Bible Background with Meredith
Obadiah Overview
Obadiah is not only the shortest book in the Old Testament it is the shortest book in the whole Bible. Obadiah, like Jude has only one chapter. Jude has twenty-five verses and Obadiah has only twenty-one.
Not much is known about Obadiah as a prophet, but we do know that his name means servant or worshiper of the Lord. And to be truthful, they’re not even sure when this book was penned. They have two time periods when they think. One was during the reign of Jehoram in Judah which would have been 855-841 B.C. or the other time frame would be during Jeremiah’s ministry which was 627-586 B.C.
Obadiah’s twenty one verses’ purpose was to show that God judges those who have harmed His people.
To understand Obadiah’s warnings, let’s get a little back history from Genesis. Jacob and Esau were brothers. Their father, Isaac, was the long awaited son of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 21). From their time in the womb they had been fighting. Genesis 25 starts with Isaac praying to God for his wife Rebekah to become pregnant because she was childless. God answered that prayer, with twin boys. Starting in the womb the babies jostled each other. Rebekah inquired of the Lord and He told her:
Two nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other and the older will serve the younger.
When Rebekah gave birth, Esau was the first that came out. They called him Esau because he was covered in hair and had a red tint to his skin, this is also where we get the word Edom (Edomites), which means red. Jacob came out with his hand grasping Esau’s heel.
As the boy’s grew, Issac loved Esau and Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau was the hunter. Jacob was the homebody who cooked.
Esau also gave up his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.
And lastly as Issac was getting old Rebekah heard that Esau was about to get the blessing of Issac as the first born, but Esau had gotten married to Judith and the Bible records that they were the source of grief to Issac and Rebekah.
As Esau was out hunting per the request of his father, Rebekah dressed Jacob up to feel and smell like Esau so that Jacob would get the blessing.
Jacob’s blessing included having God’s heaven’s dew and earth’s richness. An abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.
After Jacob left Esau walks in to get his due blessing only to find that Jacob had stolen it.
Esau goes into a tirad and begins begging for a blessing from Isaac. Here is what is recorded.
His father Isaac answered him,“Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” (Genesis:39-40)
After this Esau held a grudge against Jacob, swore to kill him. Isaac was sent off with the promise to never marry a Canaanite woman. Esau, realizing how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father, went to Ishmael (who was Hagar’s son, who was Abraham’s first recorded son, but not the promised son from God). Esau took Ishmael’s daughter, Mahalath, to be his wife, along with the wives he had.
Now back to the book of Obediah.
Obediah was given a vision from the Sovereign Lord about Edom. You see Edom who came from the linte of Esau, had become extremely proud and self- confident.
God starts by saying, “The pride of your heart has deceived you….You say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’”
God goes on to say that because of their lofty attitudes that Esau will be ransacked and his hidden treasure pillaged. Allies would force them to the border. Friends would deceive and over power. Those who eat your bread will set a trap for you but you will net detect it.
God finishes by telling the Edomites that due to the violence against your brother Jacob (Israel), you will be covered with shame and be destroyed forever. This was due to the fact that when strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners stormed his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them, because you did nothing.
God’s final warning is that you should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction.
This book may have been written as a warning for any who harm God’s people. You see, Edom had constantly harassed the Jews and participated in attacks against Judah, but as I was reading the warning about being prideful and self-confident, I couldn’t help but feel Obediah is also a much needed book for today.
In the end Israel is restored. Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame. Esau will be stubble and they will set him on fire and destroy him. There will be no survivors from Esau.
The Edomites were routed by Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C. The nation no longer existed by the first century A.D. During the time of Obediah’s prophecy, to the world it would have looked like Edom would continue and Judah would disappear. This is important to understand, because even though you may be on top in the world’s eyes, where do you land in God’s eyes?
At the end of the day, if you are humbly walking before the Lord, you will be rewarded, but if you continue to walk in the way of pride and self, your judgment will come.
The book of Obadiah may be in the Old Testament but I feel it is more relevant for teaching, correction and rebuking.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
