OBADIAH

(‫ עֹבַדְ י ָה‬, ovadyah; “Servant of Yahweh”)

Minor Prophet
ESAU AND JACOB
ESAU - EDOM

● Edom is the other name of Esau (The son of Isaac and the brother of Jacob)
● Edom means Red because Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a red-bean
soup
● Edom was a country discovered by Esau.
● Edom was a mountainous country
JACOB - ISRAEL

● Jacob is the younger brother of Esau. He cheated his brother and received blessings
from his father -Isaac
● God changed his name to Israel.
● Israel was the promised country of God to his children. The tribes of the 12 sons of
Jacob settled in this country
● Israel was a small country surrounded by rivers, sea, mountains and deserts.
JACOB(ISRAEL) - ESAU(EDOM)
●

Paul gives us a brief synopsis of the enmity between Israel and Edom in Rom.
●

9:6-13
●

They struggled in Rebekah's womb and at birth (Gen. 25:22-26)

●

Jacob took Esau's birthright (Gen. 25:27-34)

●

Jacob stole the blessing from Isaac (Gen. 27)

●

They had an anti-climactic meeting after this (Gen. 32-33)

●

● ●Edom refused to allow Israel to pass during the wandering (Num. 20:14-21),

which caused Israel trouble

● ●However, Israel was instructed not to meddle with Edom (Deut. 2:1-7)

● ●David put Edom in subjection (2 Sam. 8:13-14)

● ●Edom revolted, prompting Obadiah's prophecy (2 Chron. 21:16-17; 2 Kings 8:20-

21)
●Edomites became known as Idumeans; Herod was an Idumean
●
Location of the two countries
● In verse 9, the word Teman is used. Teman was the Grandson of Esau. One of Job’s three friends “Eliphaz” [Job 2:11] was from
the land of Teman
● Edom was proud of their lofty mountainous location and they enjoyed when ever Israel suffered
● Negev – A desert region of southern Israel [verse 19]
Obadiah

● Part of the Minor Prophets or Book of the Twelve. Shortest book of the Old Testament. Proclaims that God
will conquer evil and exact justice for His people. Critical of Edom for aiding Israel’s enemies and taking
delight in their misfortune. Shows how God fulfills His promises on the Day of Yahweh.
● Probably the oldest of the prophetic books.
● 845 B.C. About the time the Philistines and Arabians came up against Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 2:8-
10, 16,17
 There are 12 Obadiah in Scripture
● 1 Kings 18:3 - Governor of house of Ahab
● 1 Chronicles 3:21 - A descendant of king David
● 1 Chronicles 7:3 - A chief of the tribe of Issachar
● 1 Chronicles 8:38 - A son of Azel of Benjamin
● 1 Chronicles 9:16 - A Levite
● 1 Chronicles 12:9 - An outstanding soldier from Gad
● 1 Chronicles27:19 - Father of Ishmaiah from Zebulun
● 2 Chronicles 17:7 - A teacher sent by Jehoshaphat to teach Judah
● 2 Chronicles34:12 - A son of Merari whom Josiah employed to repair temple
● Ezra 8:9 - One of the sons of Joab who returned from Babylon
● Nehemiah 10:5 - One of the men sealed unto the Covenant
● Nehemiah 12:25 - One of the porters keeping the ward at the gates
 Introduction – v. 1 - 2

The vision seen by Obadiah comes with

divine seal that is seen with all the true

OBADIA prophets of God… “Thus saith the Lord

GOD…”

H The call is for the nations to rise against

The Prophecy Edom. These nations were to be directed by
God to slowly destroy Edom. Edom was to be
contemptible in their sight even though they
were a formidable nation at the time.
 The Indictment of Edom – v. 3 - 6
Edom is guilty of many transgressions…

OBADIA Pride – Proverbs 6:16-19

Self Exultation – compare with Tower of Babel

H No mercy toward others – in contrast with the grape

gatherers
The Prophecy
Hidden its spoils – Matthew 12:35; James 5:1-6
 The Complete Destruction of
Edom – v. 7 –9
•Robbers would not just take a few items—nothing

OBADIA will be left in Edom’s house!

•Everything will be searched out and carried off!

H •Confederates and allies will turn against her.

