https://odb.org/2025/11/13/kindness-for-the-suffering
Obadiah 4–7, 12 & 13 (NIV): 4 Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD. 5 “If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night— oh, what a disaster awaits you!— would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes? 6 But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged! 7 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. 12 You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction,
nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. 13 You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster,
nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.
Edom’s betrayal of Israel cuts even deeper than one nation taking advantage of another nation’s plight (Obadiah 1:1-13). The nation of Edom descended from Jacob’s twin brother, Esau (Genesis 25:24-30). The tension between the brothers continued throughout their lives, but it’s epitomized in Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright and blessing from their father (25:29-34; 27:1-41). That family tension continued to plague Jacob’s descendants (Israel) for centuries (see Numbers 20:14-21).
The prophecies in Obadiah condemn Edom for rejoicing in God’s judgment against Judah and exploiting their vulnerabilities (Obadiah 1:12-14; see Amos 1:11-12). When someone is suffering, we honor God when we respond with kindness and generosity instead of exploitation. (Jed Ostoich, Insight, Our Daily Bread 13th November 2025)
I guess in a way it is human nature to gloat over or rejoice over some people’s predicament or misfortune, especially if those are the haughty people we hate. Particularly, wealthy people who were proud and condescending but are now bankrupt and living from hand to mouth. In our hearts, we tend to say, serves them right! Now they got their just desserts!
Alas, that’s not what the bible teaches. In Obadiah, the LORD condemned Edom for gloating over Israel, marching over their predicament and plight, and seizing their wealth. In the modern context, it would be similar to taking advantage of a disaster zone after a forest fire to buy up property on the cheap. It’s an opportunity but if we buy their property on the cheap, it’s a double whammy for the victims as they had already lost their homes. The biblical teaching is that we should refrain from taking advantage of the misery of others, as much as conventional wisdom teaches us to do so. An opportunity lost is an opportunity gained by someone else. Instead, we should offer kindness for the suffering, a very New Testament approach but already present during ancient times in the Old Testament.
Although Lahaina residents saw despicable actions, they also experienced kindness when churches on the island became hospitality centers offering shelter, hot meals, and emergency supplies. (Lisa M. Samra, Our Daily Bread 13th November 2025)
The message this morning is that as believers and children of God, we should always have a good and pure heart. Don’t take advantage even if it is our right. The law and the contract may be on our side, but do we glorify God by doing the right thing instead?
Ronnie's Thoughts 