by Brian Currie
THE PENMAN
As we look into this Book of Obadiah, no claim is made for scholarship or originality, but it is hoped that these thoughts will encourage younger believers particularly to spend a little time with this somewhat neglected book. It will be an introduction to one of the twelve smaller books which conclude the Old Testament. These commence with Hosea and conclude with Malachi. They are called the ‘Minor Prophets’, not implying that they are of minor importance, but simply because of their size. When combined, they form a book which has been called ‘The Book of the Twelve’.
There are at least twelve men in the Old Testament called Obadiah. Some commentators suggest there were thirteen. It is undeniable that it was a popular name, meaning ‘servant of Jehovah’, and it might have been the exercise of various sets of parents that their child would grow up to be such a man. All God-fearing and devoted parents would desire nothing greater for their offspring than to be a servant of Jehovah. While many children excel academically, others are pushed by their parents to attend university, and in order to obtain a high class honours degree the young people have to spend an inordinate amount of time in study, so much so that they do not have time to attend the assembly meetings during the week, when they need to submit to Heb.10.25: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is”. It is written: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” Matt.6.33. Not all such exercise is fulfilled, as evidenced in the life of Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, 1Sam.2.12-17,22; nor was it seen in Samuel’s sons, who “walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment” 1Sam.8.3. However, we are very thankful that this Obadiah fulfilled his Godly parents’ ambitions for him.
Apart from this book nothing is known of him: his parents, his occupation, his age, his dwelling, his marital status, etc. Frequently God lifts people from obscurity to serve Him and fulfil His purpose. For example, we recall the little maid who made it known that Naaman could be cleansed; Samson’s mother; the Shunammite, called “a great woman”; the boy with loaves and fishes; the man who owned the Upper Room. All these people did a work for God and we are not told their names. It is great encouragement for us to understand that we do not need to be well known to be useful in the service of Jehovah. Mr. John Nelson Darby’s gravestone bears the following inscription:
- JOHN NELSON DARBY
- “As unknown and well known.”
- Departed to be with Christ
- 29th April 1882.
- Aged 81.
- II Cor. V. 21.
- Lord let me wait for Thee alone,
- My life be only this,
- To serve Thee here on earth unknown,
- Then share Thy heavenly bliss.
- J.N.D.
THE PERIOD
This, being the only one-chapter book in the Old Testament (there are four in the New Testament) is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but when was it written? Note the constant references to “the day” in vv.11-15, for example: “In the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem” v.11; “the day of their destruction” v.12; “the day of distress” v.12; “the day of their calamity”; this last phrase occurs three times in v.13. Well may we ask: what day was this? It was the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, that is, the Babylonians. It has been suggested that the tense of vv.12-14 (which are in the Hebrew ‘long’ tense) should be future, but most, including J.N. Darby and H. Spurrell, leave it in the past tense. The ‘long’ tense can also imply something continuous, so that the phrase, “thou shouldest not have looked” in v.12 may read, “thou shouldest not have looked and continued to look”, implying a continual pleasure over the destruction of Jerusalem.
The destruction took place in three stages as outlined in 2Chronicles chapter 36:
| 606 BC | Jehoiakim reigning | Daniel was taken. |
| 598 BC | Jehoiachin reigning | Ezekiel was taken and he prophesied of the desolation. |
| 587 BC | Zedekiah reigning | City burned and Temple smashed. |
It appears that the day here described in Obadiah refers to the final stage, in 587 BC, when Zedekiah was reigning. We can deduce this from Psalm 137, where we read: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof” Ps.137.1,2. Later in the same Psalm we read: “Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem; who said, ‘Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof’” Ps.137.7. This association of the behaviour of Edom with the destruction of Jerusalem indicates that the Book of Obadiah seems to have been written after 587 BC, when that devastation took place.
