“Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you [Edom] will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble. 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 1:10-15
“The punishment predicted there is to the prophet’s mind no arbitrary one, but a natural corollary of what the Judeans themselves had suffered at the hands of there enemies and also of the Edomites, who had not only supplied no help but — and this was the last straw — actually derived gain from their kinsmen’s misfortune. But right would eventually be done, he was sure…
The treachery of Edom in its treatment of Judah is to be echoed in the betrayal of Edom by its own allies and confederates. The traitor will be betrayed in turn, and the unfaithful will discover how bitter is the taste of infidelity…Edom’s greedy outstretching was fated to end…The prophet does not lightly repeat his vocabulary; as will be later made explicit, all these things are bound together in divine providence by an inevitable chain of cause and effect…
Obadiah passionately believed in God’s providence as a powerful factor, which would eventually right wrongs or at least compensate in some way for wrongs committed…God’s intervention was the law of an eye for an eye writ large on the tablet of world history. Destiny would mirror deeds committed earlier. As you have done, so will be done: the passive, as often alludes to divine agency. The next clause speaks of a natural boomeranging of events as consequences.
For Obadiah the orientation of judgment was centered firmly in this world and this life on earth. Therefore God’s moral sovereignty meant that God had so ordained the constitution of the world and the movement of its history that the principle of retribution was written into life. God ruled and overruled through a natural law at work in the world so that equilibrium was achieved. “Whatever amount you measure out for others will be measured back for you” (Matthew 7:2). Justice would be done, the prophet assured his contemporaries.”
Leslie C. Allen in The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah (NICOT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976) 155-160.
As we explore the prophets considering themes like greed, wealth, abundance, and generosity, today’s excerpt comes from the shortest Old Testament book, Obadiah. Though difficult date, scholars place Obadiah as likely the first of the prophetic writers, writing about c. 840 B.C. during the time of Elisha. Edom rebelled against Jehoram, king of Judah, and benefited from the invasion of Jerusalem by the Philistines and Arabs (cf. 2 Kings 8:20-22; 2 Chronicles 21:16-17). God saw this and proclaimed this oracle against them through his servant, Obadiah
How does the message of Obadiah relate to us today? In plain terms: What goes around, comes around. Justice will be served by divine providence. Those who, motivated by greed, “derived gain” from the misfortune of others, will themselves be looted. We can be confident that such “boomeranging” will happen. Read Obadiah to find solace if you ever feel you have been wronged. Though our world is filled with injustice, either in this life or in the eternal judgment of God, we can rest assured that justice will be served.
So, how does this relate to our generosity? Allen rightly cited how Jesus answered this question. “Whatever amount you measure out for others will be measured back for you” (Matthew 7:2). If you generously extend forgiveness to others, it will be extended to you, and if you don’t, it won’t (Matthew 6:14; Mark 11:26). If you share generously with others, God will sort your needs, but if you don’t you will bring poverty and ruin upon yourself (Proverbs 11:17, 24-25).
Understanding this not about manipulating God to prosper materially, but about following His design for life and living. Speaking of God’s design, today I honor my brother, David. I celebrate his life, his deep faith in God, his marriage to Joanna, his love for his family and friends, and his service as president of Warner University. All those things are good, but most of all, I am thankful that he lives, gives, serves, and loves generously like Jesus. Happy 55th Birthday, David! I love you.