A few weeks ago Matt Crawford had the privilege of preaching in chapel at Southern Seminary. He had won a preaching award there, and preaching in chapel was among the rewards for his efforts. So I talked to Matt later that day to see how nervous he had been, how things had gone, and what had happened since. And as we spoke Matt said that he had started to be a bit less anxious in the moments prior to preaching when suddenly Dr. Mohler, who had not spoken to Matt yet, reached over to him and said, “May God be with you.” To that, I laughed, asking Matt if that was an expression of pity toward him. Was this Dr. Mohler’s way of saying, “I am sending you up there as a sheep in the midst of wolves”?

Maybe that’s how some of us feel, however, after looking through 1 Peter. After all, we were assured more than once from that letter that suffering is something that is certain for the believer. It is God’s design for making us more holy and for vindicating our faith. And this message of suffering climaxed in an exhortation for us who suffer according to God’s will to entrust ourselves to a faithful Creator in doing good.

Thus, we might now ask, “Is that it? Is there any further word of comfort? Is there any message of comfort to us in reminding us of the character of our Creator, a reminder that he loves his people and will care for them though they suffer?” Yes there is. The Scripture throughout reveals to us attributes and traits of our God that are greatly comforting. One of those places that gives us a picture of our God as he witnesses the suffering of his people is the book of Obadiah. I trust, therefore, that we will find this a fitting time to study this book. For if 1 Peter assures us we will suffer at the hands of those who despise our Lord, Obadiah reminds us that God does not turn a blind eye to the suffering of his people.

The setting of Obadiah is a bit difficult to determine, but most likely the book written shortly after the destruction of the southern kingdom of Judah by the Babylonians in 587 BC. Judah had been destroyed, most of the people led off into exile, and now the Edomites (a nearby people) who had stood by and aided Babylon in the destruction of Judah are continuing to abuse the people. And to top it all off, there are two things that make the abuse from the Edomites troubling. First, these two nations can trace back their heritage to one mother, Rebekah. She had given birth to twins, Jacob and Esau. Jacob’s descendants were the Jews, and Esau’s descendants were the Edomites. But instead of Edom aiding Judah in their battle they had stood aloof and had turned against them and even captured them and turned them over to their pursuers (vv. 11 and 14). And, second, Edom seemed indestructible itself.

First of all, they lived upon this rock formation that gave them a huge advantage over their enemies. Anyone who attacked them had to come from below, and so already they had the height advantage and could shoot their arrows down at them. But also, the only way to the city was through the cleft of a rock so that though another army attacked them with numerous more soldiers, they would not be able to maximize advantage because they would have to attack through this cleft in the rock from below the Edomites. Also, the Edomites, though small, had a way to gain great wealth because they were located on a major trade route. Thus, they could charge taxes to those who came through. And, finally, they had all kinds of alliances with their powerful neighbors because these neighbors wanted a break on taxes and would make treaties with Edom, saying that they would protect them against their attackers. So, in short, it seemed that nothing could stop Edom and nothing would prohibit Edom from continuing to abuse Israel, even as they had done through Jerusalem’s destruction. God’s people felt helpless. And that’s why God gave them this book.

It may be that you feel helpless today in your situation as well. Maybe you’re facing persecution, thinking there’s no way it will end and seeing no rest from your struggles. And you’re wondering, how do I find comfort through this time? One answer, I believe is by hearing the same message that God gave to his people back in Obadiah’s day, for I think we will see that the truths he gave them to comfort them then are true about our God today. Therefore, let’s turn to this book and be reminded of why we should be comforted though the world abuse us and persecute us.

First, we are reminded that …

Our God is the God of all nations and will judge all men (1-9)

Oddly enough, those to whom God speaks in this book are the Edomites. In verse 2 we see that God speaks to the Edomites saying, “I will make you …” He is speaking to Israel’s enemies. And in that time and ours this seems odd. Why would God speak to a people who weren’t devoted to worshiping him? Why wouldn’t he just address his own people? The answer is that it is because God is the God of all nations.

