“The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” (Obadiah 1:15)

We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7), meaning we will receive the consequences of our actions. God gives us the freedom to make our own choices- either for or against Him, either to bless or harm others, either to live a life surrendered to Jesus or not. What we see in Obadiah, the shortest book of the Old Testament, is that God’s wrath upon sin bypasses no one.

“Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever.” (Oba. 1:10)

The book of Obadiah specifically calls out the Edomites, who are descended from Esau, for their sin against the Israelites, who are descended from Jacob. Although they are inter-related, Edom had been continuously hostile against Israel, and celebrated Israel’s destruction at the hands of other nations (v12).

Not only did Edom persecute God’s chosen people of Israel, but they also gloated in their own sufficiency and achievements, building an altar of pride that would ultimately lead to their demise (v2-4).

The short prophecy of Obadiah ends with declaring that Israel will prosper, because God is with them and “the kingdom will be the Lord’s” (v21).

We must realize that whether Christian or not, our deeds will return upon us in some shape or form, as that is the nature of God and His justice. It doesn’t matter who we’re related to, where we came from, what our status or position is, or how secure we feel based on our achievements.

For the non-Christian, God’s wrath upon sin will come down fully upon them, resulting in eternal separation from God in hell. As for the Christian, praise God Almighty that our sins have been paid for on Calvary by the blood of Jesus, that we may repent of sin and join the kingdom of the Lord forever!

[From February 17, 2019]