FBC Morning Light (9/7/2024)

Good Saturday morning people of faith. This weekend's reading is in Ezekiel chapters 38 through 43 as well as the book of Obadiah and mostly I'll be talking about the book of Obadiah this morning. So Ezekiel chapters 38 through 43 mainly deal with Gog and Magog and the battles with that and then with the new temple and then we're going to talk about Obadiah.

Obadiah’s Vision Against Edom

So let me read verse 1 of the book of Obadiah. It says the vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom and I'll pick up verse 1 the rest of verse 1 a little bit but let me just say a couple of things.

First of all this is the Lord speaking to Obadiah about Edom. Edom was the country or the nation formed from the people of Esau. Esau was the twin older brother of Jacob. Jacob is the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

So Edom has become as the Lord had prophesied a thorn in the side of of the Israelites and has they've been at at enmity with one another and later on in the book of Obadiah it's going to talk about how how the Edomites celebrated when Jerusalem fell and they watched with gladness rather than to go in and help their brother in defense.

They celebrated. So thus says back to verse 1 thus says the Lord God concerning Edom we have heard a report from the Lord and a messenger has been sent among the nation saying arise and let us rise up against her for battle.

Pride, Destruction, and the Call to Repentance

So what's happening here is the Lord is pronouncing to Edom that he has raised up nations or is raising up nations to go into battle against Edom. So I would like you to stop for a moment and think what should your response be if you were in Edom.

The Lord is now raising up nations against you. Back to what the Lord said about Edom. Verse 2 behold I will make you small among the nations you shall be greatly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you.

You who dwell in the clefts of the rock whose habitation is high. You who say in your heart who will bring me down to the ground. Though you ascend as high as the eagle and though you set your nest among the stars from there I will bring you down says the Lord.

So the Edomites or the nation of Edom has this pride issue that says we're we're up here we're all good what could bring us down life is good. I think of people I have known who were who were smarter or stronger or taller or better athletes than others and say who's gonna bring me down and they say you no way right and who are who are the Edomites really fighting against here but the Lord and so the question should be should be what should their response be and I would contend with you if the Lord has made a decree that is for your destruction you have only one option and that one option would be to repent and that is it.

You have no hope against the Lord if the Lord is against you right and so the applications could certainly be made I am not in any way saying we are Edom but I would suggest to you that right now the United States as a nation has become greatly despised we do have pride in our heart we do oftentimes say look we're the we're the strongest economy or we have this and we have that who is it that's going to bring us down well we had better take care and repent as a nation and that includes every individual in this nation in light of the Word of God let's pray Heavenly Father I ask that you would you would bring us down in such a manner that we would repent before you that we would understand that we have propagated evil throughout this world rather than propagating good let us as a nation place our trust in you and in your word and in the good news of your son Jesus Christ and it's in his name that we pray amen have an excellent day people of.

Faith.