Articles
Standing Aloof
Standing Aloof
“Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them” (Obadiah 1:10-11).
The book of Obadiah is a prophecy against Edom, the nation descended from Esau. Many years prior, Edom had refused to the children of Israel passage through their country when Israel was journeying toward Canaan. And much later in the days of Obadiah’s prophecy, when King Jehoram reigned in Judah, Edom revolted against Judah’s authority (2 Chron 21:8-10), and when the Philistines and Arabians were allied to fight against Judah, Edom “stood aloof,” uninvolved to help Judah (2 Chron 21:16-17) Edom should have had sympathy and come to the aid of Judah. But by standing aloof, Edom was “like one of them” – like the enemies of Judah.
In this indictment of Edom, there is a great lesson for Christians. Christians cannot stand idly by and be a spectator in the kingdom of God.
When we know of a brother or sister in need, we cannot stand aloof. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:16-18). We may rightly take this to heart about physical needs, but we must also look out for one other spiritually, when we see a brother or sister who needs encouragement.
In the battle for truth against religious error, we cannot stand aloof. The church in Pergamos had some among them who held the doctrine of Balaam as well as the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Jesus finds the church to be at fault for allowing that to exist. Some in the church were standing aloof, and they stood condemned.
When a brother or sister is living in sin, we cannot stand aloof. The church in Corinth was puffed up, standing aloof while one of their members was living in fornication. Not only did the fornicator need to repent, but likewise the church needed to repent, and they did (2 Cor 7:8-11). Instead of standing aloof, those who are spiritual should seek to restore the brother or sister in a spirit of meekness (Gal 6:1).
Let us remember the words of Jesus, telling us that we cannot be neutral and aloof: “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Luke 11:23). We are in a battle for truth and righteousness’ sake, and the salvation of our souls as well as the souls of others is at stake. Let us be an active, involved, called-out people instead of being bystanders.
