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 her for battle!”
2 Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
you shall be utterly despised.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,
in your lofty dwelling,
who 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,
declares the Lord.
5 If thieves came to you,
if plunderers came by night—
how you have been destroyed!—
would they not steal only enough for themselves?
If grape gatherers came to you,
would they not leave gleanings?
6 How Esau has been pillaged,
his treasures sought out!
7 All your allies have driven you to your border;
those at peace with you have deceived you;
they have prevailed against you;
those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you—
you have no understanding.
8 Will I not on that day, declares the Lord,
destroy the wise men out of Edom,
and understanding out of Mount Esau?
9 And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman,
so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.
Edom's Violence Against Jacob
10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob,
shame shall cover you,
and you shall be cut off forever.
11 On the day that you stood aloof,
on the day that strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
and cast lots for Jerusalem,
you were like one of them.
12 But do not gloat over the day of your brother
in the day of his misfortune;
do not rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their ruin;
do not boast
in the day of distress.
13 Do not enter the gate of my people
in the day of their calamity;
do not gloat over his disaster
in the day of his calamity;
do not loot his wealth
in the day of his calamity.
14 Do not stand at the crossroads
to cut off his fugitives;
do not hand over his survivors
in the day of distress.
The Day of the Lord Is Near
15 For the day of the Lord is near upon 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,
so all the nations shall drink continually;
they shall drink and swallow,
and shall be as though they had never been.
17 But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,
and it shall be holy,
and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
and 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 for the house of Esau,
for the Lord has spoken.
The Kingdom of the Lord
19 Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau,
and those of the Shephelah shall possess 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 this host of the people of Israel
shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath,
and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
shall possess the cities of the Negeb.
21 Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion
to rule Mount Esau,
and the kingdom shall be the Lord's. Obadiah 1 ESV
Obadiah 1
This book was named after it's human writer, a prophet whose name means "servant of the Lord". We don't know anything about Obadiah's personal life, and there are other people in the Bible with that name, so we don't have a lot in the way of back ground to the writer. It is not like Amos where he lets us know that he was a tender of sheep and figs, that he was from Judah but called away from his flock to prophesy to the northern kingdom. This is said to be the shortest book in the OT.
Thus says the Lord concerning Edom - Edom was the land settled by Esau, and he was the brother of Jacob, Jacob's name was changed to Israel. Obadiah is a short book that deals primarily with Edom and her relationship towards Israel.
…24When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25The first one came out red, covered with hair like a fur coat; so they named him Esau. 26After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.… Genesis 25: 24-26
You shall be utterly despised - Edom was about to receive what she directed toward Israel. Remember Esau despised his brother, Jacob, which means deceiver, yet Esau also despised his own birthright, selling it for a pot of bean stew. It was man's way at the time that the birthright go to the firstborn, which was Esau, the favored of his father; this would go by the laws of primogeniture. God overruled this and chose Jacob, not because he was more honest or righteous, but according to God's own will and counsel, as He states, "Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated."
The Edomites trace their origin to Esau, the firstborn (twin) son of Isaac and Rebekah (Gen. 25:24–26), who struggled with Jacob even while in the womb (Gen. 25:22). Esau’s name means “hairy,” because “he was like a hairy garment all over” (Gen. 25:25). He is also called Edom, meaning “red,” owing to the sale of his birthright in exchange for some “red stew” (Gen. 25:30). He showed a disregard for the covenant promises by marrying two Canaanite women (Gen. 26:34) and later the daughter of Ishmael (Gen. 28:9). He loved the out-of-doors and, after having his father’s blessing stolen from him by Jacob, was destined to remain a man of the open spaces (Gen. 25:27; 27:38–40). Esau settled in a region of mostly rugged mountains S of the Dead Sea (Gen. 33:16; 36:8,9; Deut. 2:4,5) called Edom (Gr., “Idumea”), the 40 mi. wide area which stretches approximately 100 mi. S to the Gulf of Aqabah. The fabled King’s Highway, an essential caravan route linking North Africa with Europe and Asia, passes along the eastern plateau (Num. 20:17). The struggle and birth of Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25) form the ultimate background to the prophecy of Gen. 25:23, “two nations are in your womb.” Their respective descendants, Israel and Edom, were perpetual enemies. When Israel came out from Egypt, Edom denied their brother Jacob passage through their land, located S of the Dead Sea (Num. 20:14–21). Nevertheless, Israel was instructed by God to be kind to Edom (Deut. 23:7,8). Obadiah, having received a vision from God, was sent to describe their crimes and to pronounce total destruction upon Edom because of their treatment of Israel. - GTY
…22But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD, 23and He declared to 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.” 24When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb.… Genesis 25: 22-24
The pride of your heart has deceived you - Jacob did not need to deceive his brother, God was already going to fulfill His promise through him. We need to be careful in this as those who come to read these things, knowing that they are also for our instruction, as representatives of the faith, we need not give place to the enemy by lying, bringing dishonor upon the name of our Lord. Yes, Jacob would receive the land, but yes, lying is also wrong. Edom, many even to this day, despise Israel, want her gone, would like to have that land, and all feel a sense of entitlement to it, but God is the true owner of all things. After 400 years in Egypt, the contempt of Edom for Israel had not subsided, look at her response to her brother.
Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:
“This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come on us. 15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors, 16 but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.
“Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
18 But Edom answered:
“You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.”
19 The Israelites replied:
“We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”
20 Again they answered:
“You may not pass through.”
Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them. Numbers 20: 14-21
Who will bring me down to the ground - They had fortresses, the likes of Petra, which is an amazing place, a city built into, carved out of rock and surrounded by mountains. Pride always sees itself in a lofty place, out of reach, but really just out of touch with reality.
Though your nest is set among the stars - God answers the question of Who will bring them down, and He will not need set a foot there Himself, for He is sovereign and can send even those who don't know Him.
Would they not steal only enough for themselves - A single thief or small band of thieves would not take much, but Edom is going to be pillaged, conquered in war, and they will become the spoils.
Those at peace with you have deceived you - She thought her friends and allies were many, but they either fell away or joined in the slaughter, which she too did on more than one occasion to Israel. We have seen in all the prior prophets that Israel is judged for her sin, the remnant chastened, refined. She put weight on relationships, alliances, even when God told her not to, she returned to Egypt, courted Syria, the northern kingdom came against her brothers in the south, and Israel and Judah's kings also allied themselves to Assyria with no avail. This is another reason that, to Edom, substantiates her pride, she has "friends". The Jews were warned about such and so are we as Christians, do not be unequally yoked, and do not put your trust in men. Jacob learned this the hard way, the deceiver was deceived by his uncle Laban, and Jacob returned from this a better man. Humble yourself.
You have no understanding - Edom was known for her "wise men", she was on what is called the King's highway, where many traders passed through, so she was a point where much news came. Edom met with those from India, Europe and Africa, exchanging ideas and trading in whatever was new from the eastern silk road or spice road, to those wise and industrious from Egypt to the south. So she was well fortified, had alliances, and was esteemed by the intellectual community of that time, yet the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God, and the demons, who have more knowledge than us, tremble at the thought of Him, but these men aren't nearly that wise, "you have no understanding." Many historians believe that these prophecies come around the time of Elijah, which would make this an early warning compared to those of the major prophets which came later.
7Concerning Edom, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? 8Turn and run! Lie low, O dwellers of Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him.… Jeremiah 49: 7-8
Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob - Something of note, Edom was not always reproved because of participation, sometimes the violence was at the hand of another, but she rejoiced in Israel's suffering. This is the thing of gossip, the witchcraft of slander, the pleasure that we take in the demise of others, when we are not only guilty of the same, but may also be witnessing what will not be their complete obliteration, only God's refining work, breaking and humbling. What do you want for yourself? I want God's mercy, and so I should want that for you as well. He owes me the same thing He owes you, and that has to do with sin, for none of us are righteous, it is only delusion to think I am. Let God determine the judgement of our enemies, and may we have clean hands.
…6May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy! 7Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell: “Destroy it,” they said, “tear it down to its foundations!” 8O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.… Psalm 137: 6-8
10 - 14 gives stern warning against things that Edom was doing and would do.
15-18 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations - What happens to Edom will be characteristic of the nations at the final day of the Lord.
There is a sense in which God’s judgment against Edom was just the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3: I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. The Edomites cursed Israel, so they were cursed. If we want to be blessed, we should bless the Jewish people. - Enduring Word
For as you have drunk on My holy mountain - They watched Israel's demise and laughed, and then came down to see what they could take, and it then turned into a celebration. So now the generals of other nations, like Babylon, will do this in your vineyards and in your squares, the high and impenetrable places will become their places of celebration.
But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape - You want the children of your brother to be eradicated through genocide, but God will keep a remnant.
Jacob shall be a fire...Joseph a flame...but Esau stubble - It won't go as you think, you say look what following God brought Israel, but most didn't follow Him, just like you. God will raise up those that will walk in His spirit though and they will love the word of God, following Him in spirit and in truth.
…3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does. 4Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind. 5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.… Psalm 1: 3-5
And the Kingdom shall be the Lord's - Take heart, He sees the pain of His children, and He has laid out what will happen, He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him.
. This note of encouragement may be the central purpose for this prophecy of Obadiah. We wonder if it ever had much of a reading in the streets or palaces of Edom; but it certainly was received as welcome encouragement among the suffering people of God. Obadiah tells all God’s people: “Don’t worry about those who ignore your need, those who rejoice at your problems, those who take advantage of your crises, those who join their hands with others in attacking you. I will take care of them.” - Enduring Word
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