THE SIN OF NONINVOLVEMENT
On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. Obadiah 11, R.S.V.
I was shocked as I read the newspaper account of a woman who was stabbed to death while at least twenty onlookers refused to become involved. The article speculated as to why anyone would just stand by and watch someone being murdered. Having interviewed several of those present, the writer concluded that fear was not the main factor for their noninvolvement. Most were simply indifferent.
Even more surprising is the fact that such noninvolvement is so common in today's society. "It's none of my business!" has become a maxim for people wishing to escape any accountability for their fellowman. They walk away free because it was not their hands that spilled blood. Free, but not innocent. This is the essence of Obadiah's prophecy.
Only twenty-one verses long, Obadiah foretells the downfall of the Edomites, the descendants of Esau. A closer look at the passage reveals a picture of our consistent Father who tells the truth about the results of our actions. In verse 15 He predicted, "As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head" (N.I.V.).
The sin of the Edomites was that they "stood aloof" while their kinsmen, Israel, fell into the hands of foreign enemies. In God's opinion, it was the same as if they themselves had accomplished it. "You were like one of them," He declared. By their noninvolvement, they, in fact, were acting as allies to their heathen neighbors. And, because of the nature of these neighbors, it was only a matter of time before they, too, would be attacked. "All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it" (verse 7, N.I.V.).
God was simply telling them the truth. They were bringing all this upon themselves. Because He would not intervene on their behalf, even as they had not intervened on behalf of the house of Jacob, He spoke in terms of accepting the accountability for all that would happen to them. It must not be forgotten, however, that God would be acting the part of a gentleman. He would not intervene because they wanted no part of Him.
On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. Obadiah 11, R.S.V.
I was shocked as I read the newspaper account of a woman who was stabbed to death while at least twenty onlookers refused to become involved. The article speculated as to why anyone would just stand by and watch someone being murdered. Having interviewed several of those present, the writer concluded that fear was not the main factor for their noninvolvement. Most were simply indifferent.
Even more surprising is the fact that such noninvolvement is so common in today's society. "It's none of my business!" has become a maxim for people wishing to escape any accountability for their fellowman. They walk away free because it was not their hands that spilled blood. Free, but not innocent. This is the essence of Obadiah's prophecy.
Only twenty-one verses long, Obadiah foretells the downfall of the Edomites, the descendants of Esau. A closer look at the passage reveals a picture of our consistent Father who tells the truth about the results of our actions. In verse 15 He predicted, "As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head" (N.I.V.).
The sin of the Edomites was that they "stood aloof" while their kinsmen, Israel, fell into the hands of foreign enemies. In God's opinion, it was the same as if they themselves had accomplished it. "You were like one of them," He declared. By their noninvolvement, they, in fact, were acting as allies to their heathen neighbors. And, because of the nature of these neighbors, it was only a matter of time before they, too, would be attacked. "All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it" (verse 7, N.I.V.).
God was simply telling them the truth. They were bringing all this upon themselves. Because He would not intervene on their behalf, even as they had not intervened on behalf of the house of Jacob, He spoke in terms of accepting the accountability for all that would happen to them. It must not be forgotten, however, that God would be acting the part of a gentleman. He would not intervene because they wanted no part of Him.
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