This is the fifth lesson in a series of lessons on the book of Obadiah. In this lesson I show that Obadiah demonstrates that divine punishment is real.
Watch the video or scroll down to read a transcript.
Transcript:
Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. This is the fifth lesson in a series of lessons on the book of Obadiah. In this lesson, I’m going to look at the first nine verses of Obadiah and talk about divine punishment.
Let me start by looking at a verse in 1 Corinthians because it lays the foundation for what we’re going to talk about in this lesson.
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.
Notice the words “these things”. That refers to the things recorded in the Old Testament. It tells us the things recorded in the Old Testament happened as an example. The things in the Old Testament were written down for our instruction. The passage we’re going to look at in Obadiah is one of those passages that happened as an example and was written down for our instruction.
In this lesson I’m going to start by reading the first nine verses of Obadiah. Those verses contain a declaration of punishment upon the Edomites. That is an example of divine punishment. Then I’m going to read some verses in Genesis that tell us about Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah are also an example of divine punishment. Next, I’m going to read some verses in the book of Acts that tell us about Ananias and Sapphira. They are also an example of divine punishment.
Then I’m going to read some verses in the New Testament which tell us about the Judgment Seat, which is a future divine punishment that is going to take place. Then I’ll end by reading some verses in Revelation that tell us about the Great White Throne Judgment. That is also some future divine punishment.
The first three passages, the one in Obadiah, the one about Sodom and Gomorrah, and the one about Ananias and Sapphira are examples to teach us that divine punishment is real. The last two passages, the Judgment Seat and the Great White Throne, are future punishments that we should take seriously, based on the examples we see in the first three passages.
Let’s get started in Obadiah.
Obadiah 1:1 A vision of Obadiah: Thus said Yahweh my Lord to Edom. We heard a report from Yahweh, and an envoy was sent among the nations, “Arise and let us stand against her for war. 2 Behold, I made you small among the nations. You were very despised. 3 The pride of your heart deceived you, the one dwelling in the clefts of the rock, saying in his heart in the height of his seat, ‘Who can send me down to the earth?’ 4 Even if you are soaring as high as an eagle and even if your nest is placed among the stars, from there I will send you down”, declares Yahweh.
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. 7 All the men who signed your agreement will send you as far as the border. The men at peace with you will deceive you and have power over you. They will set an ambush against you for your food. There is no understanding in him.
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 the first nine verses of Obadiah a declaration that Edom was going to be punished. They were going to be punished because they sinned. That is an example of divine punishment. Now let’s take a look at Sodom and Gomorrah.
Gen. 19:12 Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”
Gen. 19:23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of divine punishment. Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin. That is an example we should learn from. Now let’s read about Ananias and Sapphira.
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 was killed when he lied to the Holy Spirit. If we keep reading in the book of Acts, we’ll see his wife came in later and she was also killed because she participated in lying to the Holy Spirit. That’s an example of divine punishment that you and I should learn from. It demonstrates to us that divine punishment is real. Now let’s talk about the Judgment Seat.
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.
Notice the pronoun “we”. The context of this verse indicates the pronoun we refers to believers. It says all believers must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. When we appear before the Judgment Seat, we will be recompensed for our deeds in the body. Notice the last three words “good or bad”. We’re not just going to be recompensed for our good deeds. We’re also going to be recompensed for our bad deeds. That is a warning to us of a future divine judgment. We should take that seriously because the first three passages we looked at demonstrate to us that divine punishment is real. Now let’s talk about the Great White Throne Judgment.
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.
Let me call attention to that last verse.
Rev. 20:15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
That is the Great White Throne Judgment. This passage tells us in the future there is going to be punishment upon everyone whose name is not found written in the book of life.
What we saw in the first three passages are examples that divine punishment is real. Yahweh punished the Edomites because they sinned. He punished Sodom and Gomorrah because they sinned. He punished Ananias and Sapphira because they sinned.
What we see in the fourth passage, The Judgment Seat of Christ, is that believers are going to be punished for our bad deeds. What we see in the last passage in Revelation is that anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life is going to be thrown into the lake of fire. Those last two passages are passages we should take very seriously, and act accordingly, because of the examples we see in the first three passages. Those first three passages teach us very clearly, that divine punishment is real.
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