Justice and Mercy

The Twelve: God has spoken!

The Book of Micah

This series is titled “The 12: God Has Spoken” And you know what - we should listen.

When God speaks, we should listen. 

• At Fellowship Baptist Church, we will always emphasize the priority of God’s Word.

We need to be a people who are striving to have 

A high view of God,

Understand the sufficiency of His Word,

Growing in the hope of His gospel, and

Experiencing the joy of His church.

And to that end, we look at the book of Micah.

The Overall Message of Micah:  Justice and Mercy

• Justice - something that we all want. 

We scream for justice. It’s sort of built in. 

• Mercy - something we all need

The problem with justice is that we don’t really want it. If we truly got justice - we’d be in a world of trouble.

In the midst of a situation that seemed hopeless, Micah trusted in God.

Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

• Our only hope is in the Lord

Usually, when we read the Bible, especially when we’re reading prophecy, we want to apply it to other people. We read about judgment on others and sort of sigh in relief (whew! I’m ok!). But this misses what we should see.

• We need to take Micah personally. 

Only through repentance and trusting in Him can we escape God’s judgment.

Five major stops along the journey through Micah:

1. Undivided Attention

This is the point here - He’s not just some guy - some crazy person spouting crazy talk. This is a message from the Lord, the God of Israel and you should listen!

• The Lord is Coming!!

The intensity continues

• The fall of Samaria

Samaria will fall.

• The Spread of Samaria’s Sin

The sin of Samaria has spread to Judah.

Micah was very effective. 100 years later - He was still being talked about - (Jeremiah 26:18)

He didn’t just come in, preach, and they repented. He prophesied during the reign of three different kings. He preached for at least 16 years. More likely - it was a couple of extra years here and there and closer to 20 years.

Have you ever prayed for anyone for 20 years? 10 years? 2?

Have you mourned for a lost relative or friend for years? 

Galatians 6:9 – And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 

2. Deo Volente

Deo Volente - God willing - If God Wills 

James 4:13-17 – Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. 

They were making all these plans to get rich and take advantage of others. They had forgotten that God has plans too - and HIS will come to be! They had their own thing going on. Thinking they were Protected by God. Not like those in the Northern kingdom. 

His list of sins starts with “covet” - this is them breaking the 10th Commandment.

The advertising industry is built around this desire in all of us. It’s purpose is to create a desire in you for something you don’t have.

This Calvin and Hobbes Cartoon explains it so well 

http://copingkoala.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/calvin-on-acquisitiveness.gif

This was their attitude - they had a lot - they wanted more. 

• We are a generation of people never at peace with what we have, always seeking more. 

The list of sins goes on - even though it doesn’t need to.

We make a mistake when we think that we can have one relationship with God and it won’t be reflected in all of our other relationships.

Matthew 25:31-46 – I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.... when did we do this?...as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 

3. Justice Has Departed! (3:1-4:5)

We all want to see justice done.

If someone does wrong, we want to see them punished.

If someone does well, we want to see them rewarded.

Our entire system of government is designed to have checks and balances. BUT - What if they all three worked together to oppress the citizens? The leaders in Jerusalem were all working together to oppress the people.

• The key word in Chapter 3 is “Justice” - it has departed from Judah

Micah leveled a charge against the leaders  of Judah

Not that they couldn’t do their job. Or that they weren’t doing it. 

It was far worse - they were twisting their job. 

so while • Justice has departed - Justice is coming. 

The prophets in Micah’s day were speaking - but they were saying the opposite of truth

They proclaimed peace when there was none and prosperity when the city was about to fall.

What did Jesus say about this kind of thing?

Matthew 18:6 – but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 

That’s not just a passing comment - it’s a proclamation. And an intense one. 

James Boice - it’s better to remain silent than to speak words that lead someone astray spiritually.

In Chapter 4 - we see hope coming

In Christ - all of this has come!!!

Ephesians 2:14 – For he himself is our peace,

The bottom line here is that it all begins with God

4:2 – “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” 

• He teaches us His ways - we walk in His paths

Everything else flows from that.

This points us so clearly to the next point:

4. Christ is Our Hope

In Matthew 2 - it’s Micah that the chief priests quoted. This whole section is about the coming of the Messiah.

There’s a transition from judgment to restoration.

