The Life and Times of Joe Suttle

Ever get the feeling that you could have started differently? There is a little of that in the two week challenge for me. Having started in Amos last week, and working my way through to the one and only chapter of Obadiah.

It's a new week, and there was nothing to continue with. I wrestled with where to start – Old or New, easy or hard. Finally felt led to Ephesians, and will continue with Philippians to end the week. That will be a total of ten chapters, but I'm not just going for the two-a-day.

Even though Pastor Dave's challenge was to read two-a-day, it's like once I get started, the reading just goes [more]on and on, like a good book. Maybe the reason is that reading so much and then trying to capture the essence of two chapters adds deeper meaning to what I have read.

Enough drivel Joe!

First of all, Paul seems to lay heavily on the fact that the body of Christ is built on unity. After all, he points out, it is in one Christ, we have (as believers) been redeemed. And that not by the work (good deeds) that anyone of us has done. It is through that "grace (which) He has freely given us" that we become his children.

That puts some pressure on us.

Although Paul wrote to and prayed for the church in Ephesus, the letter remains as a strong call to us. His prayer was that God give you "wisdom and understanding (1:17)" so that they and we might know Him better.

If you have ever taken a test, you know the sinking feeling you get when you have only skimmed over the assignment or study guide. We wait until the night before to read the book (more like skim) and drift off to sleep while "studying." Or we get distracted by things we think are more important. Then before we know it, the test paper is in front of us.

Life is kind of like that. We can either pay attention and gain wisdom or understanding, or fool around and miss the important stuff.

Having laid out a little logic for paying attention, Paul gets down to unity in chapter two. He says to both factions in the early church, that you are made equals by what Christ did! God, through Christ redeemed both His chosen people and the non-Jew. He broke down the wall that divided them.

It was through the cross that He, God reconciles you (us) so that we might become one body.

There is a great picture at the end of chapter two of the temple being rebuilt. Many people then would have known how the temple at Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Roman Empire. Paul says though, we (believers) from wherever we come are to become that building.

We are the church – the temple! We are to be the place where God dwells!

Maybe we ought to sweep the place out and dust a little…

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!