Obadiah
Introduction
The name “Obadiah” means “servant of the Lord” and was
quite a common name in Israel. The
subject of the book of Obadiah is the coming destruction of Edom which was
another name for “Esau.” The
Edomites were the historic enemies of Israel having descended from Esau, Jacob’s
brother. It also speaks of the
restoration of Israel back to the land to build the temple which the Lord Jesus
Christ would visit five centuries later.
The dating of Obadiah is placed in the sixth century B.C. and he was a
contemporary of Zechariah.
2 Chronicles 17:7 (KJV)
Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to
Ben-hail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah,
to teach in the cities of Judah.
Some commentators place Obadiah in the eighth century B.C. but that would
be too early since Zechariah prophesied in the sixth century B.C.
In verse 12, we see the condemnation of Edom for rejoicing over the
destruction of Judah which happened in 586 B.C.
Obadiah 1
(KJV)
The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD
concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent
among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
Obadiah’s prophecy either came in the form a vision or
the prophecy was called a vision as it sometimes is as in the case of Isaiah.
Isaiah 1:1 (KJV)
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
However the message came to him, the verse states that it was a direct
message from the Lord concerning Edom.
The word “rumour” is understood to be an announcement or a report.
Amos, Isaiah, and Joel had also prophesied against Edom.
The ambassador which was sent among the heathen may be found in Jeremiah
49:7-16.
Jeremiah 49:7-16 (KJV)
Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in
Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished? {8} Flee
ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity
of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him.
{9} If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning
grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.
{10} But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and
he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and
his neighbours, and he is not. {11}
Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows
trust in me. {12} For thus saith
the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly
drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go
unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.
{13} For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become
a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall
be perpetual wastes. {14} I have
heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen,
saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.
{15} For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised
among men. {16} Thy terribleness
hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the
clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest
make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith
the LORD.
Notice verse 14 as it basically states the same thing as
Obadiah 1.
Jeremiah 49:14 (KJV)
I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the
heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the
battle. The ambassador which is
sent to the heathens will be a call to come against the Edomites.
Just as Judah was taken by the heathens, so Edom will have the heathens
come against them. The call was to
come against Edom in battle. This
shows a major principle that even though there are pagan kings who do not
acknowledge the Lord, yet the Lord has sovereign rule over them and can use them
for his purposes.
Obadiah 2
(KJV)
Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou
art greatly despised.
They were not large in number and were considered
insignificant among the heathen nations of the day especially Babylon.
They were also looked down upon because of their small numbers.
Jer. 49:15 For, lo, I will make
thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.
We read that prophecy of making them small in Jeremiah 49:15 and that is
why they were despised. The word
“despised” is in the Qal stem which means they were regarded with contempt.
So they themselves thinking they were great were in essence nothing, as
most bullies are.
Obadiah 3
(KJV)
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that
dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his
heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
Edom’s territory was in the Mountains of Seir and was
located between the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea.
They had believed that because of their location, it would have been
impossible to attack and overtake them.
Their pride of heart had deceived them into thinking they were
impenetrable. Eventually their
pride would be their downfall.
Anytime we adapt a prideful mindset, we always filter everything through it and
it creates a false atmosphere of invincibility.
The clefts of the rock where they dwelt was a place called Petra which
was located in the land of the Nabataeans.
Since it was a mountainous region, they built their homes and fortresses
high up and because they built their fortresses high, they had the attitude of
who is going to ascend our heights and bring us down and take us.
It was a total challenge to believe that no one could defeat them.
Pride creates false nobility which can be defeated by reality.
Obadiah 4
(KJV)
Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou
set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
Some eagles like the Bald Eagle build their nests in
trees. The Gold Eagle avoids
forests and builds their nests in rock mountains very high up.
The principle which God is giving is that no matter how high they exalt
themselves, even as high as a Golden Eagle in the tops of mountains.
Even if they were to build their nests which means their habitations as
high as the stars of the universe, from any height God will bring them down.
The word in the Hebrew behind “will I bring thee down” carries with it
the meaning of a spatial descent which will bring them down to total destruction
because of their pride. In the book
of Jeremiah he pronounces a prophecy against Edom.
Jeremiah 49:16 (KJV)
Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou
that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill:
though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down
from thence, saith the LORD.
Whether we think prideful or act prideful, it will always lead to destruction.
Obadiah 5
(KJV)
If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art
thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the
grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?
If a thief would come into their homes, they would only
be able to take what they can carry out which means some of the items in the
home would be left behind. It is
the same scenario with the grape gatherers, they would only be able to take what
they were able to carry out of the field which means there would be some left
after they left. What God is
telling them here is that when the Edomites are plundered, they will not be like
the grape gatherer or the thief because there is nothing which is going to be
left. The pillaging will be total.
Jeremiah prophesied about this.
Jeremiah 49:9 (KJV)
If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning
grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.
Obadiah 6
(KJV)
How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his
hidden things sought up!
Though they tried to hide all their material goods and
had tried to make a defense of their position high up in the mountains which was
not sufficient to protect them because their enemies will search them out, that
is, they will find everything they are looking for and their high defenses will
not help them. They had tried to
hide things from the enemies but all things will be open to the enemies as they
will discover everything that the Edomites have in their possession.
No matter where they hid their valuables, God will know every place they
are located and will lead the plunderers to them.
Obadiah 7
(KJV)
All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to
the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and
prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee:
there is none understanding in him.