The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Obadiah 15,
"The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head."
We live in a day where a popular view is that God is who you make him out to be. Differing peoples have their own perspective on God and for them that represents "their truth". This, of course, denies objective reality. Things and people exist whether you or I recognize them or not. We might believe, for instance, that sharks pose no danger for humans. I think we all might have a different perspective as we view the world from our our chewed up SCUBA suits from within the belly of the shark. What matters is objective reality, not our perception of it.
We can foolishly convince ourselves that God does not exist. Or, if we believe there is a god, he is one of love and would never bring any harm to anyone. Do these perspectives have any bearing whatsoever on whether God does exist or what he is like? Imagine for a moment God's reaction to encountering such foolishness. How would you feel if I told you I didn't think you existed? Or that I assigned to you what I might prefer you to be rather than what you really are?
God does exist. And he is not subject to what people make him out to be. God is the very expression of ultimate reality and he has revealed himself in the pages of Scripture. He wants us to know what he is like and that leaves us all without excuse for judgment day. No one will be able to stand on that day and claim ignorance.
Here in Obadiah, the Lord proclaims his day of judgment is coming. Not just for those who have acknowledged his existence and the coming reality of his judgment. No, the "day of the Lord is near for all nations." Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, native Americans, the Chinese, all people everywhere for all time will stand before the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the maker of heaven and earth. It is in him all mankind has life. And it is before him we will all stand on judgment day.
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:11-15.
The good news is that on judgment day we can all have our names written in the book of life. This is the gospel message. All who embrace Jesus Christ in faith have crossed over from death to life! "The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:35-36.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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