Weekly Links (9/14/2012)

“Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.’” (Acts 3:22)

Jesus Christ is called and appointed by God to be the great Prophet and teacher of the Church. The weakest Christians need not be discouraged at the dullness and incapacity they find in themselves. Christ is not only a patient and condescending teacher, but he can also, as he has often done, reveal that to babes, which is hid from the wise and learned (Mat 11: 25).

Yea, and such as you are, the Lord delights to choose, that his grace may be the more conspicuous in your weakness (1 Cor. 1: 26, 27). You will have nothing of your own to glory in; you will not say, as a proud wretch once said, “I and my God did this.” Jesus Christ will not divide the praise with any.

Well then, be not discouraged. Others may know more in other things than you, but you are not incapable of knowing so much as shall save your souls, if Christ will be your teacher. In other knowledge they excel you: but if you know Jesus Christ, and the truth as it is in him, one drop of your knowledge is worth a whole sea of their gifts. (John Flavel, The Fountain of Life)

by Richard Shin

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

  • Coming on the heels of the Democratic National Convention, Dr. Albert Mohler explains to his readers the unprecedented difference of morality and liberty between the Democratic Party and the GOP in the upcoming election.
  • Speaking of debate, Michael Horton shares some insight into what constitutes a good argument.
  • Ray Ortlund, drawing from his late father’s example, pens an article on how to die well. “Dad gladly kept Christ as his personal center, moment by moment.  Even my dad’s dying and death were, to him, acts of worship.”
  • Do you love to give rebuke? How about to receive it? Mike Riccardi over at the Cripplegate explains the necessity of giving and receiving rebuke. And then in his next article, he shares the motivation for rebuke.
  • This one’s for the parents out there. How do you know when is the right time to baptize your children? Tim Challies offers some thoughts on the topic.
  • Do you ever struggle with spiritual apathy? While addressed to a student, here are some good pointers for all of us.
  • Well, this looks to be a fantastic film.

I hope you’ve enjoyed and learned some from these links. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Coram Deo

What’s Up and Coming

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Summer has provided us a nice break from the routine at Lighthouse and hopefully everyone is rested and ready for the fall. One of the big changes that I am most looking forward to is the new format for Grace Life. In order to promote greater attendance, last year we had Grace Life meet during the Sunday School hour on Sunday mornings. Unfortunately, this also introduced several limiting factors that we felt needed to change. While it was nice to have the infrastructure of the children’s ministry in place, it was not conducive to encourage fellowship between affinity groups. Having Grace Life meet Sunday mornings also prevented people from receiving helpful instruction and equipping from other classes that were offered. For new members, since Fundamentals of the Faith is a required membership class, it meant that FOF and Grace Life would conflict for at least thirteen weeks.

Thus, the decision was made to move Grace Life midweek. This does several things for the ministry.

  1. First, the infrastructure of children’s ministry is still in place because of midweek Kids’ Club.
  2. Second, it opens up the opportunity for more people to be involved since it doesn’t conflict with other classes. This is particularly helpful for anyone who is teaching those Sunday School classes.
  3. Third, it provides time midweek for the families of Lighthouse to come together for instruction and encouragement.

I hope everyone who is part of Grace Life is excited about the changes being made. Of course we know that this will not be convenient for everyone, but at this stage of the life of the church, I don’t think we’ll be able to come up with any format that suits everyone. I would just encourage those that are able to come out to do so. It is going to be a great year.

Many people were blessed with our first ever Grace Life Weekend Conference with Dr. Bob and Mary Somerville. Lord-willing, our desire is to plan another Weekend Conference this year focusing on the topic of parenting. All the audio from the weekend with Dr. Somerville is online, so if you were not able to make it out, I would encourage you to at least listen to the sessions.

The focus of Grace Life this year is going to be on the application of God’s Word. Our goal will be to help you think through various issues biblically. More specifically, we will be examining a biblical study of the mind. How are we to think? How does sin corrupt our thinking? Should we follow our hearts? How should we make decisions that honor God? These questions and more will be addressed in our times together. I know that it will be tremendously helpful for those who want to grow spiritually and who desire to walk more consistently in faith.

