The Measure You Use

We now turn to the second half of the short prophetic work of Obadiah. He has already pronounced the problem with Edom (pride), and the result (broken alliances leading to their destruction), we learn why our Lord allowed this nation to suffer such trouble. 

Obadiah 10–11 (ESV) Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. 11 On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.

Edom’s ancient rivalry and bitter hatred for Israel (their brother through Esau and Jacob) never died. In fact, it grew over time. When the Babylonians came for Judah, in an act of God’s judgment for His people’s sins, Edom HELPED the Babylonians, first, by sitting idly by and watching it happen. 

Obadiah 13 (ESV) Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity.

Second, from verse 13, we learn that they also took great pleasure in the destruction of Israel. Of course, this pleasure was rooted in the grievance the people had over their “second-class” status, as their father, Esau, had sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. But that is not all…

Obadiah 14 (ESV) Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.

They not only stood by and gloated, they HELPED hand over those who remained behind from the swift to Babylon. Indeed, this was not simply animosity, but intentional hostility with avarice and deep malice for Israel. So God announced that what they did to others, He would allow to happen to them. 

Obadiah 15–16 (ESV) For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. 16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been.

Jesus speaks about “the measure (we) use being measured back out to us.”. Many believe Jesus is talking about money. But He’s actually talking about judging others. Read it in context from Luke 6:

Luke 6:37–38 (ESV) “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Surely the Lord had in mind the sins of Edom when He spoke these words. We must guard our hearts against holding a grudge. Jesus warned that if we don’t forgive, we will not be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). Paul commands that “all bitterness and wrath and anger… be put away from (us)” (Ephesians 4:31). Peter told us not to “repay evil for evil,… but on the contrary, bless, for to this (we are) called” (1 Peter 3:9). 

I think the Lord seeks peace in our lives and, for that reason, commends us to forgive and release hurts so that we stop cultivating strife all around. A Proverb warns: 
Proverbs 10:12 (ESV) Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

What you hold in you will stir up the atmosphere around you. Let the Holy Spirit, who is in you through Christ, fill you with love so that your life creates an atmosphere of the same all around you. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Pray for Someone's Downfall

Psalm 83 reminds us that enemies of God's people always abound. The opening verses mention 10 nations gathered around Israel to attack and destory them. These are their enemies. Child of God, we will always have enemies... 1 John 3:13 (ESV)   Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. The world throughout history has hated this ancient family of the Jews. God's chosen people have been the rejected ones in society down through the ages, from Egypt to Nazi Germany. Yet God's blessing has been upon them to this day. For Christians it will be no different. Men will hate us. Yet we are to regard this  as blessing! Luke 6:22–23 (ESV) “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. The Psalmist readily acknowledges the adversary. He then ...
Read more

Outlive Your World

Ezekiel 27 is a funeral dirge of prophecy against Tyre, a coastal city that had become the linchpin of ancient commerce. Every nation imaginable, including Judah and Israel, did business with this city. So the dirge opens with poetic language referring to Tyre as a ship.  Ezekiel 27:6–9 (ESV) Of oaks of Bashan they made your oars; they made your deck of pines from the coasts of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory. 7 Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail, serving as your banner; blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was your awning. 8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you; they were your pilots. 9 The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were in you, caulking your seams; all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to barter for your wares. Then, the prophet enumerates all the nations with whom Tyre did business.  Ezekiel 27:12–16 (ESV) “Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of every ...
Read more

Road Map of History

Daniel 8 begins the Hebrew portion of this book. The reason it shifts from Aramaic (the language of chapters 2-7) to Hebrew is that God has a special message for His people, the Jews. They truly should have understood the times to usher in the arrival of our Lord.  Daniel 8:1 (ESV) In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. Daniel 8 begins with the prophet being transported to Susa, which will become the capital of the kingdom about to conquer Babylon. Daniel 8:3–4 (ESV) I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. After Daniel sees the ram with two horns, he sees a ...
Read more