We have come to the final verse within the book of Obadiah, and we have learned much about not only the failures of Edom, but the persistence of God to restore the people of Jacob. Even though Jacob was afflicted and captured, their release would mean a new place of fellowship with God. Edom, however, was to be judged for their complacency, pride, greed and insatiable desires against Israel. Restoration prophecy has been the theme of Obadiah in the last couple verses, and now in verse twenty-one he wrote:
And saviors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.
Obadiah begins the last verse of his prophecy with the declaration that “saviors shall come up on mount Zion”. Regardless of what the world thinks of Zion, Mount Zion is a favored land of the Lord. No matter what the feelings are toward the land and people of Israel, they are favored in the sight of God. The Almighty Heavenly Father will send saviors to his favored people and mount, and as confusing as it may be for some, God will bring His chosen people back to their land. Sure it may seem at times that Israel is out of favor or in constant difficulty, but their role in bringing the Savior, Jesus Christ, into the world will not be impeded by any nation or people. In fact, God will assure that those opposed to Jacob will be put under Israel's control.
The saviors will restore Zion or Jerusalem to the people of Israel, and their position of power will be far reaching and commanding even over those who ridiculed and impeded them when they went into captivity. It is a perilous thing to fall into the hands of the Almighty and Protective God.
Finally, Obadiah completes his prophecy with these words, “and the kingdom shall be the LORD's”. Paul the apostle wrote of the one who controls the powers of the world in the book of Romans chapter thirteen and verses one and two:
“Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”
God rules, and God reigns, and when it comes to our fleshly nature and satan, He rules there as well. In the beginning of our study we likened the people of Edom to our flesh and satan, and now we can take great delight in knowing that just as God destroyed Edom, He will destroy our fleshly nature and satan as well. The kingdom within our hearts will be the LORD's if we simply desire to have Him rule and reign within us. He will never force us, but He makes Himself available to us at all times.
This omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God who loves us and desires to have fellowship with each of us will come into our lives, take over and rule, and defeat every foe who is against us just as He did for the people of Jacob. May we bow in worship to His Holy Name, and may the ideas within the book of Obadiah live with us for the rest of our days and forever.
Next time we will begin a new book that is found in the New Testament once again. It is the book of Philemon, so find it and begin reading, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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