It is going to be an exciting year for Grace Life! If you are married or a parent at Lighthouse, I would encourage you to come out and be blessed by the instruction, fellowship, and worship together. There is great value in participation, as the author of Hebrews writes, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24). The members of the church are called to make an investment in one another and this is not possible if we do not spend good quality time with each other. So, please come out and be involved!

BOB – Jonah

by Stephen Rodgers

JONAH IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Reluctant prophet, running from God, is swallowed by giant fish.”

TITLE

Like the majority of the other prophetic books, Jonah is named for the prophet who is central to the narrative.

Per the MSB:

Following the lead of the Hebrew Masoretic text (MT), the title of the book is derived from the principal character, Jonah (meaning “dove”), the son of Amittai (Jonah 1:1). Both the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate ascribe the same name.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Unlike many of the other prophetic books, nowhere does Jonah make a direct claim to authorship of the book that bears his name.  In fact, some have argued that since the book is written in the third-person, Jonah could not be the author.  However, this overlooks the fact that writing of oneself in the third-person was a common ANE practice (Ex. 11:3; 1 Sam. 12:11).

Given the auto-biographical information that is known by the author, it seems that Jonah himself is the most probable candidate for authorship.

The original audience of Jonah would have been the northern kingdom of Israel in the time of Jeroboam II.

DATE

Assuming that the book is intended as history (see INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES), Jonah can actually be dated with some measure of precision.

Per the MSB:

According to 2 Kin. 14:25, Jonah came from Gath-hepher near Nazareth. The context places him during the long and prosperous reign of Jeroboam II (ca. 793–758 B.C.), making him a prophet to the northern tribes just prior to Amos during the first half of the eighth century B.C., ca. 760 B.C. The Pharisees were wrong when they said “no prophet has arisen out of Galilee” (John 7:52), because Jonah was a Galilean. 

Scholars who assume that the book is fictional often date it in the post-exilic period, up to and including the 3rd century BC. However it should be noted that there are very few (if any) textual reasons to support that late date (see OBJECTIONS).

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Per the MSB:

As a prophet to the 10 northern tribes of Israel, Jonah shares a background and setting with Amos. The nation enjoyed a time of relative peace and prosperity. Both Syria and Assyria were weak, allowing Jeroboam II to enlarge the northern borders of Israel to where they had been in the days of David and Solomon (2 Kin. 14:23–27). Spiritually, however, it was a time of poverty; religion was ritualistic and increasingly idolatrous, and justice had become perverted. Peacetime and wealth had made her bankrupt spiritually, morally, and ethically (cf. 2 Kin. 14:24; Amos 4:1ff.; 5:10–13). As a result, God was to punish her by bringing destruction and captivity from the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Nineveh’s repentance may have been aided by the two plagues (765 and 759 B.C.) and a solar eclipse (763 B.C.), preparing them for Jonah’s judgment message.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are three major themes that run through Jonah:

  • God’s Sovereignty. Throughout the text, God is shown to be in control of life, nature, and all circumstances (Jonah 1:4, 9, 14, 17; 2:10; 4:6-8).
  • God’s Compassion and Mercy. God loves even the adversaries of His people and will show them mercy when they repent (Jonah 3:10, 4:2, 11). Throughout the text, Jonah’s provincial and ethno-centric attitude is shown to be in sharp contrast to the God who desires that all should repent (2 Peter 3:9).
  • Mission. Jonah foreshadows the NT mission to proclaim God and His message to the whole world (Jonah 1:1-2, 3:1-2), including those who oppose God (Jonah 4:11; Matt. 5:44). In so doing, it is declared that ultimately it is God who saves and who is the source of salvation (Jonah 2:9).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

The major question regarding Jonah is whether the story is meant to be understood as non-fiction (history) or as fiction (an allegory, midrash, or parable). While there are some elements of the story that could be perceived as exageratted or hyperbolic, it should be noted that Christ Himself regarded the story as literal (Matt. 12:38–41; 16:4; Luke 11:29–32).

