Get Ready
This book is unique in the Old Testament in at least two respects. It is the shortest book – 21 verses in a single chapter. And it is focused on a nation other than Israel, it is about Israel and (like most of the prophets) it includes a prophecy about God’s promise to restore Israel.
Author
We know his name, which means “servant of the Lord,” and the Old Testament gives us several possible authors [such as 1 Kings 18:3; Ezra 8:9; Neh 12:25], but none of the candidates fit the situation completely. The prophet does not provide any other details about himself.
Context
There is a little more to work with here. Although the enmity between Israel and Edom lasted for centuries and there were several incidents, most scholars agree that the “slaughter and violence done to your brother Jacob,” [v.10] was Edam’s participation in the Babylonian siege and eventual destruction of Jerusalem (605-586 BCE). Obadiah probably prophesied (and wrote this book) during the early part of the captivity. (NOTE: Some scholars believe the incident Obadiah refers to is the capture of Jerusalem by Joash, the king of Israel [2 Kings 14] or by the Philistines and Arabians [2 Chron 21].)
The two nations – and the mutual hatred – began with Abraham’s twin grandsons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob tricked Esau, the older son, out of his birthright and blessing. Even though the brothers eventually reconciled, their descendants settled in different areas – Jacob’s (renamed “Israel” by God) children settled in the northern part of Canaan while Esau’s kin settled south of the Dead Sea and were known as the Edomites.
This means the feud lasted more than a thousand years. One of the better known incidents is the Edomites’ refusal to allow Moses and the Israelites to cross their country during the exodus from Egypt [the details are in Num 20:14-21 – other incidents are recorded in 1 Sam 14:47, 2 Sam 8:13-14, and 1 Kings 11:17-22].
Structure
Even though this is a short book there are four distinct sections after the brief introduction:
- God’s judgment against Edom – “you shall be utterly despised,” [2-9].
- The list of Edom’s sins against Israel, [10-14].
- God’s promise of action against Edom – “your deeds shall return on your own head [15-18].
- God’s promise to restore Israel, [19-21].
Major Themes
Obadiah reminds the captured Jewish people that God will keep his promises, even if the people do not keep their commitments.
God promised Abraham “I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing,” and “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse,” [Gen 12:2-3]. Obadiah applies this promise to Edom for its actions against Israel.
Jeremiah’s prophecy against Edom [49:7-22] is very similar to Obadiah’s statement of God’s judgment in vv. 2-9. Most scholars believe that Jeremiah followed Obadiah and thereby validates his prophecy by including it in his broader prophecy.
Get into the Word
1. Who wrote this book? What do we know about the author? When did he probably write this book? What was the situation for the at Israelites the time? How does this help us understand why this prophecy is included in the Old Testament?
2. What was the incident that the prophet is writing about? What nations were involved in this incident? Why did this incident happen? What are the other possibilities about when this incident happened?
3. How did this relationship begin? When did it start? Why do you suppose it has lasted so long? What other incidents occurred between Edom and Israel.
4. How does Obadiah organize his prophecy? What is the ultimate outcome of this prophecy? What will happen to Edom? What will happen to Israel? How would we phrase God’s promise to Edom in today’s English?
5. What is the primary theme of Obadiah’s prophecy? What is the basis of this prophecy? How do you suppose the Jews felt about his prophecy? How might you have felt if you had been with them?
6. What other prophet wrote about Edom? How does his prophecy compare with Obadiah’s writings? Which probably came first?
Notes . . .
Twelve different men in the Old Testament are named Obadiah:
- The governor of Ahab’s palace [1 Kings 18:3-7,16].
- A descendant of David and the head of a family [1 Chron 3:21].
- A son of Izrahiah, of the tribe of Issachar [1 Chron 7:3].
- A descendant of King Saul [1 Chron 8:38].
- A Levite, a son of Shemaiah [1 Chron 9:16].
- A Gadite captain who joined David at Ziklag [1 Chron 12:9].
- A leader of the tribe of Zebulun during the reign of David [1 Chron 27:19].
- A leader of Jehoshaphat commissioned to teach the Book of the Law [2 Chron 17:7].
- A Levite who supervised workmen repairing the Temple during the reign of King Josiah [2 Chron 34:12].
- A son of Jehiel, a descendant of Joab [Ezra 8:9].
