book (Old Testament)
The book of Obadiah contains just 21 verses, making it the shortest book in the Old Testament. It deals with a very long-running family issue. Contained in this one chapter is a prophesy of the complete destruction and doom of the Edomites.
So if you reflect back on the beginning of our adventure through the Bible, you’ll remember the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob’s descendants became the children of Israel. Esau’s descendants became the Edomites and they were forever in conflict. When God delivered the children of Israel from slavery and bondage in Egypt, the Edomites would not allow them to pass through their land on the way to their promised land. At other points in history, when Israel was being attacked and overrun, the Edomites stood by silent and God reached the end of his patience and through the prophet Obadiah predicts their utter destruction.
We have good application for this today, too, for although we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and have been made children of God, therefore making us all family, all too often we see brothers and sisters at war with one another or standing by silently as brothers and sisters are destroyed before our eyes. Perhaps they are getting what they deserve in our judgment. The book of Obadiah shows a very clear picture of how God feels about that.
So we will read in its entirety the book of Obadiah, reading from the English Standard Version this week.
Commentary
Alright, let’s talk about the proverb today, the 25th verse of chapter 29:
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
Easy to blow-by some of these sometimes, but these little one-sentence proverbs are absolutely jam-packed with wisdom and have so many layers sometimes. So there is a lot more going on here than just don’t be afraid of people, just trust God. This is speaking to the core of our identity because the fear of man speaks to how it is we are arriving at an identity. If we’ll examine our lives, we’ll see just how true this is.
How people perceive us, how people think about us is a huge motivator in most lives, so on the one hand we have this personality that we present to the world and then we know that there is an inner life behind all of that portrayal, this whole life that is inside of us that not a lot of people get to see. We have this presentation that is effectively showing us what our fear of man is. Then there are the ways in which we sort of govern ourselves and won’t boldly step into our faith because of what it might look like and then what it might look like touches so many parts of our lives. If we would sit down and examine this, we would see yeah, there are plenty of places I have walled myself in because of the fear of man.
The fear of man is all throughout the Bible. We could pick so many stories, like the story of Saul. We see a life completely lived this way and it brought the downfall of a king. Then we juxtapose this with Jesus and we see a completely different way of living. Humanity, totally different. Jesus was devoid of this which means we are to be devoid of this as well or, as the proverb says, that is a trap. That is a snare. You will be safe if you will trust in the Lord, but you will be trapped if you are afraid of man and what he thinks about you if you are trusting in the Lord.
So may we consider the ways in which we do this because we do this in subtle ways, ways that are just culturally ingrained in us, this idea of comparison. I mean, our whole marketing system is set up this way. If we could have this we would be that. And if we could get ahead this way over another group of people we would be superior. We’re invited into this constantly, but the Bible is saying it’s a trap. It’s not going to work. If you’re really after safety, if that is why you’re doing the things that you’re doing, it’s not going to work. Trust in the Lord. So this one sentence containing a mere 15 words actually is speaking to the deepest places inside of us. May we consider the ways in which we’ve trapped ourselves out of a fear that is nothing more than a snare, but if we would fear and revere and honor and trust in the Lord, we will be safe.
Prayer
Father, we invite you into that. I mean, we can certainly see it in this season of the holidays. We can certainly see it, but it’s touching us in different ways all of the time. We’re always pulled in this direction. So come, Holy Spirit, and free us from that. We reject that. We renounce that. Help us know what it looks like to live in fear of you, in awe of you, and trusting in you and not garnering our identity in the fear of man. This is an invitation to freedom. Help us, Holy Spirit, because this is complicated. It’s a pretty sophisticated web in our lives. Help us find these different places, disentangle ourselves from them, and live free. Come Jesus, we pray in your precious name, amen.
