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News | Nate Talks . . . Recycling the Rubbish
18 February 2009
Nathan Morgan Locke, Christianity Explored's Youth Evangelist, reports from Wimbledon Common
People seem obsessed with recycling at the moment, and I hold the Wombles responsible.
Whether it’s the joy of separating out rubbish into paper, glass and plastic or the almost unavoidable purchase of products from ‘sustainable resources’, there is an atmosphere of recycling. I’m not sure how much difference it all really makes, but I have appreciated some of the innovative ways people have found to use old rubbish in making new things.
From beer bottles converted into drinking glasses, to handbags made from old tyres; it seems that we are all “Wombling free”.
Let me ask you a question: Do you remember the conversion of Saul in Acts 9? The story of the man who had “breathed out murderous threats” to Christians, persecuted them, and pursued them with great zeal, who became one of the greatest evangelists of all time and was responsible for writing a huge chunk of the New Testament?
Or how about the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17? Though David slew the giant with a smooth stone slung from a sling, can you remember what he uses to cut off his head? Goliath’s own sword.
Rejoicing in His mercy
Isn’t it amazing how God can transform something that was so set against Him and use it for His own purposes?
The final part of Obadiah's vision in verses 19 to 21 concerns the repossession of land by the Lord for His people. The people of Esau have been using all that they had been given to work against the people of God; whether they were being actively violent towards Israel (v. 10), gloating over their misfortune from on high (v. 12), or simply filled with pride at their own achievements (v. 3). For this reason, in particular the place of the Edomites shall be given to Israel (v. 19), and in general that God’s enemies’ possessions shall be given to God’s people. Jacob shall receive his inheritance (v. 17), the meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
As God reclaims things for Himself, as he recycles them for his own purposes, through the gospel of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, we who trust in Him can rejoice in His mercy and grace, and after the seemingly overwhelming negativity of Obadiah’s vision there is still some light at the end of this tunnel:
“Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” (Obadiah verse 21)
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