“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” That is what God promised Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:3). Obadiah’s prophecies could be read as the fulfilment of this promise and as an answer to the prayer of Psalm 137:7 (which was an appeal to the same promise): “Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. ‘Tear it down,’ they cried, ‘tear it down to its foundations!’” The Edomites were the descendants of Esau. Though Esau had reason to hate Jacob, in the end, he blessed him (Genesis 33:4ff) and was consequently mightily blessed by God (Genesis 36:7,8). But the Edomites later turned against their kin (Numbers 20:14-21). The Edomites could have blessed God’s people and been blessed in return. But, instead, they cursed them, and their region (the hill country of Seir) became a desolate waste as prophesied by Ezekiel (35:3). I remembered this prophecy when I walked through the ruins of Petra (in Jordan), the most significant location within the hill country of Seir. It is now a vast network of tombs; a haunting reminder of the transience of worldly power. Only those aligned with God’s purpose last the distance of history. The Edomites along with all their neighbours and even the empires that overrode them have all disappeared with little influence on subsequent history. But that tiny and weak tribe of Judah, through its Messiah king, Jesus Christ, continues to change the world. Obadiah’s predictions were correct. Align yourself with God’s kingdom and you will never be thwarted.
Pray for God’s Kingdom to continue to break through all the obstacles.
Read Obadiah