Announcements
Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website. It’s home base. It is where you find out what is going on around here and it is three things right now:
1. Call in your holiday greetings. Just a couple more days and we’ll stop taking those, so call in your holiday greetings. (877) 942-4253, that would be the number to use. We compile all these and create our Annual Christmas Party. Virtual as it might be, it is still very, very real and very beautiful as we enter into the nativity story, the story of Christmas, and just spend some time together. It is a lovely thing, so don’t be left out. Call yours in while you can. Now that’s the prayer request line, so like I’ve been saying, there is one rule about this. Don’t combine your Christmas greeting with a prayer request. Make those separate things. If you have a prayer request, call that in separately and that will help immensely. In fact, that is what will get it through. But don’t hesitate. Get your Christmas call in.
2. The Daily Audio Bible Christmas Box, we are running out of them. You can still get yours. We’ve packed them full of resources this year like Promised Land, the double DVD, a look at the land of the Bible is in there. Bible Stories About Jesus is in there. The Family Christmas CD is in there. Jill’s album, the latest one is in there. My latest book Reframe, From the God We’ve Made to God With Us is in there. The films that go along with that book on DVD are in there. And this is the last time those will be available. That’s in there. Your choice of our house blend of Windfarm coffee or our English Breakfast Tea, that is in there, your choice. Some of the Daily Audio Bible Christmas cards and the ever popular Daily Audio Bible Christmas Bulb for the year that can only be gotten in the Christmas Box, that is in there as well. So check it out: www.DailyAudioBible.com in the Shop. You can see everything that I’m talking about. Get yours while we still have them.
3. The More Gathering for Women coming up this April – advance registration is available between now and the end of the year and we make this available because it makes for the most unique of Christmas gifts for the women in your lives. So check it out at www.DailyAudioBible.com. You’ll find the More Gathering and all of the pertinent information you would want to know contained there. So check it out.
If you want to partner with Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at www.DailyAudioBible.com. There is a link. It lives right on the home page. Cannot possibly articulate words of gratitude for those of you who have clicked that link. That is how the Daily Audio Bible exists. That is how these servers spin and continue to push the spoken word of God throughout the entire world and into each of our ears each day. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your partnership here at the end of the year. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible App, you can push the More tab in the lower right-hand corner or, if you prefer the mail, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.
And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to call.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports
Hi family. Hey, the reason for my call, I just heard Egbert and Anne and the reason for my call is it is a tough time of year for many of us and I’ve been struggling. I struggle with every holiday and I refuse to admit it because I look around and I see the joy that people seem to have running around, and their families and everything is great and it seems like my family has been fractured, although this family is amazing. And I just wanted to reassure you that what you do, what you’ve done in the name of Christ will mean more than all this time you spent with your family. I know it is very hard to be separated. I’m separated from my daughter and my ex-wife, I’m not sure if they even have a relationship. But every Christmas is difficult for me because my brother died on Christmas Day, my younger brother, after a battle with cancer. But it was actually a thing of joy when he passed from this life to the next and it was sorrow for all of us who miss him, but the joy because he knew where he was going. He knows who he is and if we change our focus from ourselves to Christ, then the joy is just overwhelming. That is what I struggle with every day. Family, it is so comforting to have you and to be able to pray for you and have my eyes closed, to know that I love you so much. I just want to give you all a big hug, a hug like you would get from your dad or your grandfather.
Hi Daily Audio Bible family. I’m calling you guys because you’re the first people I wanted to call after I called my husband. They called me from my son’s afterschool program saying that he banged his head really hard on the floor and he is having trouble remembering things, so my husband __________ check him out and I’m leaving work as quickly as I can. I’m on the road, but just calling for extra prayers that everything is okay and that we handle it well. Thank you.
