King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 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.]
Date: Friday. June 30, 2023
Chapters: THE BOOK OF OBADIAH, PSALMS 82-83
Study: The Love And Hate of God
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today, this passage came to mind, [Romans 9:13-16 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.]
How often do we think of the mercies of God? If we are honest, we might praise Him for His mercies, but I do not think that we think upon His mercies as often as we should. Why did God hate Esau? Well, what God hates is sin and any nation that chooses sin, especially idolatry, fully knowing that He exists, is an enemy, [Romans 8:6-9 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.]
It does not matter if we are born into a Godly family or heathen family, if we are not born into God’s family then we are enemies with Him. How then are we born into God’s family? Through our faith in His Son, [John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.]
It amazes me when God puts these messages together, You know they come from Him when the Scriptures just line up together before you even put a sentence together. The Book of Obadiah is the smallest book of the Old Testament, having one chapter and only twenty-one verses, but it sends a powerful message. The author of the book is Obadiah and it was written to Edom, descendants of Esau and brother of Jacob. The timeline for these events took place approximately 900 BC and 880 BC. The purpose of the book was to warn Edom of God’s punishment for going against Israel. What we are to learn from the book is that God brings down every nation that has sinfully exalts themselves, [Obadiah 1:4 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.]
Remember, Edom, this is Esau, Jacob’s (Israel) brothers descendants, and how they got their name has to do with Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a mere bowl of soup, [Genesis 25:29-33 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.]
Obadiah, was in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the time that Ahab reigned and it was near impossible to find a person who followed God there. While it was being judged with famines and other calamities, Edom, was conspiring to take the land for themselves. This was God’s message given to Obadiah concerning Edom.
[Obadiah 1:1-6 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. 2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. 3 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? 4 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. 5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? 6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!]
[and an ambassador is sent among the heathen,] The ambassador to warn Israel of what Edom’s plans were was not Obadiah, but some other minister or messenger from God to warn them of the judgment placed on them. You see, God, does not just send one person to warn a nation of the judgment to come, He sends several for two reasons. One; to let them know that they are no rumors at all, and two; to have more than one witness to these truths. Every saved, born again Christian is an ambassador to Christ to warn the entire world of the judgment to come, [2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.]
[If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night,] This reminds us that Jesus will come as a thief in the night and therefore, we too need to be prepared and ready for the day that judgment comes, [1 Thessalonians 5:2-5 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.]
You see, Edom, fully knowing who He is, never accepted God, and they despised Israel, who was supposed to be their kin. As Israel was being judged, they laughed and mocked them, and even conspired to get the entire nation of Israel, and this is what God confronts them about.
[Obadiah 1:10-12,15 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. 11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. 12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. 15 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.]
[even thou wast as one of them.] Do you see how enemy nations wait until God’s nations are weak before they attack? I fear what is to come to America as it becomes weaker as a nation. Do not think that our enemies do not know that God stands with us, and that He is angry with us And yet, this gives me hope that God’s judgments are not eternal for us, He will protect us from the worst that is to come
[thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah] Keep in mind that this was taking place as Judah had become more corrupt than Samaria. The amazing thing about all this is that even though we as God’s people fail Him more times that we can count and He sends chastening to us in doing so, He still defends us. This is proof that we are saved by grace and preserved by Christ Himself, [1 John 2:1-4 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.]
As the world is getting more corrupt, and Christian prosecution is at an all time high, many Christians, especially those captive to 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 they would see what they need to do to end the judgment.
[Psalms 82:1-5,8 A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. 2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.]
God, did not limit all His power, love, grace, and judgment to just the children of Jacob, who is Israel, He gives everyone the same opportunities, He just used and still uses them as an example. And I tell you what, as many times as the children of Israel had turned their backs on God, you can truly see just how merciful God is.
[Obadiah 1:17-19,21 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. 18 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. 19 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. 21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.]
[But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance,] Can you imagine the day when Jesus calls for His people all over the world and they know exactly where to go? [John 10:11-12,16 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.]
Edom, had the same opportunities that Israel had, in fact, God had given them the land that they were on. However, they were too proud of their wealth and riches, much of it gotten deceitfully, had a great military, and allies all over the world so they thought they were secure and that no one could defeat them. God, on the other hand was about to prove them otherwise. Psalm 83, was written during the time Jehoshaphat’s army marched out against the confederacy of nations, which threatened the very existence of the country 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.
[Psalms 83:1-5 A Song or Psalm of Asaph. Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. 2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4 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. 5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:]
[they are confederate against thee:] The Psalmist names all the nations that conspired against Israel along with Edom, [Psalms 83:6-8 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; 7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.]
This is interesting in that they are all aware of God, the Ishmaelites were descendants of Ismael, Abraham’s first son from Hagar, who was sent away from Abraham after Isaac was born. Hagar went on to marry another man of whom she had children with known as the Hagarenes. Moab and Ammon were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and of course, the Amalek’s and Philistines were enemies of Israel, of who God used quite often to send judgment. God, intention in judging these nations was not to destroy them completely, rather to get them to repent and worship only Him.
[Psalms 83:11-18 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: 12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. 13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. 14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; 15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. 16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. 17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: 18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.]
[Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name,] In this evil world, that gets more evil by the day, people need to hear that there is hope, that all this pain and suffering does have an end for those who seek Christ and call upon His name. In order to do that they must first admit that they are a sinner and regardless of how much we have sinned, there is still hope for us beyond the grave. For those who receive Christ as their Saviour we do have an expected end that is actually a wonderful new beginning, [Ephesians 1:9-12 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.]
Today’s Prayer: God, You have blessed us with so much, You have given eternal life to all who believe in and receive Your Son. And not only that, You make us one of Your very own sons and daughters upon our faith instantly. How merciful You are, how wonderful You are, to save a sinner like me. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your mercy and grace, and Your hedge of protection everywhere I go. Help me let go of pride, to come to You with every decision I need to make, and give me the wisdom to discern right from wrong in every matter. Keep me looking to Jesus and the expected wonderful end that awaits me as I endure this life with You and let me never lose hope that all I know and love will find Your Son and receive Him. I love You, and ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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