While some commentators believe that his prefiguring actually implies that Jonah died and was resurrected (J. Vernon McGee being the most notable), most conservative scholars do not believe that the text requires that interpretation.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The main category for the book is satire—the exposure of human vice or folly. The four elements of satire take the following form in the book of Jonah: (1) the object of attack is Jonah and what he represents—a bigotry and ethnocentrism that regarded God as the exclusive property of the believing community (in the OT, the nation of Israel); (2) the satiric vehicle is narrative or story; (3) the satiric norm or standard by which Jonah’s bad attitudes are judged is the character of God, who is portrayed as a God of universal mercy, whose mercy is not limited by national boundaries; (4) thesatiric tone is laughing, with Jonah emerging as a laughable figure—someone who runs away from God and is caught by a fish, and as a childish and pouting prophet who prefers death over life without his shade tree. 

OBJECTIONS

Skeptical commentators often note a number of alleged issues with Jonah:

  • A biological or factual question as to the “great fish” that swallowed Jonah. There are a couple points that need to be made here: 1) the exact creature that swallows Jonah is never made clear, so arguments as to the diameter of cetaceans tends to miss the point, and 2) the simple fact is that this is intended to be understood as miraculous (and not merely providential), and so attempts to explain the occurrence in purely naturalistic terms also miss the point.
  • A textual question as to Jonah’s song of deliverance in chapter 2. Some have argued that the timing of the song makes no sense since Jonah had not yet escaped the fish. However, this overlooks the fact that Jonah may well have been aware that he had escaped death by drowning.
  • A historical question as to the size/population of Nineveh. The stock objections here are that while Nineveh was certainly large, it would not have taken three days to traverse it (Jonah 3:3). Additionally, the objection that a city that contained 120,000 children (Jonah 4:11) is larger than any known metropolis in the ANE. The “three days” phrase is ambiguous at best, and could refer to the time required to traverse the boundaries of the city limits, the time required to visit all urban quarters, or the time required to conduct business. In regards to the population, many translators do not believe that the 120,000 refers to children, but to the Ninevites in general.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Jonah 2:9
  • Jonah 4:11

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Jonah is a rare instance of a prophecy that did  not come true, precisely because the people heeded God’s warning and repented.
  • The word that literally means “big fish” or “huge fish” in the Bible (and is commonly translated “whale” today), was often translated or depicted as a “sea serpent” or “sea monster” in ancient times.
  • God seems to have a bit of a sense of humor when it comes to the repentence of Nineveh. In their eagerness to demonstrate their sincerity, the king ordered that every person wear sackcloth (a common image of remorse), and that the practice be extened to the livestock as well (Jonah 3:8). Later, when Jonah throws his hissy-fit over the fact that God spared the Ninevites, God specifically mentions the number of people…and cattle (Jonah 4:11).
  • According to Jewish tradition, Jonah was the son of the widow of Zerephath that Elijah raised from the dead (1 Kin. 17:8–24).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Jonah”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Jonah”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Jonah”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Jonah”
  • NET Bible, Jonah
  • NIV Study Bible, Jonah
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Jonah”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Jonah”
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Mission: LBC Los Angeles

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Last week I had encouraged the members of the church to try their best to make it out to Sunday’s members meeting. Those who were able to attend understood quickly the reason for the encouragement. The evening was filled with significant announcements concerning the future of LBC, and most notably the announcement of plans to plant a church in the Los Angeles area. There was understandably a gasp that went across the room as the news was delivered, but I was particularly blessed by the cheers that erupted as people expressed their enthusiasm and excitement.

This decision to church plant in Los Angeles was not made lightly. A significant decision like this requires much prayer and consideration. There would necessarily be great challenges for all the LBC churches to move forward with the plan. But the Lord has been at work and it seemed as though all the pieces were in place for the move not only to be possible, but to be beneficial and strategic.

