The bible – Book of Obadiah

1. The Bible – Book of Obadiah – 5th
February 2017
“Thoughyousoar like the eagle and make your nest amongthe stars, fromthere I will bring you
down,”declarestheLORD.”(Obadiah4)
The book of Obadiahisonlyone chapter and is theshortestbookin the Old Testament. Verse 1identifies
the author as the ProphetObadiah. The Bookof Obadiahwaslikelywrittenbetween848and 840 B.C.
The book of Obadiahisa bookof PropheticOracles.The prophetObadiahwrote it.Itsauthorshipis
difficulttodate butwaspossiblywrittenabout 848 and 840 B.C. or 605-586 B.C. The keypersonalities
are the Edomites.The purpose of Obadiahistoshow that God will judge all those whoare againstHis
children,Hischosenpeople.Edomisusedasthe example of thistruth.
Evenas the shortestbookin the Old Testament, yetittellsof God’sprophetObadiahashe announces
God’spowerful andauthoritativejudgmentonthe nationof Edom.Thisis the fateful endof the nation
of Edom.Theyhad beeninconflictwithIsrael since ancienttimes,inrealityEdomisthe descendantsof
Esau, Jacobs’sbrother. The bookof Obadiah can be dividedasfollows:
• Verses 1-9, Obadiahdeclaresthe wickednessof the Edomitesandgivesexamplesof theirpride, “In
that day,” declares the LORD, “will Inot destroy the wisemen of Edom, those ofunderstandinginthe
mountainsofEsau??” (Obadiah 8).
• Verses 10-14: This tellsusof the transgressionsandoffensesof Edom.Implyingthattheyshould
have actedlike a brotherwhowouldstandforthem, since theydescendedfromthe brothersJacoband
Esau...“Because of violence toyour brother Jacob, You will be covered with shame,And you will be
cut off forever” (Obadiah10).
• Verses15-21: We read aboutthe victoryof Israel inthe end: “Jacobwill be a fire and Josepha
flame;Esau will be stubble, and they will set himon fire anddestroy him.There will be nosurvivors
from Esau.” The LORD has spoken.(Obadiah18).Edom was utterlynonexistentbythe 1st
centuryA.D.
Obadiah,the shortestbookinthe OldTestament,isonly21 verseslong. Obadiahisaprophetof God
whousesthisopportunitytocondemnEdomforsinsagainstboth God andIsrael. The Edomitesare
descendantsof Esauand the Israelitesare descendantsof histwinbrother,Jacob. A quarrel between
the brothershas affectedtheirdescendantsforover1,000 years. Thisdivisioncausedthe Edomitesto
forbidIsrael tocross theirlandduringthe Israelites'ExodusfromEgypt. Edom'ssinsof pride now
require astrong wordof judgmentfromthe Lord.
Obadiah'smessage isfinal anditissure:the kingdomof Edom will be destroyedcompletely.Edomhas
beenarrogant,gloatingoverIsrael'smisfortunes,andwhenenemyarmiesattackIsrael andthe
Israelitesaskforhelp,the Edomitesrefuse andchoose tofightagainstthem, notforthem.These sinsof
pride couldbe overlookednolonger.The bookendswiththe promise of the fulfillmentanddeliverance
of Zioninthe Last Days whenthe landwill be restoredtoGod's people asHe rulesoverthem.
In Obadiah21 containsa foreshadowingof ChristandHisChurch. “Deliverers will go up onMount Zion
to govern the mountainsofEsau. And the kingdomwill be the LORD’s.” (NIV).These “Deliverers”(also
called“saviors”) are the apostlesof Christ,ministersof the word,andespeciallythe preachersof the
Gospel inthese latterdays.Theyare called" Deliverers,"notbecause theyobtainoursalvation,but
because theypreachsalvationthroughthe Gospel of Christandshow usthe wayto obtainthat

2. salvation.They,andthe Wordpreachedbythem, are the meansbywhichthe good newsof salvationis
deliveredtoall men.While Christisthe onlySaviorwhoalone came topurchase salvation,andisthe
author of it,saviorsand deliverersof the Gospel will be more andmore inevidence asthe endof the
age drawsnear.
The practical application one canreceive isthat Godwill overcome inourbehalf if we will staytrue to
Him. Unlike Edom,we mustbe willingtohelpothersin timesof need. AsChristianswe know that Pride
issin. We mustbear inmindthat we have nothingtobe proudof exceptJesusChristandwhatHe has
done forus.
Key Verses:
Obadiahverse 4, "Thoughyousoar likethe eagle andmake your nest amongthe stars,from there I
will bringyou down," declares the LORD."
Obadiahverse 12, "Youshouldnotlook downon your brother in the day of hismisfortune,nor rejoice
over the peopleof Judahin the day oftheir destruction,nor boastso muchin the day of their trouble."
Obadiahverse 15, "The day ofthe LORD isnear for all nations.Asyou have done,it will be doneto
you; your deeds will return uponyour own head."