Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, is a prophetic condemnation of Edom for its treatment of the people of Judah. Theirs was a conflict dating back to the twins in Rebekah’s womb, who were their patriarchs. The Edomites were descendants of her elder son Esau, and the people of Judah were the descendants of Jacob. Just as there was conflict in the womb between Jacob and Esau (see Gen 25:21-26), there was conflict between their peoples. The Edomites had closed their borders and their hearts to the people of Israel on their way to the promised land. They also reveled in the judgment and destruction of Judah years later by the Babylonians, picking off some stragglers and returning others to their captors. They even looted Jerusalem after its fall. God’s judgment against Edom, therefore, was harsh: the nation would be destroyed with no possibility of recovery. It tells us God is opposed to piling additional troubles on those who are suffering, even if they are being disciplined by him. Obadiah, in fact, teaches the vital lesson that God’s treatment of us is based in part on the way we treat others in his kingdom family. ▶ Do you know Jesus as your Savior? https://tonyevans.org/know-jesus-christ/ ▶ Stream Sermons: https://tonyevans.org/podcast/ ▶▶ Free Sermon App: https://subsplash.com/tonyevans/app/ ▶▶ DONATE: https://give.tonyevans.org/the-alternative/donation ▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drtonyevans/ ▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtonyevans/ ▶ Are you a preacher? Free sermon outlines: https://go.tonyevans.org/dr-tony-evans-free-christian-sermon-notes Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually. #TonyEvans #OldTestament #BibleStudy

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