Obadiah Chapter 1

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Introduction: It appears that Obadiah was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophecy is primarily against Edom and foretells the coming destruction upon the entire nation. Their destruction was because of their sin against Israel. Consider America today.

The media, the liberals and our government have been misleading our nation’s youth into thinking of Israel as the enemy. Consider how this is affecting our nation's standing before God. The prophet also describes the future restoration of Israel and the inclusion of Edom in the coming kingdom.

I. Edom Will Be Humbled

Oba 1:1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

Who was Obadiah? The question remains as to exactly who Obadiah was. There are as many as thirteen different men named Obadiah mentioned in the Old Testament. However, only a few seem to be candidates as the author of this book. The first was a prophet in the days of Ahab and Elijah as noted in I Kings 18:3. The argument for him being the author of this book is that the Obadiah of I Kings 18 was a prophet.

Another candidate is an Obadiah who lived and served under King Josiah as noted in II Chronicles 34:12. Though a Levite, this Obadiah was primarily a Temple musician. Another candidate is Obadiah of the returning exiles noted in Ezra 8:9.

The strongest view is that Obadiah was a prophet who was a contemporary with Jeremiah and Ezekiel He, without doubt, foretold the judgment upon Edom before Babylon swept through the region. The collective context of the other prophets seem to support this view. Also, internal reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by Obadiah in verse 11 verifies that he wrote after its fall.

The vision of Obadiah. The authority of the book and of the prophet is made clear in its opening statement: “thus saith the Lord GOD.” The primary subject of the book is “concerning Edom.” It is clearly has a lot of help for us today. Edom was the kingdom south and slightly east of the Dead Sea and in modern geography would correspond to the southern part of the State of Jordan. The Edomites were descendants of Esau.

There was a rumor or news of a report heard from an ambassador traveling to other gentile nations to rise in battle against Edom. The word translated as rumour (hewmv shemuw‘ah) also has the sense of an indirect ‘report’ possibly unconfirmed. or ‘news.’

Who the ambassador mentioned is, is not revealed. Though he evidently was a Babylonian.

Oba 1:2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.

Oba 1:3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

Oba 1:4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

Edom was a small nation—not so much geographically, but evidently in population. Edom was despised by God and perhaps many others. It is evident that they were prideful and considered themselves superior. The word translated as heathen (Mywg goyim) is the common Hebrew word for gentiles.

“The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?”

Though small, pride was an evident problem in Edom. The Edomites had built cities amongst cliffs and rock canyons and thought them to be impregnable militarily. A later example is that of Petra. A greater lesson is at hand and that is that pride routinely deceives the beholder. Pride causes one to think he is greater than he is. It is literally self-deception. That same deception continues to this day.

In my daily book reading, I’ve been reading a great book by Charles Spurgeon named “Faithful to Christ.” In that book, Bro. Spurgeon says that two of the major reasons men and women will not be saved is Pride and Self-Righteousness. We must realize that our very best righteousness before God is as filthy rags. ONLY the shed blood of Jesus Christ will give us the imputed righteousness to enter heaven.

Pride deceives people into a false sense of superiority or security. It leads to foolish decisions and promotes arrogance. It splits churches and homes. Many of God’s people are guilty of such pride. The unseasoned Christian, although faithful and determined to serve God, often view those whom God has appointed over them to be holding them back. This is mainly because all they can think about or see is themselves. Some cannot see those around them. Offence fertilizes the pride that grows in man. God’s Word is the cure.

Some never overcome pride. However, those that continue to walk in accordance with God’s Word will grow and overcome. We should desire to grow in wisdom and cease not to forget the vanity of pride and all the trouble it brings. Though Edom in their pride had exalted themselves in their own minds, God warned that He would abase them. In their pride, they considered themselves as an eagle riding the thermal wind currents. In their arrogance, they thought their rank to be on the same level as the stars.

Oba 1:5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?

Oba 1:6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

God through the prophet sets forth a parable about thieves. The thieves, if they came to rob, would they take everything? Or if other thieves came to steal grapes from a vineyard, would they take everything? The clue to these questions is found in the parenthetical remark “(how art thou cut off!).”Edom would be cut off—destroyed—and the nation would be ransacked.

In the case of Edom it is suggested that nothing should be left. All would be carried off. The destruction would be complete and entire. The likely perpetrator would be Babylon when they swept again through the Middle East. Judgment upon Edom is made clear. Esau, of course, was the progenitor of the Edomite nation. Their wealth, hidden in caves and other caches in their rocky kingdom, would be sought out and found in the day of their national chastisement.

Oba 1:7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.

Oba 1:8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?

Oba 1:9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.

Edom had evidently made alliances with other nations—a confederacy. As the text will reveal, their chief alliance had been with Babylon itself. Yet, when push came to shove, Babylon did not come to the aid of Edom, but double-crossed them, turning against them. Their former allies now would eat their bread and bring injury to them. Edom could not see the treachery of its supposed allies. They did not understand.

