Kingdom Divided Lesson 14 – Joel and Obadiah

 

Joel

We consider Joel to be a minor prophet, but there is nothing minor about his message.  The term minor is used to classify smaller books from the longer writings like Isaiah and Jeremiah.  Nothing is really known about this prophet other than in this book of Joel.  But what we know about him is less important than his actual ministry and message. 

Joel outline:

Chapter 1 – Invasion of locust and a call to repentance. 

Joel compares the destruction and judgment of God like a plague of locust.  This is the warning and penalty for disobedience and evilness.

Chapter 2-3 – God’s warnings, promise, final judgment, and rule. 

God calls His people to repent and return to Him, if not, they will all be judged.  The day of the Lord will be like no other, but the promise and deliverance of the Lord is waiting and He will restore the land.

Joel’s theme and purpose in writing this book was to call people to repentance and to prepare for the coming judgment - ‘The Day of the Lord’.  He warns people about the dangers of turning from God and tells them to warn others.  He described what God’s judgment looks like - destruction, pain, wailing, fire, drought, and with death not far behind.  Only returning to God can fix the situation.

He gave us a detailed description of the severe locust plague followed by a severe famine that hit throughout the land of Judah.  He saw this as a sign for the final judgment and warned the people to turn to God.  He announced that the day of the Lord was coming and would bring even greater judgment.  He shared how God often uses nature and events to get our attention.  National or even personal disaster can either turn our hearts and focus back to God or can blind us from the truth.  What is important is that we need to be aware that these events pale to God’s judgment to come for those who continue to reject Him and refuse to repent.

When is the Day of the Lord?  This is not a specific date.  It is a time in the future when the Lord Himself will bring judgment on all man’s sin.  It’s a period of judgment and restoration.  It consists of the judgement of God’s people, the judgment of foreign nations, and the purification and restoration of God’s people.  It will be a day of terror bringing bad news against evil and also of blessing with the good news of God’s promised deliverance.  We are to return to the Lord for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and He may even relent and have pity and leave a blessing instead (Joel 2:13-14).

“Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust” – Joel 2:25.  Joel prophesied that judgment can be averted if people repent, fast and return to the Lord (Joel 2:13-17).  He gives a promise of hope, restoration, blessing, prosperity for the righteous, and those who call on the name of the Lord (Joel 2:32).

Joel said the day is coming and we should all look to the physical signs and wonders of the earth as a reminder of God’s sovereignty.  For those who seek the Lord and turn from their sinful ways, the day of the Lord will be a day of great joy, not terror.  

The Bible gives us some of these signs:

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars ….. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All things are the beginning of birth pains.” – Matthew 24:6-8

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” – Matthew 24:12    

“There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited lovers of pleasure rather than lover so God.” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Does all this sound familiar to you?  We are seeing this now.  There are nations who are trying to receive great military power causing unrest and wars.  Have you noticed the outbreaks of violence – random shootings, murders, and mass killings?  Our TV and movies, and internet is full of sex, drugs, violence, and brutality.  We see droughts, wildfires, floods, famines, and even diseases.   We are going through covid, flu, RSV, and we should not forget HIV and Aids. 

Our society in becoming increasingly hostile toward Christians and there is persecution of Christians in many countries and even in America.  All this will get much worse in the Day of the Lord.  We can read more about this day in the book of Revelation.   

Joel spoke of God’s Spirit being poured out on all people bringing hope for the future.  The new work of the Holy Spirit began at Pentecost, fulfilling part of Joel’s prophecy.  He says a number of things must happen before this prophecy can be complete.  This prophecy will continue to be fulfilled and will be complete when Jesus returns to earth. 

We are all sinners, but God did not leave us without help.  His Spirit was active then and continues to be active and unstoppable today.  The Holy Spirit awakens our dead hearts and minds.  If you are a believer, you know the amazing gift of His Spirit.  He convicts us of sin and guides us how to live.   

We learn about the Holy Spirit from the following verses.

John 16:7-15 – When Jesus left this earth, He sent His Spirit to convict the world of guilt and to guide us to all truth.

Acts 1:8 – We receive the power of the Holy Spirit so we can be His witness to the ends of the earth.

Romans 8:9-16 – If Christ is in us, the Spirit of God lives in us and our body is dead because of sin, yet our spirit is alive because of righteousness.  The Spirit testifies that we are God’s children and heirs of God.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 – Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  We reflect the Lord’s glory and are being transformed into His likeness.