A church in Los Angeles would provide a viable hub to connect the Lighthouse churches in the north in San Jose and East Bay with the one in the south in San Diego. A location close to The Master’s Seminary could be very instrumental for the training up of future shepherds and church planters. Besides, Los Angeles provides one of the most densely populated areas in the entire nation, which means the gospel will be more accessible for people who need to hear it. Given the strategic value, it might have seemed inevitable that a Lighthouse church would eventually be established in Los Angeles.

While the excitement buzzing with the members is encouraging, in penning this article, I thought it would be best to remind the church of one particular factor: having good confidence that the Lord is leading us in this direction does not ensure that the work will be easy. I’m sure many have thought that a plant in Los Angeles would be great because of how many people are from there who are currently attending Lighthouse. Those who wanted to help out with the church plant could conveniently return home and contribute to the work. While the location might be convenient for some, it is important to remember that there is very little that is convenient about church planting.

Ask anyone who moved up north for the San Jose church plant that was originally from that area if the transition was easy. I can guarantee they would tell you it wasn’t. If we are going to move forward planting a church in Los Angeles, anyone who is involved needs to be deeply committed and ready to work. A team with individuals that are only thinking about convenience and ease will prove to be an inefficient and possibly destructive team. Those comfort seekers are the likeliest people to bail in the middle of the effort instead of persevering to the end.

This is not to say that the success of the church plant relies entirely on our efforts. Certainly not! Through it all, there needs to be a constant and enduring dependence upon the Spirit for guidance, encouragement, and strength. It is through the hardships of church planting that Christ’s Great Commission promise is so comforting: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). We need His promise if we are going to endure and succeed. We need His help if this church is going to get off the ground. We need His guidance to walk us through the planning. And if lives are going to be won for Christ, we need His grace and mercy.

But in the plan of God, His sovereignty works through human effort. He uses those who would be spent for His purposes and glory. Understandably, laziness, idleness, and apathy work to hinder church planting efforts. Members who are willing to face and endure difficulties, challenges, opposition, and attacks are needed. We need men and women who will walk in holiness so as not to defame the name of Christ and hamper the testimony of the church. We need members who are vehement to maintain peace and pursue unity. We need people who can, in dependence on God, resist the attacks of the devil remembering that the devil hates healthy churches.

Yes, it is right and good that the church is excited about the prospect of planting a church in Los Angeles. Like I said on Sunday night, I think it’s patently clear that we are committed to our Vision Statement to be a church planting church. But I want to help make sure the members understand the difficulties and challenges that lie ahead. There will certainly be joys and many reasons to celebrate and cheer, but it will not come conveniently or easily. With that, let’s begin with prayer and even fasting as we seek to plow forward. From the very outset, let’s commit this work to the Lord and ask for His help to work it out. This encouragement is not only for those who are thinking about going. As a church united, we ought to be actively part of the church planting process to the glory of God.

The Wrath to Come

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Matthew 3:7

It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent itself upon His Saviour’s head, and if there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distil from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that they are not for his destruction.

But how terrible is it to witness the approach of a tempest: to note the forewarnings of the storm; to mark the birds of heaven as they droop their wings; to see the cattle as they lay their heads low in terror; to discern the face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to the sun which shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning! How terrible to await the dread advance of a hurricane-such as occurs, sometimes, in the tropics-to wait in terrible apprehension till the wind shall rush forth in fury, tearing up trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals, and hurling down all the dwelling-places of man! And yet, sinner, this is your present position. No hot drops have as yet fallen, but a shower of fire is coming. No terrible winds howl around you, but God’s tempest is gathering its dread artillery. As yet the water-floods are dammed up by mercy, but the flood-gates shall soon be opened: the thunderbolts of God are yet in His storehouse, but lo! the tempest hastens, and how awful shall that moment be when God, robed in vengeance, shall march forth in fury!

Where, where, where, O sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee? O that the hand of mercy may now lead you to Christ! He is freely set before you in the gospel: His riven side is the rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of Him; believe in Him, cast thyself upon Him, and then the fury shall be overpast for ever.