THE PURPOSE
Note the clarity of v.1: “The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom …” This part sentence points ominously to a Divine communication, to a prophet who predicts the doom of an enemy of the nation. In fact, there are three prophets who write of the judgment of three of Israel’s enemies: Nahum writes concerning Assyria, Habakkuk writes concerning Babylon and Obadiah writes concerning Edom. It raises the question: who or what was Edom? In Gen.25.25, concerning the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah, we read: “And the first came out red all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.” Chapter 36 throws further light on the subject: “Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom” v.1; “Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom. And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir” vv.8.9. Esau pictures the man in the flesh. He despised his birthright, selling it for a dish of lentils, Gen.25.29-34. He is a man who only values things that he can see and which have a temporary blessing; he does not value the unseen things grasped by faith; the eternal is not in his thinking; he has no comprehension of the future.
The Lord is now indicating judgment upon Edom and the reason for this judgment. It is worthy of note that the book was not written to Edom, in order to warn them; it was written to the nation, His own people, concerning Edom, to comfort them. It teaches that God noted all their difficulties and eventually would put all right. It illustrates Lk.17.1: “It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!”
PRÉCIS OF THE BOOK
Vv.1,2 – Report of Sovereign: a Concise Preface. Introduction
“The vision of Obadiah” v.1: this shows that what is being taught is based on Divine revelation. We cannot be wrong when we have the Word of God as our foundation. Hence the twofold authorisation: “The vision” and “Thus saith the Lord God”.
“Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom”: the man who will speak for God is the man to whom God speaks. We ought to have a greater interest in a communication when we are sure that we are hearing God speaking to us. What a dignity to listen to the “still small voice” 1Kgs.19.12! Verse 1 declares: “We have heard a rumour from the Lord …” The word “rumour” is the same as in Isa.53.1, “Who hath believed our report?”, and Newberry’s margin here in Obad.1 also suggests “report”. This report that Obadiah got in his vision was that “an ambassador is sent among the heathen”, that is, God sent a messenger to the nations and the nations were to “arise … and … rise up against her in battle”, indicating that they were going to fight against Edom.
Why should the Lord do this? The following verses explain:
Vv.3,4 – Rebuke of Self-Importance: Condemnation of Pride. Humiliation
“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?’ 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.”
Vv.5,6 – Robbing and Stealing: Coveting Possessions. Ruination
“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 grape gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? How are the things of Esau searched out! How are his hidden things sought up!”
Regarding thieves, both robbers and reapers would leave something behind, but the Lord’s dealings with the nation would leave nothing. Even the hidden treasures would be sought for, found and carried away; nothing would be left.
Vv.7-9 – Relentless Slaughter: Crushing the People. Destruction
The attack would concentrate on the leadership and when they fell all else would follow suit.
Vv.10-14 – Reason for Statement: Cause of Punishment. Explanation
In vv.12-14, “thou shouldest not” or “neither shouldest thou” occurs seven times, and then in v.15 we read: “as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head”.
Vv.15-21 – Reign of Saviour: Consequences Prophesied. Anticipation
Note in vv.17-21, A.V., the word “shall” occurs thirteen times, which underlines both the certainty of these things and that they are future. This shall all take place when “the kingdom shall be the Lord’s” v.21.
PARALLEL OF THE BOOK
Read Jer.49.7-22. Likely Obadiah quotes from Jeremiah, since Jeremiah prophesied of the Captivity, but Obadiah has seen it taking place.
PRACTICAL IMPORT OF THE BOOK
We have seen that Edom is Esau, that is, the man of the flesh, and so we should be able to see in this Prophecy features of the flesh and God’s judgment of it, and how that in spite of it God will be glorified.
Vv.1,2 – Report of Sovereign: a Concise Preface. Introduction
“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.’ Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.”
A summary of these verses would be that God will work against pride, arrogance and haughtiness. In Prov.6.16,17 we read: “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood”. Note the same sentiments in Ps.34.18: “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Vv.3,4 – Rebuke of Self-Importance: Condemnation of Pride. Humiliation
In Genesis there are several brothers in pairs that teach us a lot about the flesh: Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob. In each case the older depicts the fleshly, carnal man and the younger displays the spiritual man. This is the order we expect: “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” 1Cor.15.46.
