King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Sunday, June 30, 2019
Chapters: Obadiah 1, Psalms 82-83
Message: Death Is Not Final
Hello My Friend,
When I woke up this morning I really had no anticipation of learning anything new, but as I began reading the chapter for today, something Jesus said came to mind. “And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.” – Mark 13:7-8
“these are the beginnings of sorrows.” As the world is getting more corrupt, and Christian prosecution is at an all time high, many Christians, especially those captive to these godless nations, are left wondering where God is, and why He does not do something. We can learn a lot from the rise and fall of Israel, if only all nations would get in His Word, and study their history. Now, with Israel in a total disaster after Ahab, and Judah facing war as Jehoshaphat seeks to get it back under God’s rule, many started to wonder where God was.
“A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” – Psalm 82.
“for thou shalt inherit all nations.” This is not the same Asaph as in David’s day, some say that he is, but it is not likely since this was penned during the time Jehoshaphat reigned, and these verses follow Obadiah who was in Israel at that time. All nations are under God’s control, He knows exactly what is going on, and regardless of how it all looks, God is watching over His people who are in the midst of them. Our human understanding tends to think that the death of a Christian is a bad thing, but when you stop to think about it, it may be that God is bringing them home to save them from something much worse. Saved, born again Christians have nothing to worry about for to be absent from the body means to be present with the LORD Jesus Christ. “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” – II Corinthians 5:6-8.
“and willing rather to be absent from the body,” So many people get angry at God, and even turn their backs on Him over death, and while no one wants to die prematurely, we all have to understand that if we are saved our soul is in the hands of Jesus, and no one can hurt or take us away from Him. A child that is born and suffers in the hands of evil people goes home to be with the LORD so that they suffer no more. A saved person suffering with a disease or condition that takes their lives goes home to be with the LORD so they suffer no more. Death is the one thing that should bring us to tell people about Jesus because without Him an unsaved soul will suffer far more than anything in their body. During these uncertain times we really have no idea what is going to happen, and the way things are going Jesus could be here any second. Jesus reminds us to be mindful, but not fearful.
“But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” – Mark 13:9-13.
“And the gospel must first be published among all nations.” We must understand that until all nations have heard the Gospel, Jesus will not return, until that time we must not get discouraged, and keep fighting for our faith. Instead of hiding or rejecting Christ, we need to be present and proclaim Him, no matter how bad it looks. Psalm 83 was written during the time Jehoshaphat’s army marched out against the great confederacy of nations, which threatened the very existence of Israel. This song was sung before the battle, in anticipation of a victory, the Levites chanted it with a loud voice, in full assurance that God would deliver them.
“A Song or Psalm of Asaph. Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” – Psalm 83:1-6,14-18.
“that they may seek thy name,” And this is what it is all about, that the lost will come to know Christ as their Saviour. While God dealt with His people in His way, they are still His people, and any enemy of God’s people is an enemy of God, therefore, they will receive the greater judgment. Keep in mind also, that God is keeping track of everything that is going on, and while it may look as though He is no where to be found, He is right in front of our faces, and He will get vengeance on all attack and mock His people. The Book of Obadiah is the smallest book of the Old Testament, having one chapter and twenty-one verses, but it is a powerful book. The purpose of the book was to warn Edom of God’s punishment for being a sinful nation, and using the fall of Israel to their advantage. What we are to learn from the book is that God brings down all who exalt themselves up.
“The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;” – Obadiah 1:1-4,10,13.
“and an ambassador is sent among the heathen,” If you are a saved, born again Christian, you are an ambassador for Him among the heathen. People need to hear that there is hope for them, that all this pain and suffering does have an end, and regardless of how much we have sinned, there is still hope for us beyond the grave. We have an expected end that is actually a new beginning. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:11-13.
“when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” You see death, and affliction is what opens the heart to what is really going on. So many people walk around in fear of death, searching and hoping for that silver lining or blue skies over the rainbow. And why do you think so many people live such corrupt lives? It is all fear of death. They live like they are dying, only they are succumbing to every lust possible as though that will ease the blow. Let me tell you, those who live such immoral lives are no different than those who live evil lives, or those who refuse to believe in God, or even those who believe in God, but never received Christ, they will all face Jesus.
“For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it. And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.” – Obadiah 1:15-21.
“thy reward shall return upon thine own head.” We will all stand before Jesus, and the reward we receive will be based not upon our works, but our faith. I do not care if you spent your entire life serving in a church, unless you received Christ as your Saviour your reward of death and hell will be upon your own head. You do not have to fear death, and you not have to face death and hell, you just need to admit you are a sinner, that Jesus died to save you, and that He arose three days later to save you from your sins, then put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, and accept Him as your Saviour. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:9-13.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.” – Obadiah 1:15.
Today’s Prayer: God, You have blessed us with so much, You have given life to all who believe in and receive Your Son as their Saviour. We are saved only by trusting in His death, burial, and resurrection, and He not only saves us from hell, but out of every mess that we have gotten ourselves into when we come to Him. How merciful You are, how wonderful You are, to save a sinner like me. Thank You, Jesus, and thank You God for giving me the opportunity to repent of my dead works and enjoy a new found, abundant, never boring, life with You in it. Now, I know that while I am here I am Your witness and testimony that You saved me to the uttermost, and the second I leave this body I will be in Your presence. Amen! I love You Lord, and pray this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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