2.25a

Weekly Links (9/7/2012)

Now, moving past the more technical, the simple truth that the term “transcendental” communicates is that Christianity alone is true. Whenever we meet up with some position, theory, idea or concept that is opposed to Christianity, we need not be experts in those ideas; all we need to know, initially, is that if it is a non-Christian position, it is, by definition, false. It has the seeds of self-destruction within itself. Patient probing will often times uncover those seeds. Once uncovered, it is important to replace them with the imperishable seed of the Word of God (Luke 8:11; 1 Peter 1:23), which alone will not, because it cannot, self-destruct. (Scott Oliphint, “Transcendental Meditation”)

by Stephen Rodgers

Here are the weekly links:

Pro Rege

EV & Your Degree – Work for the Lord (Part 2)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Author’s note: This series is going to be a lot shorter than I anticipated, but I hope God can use it for some good. I am moving from the singles to youth, and so this will be my last article for the Singles Ministry (as far as I know).

We first looked at a specific area in our evangelism approach relating our speech with our walk in the faith to encourage younger believers, as well as commend Christ to our unbelieving coworkers. Yet how this looks at the actual workplace is a different monster to tackle. At our church, we have many professions represented, from engineer to teacher to doctor to physical therapist to shuttle driver, and so on. How can we possibly cover the range of situations and experiences that are involved in these professions? How should a Christian view work in general, and how is Christ shown at your respective job?

First, let’s deal with what work is, according to Scripture. As early as the creation of Adam and Eve, work has been mandated as God’s way of subduing the earth pre-Fall (Genesis 1:28), and has only worsened since the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19). Proverbs 6:6-11 gives a beautiful picture of how hard-working an ant is, without needing to be supervised in order to do its part. From creation on, work is a command of God to dominate and exhaust the resources God has placed within it.

Work is also God’s gift to mankind to provide for what are the essentials of life (food, shelter), as well as being the support for the establishing of stable family life and ministry. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15, Paul is calling out those who would not put in their part to work, either from mistaking the return of the Lord to be soon (probably not), or those who were taking advantage of wealthier believers. He sees it as an issue of sin to refuse to work and depend on others for the work they have put in. Paul also sees work as an area where worship can be fostered (Romans 12:1), and a way to glorify the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31).

So if work is mandated by God and is also a gift of God, how then are we take that perspective when evangelizing our lost coworkers? Here are some guidelines*:

1. God is the Boss of all bosses.

As has been covered in our study of Colossians, you may have a boss that you report to and speak with on a regular basis, but God supersedes the authority of your employer. We see this in Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” We must never forget that God has appointed those in authority over us by His sovereign will, and should not see any problems as things God was not aware of when putting them there. No, God knew what would happen, and has you there to see how faithful you will be as a steward of His gift (1 Corinthians 10:13).

2. Honor and serve your earthly boss.

Peter commands us: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust” (1 Peter 2:18). There is no qualification: every boss who has authority over every Christian should be the recipient of the utmost respect. He even goes a step further and teaches that we are to patiently endure unjust conduct from those over us: “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God” (v.20). God favors those who endure this kind of suffering. The only exception to disobey is when called to disobey God’s Word and authority.

3. Honor Christ as an example.

If you talk with anyone with a job past a few months, you will find that there are probably those who are not known for their hard work ethic. They become infamous for their ability to keep their job and yet not put in the necessary effort to appropriately earn a paycheck. As a follower of Christ, you are not called to laziness; you are called to work, and to do it unto the Lord (see point #1). What you say of Christ will be overshadowed by your example if it is not commending Christ, but condemning Christ in the eyes of your coworkers. This is why Paul writes, “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled” (1 Timothy 6:1). The influence of your witness directly corresponds with your consistent example, and our mindset must be to gain a hearing with those who don’t believe, that they may put weight in the things we say when we do. Most marvel at the one who works hard, and does not grudgingly condemn those who do not put in as much effort. A skilled man is noticed by those high in authority, calling for us to always be excellent in whatever we do (Proverbs 22:29).

