I’ve never heard anyone say that the book of Obadiah is their favorite book in the Bible. I don’t expect ever to hear anyone say that Obadiah is their favorite book. Obadiah is not my favorite book, but it is part of Holy Scripture. We know that all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). So, the book of Obadiah is inspired by God and has a divine message for us. As with every other divine message in the Bible, we need the message of Obadiah. The question is, “What is the message of Obadiah?” The message of Obadiah is not easy to understand. It takes some hard work. But for those willing to do the work of discovering the message of Obadiah, there is a great reward. Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament and is easy to overlook, yet it still packs a prophetic punch. We find some great spiritual truth in this little book that we all need in our hearts and lives. It is the burden of this post to discover those great truths.
Historical Context
From the content of the book of Obadiah, we know that it is a prophetic judgment on the nation of Edom (Esau) shortly after the fall and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Whether Obadiah was a prophet of the Lord before this time or was called for the purpose of bringing this message, we do not know. This is a prophecy against Edom, but surely it brought the exiled people of Judah comfort that those who oppressed them would receive justice from the Lord and that the Lord was still their God in a covenant relationship with them. They must have had questions about their future as the people of God due to the devastation and destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the judgment of the Lord. But this prophecy of Obadiah helped them see that they did have a future. God was in control despite the circumstances. He was refining them for his purposes.
Flow of the Book
The flow of the book of Obadiah is in three parts: (1) Judgment on Edom (1-14), (2) The Day of the Lord for all Nations (15-18), (3) The Kingdom of God (19-21). The biblical teaching of judgment, the day of the Lord, and the kingdom of God is everywhere in the Word of God. It is important to understand that these themes are interrelated in the plan of God. God is working in the world to bring his kingdom to full consummation. He does that by what is called the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord occurs at strategic points throughout history, but finally and completely at the second coming of Jesus. The day of the Lord brings in salvation and judgment, both temporal and eternal. We get a glimpse of the intersection of these three themes in the book of Obadiah.
Judgment on Edom (1-14)
The first and longest section is the primary purpose of the book as a pronouncement of Judgment against Edom. This section has two parts: (1) A Prophetic and Poetic Pronouncement of Judgment on Edom (1-9), (2) The Reason the Lord is Judging Edom )10-14). Ancient Edom was the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant went to Jacob, from which the twelve tribes originate, rather than Esau, though he was the firstborn of the twins. The relationship between Israel and Edom was always tension-filled. It seems from Obadiah’s prophecy that Edom was either in league with the Babylonians to defeat Jerusalem, or they merely took advantage of the situation by attacking refugees and stragglers. In either case, they worked against God’s people and would be judged for it.
The Edomites lived in the mountainous region to the southeast of the Dead Sea. They assumed their geographical isolation and difficult terrain would render it impossible for them to be defeated. Their pride would be their downfall. The Lord would orchestrate their demise as a judgment on them for their treachery against Israel.
The Lord is a God of Justice. His justice works in two directions, retributive justice, and restorative justice. Retributive justice works against those who oppress and victimize others. Restorative justice works for the victims of oppression. In the book of Obadiah, Edom is the oppressor, and Israel is the oppressed. In this world broken by sin and evil, oppression happens in many ways. There is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual oppression. Because we are all sinful, we all have experienced oppression as the oppressor and the oppressed. We often even oppress ourselves. God works to restore both. He restores the oppressor by his mercy and the oppressed by his justice. Those who refuse the mercy of God by repentance receive his just judgment. The book of Obadiah helps us feel the serious weight and force of the oppressed and the oppressor and thereby leads us to repentance and restoration.
The Day of the Lord for all Nations (15-18)
The second part of the book shifts from judgment on Edom to judgment on all nations. The Day of the Lord is a theme used often in the prophets. It can refer to salvation or judgment, and often both. Here it refers primarily to the judgment of Edom but also to the salvation of God’s people. The theme of “Day” is seen throughout the book (vs. 8,11,12,13,14,15). The phrase, “the day of the Lord’ is seen once (v. 15). All nations alike come under divine scrutiny. God’s justice will judge them. Obadiah says that Israel will have a hand in God’s judgment of the nations, especially Edom, the house of Esau. The house of Jacob will be victorious over the house of Esau (v. 18). These two ancient rivals play a key role in the plan of God.
In Obadiah’s proclamation of the day of the Lord, he expresses the biblical principle of what a person sows that will they reap. Edom sowed evil and violence and would, in like manner, reap evil and violence. The metaphor is picturesque. As a farmer sows seed into the ground expecting a harvest, so people sow into their own lives and the lives of others, either good or evil. They will likewise reap the same. If our attitudes and actions focus on ourselves, we will reap that. But if our attitudes and actions are focused on others, then we will reap a harvest of good and blessing that brings in the kingdom of God and glorifies his name.
The Kingdom of God (19-21)
Edom (Esau) stands for a type or pattern of all those who oppose the purposes of the Lord. In this final and shortest section, all those who oppose the Lord will be possessed by the people of God. The Lord is Lord of the nations and ultimately uses them for his redemptive purposes. Saviors or deliverers (from the word judge in the book of Judges) are sent from Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau. The nations come to the Lord as his Messiah Savior establishes the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the reign and rule of God in the hearts of his people. It will be restored in the future. There will be a time when God’s dispossessed people will again possess the blessings of the Lord. Those suffering in the early years of the exile surely found the Word of God from Obadiah to be encouraging and hopeful. The Lord has not forsaken his covenant with his people even though he has justly judged them for their sins. He remains faithful even though they were unfaithful. Theirs would be the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God was coming in the days of Obadiah, but it had not yet arrived.
The eternal kingdom of God through the Messiah will come, and his reign of justice and truth will be established on earth. Jesus is the Messiah. He first came to inaugurate the kingdom in the world. He will come a second time to consummate the kingdom. We enter the kingdom of God through salvation and live in the kingdom as we grow in grace by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. God is bringing many sons and daughters into the kingdom by Jesus.
Conclusion:
The Word of the Lord came powerfully through Obadiah in his day, and it still comes powerfully to us. The Lord is Sovereign over the nations. The Lord is the God of his people, Israel, and the Church, but he is also the sovereign Lord of all peoples and nations. When they act in wickedness, his righteous judgment will certainly come upon them. When the people of God suffer at the hands of evil people or by the evil one, Satan, they can trust the Lord to execute justice and redemption for them. The book of Obadiah brings us that confidence. We know that God loves us and has a plan for our lives.
The Kingdom of God is coming. God is the Sovereign King of the universe. But he does not reign in the hearts of those who have rebelled against him. He is working in the world to establish his eternal kingdom overall. Obadiah heard the message of the King and spoke it to the people of Israel and to us. God’s kingdom comes through Jesus Christ and will fully flourish in the redeemed earth. In the meantime, we follow Jesus in the mission of God.