The coming judgement of Edom and ultimately on all mankind!
Before we examine the Book of Obadiah itself let’s have a brief look at the prophet himself and the book’s historical setting.
The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament being only twenty one verses long. Obadiah was given his vision from God by the power of the Holy Spirit in about 845BC during the reign of King Jehoram of Judah (853-841BC). Jehoram was one of the kings who is described in the Bible as “doing evil in the eyes of the Lord.” He was the son of Jehoshaphat and walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel, and in particular in the ways of the notorious King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, by worshipping the Phoenician gods Baal and Ashtoreth.
2 Kings 8:16-19 (NKJV)
16 Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Judah. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.
It is interesting to note that the name Obadiah means servant or messenger of Yahweh which adds spiritual weight to his calling as a prophet of God.
The prophecy can be viewed in two parts, the first part from verses 1-14 is about the judgement and destruction of Edom, a land to the Southeast of Judah in what is now the Southwestern region of Jordan between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.
The second part from verses 15-21 predicts the future judgement of all nations on “The Day of the Lord.”Note: The verses from Obadiah are in italics, the explanation of the verse/s follows in straight text with additional scriptures shown in bold italics.
NKJV
1 The vision of Obadiah.
Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom
(We have heard a report from the Lord,
And a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle”):
In the opening verse of his prophecy, Obadiah makes it absolutely clear that his message concerning Edom is from God as he says, “Thus says the Lord God…..”. He then changes course slightly before continuing God’s message, to remind the Jews that both he (Obadiah) and the Jews have heard the same report from the Lord and the report is that God has sent a messenger to the surrounding nations to rally them for battle against Edom.
2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
You shall be greatly despised.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,
You who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
Whose habitation is high;
You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’
4 Though you ascend as high as the eagle,
And though you set your nest among the stars,
From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord.
In verses 2-4 above, God, through Obadiah, tells Edom that He will make them small among the nations and as such they will be despised. In verse 3 He tells them that their pride in their own abilities has been their downfall. The Edomites considered that their mountain fortresses to be impregnable and that no one would be able to defeat them. God tells them that even though they have these seemingly impregnable and high fortresses they are only birds’ nests to Him and He will bring them down and humble them!
5 “If thieves had come to you,
If robbers by night—
Oh, how you will be cut off!—
Would they not have stolen till they had enough?
If grape-gatherers had come to you,
Would they not have left some gleanings?
In verse 5 above Edom is told that unlike robbers who steal only what they need and unlike grape pickers who leave gleanings behind, God will take everything from them and completely obliterate them so that they will no longer be a nation. A very harsh judgement!
6 “Oh, how Esau shall be searched out!
How his hidden treasures shall be sought after!
In verse 6 above God deliberately refers to Edom as Esau as they were the descendants of Jacob’s twin brother Esau and they carried the same disregard for God as Esau had, who sold his birth right to satisfy his flesh! The phrase “Esau shall be searched out” refers to the Edomites having been tested by God and found to be seriously lacking in reverent fear for Him and His chosen people, Israel. When a nation oppose and despises Israel they are actually opposing and despising God! The Edomites were ancestrally kin to Israel who were Jacob’s descendants, but God found them to be severely lacking in ‘brotherly love’ for Israel.
Edom’s main wealth came from its iron and copper mines which are ‘hidden’ in the ground. These two elements, which they had become so proud of as they brought them great wealth as a nation, would be the source of their downfall and demise by the invasion of Edom’s surrounding nations. God will bring them down by the very things they hold in such great esteem! Pride was the downfall of Satan and is very much the downfall of man throughout history.
7 All the men in your confederacy
Shall force you to the border;
The men at peace with you
Shall deceive you and prevail against you.
Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you.
No one is aware of it.
In verse 7 above God tells Edom that all the nations that are allied with them and at peace with at this time, He will turn against them, and they will be a trap for them.
8 “Will I not in that day,” says the Lord,
“Even destroy the wise men from Edom,
And understanding from the mountains of Esau?
Edom had become well known among the nations of the time for having men who gave wise counsel. But God says that on the day that His judgement comes upon them, even their wisdom and understanding will be destroyed. There will be no one to be found that will give wise counsel!
9 Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed,
To the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau
May be cut off by slaughter.
In verse 9 above God tells Edom that her so called mighty warriors – her army – will be defeated and slaughtered. Teman was the grandson of Esau and Edom’s capital city was named after him. Edom had become so puffed up with pride in their own abilities and wealth that they thought they were undefeatable as warriors. God humbles the proud and lifts up the humble!
Isaiah 2:12 (NKJV)
For the day of the Lord of hosts
Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
Upon everything lifted up—
And it shall be brought low—
James 4:6 (AMP)
6 But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”
Edom Mistreated His Brother
In verses 10-16 below God tells Edom that they are going to be punished and completely eliminated as a nation because of their bad treatment of Israel.
