No Escape (Rewind)

For the day of the Lord draws near on all nations, as you have done it will be done to you. Obadiah 15 NASB

Draws near – The word here is not a verb but an adjective. The word is qarob. It is used to indicate something that is close at hand or about to happen. In this verse, Obadiah proclaims that God’s judgment is about to occur. Obadiah’s writing is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but it carries one of the most important messages. God is the Judge of all mankind. No nation escapes His condemnation.

We often think that “nations” includes those political entities that color our world map. We think of borders and governments. But Obadiah’s warning was about a group of people that God saw as a nation, not necessarily the population of a particular place that men designated as a political entity. God viewed those who were of a particular culture and background as a “nation.”

We need to reflect on this. Peter remarks in his first letter that we, who follow Yeshua, are a “holy nation” of resident aliens in this world. God sees all of us as a nation, one body from one culture with one purpose. Unfortunately, what God sees as one we often treat as many. The behavior of those calling themselves a unified body in Christ certainly leaves a lot to be desired. I wonder if Obadiah’s backwards Golden Rule (“What you have done to others will be done to you”) won’t become a terrible judgment on us. If God’s purpose is unity, how will we escape His judgment of our penchant for separation?

We have heard the message of the God of love and forgiveness for so long that we often ignore the other side of the coin. God has no tolerance for sin. He does not condone sin in any form, even if it is only “small” mistakes. God asks for holiness. Holiness is the standard to strive for every moment. The reason we need deliverance is not because we need to be better people. We need rescue because we are dead in our sins. We will never be good enough on our own! God’s day of judgment draws near every time we excuse our mistakes or overlook our sins. I certainly do not want done to me what I did to others. I need grace and mercy.

Perhaps our quest of perfect obedience too often comes in the form of compliance with our standards, that is, our interpretation of His words. Perhaps we are too quick to dismiss those who don’t agree that we are right. Perhaps the “nation” of God stretches beyond the confines of our neat and tidy assemblies. And we become the objects of His wrath because we have sinned by keeping others out.

“Please, Father, withhold Your anger over my sin of exclusion. Grant me mercy. I was wrong. I don’t want to be like this. Give me the strength to be what You require, open-hearted toward all who seek You.”

Topical Index: Obadiah 15, holiness, mercy, judgment, draws near, qarob