God warned that when He sent judgment against this proud nation, He would destroy their self-professing wise men and those who claimed to have understanding. Once again, the Godless pride of a nation is apparent. Teman was one of the principal cities of Edom and reveled in the presumed wisdom of its leaders. When God sent Babylon to chasten Edom, not only would its principal city Teman be destroyed, but there would be a complete slaughter there.

II. Edom's Violence Against Jacob

Oba 1:10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

Oba 1:11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.

God hearkens back to the time when Edom refused passage to Israel as they traveled to Canaan from Egypt. See Numbers 20:14-18.

Num 20:14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:

Num 20:15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:

Num 20:16 And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

Num 20:17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

Num 20:18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

Esau (a.k.a., Edom) was the brother of Jacob. The foretold destruction of Edom would be permanent. There no longer exists a nation called Edom which has faded into oblivion. The final fulfillment of this prophecy will not be until the Day of the Lord when Edom is totally destroyed. See Isaiah 34-5 (There Edom is called Idumea.) The mills of God grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine. It may take a long time, but God will certainly judge sin.

The time seems to be when Babylon had destroyed Jerusalem (586 B.C.). (And it is in the past tense.) When Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon, Edom was a happy bystander. In fact, when the spoils of Jerusalem were divided up by the Babylonians, Edom was allowed to participate therein.

Oba 1:12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

Oba 1:13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;

Oba 1:14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.

Edom was censured by God for being smug when Jerusalem was destroyed. Israel was their historic brother. Yet, they rejoiced and spoke proudly against them when they were destroyed by Babylon. Edom was further chastised by God for helping loot Judah and Jerusalem when they were destroyed.

Edom quite apparently had entered into an alliance with Babylon and assisted them in the final conquest of Jerusalem. Edomite forces apparently blocked escape or retreat by fleeing Jews and turned over whom they caught to Babylonian forces. These sins brought on their own impending judgment.

III. The Day of the Lord Is Near

Oba 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

Oba 1:16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.

Though the term “day of the LORD” often has an eschatological implication, here it seems to refer to the day of the Lord’s judgment against neighboring nations. As gentile nations of the region (including Edom) had dealt harshly against Israel, so it would come upon them. One reaps what he sows.

Edom and other nations had harbored ‘antisemitism’ and they would suffer because of it. They had dealt unjustly against God’s chosen people and God would deal against them as He had long promised. Again, the word heathen refers to gentiles. The greater context is of neighboring gentile nations. When God sent Babylon through the Middle East, they not only chastened Judah, He also exacted judgment upon other gentile nations for their sin—Edom for one.

As Edom had literally celebrated on the site of destroyed Jerusalem after its fall, so Edom and other similar nations would drink the wine of the wrath of God. When it was all over, they would be obliterated as nations.

Oba 1:17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Oba 1:18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

The prophecy of Obadiah now becomes eschatological. The day is coming when national deliverance and personal salvation will emanate from Mount Zion. That day will be one of holiness. That day, without question, refers to the Day of the Lord (in its eschatological sense) after Jesus Christ has returned in power and great glory. In the Millennium, Jacob (i.e., Israel) will possess the fullest extent of their promised lands. Amos 9:11-12 notes that Edom will be part of the millennial kingdom of Israel, as will be much of the Middle East.

A brief parable or analogy is at hand how that greater Israel in that day will be the capital nation. Israel in that day will be restored as a single nation and it will be like fire in comparison to nations such as Edom which are likened to stubble. In the Millennium, Edom evidently will be completely assimilated into the restored nation of Israel. Esau will finally be subservient to Jacob.

IV. The Kingdom of the Lord

Oba 1:19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

Oba 1:20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. Jews, restored to their land in the Millennium, will spread out to peacefully occupy and possess the greater region including Esau (i.e., Edom), the coastal plain of Philistia (i.e., the Palestinians), Samaria (i.e., the west bank), and Gilead which is part of modern Jordan.

In the Millennium, restored Jews will possess all of Canaan (i.e., Palestine) from Zarephath in the north (i.e., Lebanon ) to the southern reaches of ‘the land.’ The word Sepharad literally means ‘separated’ and may be more description than a proper name. The thought likely is that the returned captives which had once lived in Jerusalem and were separated therefrom will in that day dwell in cities in southern Israel.

Saviors (or deliverers) will judge from Mount Zion in the millennial reign of Christ. In that day, Edom (i.e., Esau) will be judged (i.e., ruled) from Jerusalem. They not only will rule the region, but will be their protection as well. In that day, “the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.” When Christ returns, the entire earth will be His kingdom—fully the kingdom of God. See Revelation 11:15, 15:4, Zechariah 14:9, and Psalm 72:8.

Indeed, He is King of kings and Lord of lords! Even so come Lord Jesus.

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Prov 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

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