Intermediate lesson six - book of Obadiah

MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE TODAY FROM THE BOOK OF OBADIAH

Church: Ephesus                                         11 of 39 lessons                                         Theme: Grace

Background Information:

ü  We asked in the book of Judges, “How can the creation know how to accept God’s grace?"

ü   In 1 Chronicles, we were awakened to learn how the world will try to confuse the message of  Jesus’ sacrifice with worldly prosperity which does not bear eternal fruit.

ü  In Psalms, we learned from a psalmist how to remember to be a witness who can understand how to present our body as a living sacrifice by putting on the armor of God.

ü  In Lamentations, we learned how to be a witness who lines up our testimony with the Chief Cornerstone (Christ) by putting on the armor of God and mourning sin.

Statement of Faith to Say Amen to for the Book of Obadiah:

I can live among people in peace who are choosing not to look at the sacrifice Christ made and mourn sin.

Essential Question:

How does the world teach us to deny God’s grace and build our temple with prosperity?

Book of Obadiah:

Have students read pages 27-30 in The Pattern of Sound Teaching.

After students read the information ask them, "What do you want to talk about?"

Remember the Issue:

Realizing that Jesus made a sacrifice for our sins and how He can make an intersession for us is important. The world is not teaching us how to look to Jesus’ sacrifice and to accept God’s grace by turning back to God, our first love.

Remember the Truth Jesus Brought:

The world does not want people to love God or rely on the sacrifice that Jesus made to save them. The world will teach a worldview of how to work for prosperity.

Remember the Rock God Established:

The book of Obadiah is an example of what it looks like to deny God’s grace and work for prosperity. People from the nation of Edom turned their backs on God and refused to accept God's grace. Obadiah was God's ambassador who delivered a message from God to Edom. In Biblical times, it was an ambassador who delivered a war message from one government to another. Obadiah was God's ambassador who declared war between God and Edom.

The nation of Edom was built by Abraham's grandson, Esau. Edom and Israel are two nations. The nations began in the belly of Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, who was pregnant with twin boys. Because the unborn babies were kicking and moving so rapidly, she asked the Lord what was wrong. The Lord told Rebecca, who was Abraham’s daughter-in-law, that she had two nations in her belly. The boys were struggling against each other even in her belly.

Esau was the son who inherited God's blessing, but he sold the blessing of the Lord to his brother Jacob (Israel) for a bowl of beans. When it was time for the boys' father to give the birthright (blessing) to Esau, Jacob (Israel) received the blessing. Esau tried to regain the blessing with dramatic tears, but the attempt at manipulation did not work. When we deny God’s grace, tears will not help us

Esau did not wait on the promise of God. He decided to go out and make a name for himself. That is when Esau built Edom. In the previous lessons, we have learned about Jacob’s descendants who were in Egypt, and God gave them His commandments and the law of Moses to sacrifice against. During this time, Esau was building the City of Edom. Edom did not sacrifice to God. Edom was a city that worked for prosperity.

God says that He loved Jacob. What does God say about Esau? As it is written in Romans 9:13, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Obadiah reminded Edom that they treated their brother city, Israel, unkindly.

Edom was seeking prosperity. Edom robbed Israel. When a robber comes, he only takes what he can get. However, Edom robbed Israel until there were no material items left. Edom joined forces with the nations that were at war against Israel.

When we are influenced by the wrong crowd, we make friends with people who: (1) have feet running with wicked intentions, (2) lie, or (3) are interested in being prosperous even if it hurts someone else. Turning back to God with a sincere heart that mourns and laments is how we suit up with the armor of God. The offense includes turning back to God with mourning and lamentation. Having faith that God will judge the wicked includes the sword of the spirit, to call on the Lord for help.

The book of Lamentations is an example of how the Israelites in Judah began interacting with the people of Edom. The people in Edom were: (1) running to do wicked deeds, (2) making a name for themselves, (3) working for prosperity, (4) lying to the people of Judah by saying there is no God to protect the Hebrews, and (5) sacrificing the feelings of the Israelite people to gain prosperity for Edom. After mixing with Edom, the Israelite people were forced into slavery. Then, the Israelite people lamented and mourned sin and turned to God and waited for God to protect them. The Israelites turned back to their first love, God.

Working for prosperity in the church of Ephesus will spiral into a more serious sinful behavior of pride in the church of Smyrna. The prophet Obadiah gave an example of how Edom’s sinful behavior of working for prosperity spiraled into pride because Edom said they were like an eagle; their city was built high in the rocks, and Edom thought nobody could bring them down. In the next church, Smyrna, the next sinful behavior is pride.

Activity:

The activity directions are located in Appendix 5 Section 2.

Students will build two different structures that represent the choices we make in life when we are building our internal temple. One will line with the Chief Cornerstone and the other with the world.

Conclusion:

Does the world teach us to love God and line up our behaviors with the Chief Cornerstone on The Rock of Faith?

Next Lesson:

The next church, Smyrna, teaches us how righteous behaviors will spiral from accepting God’s grace into sharing God’s mercy when we line up our choices with the Chief Cornerstone on The Rock of Faith. When we do not line up our choices with the Chief Cornerstone on The Rock of Faith, sinful behaviors will spiral from seeking prosperity into being proud. The prophet Obadiah wrote about how Edom’s sinful behavior of working for prosperity spiraled into Edom becoming proud like an eagle.