God ALWAYS Has A Remnant - Obadiah

Obadiah 1:17 (ESV)

But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,

and it shall be holy,

and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.

Obadiah is an interesting book.  It was probably written right after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took the people of Judah captive in 586 B.C.    When the Babylonians came to war against the city and take everyone captive, the nation of Edom stepped in to help the Babylonians.  The problem was that Edom was related to Israel, by being descendants of Esau, Jacob’s (Israel) brother.  So, what we see unfolding in Obadiah’s book is that you have a relative in extreme need and instead of helping them you help those who are harming them.  This is the story of Obadiah.  Instead of giving them help and refuge, Edom helped round them all up for captivity and/or destruction.  The above verse, however, is the Lilly pad in the midst of the swamp.  In the midst of this utter destruction at the ends of evil men and this evil treatment had the hands of your supposed relative, God reaches down and promises protection and deliverance for some of those from Mt. Zion (Jerusalem).   In a time of extreme hurt and betrayal, God redeems a remnant for Himself and to make sure the nation continues so that it will produce the coming Messiah for all mankind.   In all the books of these prophets, God promises a remnant to survive.   Most of the prophets speak of wars, and judgments and discipline and destruction.  But all of them also speak of a remnant that God will continue to work with and call His children.   Like a rose among the thorns, God’s mercy and grace is on full display in these remnant people.  We can rejoice that in the midst of our suffering in this time and age, God will continue to keep us safe and continue to be our God.  Here is the promise that is written to the nation of Israel for the future that the writer of Hebrews applies to us, as well:

Hebrews 8:10-11 (ESV)

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws into their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor

and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’

for they shall all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest.

God has made a covenant people for Himself and it is us, through this remnant.