14 years ago, I wrote a series of Christmas devotional thoughts. For my church for 2023, I edited those and made a short, 6-day devotional booklet. I recently saw the need for a couple of edits, so I did that.
I am once again putting it here for your downloading pleasure.
It is a simple, fun yet still serious look at how some people responded to Christ’s birth 2000 years ago with some added application for today.
During a recent daily reading plan, I read a passage that made me stop and make an unexpected connection between the Old Testament and the Birth Story of Jesus. Amazingly, an online friend of mine, SlimJim over at Veritas Domain (Domain for Truth), made the same connection. Thankfully for me, he did a lot of the hard work of study, so go read his take on this.
It should be pointed out that there are no direct references to Obadiah anywhere in the New Testament.
The book of Obadiah is the prophecy that because of Edom’s treachery toward Israel, specifically not only not helping Israel and Judah but even aiding other people – most importantly Babylon – in attacking God’s people, Edom now faces impending destruction, and that Israel will be restored and glorified.
As Genesis 25 told us, Edom was the other name of Esau, Jacob’s brother, and they were in contention from the womb and forward. Genesis 28 also tells us that Esau married the daughter of Ishmael, his uncle through Hagar. This shows a two-fold animosity toward the people of Israel, descendants of the two brothers who did not receive the Abrahamic promises.
Edom lived in the area southeast of the Dead Sea, and they were later called in Greek the Idumeans (we can see the similar sounds to catch the same name) with an area that then extended west toward the Mediterranean Sea. We learn from Josephus’ Antiquities, primarily in Book 14, chapters 7-8, that Herod the Great has Greek, Jewish, and Edomite heritage.
Maccabees Israel – ESV mapsRoman Palestine – ESV maps
Herod played up his Jewishness by his ordering construction of great buildings, most especially expanding the Temple to the biggest yet! He also played favorites with Roman Empire, showing his allegiances lied outside of worship to God.
What about Christmas?
Well, he continued the historical trend of sibling rivalry. As we see in Matthew 2, he was scared of someone becoming king over him, so he connived and made a decree to kill all of the Jewish boys in and around Bethlehem.
An Edomite was ruling over Judah and attempting to keep Jews under his control, just like Esau did centuries earlier with Jacob, and just like Esau’s descendants for centuries in between.
And this king is trying to kill the True King by slaughtering all the local boys, just like the king of Egypt 1,400 years earlier.
And we see the first fulfillment of Obadiah’s prophecy in Jesus and His family being rescued.
After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son. Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.
Matthew 2:13-18, CSB
And we see further fulfillment of v. 10,
You will be covered with shame and destroyed forever because of violence done to your brother Jacob.
Obadiah 10, CSB
You see, in another 40 or so years, his grandson Agrippa kills James the brother of John and tried to imprison Peter (Acts 12:1-19). After Peter is released by an angel, Agrippa leaves Jerusalem for Caesarea, and here he accepts worship from the people.
On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
Acts 12:21-23, CSB
We see Herod’s house, leadership of Edom, being wiped out, just as promised.
The very next verse shows the Christmas promise, as well:
But the word of God increased and multiplied.
Acts 12:24, CSB
So, Obadiah can be considered a Christmas prophecy. You heard it here first (and from SlimJim, I guess.)
More importantly, we see how all of Scripture is connected.
We see that God is sovereign over history.
We see that God knew what was going to happen from eternity past.
We see that God keeps His promises of restoration as well as wrath.
So, we can trust Him and celebrate His redemptive work through the Son who dwelt among men, our Emmanuel, who now dwells in all believers by the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7, ESV
God showed His love by sending Jesus to become human like us, and He knew need and loss like the rest of us. We have a God who understands what wr go through, because of His love.
This is a heartfelt and heart-wrenching view of grief at the holidays that I think many could find encouragement and even the beginnings of healing from.
Let us pray for all grieving at this time (whenever you read this or it comes to mind!)
I originally wrote this 16 years ago as a part-time homeless young man on the streets of Phoenix. I also happened to be in the house of the family of my then-future wife.
Many things have changed since then, but not Jesus.
As I sit here typing this, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is playing in the background.
It reminds me of how thankful I am to my Lord and my Savior. Even though my life is not exactly in the most stable place right now. Yet, that is exactly one of the reasons I am so thankful.
