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’s wonderful to be here with you today, as we gather around the Global Campfire and do what we do every day, take the next step forward together. Our next step forward leads us to into, yet again, new territory in the Old Testament. We have reached our final destination in the New Testament; we are working our way through the book of Revelation. And so, that’s the last book in the New Testament, so that will carry us to the end of the year. And incidentally, since we have been putting some of the additional discussion about the book of Revelation at the end of the programs from last few days. Just letting you know, there won’t be one of those today at the end up to the prayers; there won’t be one of those tomorrow, after the prayers but then we’ll pick back up in a couple of days. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves; that’s in the New Testament, but we have quite a bit a ground to cover in the Old Testament.
Introduction to the Book of Obadiah:
And today we will read the shortest book in the Old Testament in its entirety. So, a whole Old Testament book today, one of the minor prophets known as Obadiah. And Obadiah identifies himself as the author in the text. Although almost nothing is known about who Obadiah was. The name Obadiah means servant of Yahweh. But that wasn’t an uncommon name so, dating the prophecy specifically becomes difficult. A general consensus is that Obadiah probably was a contemporary with Jeremiah and that his prophetic works used Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem as its context. And if that’s correct then Obadiah would be dated somewhere to the late 500s BC. This shortest book in the Old Testament has 21 verses and it would, it uses those 21 verses to deal with a very, very big family issue and discusses the destruction of the Edomites. And we might be like really, the destruction of the Edomites, family issue, Obadiah, what’s this doing, like what, how does this work for us? If we remember back when we were moving our way through the book of Genesis, way back when our journey began. We certainly remember that we met a guy named Abraham, we’ve talk about Abraham since we met him. He appears all over the Bible. We remember that he had a son of promise, his name was Jacob, but he also had a son with Hagar, actually the son he had with Hagar was his firstborn son, his name was Esau. If we will remember our story, Jacob’s name eventually gets changed and his name is changed to Israel and it’s his children that become the tribes of Israel. They are the children of Israel. And we’ve been following their story throughout the entire Bible, but Esau. He had a family too and his family flourished and became a people as well and they became known as the Edomites. And now let’s remember the fact that through the story of Joseph, we were told how the children of Israel came to Egypt and then we read of Egyptian slavery and then we met Moses and we saw the plagues upon Egypt as God set his people free. And they came into the wilderness and as they wandered in the wilderness, they had a struggle. They were kind of trapped, they needed to get places. But in order to get places they would need to move through other people’s land. And if we’ll remember, that was a hard sell and it was a hard sell to the Edomites, who were their brothers. The Edomites wouldn’t let their relatives pass through their land as they were trying to get to their own land. And then during other points in Israel’s history, there was attack and war and the Edomites watched. They stood by and watched; they did not help their family. But it wasn’t just their silence or their passivity, the Edomites were willing to pillage their own family, while they were suffering. And God is not pleased about it. And that’s what we’ll find out very clearly as we read the book of Obadiah because Obadiah announces the total destruction of Edom. And again, we might be okay that is cool, that’s good. Now I understand the story and what we’re about to read, but how is that like the Edomites so long ago. What is that got to do with me? Actually, quite a bit. We are believers, we are followers of Jesus. We have been grafted into God’s family, we are family with each other, those of us who follow Christ. And it is too often five minutes on social media will show you this is true; it is too often that we are at war with each other, and we are brothers and sisters or we’re silent and passive as we watch our brothers and sisters get destroyed or suffer. And they may be of a different stripe than we are, and we may think that’s what they deserve, that’s, they’re reaping what they have sown. Obadiah rejects that idea and Obadiah shows us that God does not favor arrogance. And so, there’s plenty for us to consider there. And so, with that, let’s dive in and begin and complete the book of Obadiah.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word, we thank You for the territory that we were able to move into and through today in the book of Obadiah, reminding us that we’re supposed to be taking care of each other. That the restoration of all things, the putting back together and the restoration of shalom, requires our participation in taking care of each other. Help us to remember that it is a never-ending battle with ourselves, the way that we react to things and the way that we react to one another. And the battles that…that we wage with each other, so that we can be dominant, or so that we can be right, when You are right, and You are true. And You have instructed us that we must care for one another. And so, we thank You for that. There’s so much there for us to contemplate, and we invite Your Holy Spirit, as we consider it. And then, we read in the book of Revelation prayers and worship. And we too, along with those casting their crowns before You, declare worthy are You our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things and by Your will they existed and were created. Which means that by Your will, we exist and were created. And we glorify Your name. There is none above You. There is none beneath You. There is none beside You. There are none like You. You are God and You alone and our hearts reach and long for You, saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. So, Holy Spirit, flood us with an awareness of Your presence in our lives, as we pour our hearts out in worship to You today. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Revelation Song by Jill Parr