Hi Daily Audio Bible family. This is Homeward Bound and it’s December 8th about 9 a.m. in the morning. What a precious blessing it is to be able to call you in times like these and to know that the power of heaven is ours as we lift our prayers for one another to the Lord Jesus. I would like to bring my best friend, Vickie, to you in prayer at this time. Her husband, Paul, was in a head-on collision with a semi-truck two days ago and he is in critical condition. He is alive only by a miracle of God. Paul has a broken pelvis, broken ribs and ankle, but no brain or spinal injury. He lost a lot of blood in the accident and is on a ventilator at the moment. After surgery today on his ankle, he is in critical but stable condition. Please pray, family, that the Lord would save his life and pray also for his wife, Vickie. They both love the Lord so much and have a huge amount of support from their church family in Monterey. Thank you so much for your prayers and I will bring you an update soon. May the Lord answer every prayer ever mentioned on this prayer line and reward you prayer warriors more than you could ever imagine. God bless you all. This is Homeward Bound. Bye-bye.
Hi everybody. It’s Alicia from Kansas and you know I try to…I’ve noticed I… Anyway, I’m seeking prayer. It’s the holidays. I struggle with being alone and I struggle with listening to the lies of the devil. I am striving to overcome all my addictions and right now I don’t have conversation really or contact with any of my five kids, two of them I’ve not met, the 17-year-old and the 29-year-old. My 24-year-old daughter recently quit talking to me because I broke her trust because I became angry with her father and told him a couple of things he didn’t know about her and I couldn’t keep that secret because it says…there is a thing __________ your secrets, but right now I miss my children. I have so many Christian friends and I have all of you praying for me and I pray for you and I know shame is not from the Lord, but I feel so ashamed that I just can’t pull it together when I’m hurting like this over being alone and over my children and the damage I caused. If you would please pray for me. Thank you so much.
Hi everybody. This is TJ from Vermont. About finishing my third year with the Daily Audio Bible. It has changed my life. Thank you so much, Brian and Jill, the crew, prayer warriors, all those who listen and call in. I pray for you every day. Can’t get to them all and I kind of cover things up with beatitudes and The Lord’s Prayer to fill the gap. But I just wanted to call in and pray for those who are lonely and isolated this time of year during the holidays. I pray that you receive fellowship. I’ve been there and this community has helped me so much, but I just want to make a couple suggestions, things that have worked for me and hopefully they will work for you. It’s just try to focus on the first commandment and just worshipping God and loving God and those blessings will wash over you ever day. I found a couple hymns that I actually sing. I have a terrible voice, but I sing those hymns and the blessings just wash over me and they are so powerful. When I do that and I connect with God in that way, then I ask for what I need. And at this particular time I asked for fellowship. I asked for better relationships, for friends, and I asked for a church and it’s all been given to me. I found wonderful people, people like in the Daily Audio Bible. So just focus on that first commandment and then go with Matthew 7:7 and ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened unto you. It will take time. If you focus on God first and that first commandment, loving him and praising him, it’s going to happen for you. I just wish that for you. I’m praying for you. God bless you. Merry Christmas.
Hello brothers and sisters. This is Shannon from Oregon. A few years ago after studying Ezra and Haggai, the Lord moved me to write a song from Haggai called Consider Your Ways. Today I’m heading into the studio to finish recording vocals for Consider Your Ways. Last night as I was reading Haggai and reviewing Ezra 1-6, the Lord impressed on my heart how desperately we as his people need the message of Haggai today. When the remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem, they came to rebuild the Temple. They started the work but then faced opposition from enemies and stopped. For 14 years the foundation sat and the people turned to their own houses, building them, paneling them, then God sent a wake-up call through his prophet and his Spirit stirred his people after hearing Haggai’s message and they got back to work. They pushed through the enemy opposition and saw God’s deliverance and they finished building the Temple. I believe the Lord will use Consider Your Ways to move people into his works in ways I can’t even imagine. Please pray for God’s blessing on this song and the others I’ve recorded. Pray that it gets sent into the ears and hearts he wants to move. I’ve been facing enemy opposition in the process of recording this and two other songs. Pray that like the remnant stirred by God’s Spirit, I will walk by the Spirit, resist the devil and fulfill every good purpose God has for me. I love you family. If you want to connect with me, my email is Shannon@ReidSaunders.org. [singing] Consider your ways, O my people, O my people. Consider your ways, O my son and my daughter.