Obadiah

"You shouldn't have!"

How many times have we heard or said this phrase in our lives? Sometimes we say/hear it in response to receiving a gift or in thanks for something someone has done for us that is well beyond our hopes and expectations. In this usage, it is a term of sincere thanks. Sometimes, we say/hear it as an admonition or instruction to keep us from repeating mistakes. Other times, and this is the one I want to talk about in the context of Obadiah, we have said/heard it as a warning for a response that is about to come.

12But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

13Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;

14Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.

Verses 12 through 14 paint a picture of God as a protector over his people. The prophet writes the words of God as a reminder to Edom of their past atrocities towards his people, but more so as a warning of impending retribution he is about to mete out towards Edom.

15For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

In this day, we are under attack as the people of God; as Christians. This attack is akin to the actions of the Edomites. The media portrays us as hypocritical, backwards, ignorant, dependent upon "religion" as the "opiate for the masses" to quote Karl Marx. The educational system teaches us that Christianity is just one option at best and scientifically infeasible at worst. The government panders to belief systems such as atheism, humanism, and Islam while systematically taking away the rights of Christians and belittling the very faith upon which our system of government was originally crafted.

Yet, brethren, be not dismayed for if you put your ear to the ground you can hear our Savior warning those that attack us, "you shouldn't have…you REALLY shouldn't have!" I'm not saying we should necessarily rejoice in retribution that will be meted out (in fact, I would dare say we should pray for a Saul to Paul type conversion for those that attack us), but we should and can take solace in the fact that our Savior has our back! His work cannot and will not be stopped.

Thom Creel