Day 182 – Obadiah, Psalm 82-83

Talking Points

• One of the minor prophets, this is the shortest book in the Old Testament, at only 21 verses long.
• Obadiah tells the Edomites (descendants of Esau) they will be judged for their sins against Israel (descendants of Jacob). It is a somber thought to remember that all of this comes out of the dealings of two brothers. I picture them as boys, playing around their father’s house, chasing and laughing. Yet, one day, they grew up to be fathers of opposing nations.
• Psalms 82 and 83 are songs longing for God to judge righteously. At first, it seems a strange subject for a song, but then I remember the longing inside of us for true justice, for wrongs to be set right. We want God’s honor to be upheld and even our own reputations to be defended. We want justice to be the norm. These songs searching for God’s righteousness are really the longings of sinful people living in a sinful world. They are longings for Jesus! In Him, wrongs are made right, justice is upheld, and He even makes us righteous in the process! Maybe our version would go something like:
  
  There is coming a day
  When no heartaches shall come,
  No more clouds in the sky,
  No more tears to dim the eye,
  All is peace forevermore
  On that happy golden shore.
  What a day, glorious day that shall be!

Thoughts

One of the reasons for God’s judgment against Edom was that they gloated or rejoiced over Jerusalem’s destruction. Here’s the takeaway from that: we should never be glad to see someone punished, disciplined, or judged by God. We shouldn’t be the type of people who say things like, “The chickens have just come home to roost,” or “Who didn’t see that coming?” when someone falls or faces the consequences of their sinful choices. “He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 17:5). “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17).

As we learn more about God’s character, we see that He warns people continually of the consequences for sin. We also see that He brings about judgments to show people that He is the one true God, to draw them to Himself, and to lead them away from worldly pleasures. When we remember His patience, mercy, and forgiveness shown to us again and again, our hearts can be humble and compassionate toward those who are experiencing pain and suffering, punishment, or discipline.