It is the order with us. We were born with a corrupt, fleshly nature and only received the Spirit when we were “born again” Jn.3.3. In each case the first has to be set aside in order that the second will prosper. Thus, with respect to Hagar and Ishmael, Gal.4.30 reads: “Cast out the bondwoman and her son”. Also, Paul writes in Rom.13.14, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
These three men illustrate different aspects of the flesh:
- Cain: Counterfeit and Cruelty of the flesh. He brought of the ground and slew his brother, Gen.4.3,8.
- Ishmael: Sneering and Scoffing of the flesh. He mocked Isaac, Gen.21.9.
- Esau: Vindictiveness and Violence of the flesh. “For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee” Obad.10.
We know from Gen.27.27 that Esau smelled of the field. Esau was so ‘deep dyed’ in the field that his clothing was permeated with the smell of it. He was a man of the field. The Lord Jesus Himself gives us the meaning of the field: “the field is the world” Matt.13.38. There are features in Obadiah of a fleshly man of the world. Note the following features in v.3:
- Disdain: “The pride of thine heart …”
- Dwelling: “thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock”
- Defiance: “Who shall bring me down to the ground?”
- Delusion: “… hath deceived thee”
The Edomites dwelt in Seir, which was a range of mountains with cliffs up to two thousand feet high, called after Seir the Horite: “and the Horites in their mount Seir” Gen.14.6; “These are the sons of Seir the Horite” Gen.36.20. “Horite” means ‘rock dweller’. They were displaced by the Edomites: “The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead” Deut.2.12.
The natural defences of the region where they lived meant that they considered themselves almost immune from attack and this fostered a spirit of independence and arrogance.
The features found in the Edomites (as highlighted above from v.3 of Obadiah) are seen in other Scriptures where the flesh and its instigator, Satan, are seen:
-
Eglon – Judges chapter 3
- Disdain: “smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees” v.13.
- Dwelling: “Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone” v.20.
- Defiance: “So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years” v.14.
- Delusion: “‘I have a secret errand unto thee, O king:’ who said, ‘Keep silence.’ And all that stood by him went out from him” v.19.
-
Goliath – 1Samuel chapter 17
- Disdain: “‘Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods” v.43.
- Dwelling: the expression, “the Philistine” occurs twenty-six times, twenty-five of which refer to Goliath. This shows that he is associated with where he dwelt.
- Defiance: “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together” v.10.
- Delusion: “I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field” v.44.
-
Nebuchadnezzar – Daniel chapters 3 and 4
- Disdain: “whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace” 3.6.
- Dwelling: “he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon” 4.29.
- Defiance: “… for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” 4.30.
- Delusion: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built …” 4.30.
-
Lucifer – Isaiah chapter 14 and Ezekiel chapter 28
- Disdain: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” Isa.14.14.
- Dwelling: “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God … thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire” Ezek.28.13,14.
- Defiance: “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty” Ezek.28.17.
- Delusion: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” Isa.14.13.
This is within every one of us. All of us have a depraved nature full of pride and arrogance. One of the marks of the Spirit-filled person is meekness. Consider Phil.2.3-5: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. Also note Col.3.12: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering”. The characteristic of pride is not to be detected in the overseer in 1Tim.3.6: “not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil”. It is the flesh that gives us thoughts of our own self-importance. Paul also wrote: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly …” Rom.12.3; “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself” Gal.6.3. We also read, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Mic.6.8.
The Lord notes proud and arrogant behaviour and He hates it. Thus we read in v.1 of Obadiah: “Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom”. Note that this is from Him. He says, “Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised” v.2; “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” v.4; “Shall I not in that day, saith the Lord, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter” vv.8,9.
How can the flesh be dealt with? Let us examine the persons mentioned above:
-
Eglon – Judg.3.21,22
- “And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly.”