10 “For violence against your brother Jacob,
Shame shall cover you,
And you shall be cut off forever.
In verse 10 above Edom is reminded of their past treachery and aggression towards their brother Jacob (Israel) and because of this they will be cut off from God forever.
Edom refused to give Israel safe passage when God was leading them to the promised land.
Numbers 20:17-21 (NIV)
17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
18 But Edom answered:
“You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.”
19 The Israelites replied:
“We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”
20 Again they answered:
“You may not pass through.”
Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.
11 In the day that you stood on the other side—
In the day that strangers carried captive his forces,
When foreigners entered his gates
And cast lots for Jerusalem—
Even you were as one of them.
12 “But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother
In the day of his captivity;
Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah
In the day of their destruction;
Nor should you have spoken proudly
In the day of distress.
13 You should not have entered the gate of My people
In the day of their calamity.
Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction
In the day of their calamity,
Nor laid hands on their substance
In the day of their calamity.
14 You should not have stood at the crossroads
To cut off those among them who escaped;
Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained
In the day of distress.
In verses 11-14 God changes tack from what Edom did in the past to what they will do against Israel some three hundred years later when Israel is led into captivity by Babylon. This section is a warning for both Edom and Israel of what the future hold for them under God’s punishment.
In verse 11 God tells Edom that they will not only stand aside and watch Babylon attack Israel, but they will join forces with the Babylonians and help them to attack and ransack Jerusalem.
In verse 12-14 Edom is told what they should not do at this future date, but they will do it anyway.
They should not:
- Gloat over Israel’s captivity – verse 12.
- Rejoice over Israel’s captivity – verse 12.
- Nor should they proudly speak about Israel’s distress - verse 12.
- Join forces with Babylon to ransack Jerusalem – verse 13.
- Gloat over Israel’s affliction – verse 13.
- Lay hands on any Israelite or their possessions – verse 13.
- Nor should they capture any Israelite that escapes from Jerusalem and hand them over to the Babylonians – verse 14.
Romans 14:11-12 (NIV)
11 It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”[Isaiah 45:23]
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
All nations will be judged.
15 “For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near;
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
Your reprisal (can also be translated as reward) shall return upon your own head.
In verse 15 Obadiah introduces us to a phrase that refers to the second coming of Jesus, “The Day of the Lord.” All nations will be Judged according to their treatment of Israel just as Edom were going to be and many other nations like them past, present, and future. Any nation that takes up arms in any form against Israel will be destroyed – past, present, and future.
The phrase “The Day of the Lord” was used by some prophets that followed Obadiah to predict the second coming of Jesus and also by some of the New Testament writers.
Joel 3:14 (NIV)
Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near
in the valley of decision.
Zephaniah 1:14 (NIV)
The great day of the Lord is near—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
Ezekiel 30:3 (NIV)
For the day is near,
the day of the Lord is near—
a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.
Revelation 6:15-17 (NIV)
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
Romans 2:5 (NIV)
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
16 For as you drank on My holy mountain,
So shall all the nations drink continually;
Yes, they shall drink, and swallow,
And they shall be as though they had never been.
In verse 16 above Obadiah reinforces the fact that as Edom was punished so shall all nations be punished who stand against Israel – past, present, and future. They will drink of God’s cup of wrath and be eliminated forever!
Psalm 75:8 (AMP)
For a cup [of His wrath] is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is well mixed and fully spiced, and He pours out from it;
And all the wicked of the earth must drain it and drink down to its dregs.
Revelation 14:10 (AMP)
he too will [have to] drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ).
Israel’s Final Triumph.
17 “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance (salvation),
And there shall be holiness;
The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
Now, my dear Readers, in verse 17 above there is so much information for today’s Christian to learn and to understand about the second coming of Jesus.
Let’s take a look at Mount Zion.
Mount Zion is the highest point in the City of Jerusalem. The Bible describes Mount Zion as God’s holy mountain. And more often than not when the Bible refers to Zion it is speaking about Jerusalem.
Joel 2:1-2 (AMP)
Blow the trumpet in Zion [warning of impending judgment],
Sound an alarm on My holy mountain [Zion]!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble and shudder in fear,
For the [judgment] day of the Lord is coming;
It is close at hand,
Hebrews 12:22-24 (NKJV)
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Verse 17 also tells us that Israel, the house of Jacob, will receive their salvation at this future time and Israel and the Church will become one!
1 Peter 2:6 (NKJV)
Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
In 1 Peter 2:6 above we are told that God has placed in Zion (Jerusalem) His chief cornerstone which is Christ Jesus. This also confirmed in Romans 9:33.
Romans 9:33 (NKJV)
As it is written:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,
And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau shall be stubble;
They shall kindle them and devour them,
And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken.
