“Deliverers will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to rule over the mountains of Edom. And the Lord himself will be king!”
- Obadiah 1:21
Obadiah is probably the book you go to because it is literally just a chapter so you can read it fast but only to find out it does not make much sense to a modern reader. There is a lot of important context that needs to be made aware of in order for it to makes sense.
You see, in the days of Obadiah, Edom is a neighboring nation of Judah. They have regularly had a neutral or hate relationship depending on the time in history and who was more powerful. In this instance, Edom was a powerful nation in comparison to Judah that was regularly trying to recover from the recent attacks of Babylon until only a remnant remained. Edom looked at its long-time neutral enemy and saw opportunity to pillage, taking advantage of the already weakened people.
Also, for a little Biblical context, the Edomites were descendants of Esau. Thus, the hatred ran deep in their blood and history.
Modern Day “Edom:”
It would be lovely to think that God has fully dealt with all the “Edom’s.” But in reality, as a result of our fallenness, many people and organizations today act like a modern “Edom.” By that, I mean people who seek to control while their enemies are weak. They take advantage of another.
It would be like running a marathon, and you, let us say for the sake of the metaphor, were leading the whole way. You come to the last quarter mile. Someone has been in second the entire time as well, only about 30 feet behind you. As the finish line comes into sight, you lose track of your own feet, running them into each other, tripping and falling. A little bloodied you try to get up quickly to maintain the pace, but your opponent then is faced with a choice. Do they be a good sport, respecting they you lead the whole way and let you finish first, for there is no real prize at the end; or do they take advantage and pick of their pace while you stumble along now in arms reach of them?
Sadly, many people, and even I at times would take that second option. I mean after all, you ran along them the entire time, trying just as hard, if not harder. Surely, they would do the same thing if the roles were flipped right? So, the second-place runner takes the lead, leaving behind the first-place runner to limp and bleed over the finish line alone.
The world today is full of people who will take advantage of different situations because they have the power to do so, they may also have the money, or they simply see no other option. However, these people have a limited imagination that usually do not involve God, or any kind of religious system, even if they are “Christian.” You see, many of operate in such a way that if we examine our thinking, or how we relate to other people, there may be no indication that there is a King seated on the Heavenly throne. We may have accepted the personal redemption offered to us but live in a manner that says that redemption is not necessary. Or we talk about world events like the election or COVID-19 saying how important it is to act, to vote, to mask up or down, as if the long-term future of us Christians is determined by it. We often seem to think that the fate of Christianity and morality lies in our own hands alone. But that lacks the imagination and belief that Christ is on the throne.
A King Arrives:
Judah’s remnant may have believed that their God had abandoned them entirely. Ransacked by Babylon and then pillaged by Edom, their world events left them hopeless and with reactive decisions. They probably believed there was no God on the throne. Thus is the importance of verse 21 for them, providing hope of the arrival of their King, their deliverer from the oppression of Edom.
We need to remember that we are not bound to this bi-partisan system as Christians. God’s Kingdom is not based in America, it is not even based on this earth, but we can gaze our eyes upon heaven where our King is sitting waiting for us to live like His people above living like the people of this world. Political wins are not Kingdom wins, and political loses are not Kingdom loses. The ways of our King is above what any human system could possibly do. So remember, the Kingdom is bound to the King, and the King is not interested in our politics, He is interested in His Kingdom, there very Kingdom he tells us to seek above everything else.
So this week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, or whenever we find out the results of the election, remember, the King has arrived. This election will pass, as will which ever politician is made president, and so will the current political systems and nations. All of it is temporary. But the King seated upon the throne is known as having an everlasting love and faithfulness. His Kingdom is set for eternity and is entirely different than our current systems and politics. There are higher callings for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ as the King than to worry about the temporary and to try and take advantage of a system we do not even belong to.
Final Blessing:
We have a King seated upon a throne who have made a way for us and has given His Holy Spirit to the Church that seeks to form us ever closer toward the King’s likeness. The King has arrived, and is present with us, even if the Kingdom is not yet fully here. May we focus on His ruling and seek not to take advantage of others.
Now may the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you in every step, every breathe, and every heart beat of your journey.
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