A four-year-old girl asks her mother whether God ever sleeps, because if he never does, why did her friend get hurt yesterday? From that question the sermon moves to the shortest book of the Old Testament, the prophecy of Obadiah, and to the story of two kindred nations whose hostility ripened over generations until it found its opportunity. It offers uncomfortable examples of people who sat in church on Sunday and fed their hearts on something entirely different during the week. Listen if the evil around you makes you wonder whether God sees any of it.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Obadiah says Edom built its nest high like an eagle, in the mountains of Seir. What gave the Edomites their sense of security, and why does God say He will bring them down even from there?
- What exactly does God accuse Edom of in the verses about the day of Jerusalem's disaster, and why did Israel being their brother nation make their guilt even heavier?
- The speaker notes that Edom's hostility grew over generations. Which of the present-day messages and divisions he mentioned might be quietly shaping your thoughts about other people?
- The sermon recalls Christians who heard the Word on Sunday and absorbed an ideology of hatred during the week. How do you recognize subtle signs of contempt or dislike toward someone in your own heart?
- When you see evil in the world, how do you respond to the idea that God does not sleep but sometimes delays judgment? What in the promise of God's kingdom at the end of Obadiah gives you hope?
- Which person or group are you prejudiced against that you want to bring to God for healing this week, and what step can you take toward them?