4:10 – the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies

4:11-13 - again: judgment and hope

It is following these judgment passages we see the ultimate hope (Christ)

• We can’t see this and not think of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

5. God’s Call to the People

Chapter 6 is God’s Indictment on them. They could have been a blessing to others, but they weren’t. They had forgotten God and all he had done for them.

They were going through the motions, but God had stopped being an active part of their lives.

It didn’t make a difference to them anymore. 

• Does any of this sound familiar? Could any of this apply to us today? 

Micah 6:13-16 – paints this picture of a process and God’s judgment against it.

the NIV and the NRSV say Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. 

God is not necessarily doing all of this at once.We can certainly see a shift in our own country. And it doesn’t take a lot of effort to see it. But all hope is not lost yet.

• As long as the return of Christ and final judgment isn’t here yet - There is the possibility of repentance

So what do we do?

Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 

There’s nothing new here. Nothing groundbreaking. No new ritual to do. No new prayer to pray. 

1. Act justly

Over the long haul. In spite of it seeming to make no difference.

Every time. All the time. For a long time. 

How long? Longer still. 

2. Love mercy

This is not merely acting mercifully. It’s loving mercy consistently - all the time. Over the long haul. 

We look for it in others and love it. We study what God’s mercy is (centrality of Christ?)

Luke 18:9-14 contrasts attitudes

Not - God, I thank you that I am not like other men.  (like this tax collector)

But - God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And showing that mercy to others (this is acting justly)

3. Walk humbly (with God)

Humility and pride are polar opposites.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble

• How can a sinner be anything but humble?

It really doesn’t make sense to be prideful.

This is why consistently focusing on the gospel is so critical to our daily spiritual lives. 

It reminds us of who we are (sinful, deserving God’s wrath), Who did all the work (Christ), 

Who deserves all the glory (God).

Micah ends beautifully and points so magnificently to Christ. 

6. Who is Like God?

Micah’s name means “who is like Yahweh?”

• It’s a rhetorical question - there is no one like the God of Israel!

Exodus 15:11-13, 17 – “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? 

Psalm 71:19 – Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens.You who have done great things, 

O God, who is like you? 

We’ve seen this in other places, but here in Micah - it’s a little different. It’s more Christ-focused. 

• The emphasis is is on God’s mercy. 

Forgiveness is, in Micah’s beautiful conclusion - the most beautiful characteristic of our awesome God.

In Israel - they were seeing the breakdown of morality, leadership, and the family.

And that was part of God’s judgment on them. 

• NO ONE but God can deliver Israel.

He is The Good Shepherd

• NO ONE but God can truly care for His people.

No one can love you more or better than Jesus. 

God’s greatest characteristic – forgiveness. 

Micah 7:18-20

This is the culmination of it all.

• NO ONE but God can forgive our sin.

Reflection Questions

• Does God have your Undivided Attention?

How are you being intentional to keep each day focused on God so that the big picture of your life is focused on Him. How are you staying focused on Him?

• Are you really seeking God’s will for your life?

Or are you just zooming through life on your own path, not really thinking about how God would use the unique gifts and talents and abilities that HE has blessed you with. How you can be serving Him through His church. 

• Have you trusted in Christ?

Do you really understand that He is your only hope? Now - don’t just answer “yes” and move on to the next question. Really - how do you know? How do you know that you’re saved? What are you basing it on?

Being a Christian is being a disciple. And a disciple is a learner. Are you continually learning more about Christ? About the Gospel? About this God who you say has saved you?

Maybe a better way to put this:

• How are you growing in Christ?

Because if you’re not growing. If you can’t identify any specific ways you’re growing and learning.

You need to question your salvation. 

• Have you ever truly been overwhelmed at God’s forgiveness of you?

If not, I would suggest that you need to learn to meditate on the Gospel more. Daily. 

Jonah: NOT a Fish Story! (no, really - it's not about a fish)

The Twelve: God has spoken!

The Book of Jonah

To watch the sermon on Vimeo, click here.

• Do you take the Bible literally?

This is a question that might come up if you’re discussing the Bible with someone. 

We, believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient Word of God.

There are certainly places where the Bible is to be taken literally. There are also places where it’s poetic (Psalms). There are places where we are to take it metaphorically (parables).