4. Have tact in finding gospel opportunities.

This could be a post, sermon, or book all on its own. Christ, in preparing to send out His disciples to the world to bring the message of Christ, tells them: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). How we communicate the gospel at work must be done in an appropriate time and manner (the last post addressed this very issue). How one does this includes asking many questions of your coworkers that draws out information about their lives, as well as their way of thinking about the issues of ultimate reality. Taking an interest in the things they find interest in speaks to them that you are serious in getting to know them. Discerning when to bring the Word of God to bear in your conversations will involve a deeper familiarity with the Word, as well as a deeper seriousness coming from the one you’re speaking with. They may have never had a conversation with a believer who was more willing to listen to them than speak to them, and that always speaks volumes to them.

5. Always be above approach at work.

Not only are we to be shrewd, but we are also to be innocent, or undefiled. We must never share the Gospel in a way where Christ’s name could be dragged through the mud because we didn’t represent Him well. We are ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5) 24/7, and that includes the workplace. As much as you possibly can, do your work in such a way that Christ can never be blamed for your laziness, but credited for your excellence and skill. As we do all for the glory of God, we will have those opportunities spring up, for God will want our faithfulness to be tested and shine brightly in the darkness, that the glory of Christ will continually lead to the opening of blind eyes (2 Corinthians 4:6).

*I have been greatly helped here by the Grace Evangelism workbook for this post. Other resources I would recommend for further study include:

BOB – Obadiah

by Stephen Rodgers

OBADIAH IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Edom will suffer for participating in Jerusalem’s destruction.”

TITLE

Like almost all the other prophetic books, the book of Obadiah takes its name from the prophet respon­si­ble for its content (Ob. 1:1).  Unfortunately, that name occurs numerous times throughout the OT (1Ki 18:3–16; 1Ch 3:21; 7:3; 8:38; 9:16; 12:9; 27:19; 2Ch 17:7; 34:12; Ezr 8:9; Ne 10:5; 12:25), making it difficult to pin down exactly who it refers to.

There is also a theory that “Obadiah” (and also “Malachi”) were intended as titles, not as proper names.  However, this theory is a minority view that doesn’t enjoy significant popularity among scholars, since it tends to further complicate a situation that is already starved for information.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

I’ll briefly discuss some difficulties with placing the author, but you might want to skip ahead to the DATE section and then come back here.

The short version is as follows:

  • The vast majority of scholars agree that we don’t have enough information to firmly establish Obadiah’s identity.
  • Just to further muddy the waters, the minority of scholars who do make declarations regarding Obadiah’s identity tend to disagree with one another (the author of the introduction to “Obadiah” in the Archaeological Study Bible emphatically denies that the Obadiah in 1 Kings 18 could have been the author of the book, whereas C.F. Keil emphatically affirms the claim in his book The Twelve Minor Prophets).
  • The dating of the invasion in which Edom participated in an attack against Jerusalem would help to resolve the issue, but as you’ll see, that is precisely the point that is most hotly contested.
Regardless, all scholars that I am aware of do agree on something: the intended audience was Judah in the aftermath of an Edomite invasion.

DATE

The MSB does a better job than most of the materials in laying out the difficulties with dating Obadiah:

The date of writing is equally difficult to determine, though we know it is tied to the Edomite assault on Jerusalem described in vv. 10–14. Obadiah apparently wrote shortly after the attack. There were 4 significant invasions of Jerusalem in OT history: 1) by Shishak, king of Egypt, ca. 925 B.C. during the reign of Rehoboam (1 Kin. 14:25,26; 2 Chr. 12); 2) by the Philistines and Arabians between 848–841 B.C. during the reign of Jehoram of Judah (2 Chr. 21:8–20); 3) by Jehoash, king of Israel, ca. 790 B.C. (2 Kin. 14; 2 Chr. 25); and 4) by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Of these 4, only the second and the fourth are possible fits with historical data.

It should be noted that while the MSB goes on to defend #2 over and against #4 (and gives reasons for doing so, as does Constable), this view is itself a minority position. The majority of scholars surveyed for this article agree that the invasion during Jehoram’s reign and the Babylonian invasion are the likely candidates, then lean towards the latter.

