Upon Mount Zion Shall Be Deliverance
But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions (Obad. 1:17 KJV)
Envision standing upon Mount Zion, not merely a historical landmark but a living emblem of deliverance and holiness. This striking image emerges from Obadiah’s prophecy. God led Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land, granting them an inheritance and liberation from foes. However, Obadiah foretells a future of holiness and deliverance on Mount Zion that surpasses Israel’s national boundaries.
In Scripture, ‘Zion’ often refers to both Mount Zion and Jerusalem, representing God’s dwelling place on Earth. In the New Testament, Mount Zion symbolizes the Church—the assembly of God’s people—as His sacred dwelling: “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering” (Hebrews 12:22, ESV).
Through Obadiah, God proclaims deliverance and holiness on His holy hill. The term “deliverance” in this verse does not mean freedom. Rather, it refers to those who escaped a disaster—survivor, remnant. So, it does not refer to deliverance as a state or process but to the people.
This passage suggests that Mount Zion will be a refuge for those who have escaped various forms of bondage, torments, or hurtful situations—divine wrath, sin, spiritual demise, and demonic influences. Joel echoes this sentiment: “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and Jerusalem, there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls” (Joel 2:32, ESV).
Here’s the uplifting truth: your entry into Mount Zion isn’t deferred until Jesus’ return. As Hebrews 12:22 affirms, you have already come to Mount Zion. You are part of the spared remnant, liberated from all forms of destruction. This is your allotted heritage from the Lord.
Meditation
Affirm, “I reside in Zion, and by divine decree, I am part of the remnant spared from every harmful circumstance!”
Applying the Word
Remain aware of your celestial citizenship and its location. Embrace the statutes of the King in your heavenly realm!
Prayer
Seek the Lord’s guidance to embrace and utilize your heavenly citizenship fully.
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. (Leviticus 20:7–8, KJV)
As the Great I AM that I AM, God revealed Himself as the Lord who sanctifies His people in the Old Covenant—Jehovah Mekaddishkem. But this was only a shadow of something greater that was coming in the New Testament.
Jehovah Mekaddishkem is the English transliteration of the Hebrew words for “I am the Lord which sanctify you” ( “mekaddish” = sanctify, “kem” = you). Divine names and titles in the Old Testament often reveal an aspect of God in relation to His people.
There are three keywords that underlie the meaning of sanctification: “wash,” “consecrate,” and “separate.” Sanctification essentially means to make something holy. Sinlessness is a core aspect of holiness, but there is more to holiness than sinlessness. It is the very nature of God. However, when used in reference to us humans, it means to be cleaned from sin, set apart for God, and consecrated to Him.
In the passage above, God tells the people first to sanctify themselves and then reveals He is the One who sanctifies them. Thus, He gives us the two sides of sanctification—the God side and the human side. There’s something God does and something His people do for their sanctification.
This truth was only a shadow in the Old Testament. It is in Christ that we see God fully revealed as Jehovah Mekaddishkem to His people through the sanctifying work on the cross. In speaking to the Corinthians, Paul revealed,
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11, KJV)
This is Jehovah Mekaddishkem fulfilled in Christ: We were washed and sanctified. Note that these are in past tense, describing something God has already done. The day you received Christ, you received the bath of your life, a heavenly bath by the Spirit of God that removed every stain of sin through the precious blood of Christ. And as you continue to live on earth, the Spirit continues to sanctify you daily.
Following the sanctifying work He has already done in us, He commands us,
“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:” (1 Thessalonians 4:3, KJV)
Now that you are clean, washed, and sanctified, He tells us to put that sanctification to work outwardly. Paul explicit states it is what God wants—His will. He gives us a very specific example of sanctification here: abstain from sexual immorality. Few things defile us, like sexual impurity. But sanctification certainly includes more than abstaining from fornication or adultery. As above, it includes living a consecrated and separated life to God daily in the way we talk, act, think, feel, and handle our bodies.
He is Jehovah Mekaddishkem, the God who has Sanctified you in Christ and continues to sanctify you every day.
Meditate
Is our sanctification completed, ongoing, or both?
Apply the Word
This is the crucial part of this devotional. Until you receive the truth that God has already sanctified you by His Spirit, you will not be empowered to be sanctified practically. Put God’s sanctification power to work in your life daily by faith in the finished work of Christ.
Pray
Ask the Lord to help you in your daily walk of sanctification.
Free Mini E-book: From Spiritual Dryness to Flourishing
This explanation was truly on point for me as I needed a deeper understanding to the verse in Obediah 1:17. It shaped the way I needed to pray with the verse. Thank you and God bless your ministry
Thank you Shirley for sharing that encouraging comment with me. Pleased to know the explanation was on point for you. Blessings!
Thanks so much for the explanation of the verse.it give me a Sharp and direct revelation of my heavenly citizenship status
Amen!!