According to Jeff Kennet, Christians are "People of the Past". That’s what he said. He said it when Christians raised objections to the Crown Casino. "To object to something like that," he said, "meant you were out of step with the community." How could you possibly object to something that would be such a revenue raiser for the state? That would bring so many tourists, particularly overseas tourists, to Victoria. Just because a few families will suffer untold misery, just because gambling is so addictive. So what! If you’re a Christian, he said, you’re living in the past. So get with it! Go down to the casino and enjoy yourself.
I wonder how you feel when you hear people say things like that. That Christianity is a spent force. Do you get angry, or does it worry you? There are times when I find myself wondering if maybe they’re right. Maybe we are out of date. Are you old enough to remember the time when if the church said something the politicians took notice? Do you remember the time when the Liberal party, in particular, espoused Christian principles. You could almost rely on their policies being in line with Christian values. But not any more. Nowadays no-one cares what Christians think. As long as they’re there to do the social welfare jobs the government doesn’t want to pay for.
But it isn’t just in the political field. If you’ve done any training in the sciences you’ll know that there’s a deep belief by many in that area that Christianity is irrelevant to our understanding of the world. We don’t need God, because we’re finding out all we can know through science. There’s the idea that science has all the answers, and in general those answers conflict with a Christian understanding of the world.
Well, despite the fact that there are all sorts of holes in that particular argument, can you see how hard it is for us to maintain our confidence in Christianity as a way of life. What if they’re right? What if Christianity is old hat? I’m sure you’re aware that Jeff Kennet isn’t alone in espousing such a claim. We’re surrounded by people who’ll argue that what we’re doing and saying and believing here today has no place in the 20th century, let alone the 21st.
Well, I want to let you in on a secret. People have said that sort of thing before. In fact they’ve been saying it for thousands of years. Writing off the people of God as not worth worrying about.
Today I want us to take a look at the book of Obadiah, the shortest book in the OT. One you’ve probably never even noticed, and if you did, you may have wondered why God let it be included in the OT Scriptures. As we look at it, I hope we’ll see that it’s talking about people who have made exactly the same mistake - of writing off the people of God in a similar way to the way people do today, or even worse.
Obadiah is an unusual prophet, in that there’s nothing in the book to tell us who he is or when he’s writing. Most of the other prophets make this clear but Obadiah just announces a vision that he’s received. Which makes it a bit tricky to work out what he’s talking about doesn’t it?
Well, one of the things I want to talk about today is how you actually go about reading your Bible when you get to a section like this. What’s really important in this situation is to have a good grasp on the big picture. The overall story of the Old Testament. Those who came to our Lenten studies the last two years may have a better idea of this than others, because that’s what we did on both occasions, though in different ways. We looked at the overall story of the Bible as it unfolds through the pages of the old Testament. It’s important to see the big picture so you can fit the individual parts together. It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s really hard to do a jigsaw puzzle if you don’t have any idea what the picture looks like. You need to have the picture in front of you so you can see where each piece fits in. The other thing about a jigsaw puzzle is that the more pieces you have in the easier it is to fit in new pieces. So what we need to do now is to fill in some of the pieces of the puzzle
In this case the big picture is the story of the Old Testament, starting way back in Genesis. Genesis tells us we’re living in a world that was meant to be good - but it’s been broken. Broken by the fact that Adam and Eve; and everyone else, has decided to go it alone. That we can decide right and wrong for ourselves. We don’t do much of a job of it. And a whole lot of the Old Testament is about the mess we make when we try to run things without God. But in the middle of all the mess, God makes some big promises to a man called Abraham. He promises that with Abraham he’s going to make a whole new start. That from him is going to come a nation. And the nation’s going to have a land of their own. And from that one special nation, God’s going to bring a blessing that will spread to all the world.
They’re the promises. But along with the promises came a warning. That if they didn’t treat God as God, if these people of Israel were unfaithful to God when he gave them the promised land, then they’d be punished. Sent into exile. That was the warning. And the sad news is, they didn’t listen. And by the time you get to the end of the story, that’s what you find. The Israelites thrown out; dragged off into exile. Horrific stuff. The sort of thing you see on the news going on in Kosovo or Rwanda - terrorist attacks, slaughter, a huge army from Babylon marches into Jerusalem, and if you weren’t killed in the first attack, you were dragged off to Babylon as a slave.