(For anyone interested in an even more exhaustive discussion on the topic of possible invasion events, their corresponding chronologies, and scholarly opinion, I highly recommend Constable’s notes on Obadiah in the NET Bible (in the “Date” section), which I’ll decline to reproduce here for reasons of space.)

BACKGROUND & SETTING

The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, just as the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob (Gen. 25). They settled in the rugged mountains to the south of the Dead Sea, where they were known to launch raids from the security of their virtually impregnable mountain strongholds.

The book of Obadiah is primarily concerned with condemning Edom for their participation in an attack on Jerusalem (as part of a larger invasion by a foreign power), and assuring Israel they would not go unpunished.

Per the MSB:

The Edomites opposed Saul (ca. 1043–1011 B.C.) and were subdued under David (ca. 1011–971 B.C.) and Solomon (ca. 971–931 B.C.). They fought against Jehoshaphat (ca. 873–848 B.C.) and successfully rebelled against Jehoram (ca. 853–841 B.C.). They were again conquered by Judah under Amaziah (ca. 796–767 B.C.), but they regained their freedom during the reign of Ahaz (ca. 735–715 B.C.). Edom was later controlled by Assyria and Babylon; and in the fifth century B.C. the Edomites were forced by the Nabateans to leave their territory. They moved to the area of southern Palestine and became known as Idumeans. Herod the Great, an Idumean, became king of Judea under Rome in 37 B.C. In a sense, the enmity between Esau and Jacob was continued in Herod’s attempt to murder Jesus. The Idumeans participated in the rebellion of Jerusalem against Rome and were defeated along with the Jews by Titus in A.D. 70. Ironically, the Edomites applauded the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (cf. Ps. 137:7) but died trying to defend it in A.D. 70. After that time they were never heard of again. As Obadiah predicted, they would be “cut off forever” (Ob. 1:10); “and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau” (Ob 1:18).

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two significant themes in the book of Obadiah:

  • Judgment for Edom. Obadiah assures his audience that God will punish those who attacked Israel.
  • Deliverance and Restoration for Israel. Obadiah also teaches that God is sovereign over the nations. While the enemies of Israel achieved momentary victory, ultimately they would be defeated by God and their lands would be given to His people (Ob. 1:19–21).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

While the majority of uncertainty regarding Obadiah tends to focus on the chronological period in which it was written (see DATE), there is a secondary issue as well: the fact that there are striking similarities between Obadiah 1:1-9 and Jeremiah 49:7-22. Scholars who maintain that one prophet was familiar with (and borrowed from) the other tend to be divided along chronological lines. Those committed to an early dating of Obadiah have no problem suggesting that it was Jeremiah who borrowed from Obadiah. However, those committed to a later dating of Obadiah tend to support the opposite.

There is a third line of thought that opines that both Obadiah and Jeremiah drew from an unknown third source.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The primary genre is prophecy, and as is customary in prophecy, the predictions of the future are couched in oracles of judgment and an oracle of salvation or deliverance. The oracles of judgment against Edom are examples of satire, with discernible objects of attack and a satiric norm by which Edom and other nations are criticized. 

OBJECTIONS

While not an objection per se, secular scholars tend to assume that Obadiah must have written after the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians, given the vividness of his description.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Obadiah 1:15
  • Obadiah 1:17

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Obadiah is the shortest book in the OT.
  • Obadiah is not quoted in the NT.
  • Edom, particularly Teman, was known for its wise men. Eliphaz (one of Job’s three friends), was a Temanite.

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Obadiah”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Obadiah”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Obadiah”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Obadiah”
  • NET Bible, Obadiah
  • NIV Study Bible, Obadiah
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Obadiah”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Obadiah” (as with other books I’ve mentioned, the article here is particularly brief and disappointing)
  • Know Your Bible
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Are You Ready for the Next Church Plant?

by Elder Mike Chon

Many of you know that the vision of our church is to plant churches based on Acts 1:8. We took our first step in fulfilling this by planting a church up in San Jose about two years ago. Now we are in the beginning stages of planting another church up in the East Bay area south of Oakland. Hopefully we will be able to continue this vision of church planting as we plant one church after another. Of course none of this is possible without God. We are amazed at how gracious God has been to use inadequate people like ourselves to further His kingdom on this earth as He works in and through us. Therefore we are humbled by the fact that we are beginning to see this vision of church planting come to fruition with each new church being planted.