I think a right understanding of Scripture goes beyond merely saying “I take the Bible literally”

The great american theologian Francis Schaeffer said that we should hold a “full, strong, uncompromising view of Scripture” Here’s the bottom line:

• Everything in the Bible is 100% true. 

It’s not all literal - you shouldn’t pluck out your eye when it causes you to sin - because that won’t fix the problem. But you absolutely can believe everything that the Bible says.

For more on “literal vs. true,” check out this blog at The Gospel Coalition

As we do an overview of Jonah, always remember the centrality of Christ in everything.

Remember: The Centrality of Christ

Additionally, keep in mind these three things as we look at Jonah:

1. The Sovereignty of God

2. The Holiness of God

3. The Love of God

These three things are continually present in the book of Jonah and in all the prophets. 

They’re emphasized to varying degrees from one prophet to the next, but they’re always there. 

In Jonah - they’re all three very clear. 

The Overall Message of Jonah: (a question) Do you really understand God’s Mercy?

Which would also include His grace and His love. That’s actually How Jonah ends. It ends with God asking a question. I pray that you’re better able to answer that question after studying Jonah. 

Jonah is a familiar story with some familiar themes. Here is the summary of the two major themes:

• You’re either moving toward God’s will or away from God’s will.

• You’re either moving toward God’s love or away from God’s love.

There’s not another option with either of these two things. There is no steering wheel and there are only two gears. Forward and Backward. You’re going one direction or the other. And those two directions are the exact opposite of each other. 

Some background. 

Prior to the 19th Century - almost every Biblical scholar and reader of Jonah read it as a history of actual events. The way it is written and put together indicates that it’s history and the details are factual. 

Ancient tradition looked at the book as a real history of real events that actually took place. 

Jesus himself referred to the story (as if we didn’t have enough already).

There is no legitimate reason for us to view the story of Jonah as anything other than a real history of real events that actually took place.  And when we do. When we understand that - the book has a great impact on our lives and has much to say to us. 

Jonah was a real man that lived in the 700s.He was a prophet. Nineveh was a real city. It’s in what is now Northern Iraq, near the Tigris River.  Even today - there’s a shrine to “The Prophet Jonah” there. 

The city was a grand city. The Capital of Assyria. It was the largest city in the world at the time. 

They had beautiful hanging gardens, a 50 mile aqueduct system, and a huge beautiful palace. 

It was also a wicked city, full of sin and corruption. Pretty much what you’d expect from the largest city in the world. Think: Las Vegas (Sin City), New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco. There was certainly some crazy stuff going on. Nineveh was an evil city - there would obviously have been idolatry and paganism. 

It was a great city and it was full of evil. As God looks at Nineveh - He sees their evil. 

The more you’re around sin, the more desensitized to it you become. 

A prime example this in our own culture is Television. Just a few years ago, married couples didn’t even sleep in the same bed on TV.  Ricky and Lucy Ricardo slept in separate beds. Fred and Wilma Flintstone slept in separate beds. But slowly - little by little - things changed and we now have the situation on TV that we have. We have become people who use sin and sinful situations as entertainment. And often we don’t give it a second thought.

I would imagine that all the sin and debauchery and pagan religions had become so commonplace that nobody gave them a second thought. It was the new normal.

• God is concerned with holiness everywhere - not just in His own people. 

 Holiness isn’t just a command for believers - it’s a requirement for everyone. God created everyone (and everything) to glorify Him. When we don’t... it’s sin. 

1. God’s Will

Jonah has been told by God to go to Nineveh and preach to the people there. 

He did exactly the opposite of what God commanded. And he apparently thought he could get away from God. Where did he think he was going? He was certainly familiar with Psalm 139. 

Be sure not to miss this: Jonah paid for his ticket. He wasn’t doing anything wrong in the eyes of the world. Don’t every try to convince yourself that, because the law or the culture thinks what you’re doing is okay means that you’re not sinning. 

• Not doing what you know you should is a sin too. 

What’s going on in your own life that you’re hoping God won’t notice? What have you become so numb to that you don’t give it a second thought?

• Do you really think that God won’t notice the sin in your life?

Jonah is also a demonstration of God’s sovereignty. We see it in several supernatural things going happen in Jonah. 

The miracles in Jonah are demonstrations of God’s Sovereignty

Miracle 1 - the Storm

• Enter: the sovereignty of God.