-
Goliath – 1Sam.17.51
- “Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.”
-
Nebuchadnezzar – Dan.4.33
- “He was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.”
-
Lucifer – Ezek.28.16
- “I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub.”
Victory only comes by the power of God, not by natural determination or resolve. It is God working by His Word. Thus in Obad.5-9 it is God working to bring down Edom, and nothing must be left. It is not a matter of cutting back as if we were pruning; that only leads to greater growth. It must be cut off and reckoned dead. Thus with Eglon, Ehud never took the dagger out, and this illustrates the truth of vv.5,6.
Vv.5,6 – Robbing and Stealing: Coveting Possessions. Ruination
“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 grape gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? How are the things of Esau searched out! How are his hidden things sought up!”
There will be principal things that attract the flesh and these must be dealt with and all others will follow. This is seen in vv.7-9.
Vv.7-9 – Relentless Slaughter: Crushing the People. Destruction
It is instructive to see pictured in these verses attacks on the leadership in the assembly (noted in brackets in the quotation of the text below):
“All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee (Deception), and prevailed against thee (Cruelty); they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee (Treachery): there is none understanding in him. Shall I not in that day, saith the Lord, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau (Folly)? And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter (Destruction).”
Vv.10-14 – Reason for Statement: Cause of Punishment. Explanation
The reason for God’s judgment falling is given in these verses, which further display the repugnance of the flesh. It all revolves around their dealings with their brother Jacob. They always showed a wrong spirit towards Jacob, or Israel. They refused to allow Israel to pass through their country when they were journeying to the land, Num.20.14-21. Contact with God reveals the reality of a true heart. The flesh can very clearly be seen by how we treat our brethren.
Inactivity – v.11
“In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.”
They refused to help their brethren when they needed them most. This principle is seen in 1Jn.3.17,18: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” In contrast: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” Jn.15.13.
Are we like the priest and Levite who passed by on the other side, Lk.10.31,32? The attitude of present society is, ‘Don’t involve me: it’s none of my business.’
Insensitivity – v.12
“But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.”
Note the phrase that occurs seven times in vv.12-14: “thou shouldest not … neither shouldest thou … neither shouldest thou … Thou shouldest not … thou shouldest not … neither shouldest thou … neither shouldest thou …” They rejoiced in the calamity which befell Judah. This is a cruel stance! We remember Rom.12.10,15: “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love … Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” Do we find pleasure in the fall of a saint, perhaps one with whom we do not see eye to eye? What about a calamity that befalls an assembly with which we do not agree? Do we speak “proudly” saying, ‘That would never happen to me’ or ‘That assembly is too strong for those things to happen in it’?
In 1Cor.9.27 Paul speaks of the danger of him being “a castaway” and the Corinthians may have said, ‘That could never happen to us.’ The Corinthians may have argued, ‘We are saved, baptised, in fellowship in a greatly-gifted assembly and we listen to wonderful ministry. It may happen to you, Paul. You are alone, an individual, but don’t apply this to us.’ However, in chapter 10 Paul goes on to illustrate the truth from an Old Testament company. In vv.1-4 he uses the word “all” five times:
- “… all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea” v.1: Redemption;
- “and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea” v.2: Baptism;
- “and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink” vv.3,4: Fellowship.
This is the order in Acts 2.41,42: “they that gladly received his word (Redemption) were baptized (Baptism) …. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (Fellowship)”.
What happened to the company in the wilderness? Paul answers in 1Cor.10.5: “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” J.N. Darby’s translation of this phrase is, “they were strewed in the desert”.
What has this to do with us? Paul says that “these things were our examples” v.6; “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [the same word as “examples” in v.6]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” v.11. Verse 12 gives a solemn warning: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
Inhumanity – v.13
“Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of My people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.”
