Apparently
very little is known about Obadiah, either concerning him,
personally, or when and where he did his prophesying. It is
said by some that this book was composed shortly after the
destruction of
Jerusalem
by Nebuchadnezzar. And perhaps it was; but no one knows. The
principal thing we do know about it is its content. It has
only one chapter. The first seventeen verses of it concern
Edom
, the
land
of
Esau
. And the remainder concerns the restoration of
Israel
, and the judgment to be sent at that time upon
Edom
.
(Verses
1 and 2) The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD
concerning Edom; We have heard a rumor 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.
This
introduces Obadiah’s vision. It is one of the downfall of
Edom
. As all Bible students know,
Edom
, or Esau, was the brother of Jacob. Their story is given in
Genesis, Chapters 25 through 33. Esau joined the household of
his uncle Ishmael; and from them most of the Arabs trace their
descent. So this prophecy may very well include the Arabs in
general. Of course, in the usual manner of consideration,
there were, and are, only two divisions of people in the
world. They are Jews, and Gentiles, or heathen. So the message
is that the descendants of Esau, or
Edom
, are made small in the sight of the heathen, and greatly
despised by them. This, of course awaits fulfillment. Even
today the Arabs are considered in the eyes of the Gentiles as
far more important than are the Jews. As is always the case in
worldly affairs, “money talks.” And the Arabs, because of
the oil deposits they control are far richer than the Jews. So
they are still held in high esteem by the heathen. But the
prophet says that there is a “rumor from the LORD,” and an
ambassador has been sent among the heathen, calling for the
heathen to rise up against
Edom
in battle. The LORD has cut
Edom
down greatly among the heathen, and has made them greatly
despised. The fact that this is not yet fulfilled does not in
the least deny that it will be done at the time selected by
the LORD.
(Verses
3 through 9) 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. 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! 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. 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.
Men
sometimes get the idea that, since the LORD does not always
immediately bring to pass the things He declares that He will
do, He did not mean what He said, and therefore we have to
hunt some other explanation of His declaration. No doubt, many
have this very idea concerning this prophecy. But, Make no
mistake; what He has declared He will surely bring to pass
just as He has ordered it. In verse 8, He says, “Shall I not
in that day” bring these things to pass. Thus He signifies
that it will not take place until the day He has chosen. Until
then
Edom
will go on in the pride of their heart, thinking that they are
so well established in the clefts of the rock that none can do
anything against them. They have nothing but disdain for the
idea that anyone, or anything, can bring them to the ground.
But the LORD says that no matter how high they may exalt
themselves, He will bring them down. Then He calls attention
to the fact that, though they think themselves invincible,
they are so completely exposed that if thieves came upon them,
or if robbers came by night, they would steal all they wanted,
with impunity. The things of Esau, even his hidden things are
completely searched out, and brought to light. Even the very
men that were at peace with
Edom
, and have been eating bread with him, are the ones that have
deceived him. They have wounded him, and he does not
understand this. As we have pointed out, this is the condition
that will prevail in the day appointed by the LORD for its
fulfillment. In that day, the Lord says, “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.” This does
not leave much room for guessing what shall be the outcome of
that day.
(Verses
10 through 16) For thy violence against thy brother Jacob
shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. In
the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that
strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners
entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even
thou wast as one of them. But thou shouldest not have looked
on 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. 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; 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. For the
day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast
done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon
thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so
shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall
drink, and swallow down, and they shall be as though they had
not been.
This
is simply a list of the things
Edom
did when
Judah
was being overrun by her enemies. Although Esau and Jacob were
brothers, and therefore their descendants should have tried to
help one another in time of distress.
Edom
had actually joined
Judah
’s enemies instead of helping
Judah
. The LORD names several of the things
Edom
did against
Judah
at that time, and declares that because of these things He
will bring them to utter destruction. Surely, this has not yet
come to pass. But that, by no means, indicates that the LORD
has forgotten His promise. It will come to pass exactly as He
has said. But it will be at His appointed day. Man can neither
hasten nor delay it. When it does, not only
Edom
, but all the heathen shall be brought down. They will never
again arise against
Israel
.
(Verses
17 through 21) But upon mount
Zion
shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the
house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. 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. 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 Zerepath; and
the captivity of
Jerusalem
, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.
And saviours shall come up on
mount
Zion
to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the
LORD’S.
All
of these the LORD mentions as possessing the various parts of
the land are those of Israel who have been brought back from
the captivity in which they have for centuries been dispersed,
and restored according to the promise of the LORD. All of this
simply gives more detail of the great work the Lord has
declared that He will make in the day when He restores
Jerusalem
,
Judah
, and
Israel
. It is in perfect harmony with the prophecies of Isaiah,
Ezekiel, and Zechariah. In the final verse, the word, “saviours,”
should, probably be understood as “judges.” Because they
will come up on mount
Zion
to judge the mount of Esau. “And the kingdom shall be the
LORD’S” completely clinches the whole matter, and it fully
agrees with the latter part of Zechariah 14, which tells us
that the LORD will be the King, and what nations of the
Gentiles that are left will come up to Jerusalem each year to
worship the King.
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