Obadiah 1:12-13 - "You shouldn't have done this!
You shouldn't have gloated when they exiled your relatives to distant lands.
You shouldn't have rejoiced because they were suffering such misfortune. You
shouldn't have crowed over them as they suffered these disasters. You shouldn't have plundered the land of
Israel when they were suffering such calamity. You shouldn't have gloated over
the destruction of your relatives, looting their homes and making yourselves
rich at their expense.
Obadiah was a prophet called to speak a specific message to
the people of Edom. This people …who were descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau…had
made the mistake of gloating over the troubles of Israel. They developed a sense
of self-sufficiency that swelled their hearts with the wrong kind of pride. They
forgot the wisdom that Solomon tried to give them in Proverbs 24:17 that says….
“Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart
rejoice.”
God sent a message of destruction to these people that did
not save anyone of them. He would use the very strengths they bragged about to take
them down. God would give total justice to Israel …a complete death sentence to
the Edomite’s…with none left to carry on Esau’s name.
It is a reminder to be very careful what I rejoice about. It
is a reminder to let forgiveness rule my heart…so I am not tempted to have
feelings of happiness when someone who has hurt me suffers…for any reason. It is a reminder that God is the only one
that can right any wrong done to any person.
I admit that it is one of the hardest things to do. The
justice we are allowed to witness seems to ease the pain that the person who
hurt us caused. But if we think about it
a while…the justice only reminds us of the hurt…and extends the time we remain
in an unforgiving state. Only forgiveness can put us in a state of heart to
look past the mistake that was made…and love all people despite of the way they
hurt us. Only forgiveness gives us the
power to speak the words that Jesus spoke on that cross….when he asked God to
forgive the very ones that nailed him to it.
Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to concentrate
on forgiving others. I need to let go of
the hurts of the past and find the good in all people…even the ones that have
hurt me. Forgive me for all the times that I have gloated and smiled at the
justice I have witness to others that have hurt people I love. Help me to learn to exchange those smiles of
pleasure in their take down…for the compassion and mercy that you give me each
day. Amen.
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