This storm wasn’t just something that happened. It was something that God actively did. He was actively involved in the coming of this wind. He hurled it. Is this literal? Did God stand up there and literally throw it?

Maybe - the point here is that the wind was caused directly and intentionally by God. 

The next miracle - the Lots

Do you think it was just a really cool coincidence? No. It was the hand of God pointing them to Jonah.

• Disobeying God won’t lead you to a good place. 

Jonah ran - but that’s not where the story ends. 

Miracle: The Sailors’ Acknowledgement

The Sailors acknowledge the sovereignty of God themselves in verse 14.

Gentiles - unbelievers - not God’s people who just minutes ago had been crying out to their own gods. 

Are now acknowledging the One True God.  Wow. Another miracle, right?

Miracle: The Storm Ceases

It would appear that they turned to God at this point They feared the Lord - they offered a sacrifice - made vows. They did the things we see God’s people doing. 

• God is at work in this story - and we haven’t even seen the fish yet!

The Next Miracle: the Fish

We can’t miss point here, that: 

• God is at work. 

The point of the fish - 

God sent the fish to save Him and deliver Him. The power of God over and over is seen through Jonah. 

Jonah’ Psalm in Chapter 2 is beautiful and ends with Salvation belongs to the Lord.

Who saved Jonah? God.

• Do you realize that you were as lost as Jonah was?

Running from God. You were foolish, disobedient, a slave to passion and pleasure, hating others, not doing good, not seeking God. And HE SAVED YOU!. 

The second half is about: God’s Love

We can have all the theological understanding in the world, but if we don’t obey God - especially in His command to take the message of His love to others - we’re not glorifying Him. 

• If you’re not sharing the gospel with others, you don’t really understand the gospel. 

(Not like you should anyway.)

The Gospel is a proclamation. The gospel carries with it - in its very definition - sharing it. 

• 1 Corinthians 9:16 – For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

• What do you do with the opportunities God places in front of you?

The Next Miracle: Repentance

An entire city repenting? Forsaking the sin that was clearly engrained in their culture and in their very thinking? That’s a miracle of God. 

• Repentance is always a miracle of God.

My own salvation - it’s a miracle. God took this heart of stone and made it into a heart of flesh.

• Trust in Christ - He is the only one who can save you.

It all comes together in Chapter 4. Remember - this story isn’t about a fish.

• It’s about the One and only Sovereign God who Loves His people so much that He went to great lengths to save them. 

You might not get angry when someone you don’t like gets saved. You probably like the idea. You’d be okay with it. But - are you really concerned about those who are perishing? Those who are lost? In truth it’s one or the other. To not share the gospel with someone that you know is dying is, I think, a form of hatred toward them. 

As we look at the final chapter in Jonah – the point of Jonah begins to come into focus. 

• Our hearts need to have the right attitude. 

If Jonah - who was a prophet - who went through all that He went through - saw all that He saw. 

Who not only saw God’s sovereignty in all the situations but actually lived them. Who understood God’s love.  Who saw a huge city repent and turn to God.  If he can have a hard heart toward God’s love and mercy being poured out on others...

• How much more can my heart be hard toward the things of God?

If Jonah had these struggles, how much more do we need to guard our own hearts against the same thing?

Jonah didn’t want to go.  This is the opposite of the mindset we should have. Who are you not showing care for? Do you realize that you have the message of salvation and you have been given the joy and privilege of being sent to share that. How can you not care enough to share it with others? Those that God has put in your path?

Romans 10:11-17 – For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 

Simply put - we need to have a passion to see people repenting and trusting in Christ. 

Reflection Questions:

• How are you being disobedient?

It’s a specific question. You should think through and give a specific answer. 

• Are you running from God’s love?

If you don’t know Christ. If you haven’t turned from your selfish, sinful ways to trust in Christ, destruction is where you’re headed. I would plead with you. Come to Christ. Trust in Him alone to provide salvation.

• Who/Where is your Nineveh?

Who around you doesn’t know the Gospel? What are you doing to know them better and take the message of Christ to them?

• Are you being intentional about sharing the Gospel with others?

If you’re not being intentional about sharing the gospel with others you’re fleeing to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. 

Jonah ends rather abruptly with a question. 

4:11 – And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” 

Should I not show mercy to people who don’t deserve it?

• How can we, who have known the mercy of God and benefit from it, not show that same mercy to others? How can we not show them the love that we have been shown by sharing with them what they need to hear the most?