When they had the opportunity it appears that they ransacked the city, and thus they added to the affliction. Note Phil.1.15,16: “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds”. The world kicks a man when he is down, but the Christian should have pity and compassion, especially for his brother. In this context ponder the following verses from John’s First Epistle: “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” 1Jn.3.14.15; “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” 1Jn.4.8; “If a man say, ‘I love God,’ and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 1Jn.4.20.
Infidelity – v.14
“Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.”
They cut off the way of escape, and delivered up those who could have escaped. This is very like a feature found in Judas. We could cut off a brother by scandal and tale-bearing and so Paul writes in Eph.4.31,32: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Lev.19.16 reads: “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people”. In Prov.26.20,22 we read: “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth … The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Darby’s translation of the beginning of v.22 is good: “The words of a talebearer are as dainty morsels”. That means we love a little bit of scandal; it is juicy and sweet. Do we check the factualness and truth of what we hear or do we just love to repeat, and even embellish it? Our attitude should be that of Gal.6.1: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Vv.15-21 – Reign of Saviour: Consequences Prophesied. Anticipation
This is a judgment upon Edom which is still in the future, showing that this nation will appear again in the latter times. Then there shall be:
Reaping – v.15
“As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”
The inexorable principle is that of sowing and reaping. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” Gal.6.7.
- Though the mills of God grind slowly,
- Yet they grind exceeding small;
- Though with patience He stands waiting,
- With exactness grinds He all.
- (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
This will be marked by:
Victory – v.17
“But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance.”
For “deliverance” the Revised Version has “escape”; that is, when Israel is facing its darkest hour there will be a way of escape as the Lord fights for the nation. In Zech.14.3-5 we read: “Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains …”
Sanctity – v.17
“… and there shall be holiness.”
From v.16 we learn that the Edomites had desecrated the holy mountain but God will establish holiness once again. God will only work when the conditions are holy. “Be ye holy; for I am holy” 1Pet.1.16. Note the frequent references in Scripture to holy things: holy ground, holy nation, holy place, holy garments, holy crown, holy ointment, holy angels, holy prophets, holy Spirit, holy Father, holy Child, holy Scriptures, holy kiss, holy apostles, holy brethren, holy calling, holy priesthood, holy women, holy men, holy commandment, holy city.
Security – v.17
“… and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.”
This can only happen when there is peace and tranquillity. We are to possess the possessions we have in Christ. This is the expectation in Joshua and Ephesians. What an amount of land remains yet for our possession!
Authority – v.18
“And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it.”
The phrase used is “the house of Jacob”, not ‘the house of Israel’, indicating that the grace of God can and will operate in judgment. In another context we read: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” Lam.3.22. “The house of Joseph” brings to our attention the unity of the nation. At this time the two sticks become one; Ezek.37.15-28. “The house of Esau” is that of the enemy and the Lord will deal with this Himself. Isa.63.1 speaks concerning the garments of the victorious Christ spattered with blood: not His blood, but that of His enemies.
Superiority – vv.19,20
“And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.” This is the glorious Christ going on a victory circuit:
The South: “And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau …”
The West: “… and they of the plain the Philistines …”
The East: “and Benjamin shall possess Gilead …”
The North: “the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath …”
The South: “… in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.” This return to the south is more of a ‘mopping up exercise’.
Integrity – v.21
“And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau.”
Sovereignty – v.21
“… and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”
What a promise, and it cannot fail! In the Psalm that graphically describes His suffering we read, “For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is the Governor among the nations” Ps.22.28. Suffering always precedes glory.
Into the midst of the scene of judgment there is a great Bible ‘but’, and to emphasise this it is followed by two ‘ands’: “But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions” v.17.
This shall be so when the Gentile armies are defeated at the battle of Armageddon and subsequently the Kingdom is established and He reigns.
Glory – v.21
“… and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”
Notice the vast timespan that God encapsulates in one chapter. If we take Newberry’s date for when Obadiah received the vision (587 BC) then, since the last sentence refers to the Lord’s Millennial reign, there are at least two thousand six hundred years between the beginning and the end of the chapter.