Scratching the Surface of Obadiah

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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Scratching the Surface of Obadiah

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    Big things often come in small packages.

    When I was an active athlete, we talked about it this way: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight that matters most but the size of the fight in the dog."

    A shepherd boy taking on a giant and a baby in a manger and that story that He told about mustard seeds quickly come to mind.

    Size does not matter in the Kingdom.

    Or as Samuel told Saul, "God is looking for people after His own heart."

    Essentially, it's what's in the heart that matters most and makes the most difference.

    We've seen teams with more size and skills lose to smaller and less skilled teams with more heart.

    We've seen churches with more money and ornaments die as churches without that proverbial pot meeting in warehouses survive and thrive.

    Obadiah is the smallest book in the Old Testament; while heralding the biggest message in the whole Bible: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way..."

    Specifically, the book highlights at least three symptoms of people who do not trust God: arrogance, alien allies, and abandonment of approved allies.

    People who don't trust God are arrogant; trusting mostly themselves for survival, stability, and security: "Your deep pride has blinded you to the truth...You say to yourself, 'Whose attack can reach up here and bring me down to the ground?'"  Truth is it's impossible to survive and thrive without declaring dependence upon God here and now and forever.

    People who don't trust God have alien allies; trusting others who do not esteem the only true Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior for survival, stability, and security: "Your supposed allies - every last one - will turn against you...You won't understand what is happening until it is too late."  Surely, such idolatries - having other gods before God - can serve as band-aids in times of trouble; but they never stop the bleeding, never heal, and ultimately do not save.

    People who don't trust God abandon approved allies: "Because of your violent history against your brother Jacob, shame will envelop you, and your nation will be destroyed forever."  God said it first to Abraham: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.  I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse."  Simply, don't mess with God's people because you won't get away with it forever.

    If you're a geezer like me, you remember Laugh In; and those funny scenes with Sammy Davis, Jr.: "Order in the court!  Here comes the judge!  Here comes the judge!"

    That's what Obadiah does in echoing all of prophetic history.

    Order in the court!

    Order in the nations!

    Order in the churches!

    Here comes the Judge!

    Here comes the Judge!

    And there's nothing to worry about if they've/we've been humble before Him, not allied against Him, and stayed with the family of faith.

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    ...to be continued...

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Blessings and Love!