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We had six for Wordlisteners tonight, and we read the chapters listed in the title.
Obadiah, an unknown servant of the Lord. Not much is known about Him. In serving the Lord he was trusted with this message. We can all be trusted of the Lord if we will indeed serve Him and give up our right to ourself. Edom was a nation that was descended from Esau, and they watched (and rejoiced) in the destruction of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and were glad when Judah came under attack. Yet they were related to those people. Often we are "glad" when people we think are evil "get what they deserve", and I'm sure that applied to the Edomites as they looked at their brothers. Is it love to rejoice at the misfortune of others? The end times will bring about great distress, should we look forward to it? I look for the time after when Jesus will set up His Kingdom as God intended and am comforted by the fact that God will call people to Him as has never happened before. God has always let people choose though throughout history. God's message through Obadiah is that with the measure we rejoice over another's suffering is the measure that we will suffer. As you have done it will return unto you. This is similar to the return of our giving in the New Testament Luke 6:38. The Lord affirms that He will have the last say.
Jonah, Written during the strong time of the Northern kingdom of Israel, Assyria was their enemy, Nineveh was the capital city of their enemy. God intended to send Jonah to Nineveh because of their sin. Jonah was disobedient to God. God wants complete obedience from all His servants and yet like Jonah, we get to choose on a case by case basis. When Jonah disobeyed God sent consequences to try and regain his obedience to the Lord. You could say Jonah wanted his own way rather than God's, but God brought him to the point of seeing that the consequence of disobedience was much greater then the consequence of obedience.
So Jonah went as God had directed, and Nineveh actually listened to what Jonah said and repented. Since these people repented, God relented on sending His wrath. So Jonah obeyed God but became angry when the outcome he wanted did not occur. That God relented made what Jonah said not true, it made him look bad. So even though Jonah seemingly obeyed he was still not happy with the outcome (the Lord's will). So we can seemingly obey and expect certain outcomes that are not what the Lord had in mind. The Lord wanted to forgive, Jonah did not.
Jonah was angry at God because of His loving kindness. The laborers in vineyard in Jesus parable have the same reaction. Those that worked all day got the same reward as those that went out the last hour. We are quick to expect certain outcomes based on the way we think rather than discern from God continually His will. When we fall into certain expectations , we have left God and His plans.
Micah, a prophet before the fall of Israel and Judah who warned of coming judgment, but also to remind that God pardons those who repent. Its written to all peoples over the entire earth. The Lord is coming to be on the high places of the earth. This could apply to the last days. Then He gets Samaria specific, and speaks of the upcoming destruction of Samaria and exile.
Chapter 2 "woe to those who scheme iniquity". We are to think on the things of God specifically His will for us and our relationship with Him. If we do that, we will not be scheming iniquity. Woe to oppressors a man walking after wind and falsehood had told lies and spoke of wine and liquor, he would be the spokesman of the people.
Chapter 3 of Micah is about the leaders of Israel, but we all marveled at how similar the description is to our own leaders. Leaders who do unjust things and expect God's blessings.
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