Imagine this scene:
A young woman, just a teenager, finding herself pregnant in a society that would stone her for adultery within a society that is cruel and dangerous. And when she is about nine months pregnant, she is told she needs to walk over seventy miles. She should worry about her fiance leaving her. She should worry about the religious officials dragging her before a court and wanting to "dispose of her." She should be worried about her unborn child coming into a world that seems heartless and callous and deadly. She should ... worry.
What does she do instead?
She trusts what God has told her. She holds on to a promise that everything will be okay… even if it does not seem to be going so well, at the moment.
Her fiancé does stay with her. Yet, there are strange people saying strange things to and about her child. Yet, she learns that her baby’s life is now threatened. She needs to take him to Egypt right away!
How does she react?
She treasures all these things in her heart.
She praises her God. She keeps a hold of His promises.
And what does she say on this day?
It is not “Merry Christmas!” It is not “Peace and Joy to all!” It is not even “Let us exchange gifts!” It was probably something more like “Hello, my child. Welcome to the world. I love you, and I will be here for you.”
Do you know what is so amazing about that?
That is what our Father, our heavenly Daddy, says to each of us on the day we are born.
Even better, He says it the day we decide we need to follow Him.
Even better, He says it every single day.
When is Christmas?
It does not matter what day Jesus was really born on. God cares more for us because of His Son, and the change that He has created in us.
When is Christmas?
It is the day when we respond to His call. When we are reborn in Him. It is Christ born in us. Some call it the day you were saved. Some call it the start of eternal life. Some call it their re-birthday (yo).
But it is our own personal Christmas.
God with us.
Remember this Christmas two things:
God loves you. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son to this earth that we might be with Him forever, in constant fellowship.
Your time to remember Christ is year round, not just once a year. He is not the reason for the Season, but He is the reason for all seasons!
I say to you today if you are not a believer in Jesus as Savior, that He wants you with Him forever, that He has done literally everything to get you and make you His friend and child.
I say to you today if you call on the Name of our Lord, that He wants you with Him forever, and He has done literally everything to get you and make you His friend and child. And He is always holding you in His hand.
I say to all that God loves you. He always has. He always will.
I won’t lie: I have been tired of Pride Month for a couple of months already. As one source put it (I forget who said it originally), Pride Month is the new Christmas: it starts earlier and earlier, and all the businesses are in on it.
Unlike Christmas, though, the majority who celebrate it tend to demonize those who don’t.
Yes, some Christmas celebrants do that, and we have seen the Conservative backlash against the “War on Christmas”. But they are focusing on the wrong war, especially with the irony of the Conservative focus on freedom of speech (and personal choice).
Conversely, there are some Pride people who follow a more “live and let live” approach.
With Pride Month (which started in earnest with the Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light fiasco), the focus has always been “let us celebrate ourselves” as opposed to celebrating the birth of Christ. Yes, Christmas has largely become about getting what we want, but these two seasons started from polar opposite positions.
This is why I was happy to hear about a new option:
Fidelity Month
Prof. Robert George of Princeton University suggested that, rather than combating darkness, we focus on lighting candles.
As the name suggests, we focus on remaining faithful (Latin: fidelis) to the core values of commitment to God, spouses (one man and one woman), family (traditional nuclear family), community, and nation.
It’s not a radical idea. It used to be the basis for most people, especially in the West. Yet, even conservative people and groups are willing to compromise on some of these, often simply to refute and reject “the other side” or in a twist of libertarianism.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11, ESV
God came to us as a defenseless baby.
Yes, angels were watching, but He came to live as one of us to fulfill His promises since the Garden of Eden and to save us from sin. And the lowliest to the greatest of people are all invited to come to Him.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Revelation 1:8, 22:12-13 ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus is the Eternal Son of God who was with the Father “before” Creation, through whom all things were created.
We rebelled against our Creator, thinking we could be like Him or had no need for Him.
Yet, God came to us, paying for our sins while reserving wrath for those who refuse to believe.
And Jesus is coming again.
He came as a baby, becoming like us to grow up and save us, and we remember this.
But we also remember that this Man is also our God – truly man and truly God at once and completely.
He died on a cross for us, but He arose again from the dead proving that this Jesus is our God of wrath and grace.
And He is returning soon in His wrath and grace to finally and completely fully redeem this world to Himself.
May we seek the Lord who has defeated sin and death, has saved us, and is coming back again in glory.
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!
a simple man of God 