Obadiah - Enemy or Friend?

The Twelve: God has spoken!

The Book of Obadiah

Last week, we began with a question:

Does God care about the details of our lives?

After looking at the book of Amos, it was pretty obvious that the answer is a resounding “yes.” 

God does care about the details of our lives. In the Obadiah it becomes even more clear that God cares about the lives of all of His people..

The Overall Message of Obadiah: God will avenge His people

1. The Setup

Obadiah basically means “servant of the Lord”

Obadiah is the shortest book in the OT. It involves Edom and Judah.

The Edomites were descendants of Esau. Judah was the descendants of Jacob.

The details of the conflict between Esau and Jacob goes back many years. All the way to the womb, in fact.

(Genesis 25:22 – The children struggled together within her). The struggle between Jacob & Esau sets the stage to understand what’s going on Obadiah.

• Do you have any enemies?

I mean - legitimate enemies. (not superhero stuff like Superman and Lex Luthor) Did you as a child? Now?Future? Do you plan on making any enemies in the future?

• What about God? Does He have enemies?

John 3:16 - God so loved the world, so how could He have enemies?

To think about the Almighty God, Creator of Everything as your enemy? That’s intense.

2. Judgment Handed Down

Obadiah pronounces God’s judgment on Edom right away, starting in verse 2

• This is what’s coming: Destruction

• The problem is Pride

Edom didn’t really have any worries. They were a prosperous country. They were secure. They weren’t worried about a foreign army invading them. They thought they were ok. 

The pride of your heart has deceived you. That’s what pride does. It deceives.

It turns your focus inward.  You rely on yourself, because you’re pretty amazing, right? You’ve got it going on.

Pride is essentially thinking something about yourself that’s not true. It also distracts you from what you should know. True things that you should not have forgotten. The Edomites had become secure in themselves. 

• The root of pride is saying that we can do without God

The capital of Edom was a basically a fortress, Petra. It’s hard to imagine a safer spot to be than Edom and its capital: Petra.

1. Their Defenses

They thought they couldn’t be defeated. 

2. Their Allies

They didn’t realize they would be betrayed. They did not truly understand the hearts of men.

3. Their Wisdom

This is an extension of their pride. We’re smart. We know what’s going on. We know how to handle any problem that comes our way. Edom was known as an abode of human wisdom. 

• The Edomites primary sin was pride. 

John Stott says: at every stage of Christian discipleship - pride is our greatest enemy and humility is our greatest friend.

Here’s what pride does: it makes you more willing to be offended by things or people.

As you grow in humility, you’ll find less things that offend you.

You’ll understand better what you deserve because of your sins, and how merciful God has been to you, 

You’ll be far less offended when someone treats you in a way that you think you don’t deserve because, truthfully, you deserve much worse treatment than you’re getting. 

3. Sin & Sequence

Edom and Judah were brother nations. 

Their sin was essentially not acting like brothers. “unbrotherliness”

While we don’t think of “unbrotherliness” as something along the lines of murder or adultery, it’s something that God’s Word takes seriously

1 Timothy 5:8 – But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 

The Growth of Sin

Sin doesn’t just happen. There’s a pattern. It starts small, then grows. Several things happened in the sequence of Edom’s sin:

1. They Stood and watched

In their pride, they just stood their and watched. You ARE your brother’s keeper. You have a responsibility to others. Especially those in your own family. And I would say “church family” fits here too.

Don’t just stand and watch a brother in their distress.

2. Gloating over their calamity. 

They went from standing aloof (distancing) to gloating (thinking about it)

Gossip certainly fits here. (“I have prayer request... did you hear about what’s going on with Bill?”)

3. Rejoicing over their sin.

I’m kind of glad all this is going on. Fun to watch. I’m getting in to this. 

4. Boasting

This grows from pride. We rejoice because we think we’re better. 

Luke 18:11..14 – The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ ...For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

5. Marched through the gates

Now they’re taking advantage of the situation. Showing up, on the scene - but not to help.

Patting them on the back (there! there!) while looking in their purse.

6. Seized their wealth

They didn’t just show up to gloat in person, but to join in the plundering.

7. Cut them down & handed them over.

In the end, they started actually helping their enemies. 

• Actions against God’s people are actions against God.

