Obadiah 1:1-7

Obadiah is a prophet about whom we know nothing, except that we can say that he did what a prophet must do: he spoke the word of the LORD!  He had a vision (remember Heb. 1:1; in times past God spoke in various ways to the prophets).  The result of his vision was he could say: Thus says the Lord God.

Obadiah’s message concerns Edom; but it is a message made for Israel.  Israel is comforted knowing God has a plan for their ancient enemy (the descendants of Esau) as well as for Israel’s future in holiness and deliverance.  Obadiah’s message contrasts the mountains of Esau (v8-9) with Mount Zion (v17,21).

Israel’s neighbors (e.g. Tyre, Moab, Ammon) are often referred to by the prophets but Edom is often at the center of God’s message of judgment for the nations.  Edom is Israel’s brother (v10) and the hatred for Israel goes clear back to the brothers and the prophecy concerning them at the time of their birth (Genesis 25:19-28).  If you study the Scriptures you will find that Edom was particularly vengeful against Israel, especially at the time Judah was carried off to Babylon.  While God had provided Edom with her own land (Deut. 2:5) she treated Israel as if she were a regular nation (Ezek. 25:8) and not God’s chosen people, a position established when Isaac blessed his Jacob and Esau (Gen. 27).  Isaiah 63:1-6 pictures the Messiah in clothes stained with blood, at the time of His return, coming from Edom having completed judging the nations.

Other references to Edom and her judgment: Ezek. 35; 25:12-14; 32:29; Psalm 83:1-8; Isa. 34:1-17; Jer. 49:7-22; Lam. 4:21-22; Amos 1:11-12; Mal. 1:1-5.

The outline is simple:

·        The nature of God’s judgment on Edom, 1:1-9.

·        The reason for God’s judgment on Edom, 1:10-16.

·        The fulfillment of God’s blessing on Jacob, 1:17-21.

The future for Edom is that she will become small, insignificant and greatly despised among the nations (v2-5).  Today the terrain of the area that was once Edom is amazing with barren mountains with steep and deep canyons.  If you have ever been to or seen pictures of Petra you have an idea of why Edom prided herself in where she lived.  But the prophecy was that she would be humiliated by the nations before whom she prided herself.  They would deceive her and then slaughter her.

By the time of Christ this had happened.  You may remember that Herod the Great was an Idumean.  What does that mean?  After the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC the Edomites sought to grow their land, including setting their sights on what was the land of Israel.  But the Nabataeans (desc. of Ishmael) eventually pushed them out of their land into southern Judea around Hebron.  Eventually the Jews subdued them and forced them to be circumcised.  When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem (70AD) what was left of the Idumeans experienced the same fate, and thus what might be called an Edomite nation ceased to be.

Does that story sound like Obadiah’s prophecy?  Yes, it does.  Let us again recognize that the LORD, the God of Israel, the God of the Bible, is able to keep His word and is faithful to keep His word, including His words of judgment.