Bible reading & studying in one year Obadiah By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Bible reading & studying in one year Obadiah 12/22/2021  

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

 

 The author of the book of Obadiah was Obadiah, which means “Servant of the Lord”.

The theme of Obadiah, Edom stands judged, and her doom is certain, because of his pride in rejoicing over the misfortunes that befell Jerusalem.

             The Edomites are the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin; the Edomites were in constant conflict with Israel, the descendants of Jacob. They rejected Moses’ request to pass through their land(Num.20:14-20), they opposed King Saul (1Sam.14:47), they fought against David (1King 11:14-17), opposed Solomon (1Kings11:14-25) and Jehoshaphat (2Chron.20:22), and rebelled against Jehoram (2Chron.21:8). From the thirteenth to the sixth centuries B.C. they settled in Mount Seir, a mountainous region S. of the Dead Sea, of which Sela (Petra) was the capital. So rugged is the terrain that the valley in which Petra is located can only be reached through a narrow canyon guarded by towering mountain walls 200-250 feet high (Obad.3-4) During the fifth century B.C., the Nabataeans dislodged the Edomites from their territory, causing them to withdraw to Idumea in southern Palestine. Herod the Great was an Edomite.

           The date of the book of Obadiah 840 or 586 B.C. the question of date relates to which battle against Jerusalem the Edomites were associated with (vv.11-14). There were four significant invasion of Jerusalem in O.T. times: (1) By Shishak, king of Egypt, during Rehoboam’s reign, in 926 (1Kings14:25-26). (2) By the Philistines and Arabians during the reign of Jehoram, from 848-841 (2Chron.21:16-17). (3) By King Joash of Israel during the reign of Amaziah, in 790 (2Kings14:13-14). (4) By Babylon during the years 605 -586 (2Kings 24-25).

          Obadiah prophesied against Edom either in connection with invasion #2 or #4. If the first, this book is the earliest of the writing prophets (see 2Kings8:20 and 2Chron.21:16-17; then see Joel 3:3-6 compared with Obad.11-12 and the use of Obad.1-9 in the extended passage in Jer.49:7-22 as support for the earlier date).  

         The progression in Edom’s crimes is detailed in these verses: first, Edom stood aloof while Jerusalem was invaded (v.11); second, she rejoiced over the captivity of the sons of Judah (v.12). Third, Edom actively participated in the sacking of the city (v.13); and finally, she helped set up roadblocks to prevent the escape of the Jewish people.(v.14)

 

Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, you will be destroyed forever. On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. (vv.10-11)

 

You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. (v.12)

 

You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor look down on them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.(v.13)

 

You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.(v.14)

 

“The day the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” (Obadiah v.15)  

 

Day of the Lord. see Introduction to Joel. The aspect referred to here is the time of Christ’s second coming and the judgments on all the nations that accompany that event (Joel3:2). Edom’s punishment, however, does not wait that future time but has already been carried out.

 

“But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance; the house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; the house of Esau will be stubble, and they will be no survivors from the house of Esau.” The Lord has spoken. People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.(vv.17-19) Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord’s. (v.21)  

There are no survivors today of the once mighty Edomites.(see Isa.34:5-17). The boundaries of the Davidic kingdom will include the territory formerly occupied by Edom in the south, the land of the Philistines (Gath, Ekron, Ashdod, Ashelon, Gaza), the territory of Ephraim and Samaria, Gilead across the Jordan River, and as far north as Zarephath (between Tyre and Sidon). Sepharad is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible and is unidentified (some say it is Sardis in Asia Minor), but Obadiah is referring to a particular group of Jewish exiles. (vv.19-20). in the verse 21 the deliverers is most likely judges who will help rule in the millennial kingdom.

Bibliography,

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.