12 August | EVERYONE
"But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possession." Obadiah 1: 17
The word “Zion” is recorded more than one hundred and fifty times in the Bible, having essentially the meaning of “strength.” In Scripture, Zion is both the city of David and the city of God. A closer study leads us to the conclusion that Mount Zion refers primarily to a physical city; but as a symbol, it is a spiritual reference to God's church on this Earth.
In the Old Testament, Zion was the place where the Lord desired to meet with His people. "And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance" (Joel 2:32). What is the place today where God says that if two or three are present He will be with them?
In Revelation, John sees the redeemed gathered with the Lamb on Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1). Evidently, it is not a literal lamb or a literal mountain, but God's church that is ultimately reunited with the Lord.
It is in this context that we can understand what Obadiah declares in today's verse. The Lord has a remnant in our day, a holy people, in the sense of having been set apart for God. Sons and daughters are faithful to God’s principles despite persecutions and difficulties they encounter along the way.
When Obadiah wrote this verse, he was referring to the persecution from the Edomites, but prophetically alluded to God's people today. A Christian’s life is not easy. The enemy tries to destroy God's children because in doing so, he causes suffering in the heart of Jesus. However, nothing can destroy those who trust in the power of the Lord. Those who believe in Jesus, like the rest of His church, will be saved for "on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance."
Take Action
Being part of the "remnant" should not be a cause for pride but a reason for gratitude to God the Savior and the engine to reflect His love for the world. Are you up for it?