Done Unto You: Scripture and Reflection

Scripture Connections

Obadiah 1:3–4 — “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you.” Edom’s pride and confidence in its secure dwelling deceived it. The song applies this warning to the ways we display arrogance through pride, self-reliance, and the illusion of security apart from God: “There’s no place to hide from his sovereignty.” 

Obadiah 1:10–14 — God condemns Edom for violence against “your brother Jacob,” for standing aloof, gloating over Judah’s calamity, taking spoil, and harming fugitives. This is the principal biblical basis for the song’s concern with how people treat others—especially “brothers we’ve grieved”—and for its emphasis on wrongdoing being exposed.

Obadiah 1:15 — “As you have done, it will be done to you; your dealings will return on your own head.” This is paraphrased in the refrain: “For as you have done it, it will be done unto you.”

Obadiah 1:17 — Obadiah turns from judgment to hope: “on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, and it will be holy.” This stands behind the chorus’s movement from judgment to God’s deliverance. The song’s phrase, “brings us to light,” is poetic language rather than a direct quotation; for Christians, it also recalls Jesus’ saving work.

Obadiah 1:21 — The prophecy concludes, “the kingdom will be the LORD’s.” The chorus responds: “The Lord is our king,” “He rules everything,” and God’s kingdom will triumph.

Proverbs 16:18 — “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” The lyric, “our pride comes before a fall,” paraphrases this proverb and reinforces Obadiah’s condemnation of Edom’s arrogance.

From the Journey

When I was growing up, I remember learning, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”—the Golden Rule. I did not know at the time that it came from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31, but it was a saying we heard at home and at school.

Later, Obadiah made the seriousness of our treatment of others—and of God’s righteous judgment—more real to me. Obadiah 1:15 declares, “As you have done, it will be done to you.” While the Golden Rule calls us to treat others with the mercy and goodness we ourselves would desire, Obadiah warns that God will rightly judge pride, violence, betrayal, and evil.

“Done Unto You” grew from reflecting on that warning. It reminds us that we are accountable to God for the choices we make and that he judges with perfect righteousness. Yet the song does not end in judgment. God knows us and, in his mercy, sent Jesus to rescue us from darkness and bring us into the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13–14).

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1) We may work hard for good things—meaningful work, friendships, provision, and enjoyment. Are there desires in my heart that have become more important to me than trust in and devotion to God? How might I recognize that they are becoming a false source of security?

2) Obadiah warns that even strong and seemingly secure people are not beyond God’s rule (Obadiah 1:3–4). Where do I most look for security—in my abilities, plans, possessions, relationships, reputation, or God? Can I entrust my future to him when I cannot guarantee the outcome?

3) The song observes that we are often not satisfied: when we receive good things, we may still want more or feel entitled to them. What has God already entrusted to me? What would contentment, gratitude, and generosity look like in my present circumstances?

4) Obadiah condemns Edom for standing aloof, gloating, and taking advantage when Judah suffered (Obadiah 1:10–14 ). When I encounter hurt, injustice, or need, am I tempted to look away, protect only my own interests, or judge from a distance? What concrete act of mercy, support, advocacy, prayer, generosity, or reconciliation can I take toward a neighbor or fellow believer?

5) God rescues his people from darkness and brings them into the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). How does receiving God’s mercy in Christ reshape the way I see and treat people who are suffering, difficult, different from me, or in need?