We also needed the help of our church members to not only support but actually go and be part of the initial church plant. It was amazing to have over twenty of our members commit themselves to move and be part of the church plant in San Jose. We have been tremendously blessed to see how God is using the church in San Jose to be a beacon of God’s truth and love. As we look to the future with the beginning of the church plant in East Bay and future church plants to come, I want to encourage us to continue to not only support church planting but to consider going and being part of this vision. We cannot assume that God only wants us in San Diego and that somehow this is the only place that we can live. Even though San Diego is America’s finest city, we must not look at our earthly lives as an opportunity to just grow old together, but instead use every opportunity for the gospel of Christ and that may mean that you would consider moving to another part of the country (or the world!) for that to be accomplished. I’m sure the early Christians would have liked to live near the Mediterranean Sea and soak in the sun but they understood the call to be ambassadors for Christ and to proclaim Christ and Him crucified to the rest of the world. I know some of us have dreams of staying in San Diego for the rest of our lives but the question you have to ask yourself is why.

  • Why do you think you are at a church that teaches God’s Word so that you can grow in knowledge and wisdom?
  • Why do you think you are at a church that seeks to love God and one another?
  • Why do you think you are at a church that makes disciples of Christ?
  • Why do you think you are at a church that desires to plant other churches?

Could it be that you are at this church to learn and grow so that you can take part in a future church plant? I hope and pray that you would consider going with a future church plant to be able to impart all that you have learned here to the next generation there.

At the same time, I understand that we do have valid reasons to stay. I don’t want to disregard those reasons but every time that an opportunity comes to plant another church, I would hope that each one of us would prayerfully consider going. Please don’t disregard these opportunities and think that it is for someone else in the church to consider. Please don’t use the reason that the church here in San Diego needs you to stay. Let me remind you that no one is actually asking you to stay. If anything we need people to go. Please don’t misunderstand me, I do miss those that have left but at the same time I know that there is a greater purpose for them to leave than to stay. As our churches in San Diego and San Jose are now seeing the start of the church in East Bay, I hope that we never grow tired of seeing another church planted because it is the work of God that we get the privilege to see and experience. It is exciting to see what God will do next in our ministry and in the life of our church. I would hope that as a church we never get used to where we are or what we are doing, but instead we would grow in our excitement for what God will do next in our midst. Please be prayerful now in considering how you will partake in the vision of our church and fulfill the mission and passion along the way.

And the Lord Answered the Angel…with Good Words and Comfortable Words

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Zechariah 1:12-13

What a sweet answer to an anxious enquiry! This night let us rejoice in it. O Zion, there are good things in store for thee; thy time of travail shall soon be over; thy children shall be brought forth; thy captivity shall end. Bear patiently the rod for a season, and under the darkness still trust in God, for His love burneth towards thee. God loves the church with a love too deep for human imagination: He loves her with all His infinite heart.

Therefore let her sons be of good courage; she cannot be far from prosperity to whom God speaketh ‘good words and comfortable words.’ What these comfortable words are the prophet goes on to tell us: ‘I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.’ The Lord loves His church so much that He cannot bear that she should go astray to others; and when she has done so, He cannot endure that she should suffer too much or too heavily. He will not have his enemies afflict her: He is displeased with them because they increase her misery. When God seems most to leave His church, His heart is warm towards her.

History shows that whenever God uses a rod to chasten His servants, He always breaks it afterwards, as if He loathed the rod which gave his children pain. ‘Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.’ God hath not forgotten us because He smites-His blows are no evidences of want of love. If this is true of His church collectively, it is of necessity true also of each individual member. You may fear that the Lord has passed you by, but it is not so: He who counts the stars, and calls them by their names, is in no danger of forgetting His own children. He knows your case as thoroughly as if you were the only creature He ever made, or the only saint He ever loved. Approach Him and be at peace.

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