When Obadiah was a young boy in Ethiopia, he hated Christians for the way they treated him because of his Jewish religion. After his family fled to Israel, he expected to build a new and beautiful life. But he suffered racial discrimination in Israel, and the life he had dreamed of failed to materialise. Eventually, Obadiah decided he didn’t believe in anything.
One day some men approached him and began asking him questions about the Messiah. When they started using the word Yeshua (the Hebrew word for ‘Jesus’), he realised they were Christians and became enraged. He never expected anyone in Israel to talk about Jesus.
Why not Isaiah 53?
But the conversation about the Messiah prompted him to think about what he did believe. Soon afterward, while walking down a street in Nazareth, Obadiah saw an advertisement that asked, “Why don’t you read Isaiah 53 in the synagogue?” Obadiah had wondered as well. He decided to ask several rabbis why that chapter is disregarded, but they refused to explain it.
Since he couldn’t get an answer from the rabbis, Obadiah decided to ask some Christians about the chapter. They explained the Christian belief that Isaiah 53 is a prophecy of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and before parting they invited Obadiah to a Christian conference.
Yeshua is the Messiah
At the conference, Obadiah reluctantly went forward during an invitation for prayer. As a pastor prayed for him, Obadiah sensed the Lord telling him, “Yeshua is the Messiah. Yeshua is the Saviour.” Experiencing a deep peace in that moment, he placed his faith in Christ.
Love for Ethiopian Jews
Today Obadiah serves as a pastor. He has been persecuted repeatedly, even attacked once while preaching in his church, for telling others about the Messiah who changed his life. Still, he has a strong desire to see more members of his Ethiopian community join God’s kingdom. He requests prayer for protection, for more gospel workers and that his church will clearly demonstrate God’s love to Ethiopian Jews who have lost hope.
Source: VOM
