My Servants The Prophets

1. My Servants The Prophets Major Lessons From Selected Minor Prophets

2. Introduction Obadiah – God’s spokesman “The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom…” (Obadiah 1:1a)

3. Introduction – Outline 1:1-9, 10-14 Judgement to Edom 1:15-21 Victory to Jacob

4. Introduction – Outline 1:1-9, 10-14 Judgement to Edom Edom is judged for their pride and their violence to Jacob. 1:15-21 Victory to Jacob The day of the Lord is near. Edom will be like stubble, consumed by the house of Jacob (Judah), and the house of Joseph (Israel). Jacob will be delivered, and the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

5. Victory to Jacob (Obadiah 1:15-21) The day of the Lord draws near for the nations (1:15) They will drink and be as though they had not been (1:16, Jeremiah 25:15-31, note 15-18, 21) Jacob will possess their possessions (1:17) Jacob and Joseph will burn Esau as stubble and consume them (1:18)

6. Victory to Jacob (Obadiah 1:15-21) Deliverers will ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Esau (1:21) The kingdom shall be the Lord’s (1:21) Messianic? Acts 3:24 Daniel 2:44 Consume all these kingdoms, and stand Acts 10:35 In every nation… will be accepted Isaiah 2:2 All nations will flow unto Mt. Zion

7. Judgement to Edom (Obadiah 1:10-14) For violence against your brother Jacob shame shall cover you (Obadiah 1:10) You were as one of the oppressors who came against Judah (Obadiah 1:11) You shouldn’t have looked on (gloated over) your brother when he became a stranger (Obadiah 1:12)

8. Judgement to Edom (Obadiah 1:10-14) You shouldn’t have rejoiced over Judah in the day of their destruction (Obadiah 1:12) You shouldn’t have and spoken proudly in the day of distress (Obadiah 1:12) You shouldn’t have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity (Obadiah 1:13)

9. Judgement to Edom (Obadiah 1:10-14) You shouldn’t have looked on (gloated over) their affliction in the day of their calamity (Obadiah 1:13) You shouldn’t have looted them in the day of their calamity (Obadiah 1:13) You shouldn’t have cut down those who escaped (Obadiah 1:14)

10. Judgement to Edom (Obadiah 1:10-14) You shouldn’t have delivered up those that remained in the day of distress (Obadiah 1:14) The day of the Lord is near on all the heathen, as you have done, it will be done to you (Obadiah 1:15)

11. Application 1 Do not rejoice at calamity Proverbs 17:5 he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished Ezekiel 33:1 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked God wants all men to be saved (2 Peter 3:9-10, but the day of the Lord will come…) God provides a way for all men (Matthew 7:7)

12. Application 2 Judah faced destruction from an enemy (Babyblon?). But Edom became as “one of them” against Judah (Obadiah 1:11). Violence to their brother was wrong (Obadiah 1:10).

13. Application 2 God commands how we should act, toward our neighbor, toward our enemies. Love ”in action.” “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another…” (Romans 13:8) “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor…” (Romans 13:10) “Love your enemies…bless…do good…” (Matthew 5:44)

14. Application 2 God commands how we should act, toward our neighbor, toward our enemies. Love ”in action.” “Love your enemies…bless…do good…” (Matthew 5:44) In contrast, Israel was to love (in action) the enemy God told them to love (e.g. Exodus 23:4-5), and hate (in action) the enemy God told them to hate (e.g. I Samuel 15:3,33, reference also Psalm 139:21-22).

15. Judgement to Edom (Obadiah 1:10-14) For violence against your brother Jacob shame shall cover you (Obadiah 1:10)

16. Application 3 As God works in the kingdom of men, he may use actions that he does not necessarily approve to accomplish his will (e.g. vengeance toward evil). We shouldn’t be like Edom and simply join with the kingdoms of men for vengeance against evil, especially as God’s law directs our proper behavior in love (Matthew 5:44, Romans 13:8, 10, etc.).

17. Application 3 Consider five examples of actions that God used, that he did not approve.

18. Example –Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 45:5-8, 50;15-20) They said their actions were sin (50:15-17) Joseph said they had thought evil against him (50:20) God sent Joseph there to save life (45:7) God meant their actions for good (50:20). God used the brother’s wicked actions for good to Jacob. But God did not approve their actions.

19. Example –Pharaoh Pharaoh defied God (Exodus 5:2) Pharaoh admitted he sinned (Exodus 9:27, 34; 10:16)

20. God raised up Pharaoh to show his power in him, and declare his name through all the earth. (Exodus 9:13-16-17, Romans 9:17). Jericho testified to God’s purpose (Joshua 2:10-11) ~350 years later, the Philistines speak to God’s purpose (1 Samuel 4:8-9) God used Pharaoh for a purpose. But God did not approve of Pharaoh’s actions.

21. Example –Babylon (Jeremiah 25:8-14, 30:14-16, 51:11, 20, 24, Habakkuk 1:5-13) God sent Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon against Judah because Judah had not heard God’s word (Jeremiah 25:8-9). The king of Babylon was God’s “servant” for this purpose (Jeremiah 25:9). After 70 years, God punished Babylon for their sin (Jeremiah 25:12-14).

22. Habakkuk 1:5-13 God raised up the Chaldeans (1:6) They would possess a land not their own (1:6) They come for violence (1:9) He attributes his power to his god (1:11) Habakkuk asks how that God can look upon the wicked when they devour a man more righteous than he (1:13)

23. Allthat devour, take captive, spoil, and prey upon Judah shall be devoured, taken captive, spoiled and a prey (Jeremiah 30:14-16). God used Babylon, but God did not approve of Babylon devouring Judah. Vengeance. God would repay Babylon for all the evil they did in Zion (Jeremiah 51:11, 24, Obadiah 1:15). God used Babylon, they had been his battle axe (Jeremiah 51:20). They were his servant to punish his people, but what Babylon did was evil.

24. Example –Baasha of Israel (2 Kings 14:5-14, 15:25-30, 16:1-7) Ahijah the prophet said that God would take away the house of Jeroboam for all the evil he had done. (I Kings 14:10) God would raise up a king to destroy the house of Jeroboam (I Kings 14:14) Baasha conspired against Jeroboam’s son Nadab, and killed him and all of Jeroboam’s house (1 Kings 15:25-30). In destroying Jeroboam’s house, Baasha fulfilled the word of the Lord spoken by Ahijah the prophet.

25. The prophet Jehu spoke of judgment that was coming to the house of Baasha (1 Kings 16:1-7), for two reasons: Baasha was like Jeroboam Baasha killed Jeroboam I Kings 16:7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.

26. Example –Judas, Herod, Pilate, Roman Soldiers, Jews (Zechariah 11:13, Acts 2:23, 4:27-28) These men did what God’s hand and counsel determined before to be done. God used them to accomplish his will (Acts 2:22-23, 4:27-28) If the disciples had considered that this was God’s will, could they not have joined up with Pilate to deliver Jesus to die? Could they, like Edom, have been as “one of them”? Why not? What these men did was wrong. God used men and actions that he did not approve to accomplish his will.

27. Application 3 - Conclusion In a great house there are vessels, some to honor, and some to dishonor (2 Timothy 2:19-21). We want God to use us for honor. Let God use his ministers for vengeance. Let us follow God’s directions on love.