- A priest who sealed the covenant after the Captivity [Neh 10:5].
- A prophet of Judah (also called Obad). The fourth of the “minor” prophets, O
42: Edom will be humbled – Obadiah 1-21
Get Ready
What do you think constitutes a “fair” or “good” punishment? Should the punishment “fit” the crime or original action? Should there be a range of possible punishments? Should the consequences of an action be more preventative than punitive? Should “what goes around come around?”
The Word
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:
“Rise up! Let us rise against it for battle!”
2 I will surely make you least among the nations;
you shall be utterly despised.
3 Your proud heart has deceived you,
you that live in the clefts of the rock, whose dwelling is in the heights.
You say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”
4 Though you soar aloft like the eagle,
though your nest is set among the stars,
from there I will bring you down, says the Lord.
5 If thieves came to you, if plunderers by night
— how you have been destroyed! —
would they not steal only what they wanted? If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?
6 How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures searched out!
7 All your allies have deceived you,
they have driven you to the border;
your confederates have prevailed against you;
those who ate your bread have set a trap for you —there is no understanding of it.
8 On that day, says the Lord, I will destroy the wise out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau.
9 Your warriors shall be shattered, O Teman, so that everyone from Mount Esau will be cut off.
10 For the slaughter and violence done to your brother Jacob,
shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.
11 On the day that you stood aside,
on the day that strangers carried off his wealth,
and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you too were like one of them.
12 But you should not have gloated over your brother on the day of his misfortune;
you should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah on the day of their ruin;
you should not have boasted on the day of distress.
13 You should not have entered the gate of my people on the day of their calamity;
you should not have joined in the gloating over Judah’s disaster on the day of his calamity;
you should not have looted his goods on the day of his calamity.
14 You should not have stood at the crossings to cut off his fugitives;
you should not have handed over his survivors on the day of distress.
15 For the day of the Lord is near against all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.
16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
all the nations around you shall drink;
they shall drink and gulp down,
and shall be as though they had never been.
17 But on Mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and it shall be holy;
and the house of Jacob shall take possession of those who dispossessed them.
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire, the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble;
they shall burn them and consume them,
and there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau;
for the Lord has spoken.
19 Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau,
and those of the Shephelah the land of the Philistines;
they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20 The exiles of the Israelites who are in Halah
shall possess Phoenicia as far as Zarephath;
and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
shall possess the towns of the Negeb.
21 Those who have been saved shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau;
and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. NRSV
Get into the Word
1. Who is actually speaking in this prophecy? How does the speaker begin the prophecy? What nation is the subject of this prophecy? What is about to happen?
2. What does God promise to do to the nation? What will its future status be? How does he describe the attitude of the people? What does he say about their country? What will happen to their current security? What will happen to the things they prize?
3. What about the nation’s allies? How firm are their commitments to each other? What will happen to the leaders and soldiers of Edom?
4. Why is God judging the nation so harshly? What sins have they committed? Against whom? How does God describe the actions of the Edomites? What actions should they have not taken? What was their attitude toward Israel? Why was this such a bad thing?
5. What is ironic about God’s judgment on Edom? How did he decide what the judgment should be? What sort of drink is God talking about? Why will “all the nations” have to drink this?
6. What will happen to the Israelites? Where will this take place? What will happen to Edom? What will happen to the people that are dis-possesed of their homeland? Who will ultimately be in charge?
Get Personal
How do you feel about God’s promises to the Israelites? How do you feel about his promises to Christians? His promises to you? How does God help you to have confidence in his promises?
Notes . . .
3. Clefts — Edom was a very rugged mountainous land.
5. Grape-gatherers — Edom was known for its hillside vineyards.
6. Esau — the ancestor of Edom, [see above].
7. Those who ate your bread — a meal often sealed a treaty or agreement.
9. Teman — this location is unknown, it is a stand-in for Edom here.
10. Jacob — another name for Israel, [see above]
11. Cast lots — possibly to divide the spoils among the victors.
15. You shall drink — a reference to God’s “cup of wrath,” [Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17].
19. Those . . . shall possess — this process will punish Israel’s enemies and re-establish the boundaries of Israel under King David.
Memory Verse
As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head, [Obadiah 15].
Next Lesson
Jonah 1: Jonah tries to run away from God.
