This is the ninth lesson in a series of lessons on the book of Obadiah. In this lesson I’m going to look at verses 5 thru 9 and talk about thorough punishment.
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Transcript:
Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. This is the ninth lesson in a series of lessons on the book of Obadiah. In this lesson I’m going to look at verses five through nine and talk about the thoroughness of Yahweh’s punishments.
1Cor. 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
This verse tells us the things recorded in the Old Testament are examples for us to learn from. We’re going to look at one of those examples today. First, I’m going to read some verses from Obadiah and show that Yahweh’s punishment can be very thorough. Then I’m going to look at some examples in the New Testament which show the same thing. Then I’ll look at some verses in the New Testament that tell us about a future judgment, a time in the future when everyone will stand before God and give an account of themselves. Then we’ll talk about what all this means for you and me in the 21st century.
Obadiah 1:5 If thieves came to you, those devastating at night, how would you be ruined? Would they not steal only enough for them? If gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleanings? 6 How will Esau be searched? His hidden treasures will be grazed bare.
We see in these verses a contrast. First, it talks about thieves who come at night and it says they would only steal enough for themselves. Then it talks about gatherers leaving some gleanings. However, when it talks about Esau’s punishment, it says his hidden treasures are going to be grazed bare. In other words, the punishment of Edom was going to be thorough. It was going to exceed what thieves do and what gatherers do when they harvest.
Obadiah 1:8 “Will I not on that day,” declares Yahweh, “destroy wisdom from Edom and understanding from Esau?” 9 Then your mighty ones will be dismayed, Teman, in order that each man will be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter.
We see in Obadiah that Edom was going to be punished and they were going to be punished thoroughly. That’s an example for us. This teaches us that Yahweh can and does punish people very thoroughly. Now let’s take a look at a similar example from the book of Acts
Acts 5:1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. 6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
Ananias tried to lie to God. As a result, he fell down dead. His punishment was very thorough, very final.
1Cor. 11:27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Some people ate and drank the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. The Bible says they slept. That means they died. That’s another example of Yahweh’s punishment being thorough and final. People died because they took the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.
Now let’s take a look at some verses that tell us that someday we’re going to give an account of ourselves to God.
Rom. 14:11 For it is written,
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
We see something similar in Second Corinthians.
2Cor. 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
These verses tell us there’s a time in the future when everyone will stand before God and give an account on themselves. 2 Corinthians says we’re going to be recompensed for every dead in the body, whether good or bad.
What we should learn from Obadiah and Acts is that Yahweh is willing and able to punish people when they do wrong. Therefore, when we read about these future judgments, we should take them very seriously.
Now let’s read some verses in Revelation.
Rev. 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
At some point in the future, anyone whose name is not written in the book of life is going to be thrown into the lake of fire. That’s a very thorough punishment. That’s a very final punishment.
Obadiah teaches us that Yahweh is willing and able to punish people thoroughly; therefore, we should take these verses in Revelation very seriously when it says that some people will suffer the thorough and final punishment of being thrown into a lake of fire.
This is important because we live in a culture that often misunderstands God’s grace. There’s a mentality in Christianity that since God is a loving and graceful God, and since we have salvation and are going to spend eternity in heaven, that it doesn’t matter so much what we do here on Earth. However, the reality is it does matter.
The Bible tells us we will stand before God someday and give an account of everything that we’ve done. We will be recompensed for every deed in the body, whether good or bad. Also, those whose name is not found written in the book of life is going to spend eternity in the lake of fire.
We see in Obadiah, Acts, and 2 Corinthians that God has demonstrated he’s willing and able to punish people. Therefore, we should take the Bible very seriously when it tells us about these future judgments and these future punishments.
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