Morning, July 23
Go To Evening Reading
“Even thou wast as one of them.”
Obadiah 1:11
Brotherly kindness was due from Edom to Israel in the time of need,
but instead thereof, the men of Esau made common cause with Israel’s foes. Special stress in the sentence before us is laid upon the
word thou ; as when Caesar cried to Brutus, “and thou Brutus”; a bad action may be all the worse, because of the person who has
committed it. When we sin, who are the chosen favourites of heaven, we sin with an emphasis;
ours is a crying offence, because we are so peculiarly indulged. If
an angel should lay his hand upon us when we are doing evil, he need
not use any other rebuke than the question, “What thou ? What dost thou here?” Much forgiven, much delivered, much instructed, much enriched, much
blessed, shall we dare to put forth our hand unto evil? God forbid!
A few minutes of confession may be beneficial to thee, gentle reader,
this morning. Hast thou never been as the wicked? At an evening party
certain men laughed at uncleanness, and the joke was not altogether
offensive to thine ear, even thou wast as one of them . When hard things were spoken concerning the ways of God, thou wast
bashfully silent; and so, to on-lookers, thou wast as one of them . When worldlings were bartering in the market, and driving hard bargains,
wast thou not as one of them? When they were pursuing vanity with
a hunter’s foot, wert thou not as greedy for gain as they were? Could any difference
be discerned between thee and them? Is there any difference ? Here we come to close quarters. Be honest with thine own soul, and
make sure that thou art a new creature in Christ Jesus; but when this
is sure, walk jealously, lest any should again be able to say, “Even thou wast as one of them.” Thou wouldst not desire to share their eternal doom, why then be
like them here? Come not thou into their secret, lest thou come into
their ruin. Side with the afflicted people of God, and not with the
world.