Yearly Archive: 2009

Not quite fitting the two chapters per day rule with this one. Right up against the book of Amos is Obadiah. In the Bible that I am using for these two weeks, there wasn't even a blank or title page. For a few minutes, I was searching other Bibles, checking to make sure the printer did not make a mistake.

No mistake!

The shortest book in the Old Testament. All of one chapter and that only 21 verses. But, [more]looking closely, it is filled with challenge.

While it has not been able to accurately date the book of Obadiah, it is clear that what he speaks of could have been any of six possible invasions, spread over about 200 years. Close enough, but to some they would want accuracy.

Having accuracy for a date when Obadiah lived or the events he foretold would (should) not make any difference. Knowing exactly when they happened is not going to change the fact that they did happen. If you followed that logic, then you understand it is the events happening that are important.

Obadiah spoke to a nation, Edom that was next to the Israelites. The message was clear – you can hide and have some amazing defenses, but you will fall. The promise to that country was that they would be destroyed.

What was their mistake in life? Simple. And a simple message to us today. They stood by and mocked their neighbors (Judah) while they were being destroyed.

It wasn't just that they would be destroyed, "you will be utterly dispised." They thought themselves too good, too well defended to ever face defeat. Obadiah's message was that what would happen to them would be worse than someone who comes to rob and steal – they usually leave a little something, but the coming destruction will be complete. There will be nothing left!

And all because they allowed their brother's in Judah to be taken captive. They stood silently by. God, through Obadiah said "when all that was happening to them, you stood by like one of the enemy."

What a message for us today! "Don't look down on your brother or sister when they are having a bad day (12)." It's interesting that we think of "Do unto others" as something from the New Testament. But, here it is in Obadiah as he lays the charge out. "As you have done, so it will be done to you. It will come back on your head."

But the message does not end with death and destruction. God's promise remains. His people will return to possess the land again.

How different our lives would be if we only remembered to do what we are asked to do by our Lord. If we lived as though we were truly His. Again and Again, the people turned and walked their own way and were destroyed. Is it that we refuse to look back and learn? Is it that we too, like the people of Edom, are deceived by our pride?

We can change that you know.

Death and destruction was the message that Amos was going to have to carry in chapters 8 and 9. A message that probably wasn't the first thing that came to his mind to talk about. After all, who wants to be the "Bad News Bear?"

Even though Amos had been threatened for coming and telling people that they were not living right. A message that God loved them, but they were not living up to His standards. Amos made sure that he continued to say "I'm just telling you what God said and is saying."

His blast may have been "You got a problem with this message, then take it up with the One who gave it to me!"

One of the things that Amos proclaimed[more] was the even though all the problems that might come would be bad, the worst would be not hearing the word of the Lord. The image he brought to people's minds was that of no food or water, the missing word would be even worse. He said "You will want to hear the word of the Lord, but as hard as you look, you won't find it."

The message was that even though He comes to destroy this wicked nation – He will leave some who will return to rebuild the nation. Who were the wicked, and what was the punishment – you can read it for yourself. It was not a pretty picture! His word was that He would sift Israel like grain. It probably came as a shock then that no one escaped punishment for their sins. Even those who said "Nothing is going to happen to us."

But…

The story does not end at "death and destruction!" God has greater plans. From a down and out, destroyed nation, they will rebuild. Their regrowth will be in ways they cannot imagine. He says "You will have so many crops, that the harvesting crew won't be able to keep up with the planter." It will be like fast growing crops.

God would be faithful to His promise to restore David's people. He would see that the tent was repaired and it's ruins rebuilt.

He said it. He meant it. He did it!

They weren't new marching orders. What Amos got was a clear image of just how bad things were and he was to "go and tell." In chapter 7, God put a plumb line up against his people. He said to Amos "Here is the line, and the people are not meeting the rules. They are not living the way I told them to."

That was a clear picture for Amos – clear enough that he went out and began saying "You are not meeting God's requirements. You haven't been and don't want to play by the rules, so you don't get to play anymore."

Needless to say, that really got some people a little upset with Amos. In fact, one king told Amos he needed to stop telling people how they ought to live and go back to his country. Period![more]

It's more than a little interesting that even today, people don't want to hear how God expects us to live. We want to interpret what He has said in light of some cultural, environmental or historical perspective.

But God has not changed!

History stands as witness to what Amos said. Everything he said for God actually happened to the Isrealites. Still we don't want to know that. We don't want to hear "someone" telling us how to live our lives, or what the punishment might be for not living that way. We can't believe that God would use "tough love" on us – that he would actually punish people for not following His rules. After all, we live in a different age, and know more, and have so much more, and besides, "He is a loving God."

Listen to the words of Amos in chapter 8 as he condemns the people for "not counting accurately, cheating on the scales, hiking prices and putting the dirt in with the wheat. Remember those "plumped chickens" in that commercial?

Once upon a time, I kicked a student out of one of my classes. He just happened to be a very good semi-pro boxer (had me by about 75 pounds and 3-4 inches). He wanted to fight me over being kicked out, and I agreed, saying "Okay, I'll fight you but we'll use my rules." His immediate response was "You can't do that, there are rules to boxing." My response was "Well, there are rules to attending this class, and you chose not to follow those rules, so why should you expect me to follow your rules in boxing."

Needless to say, he did not want to fight me under my rules, which we never even talked about.

What's your measure for living? Your rules or His?