We live in a day when the message proclaimed in our ears is that we simply need to let each man worship whomever he wills. And we need to rejoice when people worship someone or something even if it’s not our God. But the problem with this is that God is not simply the Creator and Judge and God over a certain group of people in this world, he is the God of all men, the God of all nations. Therefore, though Edom might not have acknowledged Yahweh as their God it didn’t matter, for Yahweh is the only God of all nations. And that is why we must proclaim to all men that there is only one Savior.

But to make matters more serious, God is not simply the God of all nations, but he will judge all men without exception. This is what we see in the first nine verses. Obadiah begins by summoning the nations to rise against Edom, declaring, “Thus says the LORD GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the LORD and a messenger has been sent among the nations: ‘Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!” (v. 1).

Then he goes on to tell Edom that every security they have will fall away. They relied on their location, asking who might bring them down to the ground and proudly thinking themselves indestructible, God declares in verses 2-4, “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down the ground?’ Though you soar aloft like an eagle, though your nest is set among the starts, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord” (vv. 2-4).

In their proud hearts, looking down on all around them, God reminds them that he is above them and he will judge them. They are not so secure that his hand can’t reach them. And their wealth? It will be taken away as well. God declares in verses 5-6, “If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night – how you have been destroyed! – would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!”

God points out that if thieves and robbers had come to them at night, that would not have meant that they lost everything. These thieves would only steal enough for themselves. These robbers would have left behind the gleanings from the grapes. But Edom (which God refers to now as “Esau”) will be pillaged. They will lose everything.

But how could this happen? After all, what about all their alliances? God declares that their alliances will turn on them and attack them themselves, “All your allies have driven you to your border; those at peace with you have deceived you; they have prevailed against you; those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you – you have no understanding. Will I not on that day declares the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau? And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter” (7-9).

These countries who have made treaties have just deceived Edom. They are setting a trap under them and will prevail over them. And God will remove the wise men in Edom so that their military will have no leaders and will be demoralized so that every man will be slaughtered. God is going to destroy them.

And God was true to his word. In Malachi, as God’s people were asking how he has loved them, God answered, “‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have you loved us?’ ‘Is not Esau Jacob’s brothers?’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert. If Edom says, ‘We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,’ the LORD of hosts says, ‘They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” Your own eyes shall see this and you shall say, ‘Great is the LORD beyond the borders of Israel’” (Mal. 1:2-5). God showed that he is the God of all nations beyond Israel and that he will judge all men. That is our first word of comfort.

But we might ask, “How is that a word of comfort to us in a helpless and seemingly hopeless situation of suffering?” Well, before answering that, I want to point out that I feel quite certain we are to see these verses as a message of hope because though God addressed the Edomites, this was a word delivered to Israel by God’s prophet. God spoke to the Edomites in the ears of the Israelites. Why do you do that? You do that if you want to provide comfort to those who are being abused. So, now, how is it comforting?

It is comforting in that it reminds us of this: In this world as you are persecuted and abused and suffer at the evil schemes and abuse of ungodly men, you can rest assured that they will answer to God and he will judge them. How do you go on in life not being controlled by bitterness and hate when people kill one of your children, rape your daughter, deceive you to take your money or possessions, or simply speak malice against you or those you love? You remember first that those who abuse God’s people will be judged by God. I think this is the only way you find strength to love truly those who have made themselves your bitter enemies. You remember that they will stand before God’s judgment, even as God has declared to the Edomites in this text.

And yet there is still further comfort in this text. We are also reminded that …

God is attentive and aware of all of the sufferings of his people (10-14)

If you could imagine Israel and Edom standing in a courtroom hearing God pass down his word of judgment that Edom was about to be utterly destroyed. That is the setting of verses 1-9, as Edom is addressed but Israel is listening. In verses 10-14 God tells them why this will happen. And it is because of Edom’s treatment of Israel.