God cares how His people are treated.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

This includes you. This includes me. All of us have greatly insulted God by our actions.

Christians do this too, right? Kick each other when they’re down. Instead we should be caring for each other

We should be building others up (Ephesians 4:29)and helping to restore them when they have sinned

(Galatians 6:1).

Then, we get to verse 15 – 

4. The Day of the Lord

verse 15 – the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. 

When we get to this verse, we must ask a question:

• Who are you?

You are either His Enemy or His Friend

• God’s Enemies

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

Most lost people don’t think of themselves as enemies of God. They don’t consciously think “I hate God.” They’re not intentionally or actively opposing God,  His work, or slam on the Bible. They’re possibly playing the “Coexist” game. 

They might think that all roads lead to the same god. They probably think of themselves as “neutral” about God.

• Being neutral is not possible. 

If you’re lost - you’re at peace with the things of the flesh. You’re at war with God. Hostile to Him. There is no other option. Romans 8:7 – For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God

God is the enemy of unbelievers. He is angry with them every day. He condemns them to eternal hell. He brings judgment on them. That’s intense. 

Does this make sense? If you’re not one of His people, you’re His enemy. You are actively at war with God. 

• God’s Friends

The first and most immediate, thing about being saved is that you are no longer at war with God.

You are at peace. Christ not only brings peace, but He Himself is our peace!

The only way you can become His friend is to be saved. It comes by hearing His Word, His promises, repenting, and believing in, relying on, and trusting in Christ alone. Receiving forgiveness. It’s redemption.

Have you though about whether or not you’re God’s friend? If you are His friend, it’s forever.

His friends are those who obey Him. John 15:14-15 – You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,

Now: God wasn’t finished with the Israelites yet - they were under His judgment, but their fate was a bit different. It all turns in verse 17

• Justice for the wicked and restoration for God’s people

verse 17 emphasizes three things

1. The Day of the Lord means deliverance for God’s people.

 For us - Deliverance from sin’s power. It points forward to the day we are physically saved. 

    The day we have new bodies and aren’t trapped by sin

2. The Day of the Lord will bring holiness for God’s people. Sin will no longer have any sting.

3. The Day of the Lord will bring posession of posessions

• Are you possessing your possessions?

God has promised to supply our every need.

2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

All things work together for our good. We have everything we need for life and godliness. We have the full revelation of God (the OT saints didn’t)

Yet we worry. We repeat the Psalm 23rd and quote Romans 8:28. We can’t merely admire God’s truth.We must possess it.  We must put it to use. We must more fully trust in God. We need to be growing in our ability to trust in God.

5. The Bottom Line

• Sovereignty - what He said WILL come to pass

Was Edom destroyed? Yes. Edom was destroyed. It was never reconstituted as a nation.

Obadiah’s God is sovereign over all the nations of the earth. They may create temporary chaos by mistreating God’s people; they may seem to get away with things for a while, 

but the day of the Lord will come and He will set things right. 

• The Lord’s sovereign reign will be firmly established.

every knee [will] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Will there be “those who escape”? Yes - but only in Christ (Ephesians 2:113-19) 

• Holiness - Pride is an insult to His holiness

We can’t just think of the “big” sins as those that God hates.

God is very concerned not only with how His people are treated, but also how His people treat others. How His people act. He’s concerned with the holiness of His people. 

1 Peter 1:13-16 – Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 

• Love - there will be those who escape. 

This we know: The day of the Lord will come. It will mean the defeat of God’s enemies, It will mean the restoration of His people, and the establishment of His universal rule.

Nowhere is the love of God seen more clearly than in Jesus Christ. 

John 15:12-17 – ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you slaves, but I have called you friends, ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you ... whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another. 

1 John 4:10 – In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

• God will rescue His people, 

Reflection Questions:

• How would you fare if you were judged the way you judge others?

• What if God let happen to you what you want to happen to others?

• How easy is it for you to spot pride in your own life?

The  final question: the most important one:

And while God does care about the details of your life, this is the one detail that matters most. 

• Where do you stand? 

A friend or an enemy?bWe are all by nature God’s enemies.

Romans 1-3, Ephesians 2, Mark 7 

Hebrews 10:26-27 – For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

God’s enemies are those that keep on sinning.

The question is “have you been reconciled to God?”

Soli Deo Gloria!

Rob

<><