Obadiah 1:1-21
Q.1. Who were the Edomites? Why was Edom’s violence against Israel so deplorable? How would God reward their arrogance of heart? – (Ob.1:1-14 c.f. Gen.25:21-30; 36:1-9; Num.20:14-21)
The Edomites were descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob (later Israel – Gen.32:28). Their territory was one hundred and forty by twenty-five kilometres. It adjoined the southern border of Judah and was situated between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqabah. The Treasury building in the Edomite city of Petra in modern Jordan, was cut out of the rock face. Moses had asked that Israel be granted permission to pass through the territory of their relatives, after their exodus from Egypt – 20 But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with a heavy force and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him (Num.20:20-21 c.f. Num.20:14-21). The Edomites had a deep-seated hatred of Israel. When Babylon attacked Jerusalem, they helped the Babylonians to capture the people of Judah. Then they plundered Jerusalem, and helped themselves to what was left behind – Thus says the Lord God, “Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,” … Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity … as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You will be a desolation (Ezk.25:12; 35:5, 15). In the time of Queen Esther, Haman deceived the king of Persia into signing an edict to annihilate all the Jews in his kingdom. Haman was an Edomite in the line of Agag, king of the Amalekites (1 Sam.15:32). The Herod’s were Idumeans (or Edomites) who persecuted the Saviour and early church leaders (Mt.2:1; Lk.13:19; 9:9; 23:12; Acts 12:1). The hatred ran deep. As did Ezekiel, Obadiah recorded the sin of Edom that was so detestable to God – 10 “Because of violence to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and you will 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 gate and cast lots for Jerusalem — You too were as one of them (Oba.1:10-11). Edom considered the likes of cities like Petra, which were hewn out of sheer rock, to be impregnable. This made them self-confident – 3 “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in the loftiness of your dwelling place, who say in your heart,who will bring me down to earth?’ 4 “Though you build high like the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord (Oba.1:3-4).
Q.2. How would Edom be treated by God? What distinction would God make between Israel and Edom in future days? – (Ob.1:15-21 c.f. Mt.7:12)
A day of reckoning was coming – “For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head (Oba.1:15). Obadiah foresaw a day when the tables would be turned – 17 “But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, and it will be holy. And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions. 18 “Then the house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau will be as stubble. And they will set them on fire and consume them, so that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau,” For the Lord has spoken (Oba.1:17-18). A time will come when the territory of Israel will extend to the cities of the Negev (probably during the relandscaped earth during the Millennium) – 20 The exiles of this host of the sons of Israel, who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev. 21 The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord’s (Oba.1:20-21).