19 The South shall possess the mountains of Esau,
And the Lowland shall possess Philistia.
They shall possess the fields of Ephraim
And the fields of Samaria.
Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20 And the captives of this host of the children of Israel
Shall possess the land of the Canaanites
As far as Zarephath.
The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
Shall possess the cities of the South.
21 Then saviors (or deliverers) shall come to Mount Zion
To judge the mountains of Esau,
And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.
In verse 18-21 above Obadiah’s prophecy tells us that the nations that come out against Israel at the end times will be totally destroyed and the original promised land will be restored to Israel once again.
Verse 18 mentions that Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame - I believe that these adjectives, fire and flame, represent the ‘saved’ Israel (the Jewish nation) and that Esau represents the ungodly nations that come against Israel at Armageddon.
Verse 19-21 tell us that these future ungodly nations, like Edom, will be totally destroyed as prophesied in accordance with the Word of God – the entire promised land will thus once again be restored to Israel.
If you look at a map of the Middle East today you will see that Edom, Moab, Philistia etc are no longer there but Israel is! There are no longer any Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, Jebusites, Hittites etc. God has eliminated them because of their ungodly and rebellious ways.
What lessons can Christians today learn from Obadiah’s prophecy?
In this section, my Dear Readers, it is important to keep the following scriptures in mind:
Romans 15:4 (AMP)
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.
2 Timothy 16-17 (AMP)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1. God is patient.
God gives everybody, individuals and nations, enough time to repent of their wicked ways and come to Him by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and by turning away from their sin.
Obadiah’s prophecy was spoken to Edom in about 845BC, but they took no notice, they didn’t repent because in 587BC, some 300 years later, when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and took the Israelites into captivity, the Edomites were there spurring the Babylonians on!
Psalm 137:7 (NIV)
Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”
John Hyrcanus was a Hasmonean (Maccabean) leader and Jewish high priest of the 2nd century BC. In rabbinic literature he is often referred to as Yoḥanan Cohen Gadol, "John the High Priest.” He bought the kingship of Israel from Julius Caesar so was not appointed or anointed to be king by God.
It took about 600-700 years for Obadiah’s prophecy, and the prophecies of many other of God’s prophets that followed him, on Edom to be fully realised. At no time did Edom repent of their ways or their enmity towards Israel!
2. God does what He says he will do.
The elimination of the Edomites and the Philistines, along with many other nations that were enemies of Israel, are prime examples of God carrying out His word!
He will curse those that curse Israel and bless those that bless Israel.
Genesis 12:3 (NIV)
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
This still applies to today and until the end of the age!
3. We must choose who we want to be like! Do we want to be like Esau or Jacob?
In the Book of Hebrews, we (today’s Church) are told not to be like Esau who lived according to the dictates of the flesh and was unrepentant.
Hebrews 12:16 (AMP)
16 and [see to it] that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance [there was no way to repair what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], even though he sought for it with [bitter] tears.
Instead, we are told to be like Jacob who clung to God with all his strength until he received the full blessing of sonship. He did not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. We must become born again and live and act out our lives in alignment with the Word of God.
John 3:3 (AMP)
Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”
Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
Galatians 5:16-17 (AMP)
16 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. 17 For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.
The Bible encourages us to be like Jacob – a man who was broken by God and became a prince and whose name became Israel. We, as born again Christians, are sons and daughters of God and co-heirs of all God’s promises in Christ Jesus! Our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life! We are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation!
Psalm 135:4 (NIV)
For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession.
Romans 9:13 (NIV)
Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.
Malachi 1:2-4 (NIV)
2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”
But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.
Romans 8:17 (AMP)
And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (AMP)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Revelation 20:15 (NKJV)
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
4. All nations and all human beings past, present and future will face judgement on the Day of the Lord.
Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV)
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Those who have repented (turned away from) their sin and have accepted and believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as their Lord and Saviour, will receive everlasting life in heaven. Those who have not will be cast into Hell for eternity!
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven
I pray in the name of Jesus that you would examine my heart that I may not sin against you. Help me Lord to be quick to repent when I sin. Help me Lord to be ever humble before you and not to become puffed up with pride. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, Lord, that I may live a live worthy of my salvation in Christ Jesus, a life that will bring glory to Jesus and Him alone. Amen.
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!
Dear Father in Heaven
I pray in the name of Jesus that you would examine my heart that I may not sin against you. Help me Lord to be quick to repent when I sin. Help me Lord to be ever humble before you and not to become puffed up with pride. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, Lord, that I may live a live worthy of my salvation in Christ Jesus, a life that will bring glory to Jesus and Him alone. Amen.
To Jesus belongs all glory honour and praise!
Jesus the Name above all names!
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!
Amen Brother Ray! Thank you for sharing Obadiah! It’s insightful and did clear many parts for me
ReplyDeleteMight the Lord keep on blessings you
Sandra