God declares in verses 10-14, “Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem you were like one of them. But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.”

All of the sudden as these words come out, Edom and Judah both know that God was attentive and aware of every detail of Judah’s suffering at the hand of Egypt. He knew they came into the city when it was being destroyed and carried off their wealth and cast lots for the land. He knew they gloated and rejoiced over them when they were suffering. He knew they stood at the road when the Israelites were trying to escape and took them captive, turning them over to the enemy so that they might be taken captive or killed. Imagine that, these ruthless people stood to stop those trying to escape. This is no fairy tale; this really happened. And God was aware of every detail of Israel’s suffering.

Yes, brothers and sisters, God has promised us suffering and has even told us that it is for a good as a tool he uses to make us more like his Son. But, it is also true that when evil men abuse you God takes note, for you are his children. You are the body of Christ. You are one with his Son. Don’t think God doesn’t notice or care about your suffering today. Don’t think he doesn’t know your pain. Don’t think no one is aware of exactly what you’re going through. Our Lord is aware. And it is quite personal to him. In fact, when Saul (who later became Paul) was persecuting the church, Jesus stopped him on the way to Damascus and said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). People will even be judged on that final day on how they treated God’s people (Matthew 25:31-46).

Therefore, are you in a difficult situation, walking in obedience and wondering if anyone really knows your struggles and your suffering? The answer is yes. Our Lord Jesus Christ knows. And he treats our suffering as if it were inflicted on him. He knows it well. God is attentive and aware of the suffering and abuse of his people. So be comforted today. All men will stand before him in judgment and God knows well your suffering. He is not overlooking one detail.

And finally we are reminded that …

There is a day coming when God will judge all men, blessing his children (15-21)

Even if some Edomites did not live to see the destruction of their city, they all were to know that this great day of the Lord, this day of great judgment is coming. In Obadiah 15-18, God reminds the Edomites that they will reap what they have sown. Sure judgment is coming. We read: “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been. But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken.”

God tells Edom that even as they have stood in Judah and drunk to their defeat of God’s people, one day they will drink again. But this time they will drink from the cup of God’s wrath, as will all the people who have not served him. They will escape his judgment, but will be like stubble in fire. Their deeds will be returned on their own head. Judgment is coming, and no man will escape. That final day is sure.

And, yet, at the same time, that final day is our final salvation. It is a day of blessing for those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Lord. Obadiah declares in verses 19-21, “Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.”

God ends declaring not only will he give the land to his people but that even the Edomites’ land (“Mount Esau”) will be theirs as well, for God will establish his kingdom.

But how will God fulfill such a promise? It is through one who is himself Israel’s King, the true Israel. For as Jesus was born into this world there was one killing Jewish babies, who was himself an Edomite. And he was persecuting the true Israel, Jesus of Nazareth. But we can read in Matthew 2 that Herod died, and he failed in stopping Jesus of Nazareth in his ascent to the throne. But Jesus took an unusual route to the throne. He died on the cross for our sins and was buried. But three days later God raised him from the dead, declaring that Jesus is himself God the Son and he is King over all the world. And all the land – all the earth! – is his. After all, all things had been created for him in the first place. And one day Jesus will return to this earth, conquer every enemy, and change this world. Then we will declare, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15), and we will reign with him. All those who have faith in Christ will be Abraham’s seed, Israel. And we will be co-heirs with Christ.

So if we ask Obadiah, “How is it that this promise will be?” Obadiah’s finger would point us forward to one he could not clearly see, but one whom we know – Jesus of Nazareth. It is through him. Therefore, today be comforted in knowing that those at whose hands you are suffering will stand before God in judgment, that God knows every detail of your suffering, and that coming day of our final salvation and deliverance from this world is sure because of Jesus Christ dying for our sins, being buried, and being raised from the dead. Therefore, may we worship our great God by coming to the table and proclaiming our Lord’s death until he comes. Amen.

A WORD OF JUSTICE AND COMFORT

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