Galatians 5:22-23 – The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Joel prophesied that all nations will gather against Israel and Jerusalem in the last great battle, but God will be victorious.  There will be restoration of the Jews and final victory of true religion.

There is no time to lose.  God’s judgment will come swiftly as a thief in the night.  “for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:2.  Today is the day of salvation, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 6:2b.  Without repentance, judgment will be harsh and certain.  We should not trust in our possessions and status but in Jesus.  Only by seeking, trusting, and believing in Jesus’ salvation can we escape His wrath on the Day of the Lord.

Lessons from Joel:

The Day of the Lord is still coming.

God uses physical suffering to get our attention.

The promise of God’s presence is our ultimate hope.

God’s judgment is great for those who don’t belong to Him.

God’s judgment is not something to dread for those who belong and believe in Jesus.

Principle:  The Day of the Lord is the day of judgment on all sinners and the rescue of all God’s faithful.

Obadiah

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.  Obadiah is another minor prophet of God.  His name means ‘servant of the Lord’.  Nothing is known about him other than in this book.   This book is a prophesy against the nation of Edom.  The Edomites were descendants of Esau.  The Israelites are descendants of Esau’s twin brother, Jacob.  The quarrel between the brothers affected their descendants for over 1,000 years.

Obadiah announced God’s judgment against Edomites and prophesied that their kingdom would be destroyed.  This book gives hope to Judah by the promise of God’s judgment on this enemy nation and the promise of restoration of God’s people.  The theme of Obadiah is “The Day of the Lord”.  The purpose is to declare that God will judge the pride of the Edomites and all nations who share their hostility toward the Lord.

The book opens with the vision of Obadiah about Edom.  The Edomites had been found guilty of pride.  “Pride goes before destruction.” – Proverbs 16:18.  They thought themselves greater than they actually were.  They were proud of their hidden treasures, their allies, their men of wisdom, their military power, and their pride in the persecution of God’s people.  They did nothing to help when Judah was attacked and even rejoiced in their distress.  They plundered their wealth and joined in the violence against God’s people.

Would others say you are prideful?

Do you struggle to set aside your own wants and desires for those of God and others?

Are you guilty of doing nothing when you see others in distress?  Sometimes doing nothing is a sin.

He warned against pride, revenge, and bitterness.  He reminds us that we serve the powerful, sovereign God who loves and protects His children.  Obadiah spoke about the day of judgment.  He wanted them to know that day is near.  God gave reasons for His judgment of the Edomites – they did nothing to help Judah and they laughed at Judah’s destruction.  He warned, “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 15.  There would be judgment, but also deliverance for those who trust in God.  “But the Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance.” – Obadiah 17. (Mount Zion is Jerusalem which will be the capitol of the Kingdom of God.)  The people of God will rule with the King and the Lord’s eternal Kingdom will be established.  “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever” - Revelation 11:15.

Obadiah’s prophesy is final and sure.  The kingdom of Edom will be destroyed completely, because they had been arrogant and prideful toward Israel.  Israel will receive punishment, but God will not completely destroy them. 

God will overcome on our behalf if we stay true to Him.  We must be willing to help others in times of need and not be like Edom.  Pride is a sin.  We have nothing to be proud of except for Jesus and what He’s done for us.

Esau and the Edomites made their choice and suffered the consequences.  Each person will also make their own choices and will suffer the consequences.  “They will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” – 1 Peter 4:5.  We make choices daily and are responsible for the choices we make.  We will have to stand before the Lord and give account of our choices.  Christians will not be condemned like the unbelievers (Romans 8:1).  But we will have to give an account of how we spent our lives.

Obadiah spoke of God’s ultimate victory for His people.  He would bring them home to the promised land and deliver the lands of their enemies into Israel’s hands.  “And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” – Obadiah 21.  God will prevail, no matter how things look today.  He gives hope to everyone in the salvation in Jesus Christ.

Lessons from Obadiah:

God has the right and authority to choose whomever He wills, for whatever purpose He wills. (Obadiah 1-2).

God hates pride because it always deceives us and leads us astray (Obadiah 3).

God’s righteous judgment will always overcome any physical strength or mental craftiness (Obadiah 4-9).

God loves His children and will protect them (Obadiah 10-11).

God holds us accountable when we gloat over our enemies (Obadiah 12-16).

Principle:  God’s judgment is coming, but He offers hope and restoration.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Patient.  His plan is to restore creation and reconcile all people to Himself.  He waits patiently for everyone to repent.  God warns of judgment but offers hope.  “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” – Joel 2:13b.  “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9b

Key verses:

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 6:2b.

“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 15.

“Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” – Joel 2:13b.

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided in the book of Hosea.  Hope to see you here. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Jesus, Christmas, What’s It All About?

 

Christmas is December 25^th and is a time we celebrate the birthday of the Lord Jesus, but many think Christmas has lost its true meaning.  It seems we are all about decorating our houses and Christmas trees, Santa and reindeers, throwing parties, giving and receiving expensive gifts.  It has become a profitable holiday for many businesses.  Have we become greedy?  Have we lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas?                                   

We have many Christmas traditions which vary in significance and symbolic meaning.  We exchange gifts because God sent us the most precious gift:  His only Son.  Also the three wisemen visited Jesus and brought gifts as well.

We put our gifts under a decorated Christmas tree.  The Christmas tree started as a common pagan custom, but survived conversion to Christianity.  We use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life.  In Germany wafers were hung of the tree symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption.  Later candles were added symbolizing Christ as the light of the world.  The custom spread and the Christmas tree became one of our holiday traditions.

Jesus’ birth probably didn’t happen exactly on December 25th, but that is the day Christians chose to celebrate.  The important thing is to remember you’re celebrating a real event that happened about 2,000 years ago when God sent His Son into the world as a Christmas present for everyone!

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God chose a virgin to give birth to Jesus (Luke 1:34-34).  He was born in poverty to a virgin called Mary in Bethlehem of Judea and grew up in Nazareth in Galilee.  His earthly father was Joseph who was a carpenter.  Jesus’ name means ‘God with us’.  He is the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah, and Savior of the World.

We don’t know what He looked like, but we know He was a Jew and probably had dark skin.  He wasn’t tall, dark and handsome, but His appearance drew people to Him.  He didn’t speak English; He spoke Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew. 

Jesus didn’t go to high school or college.  He never traveled more than 100 miles from His home.  He was not destined for greatest, never wrote a book, never held a government office, and never had a TV show or movie.  The only property He owned was the clothes He wore.  When He became an adult, He was rejected by most people and even His closest friends abandoned Him.  He was arrested by enemies, was tried and convicted, and nailed to a cross like a common criminal.

We learn in the Old Testament that God had planned His birth, life, death, and resurrection for a long time.  It was prophesied that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, would be brought gifts, and would flee to Egypt for a time for safety.  He fulfilled over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament.  There are too many details to not be true.  He was truly the Messiah.

He didn’t come to earth in a powerful way, but in a humble way.  The King of the universe came as an infant, born in an animal shelter, set aside all His heavenly privileges to live a selfless obedient life and then die a selfless obedient death for our sins.

Philippians 2:5-11 tells us the Father revealed to the entire world that Jesus was God. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!  There God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  

Jesus is God.  John wrote about Him in John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Jesus is the Word.  John 1:3 – “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”.

Jesus said of Himself:

“I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30.

“I am the light of the world.” – John 9:5

“I am the good shepherd.” – John 10:14

“I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live.” – John 11:25

“I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

So why did He come?  He came for the cross!  His story is one of truth, love, and hope.  God sent His Son because He loves us.  He was born so one day He could pay the price for the things we have done that are wrong.  We all are born with a sin nature and do things that don’t please God.  Through the sins of Adam and Eve we all have inherited that sin nature and have a broken relationship with God. 

Jesus came because we needed a Savior.  He could pay the price for our sins by dying on the cross.  He brought salvation to all of us; without him we would all die in our sins.  He is the Savior of the world.  Only through Him can our sins be forgiven and our relationship with God be restored.  Because He lived a life without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins by His death on a cross.  After dying on the cross, He then demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven to the place where He was before becoming human and from there He is able to hear our prayers (Romans 8:34).  He promised to return and when He returns He will separate those who will live with Him forever in heaven from those who will be punished for their sins (Matthew 25:31-33).

He came to earth to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  He offers eternal life for those who believe in Him.  It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jesus still wants you to come to Him.  He waits patiently for you to accept and follow Him.

Jesus is humble, approachable, courageous, and full of love.  He changes lives.  He lives in heaven at father God’s right hand and will return to judge all humanity.  He is the Son of God. He and God are One.  Jesus forgives sin as only God can.  He is the only Savior and the only Way for us to spend eternity with Him.

Principle:  The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

It’s important that we all know Jesus and His love for all of us.  What matters is what happens when you die.  He is your only hope.  Christmas celebrates this amazing love and is really about the cross.  Jesus is not only the reason for the season, we are the reason!  Christmas is for us!

Merry Christmas! -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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