Israel was reduced to rubble. All because the people of God chose not to live as the people of God. Rather, they chose to be unfaithful. God said to them, "I’ll give you the land. But if you go off chasing idols, if you’re unfaithful - then there’ll be consequences." So off they go into exile. Their temple is in ruins; everything is torn apart. Israel is gone. And that was how it was for seventy years. Until God said they could come back and start again.
Now you need to know all that before you can make any sense of what’s going on in Obadiah. And there’s one more thing you need to know before we can get started.
You need to know that Edom was the country next door. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. And there was like a long standing family feud between the Edomites and the Israelites that ran right back through the family tree.
So here’s the scene: Israel, thrown out of the promised land, dragged into exile by the army of Babylon. Those that are left a mere handful of peasants. And Edom. The next door neighbours.
Now here’s the big issue. While Israel’s facing the consequences for their unfaithfulness to God, what are the Edomites doing? That’s what Obadiah’s all about.
Let me tell you, what Edom has done, is they’ve written off God. And they’ve written off his people. What Edom has done, is they’ve taken advantage of the situation. They’ve watched Israel’s calamity, and they’ve rubbed salt into the wounds.
The trouble is, they’ve written off God a bit too quickly. They decide Israel is finished for good. And for that, they’re going to pay the consequences. Because the exile of the Israelites isn’t God’s last word. God made big promises to Israel. He had big plans. And he’s not finished yet. Lets take a look. Israel’s been punished. But the story’s not over. Edom are the neighbours looking on. So lets pick it up in verse 1 "The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: "Rise up! Let us rise against it for battle!" Now remember that Edom had been sitting on the sidelines watching as Israel was wiped out, gloating over how their arch enemy has been wiped out and they’re left as the stronger of the two. But they’ve spoken too soon. As they say, ’pride goes before a fall’. The situation is about to be reversed. Although Israel looks like nothing and Edom appears powerful, God says it’s going to change. v2: I will surely make you least among the nations; you shall be utterly despised." They’re saying, we’re the big league. We’ve made it to the top, and no-one can ever bring us down. To which God says, v4 "Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down." And from verse 5 through to 9, there’s a terrible picture of what the future holds for the people of Edom. Obadiah says, it’ll be worse than you could possibly imagine. If you were robbed you could expect to have a few things left behind, but when God’s finished with you their won’t even be that.
The land of Edom is going to have nothing left. The land of Edom is headed for extinction. Verse 7: "your allies have deceived you, they have driven you to the border; your confederates have prevailed against you; those who ate your bread have set a trap for you." They’ll be betrayed by the very people they trust, by their own friends, and they’ll have no idea. And do you know why? Do you know why Edom’s going to disappear from the map? The reason comes in verse 10. It goes back to what Edom did when Israel was facing God’s punishment.
It’s what we call the tall poppy syndrome isn’t it? It’s supposed to be an Australian thing; but I guess you find it everywhere. That when people are going well, we sort of take delight in seeing them come down a peg or two. The Alan Bond’s of the world. We sort of love to hate them. There’s a smug sort of satisfaction in seeing them end up bankrupt. Or in jail. Maybe even people close to you. You take some sort of secret satisfaction in seeing things go badly for a change. Gloating while they struggle. Because maybe it makes you feel better about yourself? Do you know what that’s called? It’s called Godlessness.
And particularly in the case of Edom, who have got nothing to be smug about at all. Gloating over the punishment of Israel! Edom has looked on at the destruction of Israel - and they’ve taken delight in it! More than that. They’re Israel’s neighbours, their cousins. And what they’ve done is like neighbourhood watch in reverse. Instead of stopping it, they’ve joined in the plunder.
