SCRIPTURE
Obadiah 10-16 (NRSV)
Do not gloat over another's misfortune
For the slaughter and violence done to your brother Jacob,
shame shall cover you,
and you shall be cut off forever.
On the day that you stood aside,
on the day that strangers carried off his wealth,
and foreigners entered his gates
and cast lots for Jerusalem,
you too were like one of them.
But you should not have gloated over your brother
on the day of his misfortune;
you should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah
on the day of their ruin;
you should not have boasted
on the day of distress.
You should not have entered the gate of my people
on the day of their calamity;
you should not have joined in the gloating over Judah's disaster
on the day of his calamity;
you should not have looted his goods
on the day of his calamity.
You should not have stood at the crossings
to cut off his fugitives;
you should not have handed over his survivors
on the day of distress.
For the day of the Lord is near against all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.
For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
all the nations around you shall drink;
they shall drink and gulp down,
and shall be as though they had never been.
DEVOTION
Yesterday I offered the devotion “Wounded in the House of My Friends (Part 1). Today, I continue with Part 2.
As you will remember, Obadiah is prophesying against the nation of Edom. Edom was Israel’s neighbor to the East and South. They were considered “kin” of the Israelites, as they traced their ancestry to Brother Esau. Thus, their betrayal against Israel was a stinging blow! Prophet Obadiah speaks to this betrayal in today’s narrative.
Whilst yesterday we dealt with the stinging pain of being betrayed; today, we will confront the sad truth that we, too, are betrayers of others.
Obadiah 1: 15b says, “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.”
OUCH! What terrible bad news…
When I think about the times that I have been disloyal, revealed a secret, deceived, misguided and/or corrupted others in my own life, I am terribly ashamed. I wish that I could say that I have never betrayed a friend, family member, or colleague, but if I did say that, I’d be a liar.
I have a feeling that you can relate to my circumstances as well. It is a sad fact that all human beings have betrayed another at some point in time. That is the very nature of sin.
Sin, is the betrayal of God and/or the betrayal of our neighbor(s). When we murder, lie, steal, cheat, disrespect our parents, and/or hate on a friend because of their blessings—that is a betrayal of the relationship with the one we have aggrieved.
Likewise, when we prioritize people or things above our relationship with God, use God’s Holy Name in vain, and/or fail to set aside the Sabbath day as God has commanded, we betray our relationship with God.
Isn’t this a sobering reality? I find that it is much more comfortable to think of the ways in which other people have betrayed me, than it is to examine myself and to uncover my own sin and betrayals.
Having said that, I surely don’t want Obadiah’s prophesy to come true in my life. Remember, he said, “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return to your own head.”
In order to avoid this stark reality, it is imperative that we do the difficult, painful, and humbling work of uncovering our sin and making things right to the best of our ability with the help of God.
As Spirit speaks Truth into our hearts, it is my prayer that we will have the humility to go to the one we have wounded and seek their forgiveness and grace.
Matthew 5 says, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother/sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother/sister; then come and offer your gift.”
In other words, it is imperative that we make things right with our neighbor—and with God—in order to be in right relationship with both.
I am so glad that God always stands ready to offer us love and forgiveness when we are truly repentant in our hearts. God proved this willingness when Love gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life!
Now, we do not suffer the just punishment of our sin. Our deeds do not return to our heads, because Jesus’ love and blood covers the multitude of our sin, reconciles our relationship with God, and opens up the door to eternal life.
Dear ones, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God! We have all been betrayers at one time or another. But, as Christians we are called to confess our sin—to God and to one another—as we make things right to the best of our ability.
Today, will you take stock of your behaviors toward others and make up your mind to seek the forgiveness of God and of the people you have hurt or harmed? If so, please pray with me:
Holy One, I am ashamed to admit that I have hurt others with my words or deeds, known and unknown. I want to make things right, but I need your help. Will you please cause Spirit to bring to my remembrance those people that I have hurt or harmed. Please grant me the courage to seek their forgiveness and to try to make things right. Please forgive me of all of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can be your good news in the lives of others. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
THE INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus."
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html