•Wisdom of the wise leaders would fail.
The Prophecy •Today, nothing remains of Edom.
•When God decrees a nation’s destruction—that
nation is doomed!
 The Reason for Edom's Destruction: Obadiah 10-14

● Edom committed violence against Israel,

specifically when he took part in an attack
on Jerusalem

OBADIA ● Though Edom did not instigate, his

participation was complete enough to
warrant judgment

H ● Edom plundered Jerusalem during the

attack
● Edom killed those who tried to escape
The Prophecy Jerusalem
● Edom sought out and gave to the enemy
those who did not attempt to escape
 What goes around comes around – v. 15 - 16

Every act Edom committed against Judah would

be returned upon their own heads.

OBADIA There was to be a difference though. With Judah

there would be a remnant, but with Edom the

H destruction would be complete. See also v. 10.

Today nothing remains of the people of Edom.

The Prophecy They are gone and the only remains are what is
found in archaeological digs.
–“For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to
you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head. 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.” (1:15,16)
 v. 15 - 16
This may be the first use of the term “Day of
Jehovah”, though this term is used throughout the
prophets to refer to God's judgment

OBADIA
In the Day of Jehovah, Edom will be completely
destroyed

The phrase “day of Jehovah” or “day of the Lord”

H indicates a judgment.

The Prophecy •Obadiah said such a day was near for those who
opposed the Lord and His righteousness.

–“For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to
you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head. 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.” (1:15,16)
 The Possession of Edom by Israel v. 17 - 21
Obadiah predicted that Jews living in various parts of Judah would
possess parts of the Promised Land that other nations formerly
occupied (cf. Isa. 66:8; Zech. 12:10—13:1; 14:1-9). These parts

OBADIA
included Mt. Seir (Edom), Philistia, and territories to the north of
Judah, including Ephraim and Samaria (the Northern Kingdom),
and Transjordan (Gilead). Formerly exiled Israelites, living to the
north near "Zarephath" (in modern Lebanon) and in "Sepharad"

H (perhaps Sardis in modern Turkey or a territory in Media or

Spain1), would return and occupy the southern portions of the
land: "the Negev."
The Prophecy
The location of Sepharad remains a mystery. Israel would again
conquer the land, but this time she would subdue it completely
and occupy all the territory God had promised Abraham (cf. Gen.
13:14-17; 26:2-5; 28:13-15; Deut. 1:7)
The interpretation to Obadiah’s Prophecy

Present or Future?

Israel occupied all the land that God promised to them.

However, Obadiah spoke of "all the nations" (v. 16), not just Edom. He foresaw the
destruction of all Gentile powers that dominated the Israelites. Had the Jews
accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah, He would have begun to rule shortly after His
crucifixion and resurrection. Since they rejected Him, the final judgment of the
nations that the prophets predicted is still future.
The interpretation to Obadiah’s Prophecy
Amillennial interpreters understand New Testament references to Israel as references to the church. They see the fulfillment of
Obadiah's prophecy, not in the restoration of Old Testament Israel to future sovereignty in the Promised Land, but in the final
victory of the church over all her enemies. Premillennialists reject this "replacement theology" (the church replaces Israel in
God's program) because we believe when God said "Israel" He meant Israel. It is incorrect, we believe, to conclude that because
Christians are the spiritual seed of Abraham, the church is the spiritual seed of Israel.

As the nation of Edom opposed the Israelites, so the Edomites of Jesus' day (Herod the Great and his successors) opposed Jesus
Christ and His followers. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who proved to be the fulfillment of all that the nation of Israel was to be,
became the personal focus of Herod's hostility, who tried to kill Jesus in His infancy. Yet Herod was unsuccessful. Likewise, all
the enemies of Israel, and of Israel's Messiah, will be unsuccessful in doing away with the Savior—and will experience
destruction themselves for trying to do so.
Life Application
● Pride leads to self-centeredness

When does indifference/lack of sympathy a sin?

- When God causes us to see a need and we are unmoved. It’s the sin of not doing the will of God. Worst still,
when we take delight in the misfortune of others because it makes us feel superior; when we step on others to get ahead,
or take advantage of their plight for personal gain.

It is clear from the passage that God has an expectation. God expects the Edomites to take heed, not take delight, to show
sympathy and not indifference.

● We need to take heed of what God leads us to hear and see. We cannot be too quick to say, “It’s not my problem. It’s their
problem.”
● We are servants of God. And if we are led by God, then we must be ready to serve and extend our help to those in need. If
God cause us to see these needs, He has a divine purpose for it. We are His instruments of blessing. We are the light of the
world and salt of the earth.
Discussion
● If Obadiah is being written in our time, who are the Edomites and Israelites?
Why?

● Is it right or wrong to be silent in the face of injustices today?