11 WHEN THEY WERE INVADED, YOU STOOD ALOOF, REFUSING TO HELP THEM. Foreign invaders carried off their wealth and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem, BUT YOU ACTED LIKE ONE OF ISRAEL'S ENEMIES.
12 "YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE GLOATED WHEN THEY EXILED YOUR RELATIVES TO DISTANT LANDS. YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE REJOICED WHEN THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH SUFFERED SUCH MISFORTUNE. YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE SPOKEN ARROGANTLY IN THAT TERRIBLE TIME OF TROUBLE.
13 YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE PLUNDERED THE LAND OF ISRAEL WHEN THEY WERE SUFFERING SUCH CALAMITY. You should not have gloated over their destruction when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have seized their wealth when they were suffering such calamity.
14 YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE STOOD AT THE CROSSROADS, KILLING THOSE WHO TRIED TO ESCAPE. You should not have captured the survivors and handed them over in their terrible time of trouble."
Obadiah 1:11-13 (NLT)
• The Edomites rejoiced in the calamities of the Israelites, because of the family feud which had existed between them for a long time.
- If God is dealing with, or punishing, someone who stands as your enemy, you should not rejoice about it:
17 DO NOT REJOICE WHEN YOUR ENEMY FALLS, AND DO NOT LET YOUR HEART BE GLAD WHEN HE STUMBLES; 18 LEST THE LORD SEE IT, AND IT DISPLEASE HIM, AND HE TURN AWAY HIS WRATH FROM HIM" (Proverbs 24:17,18 NKJV). - It is not God's delight that anyone should perish: "THE LORD is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, BUT IS LONG-SUFFERING TOWARDS US, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE" (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV).
READ: 1 Timothy 2:4 - Thus, you should not rejoice when someone is being punished by God, even If the person poses to be your enemy. Do not go about rejoicing, just allow God to do or deal with the person as it pleases Him—as He deems fit.
• Note: God would not want you to rejoice at the calamity of another person! Even If the person had done you bad, had wounded your heart, do not rejoice when such is being dealt with by God (Proverbs 24:17,18).
- No one is given the right to avenge for himself or herself; vengeance is of God, and you allow Him to deal with or handle whoever poses to be an enemy:
19 DEAR FRIENDS, NEVER TAKE REVENGE. LEAVE THAT TO THE RIGHTEOUS ANGER OF GOD. FOR THE SCRIPTURES SAY, “I WILL TAKE REVENGE; I WILL PAY THEM BACK,” SAYS THE LORD. 20 INSTEAD, “IF YOUR ENEMIES ARE HUNGRY, FEED THEM. IF THEY ARE THIRSTY, GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DRINK. IN DOING THIS, YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS OF SHAME ON THEIR HEADS” (Romans 12:19,20 NLT). - Let God handle every matter of your life. When you wanted to fight and defend yourself, as a Believer, God might allow you, but He would not be part of it, and surely would not be happy about it as well.
- God wants every matter of your life to be said or reported to Him, and you allow Him to do as He deemed fit.
- The Edomites were happy, and rejoiced about the calamities of the Israelites; they even supported those who were the Israelites enemies. Thus, God was not happy about it and He spoke through Prophet Obadiah.
- The vendetta or enmity which started from the womb between two brothers—Esau and Jacob—led to the hatred and bitterness between their descendants.
a. The Edomites aided, assisted, those who came to invade the Israelites. God said they should not have done that (Obadiah 11).
b. They should not have rejoiced, gloated, over the fallen of their Brothers—the Israelites (Obadiah 12).
c. They should not have plundered them, but they did, at the time of their distresses (Obadiah 13). - Even If the rejoicing is done secretly in your heart, at the calamity of someone else, who was in distress; God might turn against you.
- And If the person He is dealing with poses to be your enemy, He would stop whatever the punishment He might be inflicting on the person (Proverbs 24:18; Obadiah 12).
• Let God Judge.
- Pray, let God know about whatever evil or wrong that anyone has done or is doing against you, and you allow Him, God, to decide whatever to be done to that person who stands or poses to be your enemy.
- Remember, humans are not your enemies, but someone might yield to the devil and allow himself or herself to be used as an instrument against you (2 Timothy 2:25,26).
- You deal with the demons that might be working through the person, but you allow God, not you, to deal with the person; because the vengeance belongs to Him—God (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30).
- Believers are given authority over the devil and his cohorts. We have the Authority over serpents, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy—the devil (Luke 10:19). But the humans who yielded to be used by the devil as instruments against you should be handed over to God, to be dealt with as He deemed fit.
- Thus, do not gloat or rejoice over the downfall of whoever is against you. Whatever God decided to do against the person, or how He chose to punish the person, is none of your business, and it is not what you should gloat or rejoice about.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- If there is any sickness in your body, As you read this piece, I declare you healed in Jesus' name.
- The hold of that sickness is completely broken in your life, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
- And you are covered and preserved by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Peace!
STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).
- If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!