Look what they did. Notice that Israel’s called Jacob here, just to remind them of their common ancestry. God says to Edom, "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. 12But you should not have gloated over your brother on the day of his misfortune;" Have you ever done that? "you should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah on the day of their ruin;" and so it goes on. A terrible picture of how these Edomites took advantage of Israel’s day of disaster. Looted the city. Waited at the crossroads and cut down the Israelites as they tried to escape. Handed over the survivors to the invaders.
But here’s the terrible mistake that Edom has made. It’s the people of God they’re toying with. Even in this disaster, even in their punishment at God’s hand, Obadiah wants the Edomites to know that the Israelites are still the people of God. Which means they’re not to be messed with. Even as they re carted off in disgrace - God hasn’t finished with them.
And so he says to the Edomites in verse 15, 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; and just like you drank and partied in your victory on my holy hill; Just like you celebrated the fall of Jerusalem, says God, the nations will drink and drink; until finally, there’s nothing left.
They’re going to face the consequences. And in the end, all the nations who look so strong, all the voices that pour scorn on Israel, every kingdom, will be gone. Except for one kingdom. And one kingdom only. Except for one kingdom that’s centred on Mount Zion. The mountain of Jerusalem.
Here’s what it boils down to. God made a promise. That through Abraham’s line, he was going to build a kingdom that’d bring blessing to all the world. He said to Abraham in Genesis 12, "Those who bless you I’ll bless. Those who curse you I’ll curse. And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." And for Obadiah, no matter how bad things look, no matter how much Israel has been punished, the promise still stands. And that’s how the shortest book in the Old Testament finishes up. Edom has been gloating because Israel’s had it. Edom has been cursing the people God has promised to bless. But the tables are going to be turned. Edom will end up nothing. And the Kingdom of God will flourish. He’s said, v18, "there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau;" but, v21, "those who have been saved shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s."
You know, the words of Obadiah were fulfilled in a surprising way. He says Edom would disappear off the map. And it has. Where’s Edom today? It’s been overtaken and over run so many times, there’s not even a trace of it any more. I mean, who goes on holidays to Edom? But there’s another kingdom that’s grown and flourished, that reaches all over the world. Obadiah says in verse 21, "The kingdom shall be the Lord’s." What kingdom? The Kingdom of God.
And when Jesus came, what were his first public words? "The Kingdom of God is at hand." The deliverer has finally come. And as he heads up the hilly road to Jerusalem on a donkey, the people wave palm branches, and recognise him as the Messiah, the deliverer, Except he brings deliverance in a most unexpected way. Just a few days later, the crown he’s crowned with is a crown of thorns. And he’s nailed up on a cross as a criminal. And dies there, a substitute. A perfect sacrifice for the sins of his people. Opening the way for us to be reconciled with God. Forgiven. And then he rises and ascends, and he rules with God. Over a kingdom that extends to every nation on earth.
It’s a kingdom that might not look much. Just ordinary people like us who have taken Jesus as our King. It’s a kingdom that people can laugh at. And mock. Just like the Edomites mocked Israel. Just like people mocked Jesus himself as he went to the cross.
But although some people delight in seeing Christians doing it tough, and some people delight in saying the sort of thing Jeff Kennet said: "Christians are people of the past," just remember, if you’re facing that sort of thing yourself, the truth is exactly the opposite. We Christians are actually people of the future. With our future absolutely guaranteed. Obadiah got it right. He said to the Edomites, you can laugh. You can mock. But God’s Kingdom is going to stand for ever. It’s still going to be there when you’re long gone. And he was right. And he’s still right, See, we mightn’t look like much. But the humblest, most lowly Christian is still going to be there in eternity. Long after the powers of this world are gone. Long after Jeff Kennett himself, if he hasn’t turned to God for salvation, has become very much a person of the past. While we’ll still be there: celebrating in God’s kingdom. Because we’ve hung onto his promises, without letting go.
Let’s remember that, next time we’re facing a hard time for our faith? Next time someone laughs, next time someone abuses us because we follow Jesus. Next time we’re tempted to just give up, because it’s tough. Next time we’re caught up in the things of this world that want to drag us away from God. There’s only one Kingdom that’s going to last. Everything else will go. Remember, we’re not people of the past; we’re people who look to the future, and who hold on to the promises of God.
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