Obadiah Study: conclusion (vrs 17-21)

Welcome to the fifth and final installment of the Obadiah study.

v17 - The fugitives will return to Mount Zion and there will be holiness.  The household of Jacob will possess Edom's possessions.

In contrast to the destruction it will bring on the enemies of God's people, Judgment Day brings restoration for Israel.  Those who were once looted now come into possession of Edom's possessions, reversing the fortunes and another example of God's justice allowing punishment to fit the crime.

v18 - And the household of Jacob will be a fire - the household of Joseph a flame, and the household of Esau will be straw. And they will burn through and devour them, leaving no survivors from the household of Esau, because Yahweh has spoken.

The idea of fire/flame here represents divine judgment.  Fire is often used this way in Scripture, both as a purifying agent and a destroying agent.  Here the divine judgment is exercised by God's people.

Edom, who cut down Israel's survivors, will be left with no survivors of their own.  Again, the punishment fits the crime.

And, lest someone think that these actions are Israel's idea of revenge, Obadiah notes that this is all to happen according to the Word of the Lord.  What the Lord declares is sure to happen.

v19 - And they of the south will possess the hills of Esau, and those of the plain will possess the land of the Philistines. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and fields of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

v20 - The army of the exiles of the children of Israel will claim Canaanite land as far as Zarepath, and the exiles of Jerusalem in Sepharad will take possession of the cities of the south.

Edom's territories will be possessed by Israel.  Samaria, which is to the north of Israel, was taken by Israel partially in 153 BC and fully in 106 BC.  Gilead was taken by Israel in 164 BC.  So in part, these prophecies have already seen fulfillment.  Yet not in their entirety at this moment. Total fulfillment will not happen until the Day of Judgment, when God will sort out everything according to His promised Word.

The reference to "exiles" here further underscores dating this book at the time of the captivity to Babylon.

v21 - And the deliverers will go up to Mount Zion to rule the hills of Esau, and the kingdom will belong to Yahweh.

Jerusalem, recently destroyed in Obadiah's time, will be rebuilt and become a place where the nations will be judged.

Deliverers here carries the idea of future salvation - the Messiah.  From Jerusalem, the Messiah will judge Edom - here representing all the nations who opposed God.

Yet the book reminds us that Israel is not really the one in charge, either.  God Himself is the ultimate ruler of this future kingdom, ruling Israel and all the nations.  Thus Obadiah looks forward to a day in our future, and reminds us that a time will come when all the wrongs of this life will be made right.

This concludes the Obadiah study.  Hopefully within the next couple weeks all 5 parts will be united in one document on my website, possibly with some small group materials and/or sermon outlines.

Obadiah Study: part 4 (vrs 10-16)

Sorry for the long delay getting this finished.  I'm moved into the new place now and all is starting to get more organized.  Here's the fourth installment, with one more yet to come:

v10 - Because of your violence toward your brother Jacob shame will cover you and you will be cut off eternally.

"Your brother" reminds the readers of the close association of the two nations and the ancient conflict between Jacob and Esau.

Edom thought that Israel was destroyed forever, but in reality, it is Edom who will be destroyed.

v11 - On the day you stood and watched while strangers took their army captive and foreigners entered the gates and cast lots to divide Jerusalem. You were like one of them.

"the day" sometimes refers to the Day of the Lord in Scripture, when God judges the heathen and the nations.  Here, however, it refers to the day of Israel's destruction, when Babylon invaded.

The point of this verse is that it is just as bad to watch someone do evil to another as to do it yourself.  Too many times we justify not getting involved as something isn't "my problem."  One of the lessons of Obadiah is that if your brother (and we Christians know what "brother" means) is experiencing trouble, it is our obligation to help out, otherwise we are just as bad as the one causing the trouble.

v12 - Do not watch on the day of your brother's misfortune. Do not rejoice on the day the sons of Judah perish. Do not open your mouths on the day of adversity.

v13 - Do not enter the gates of my people on the day of their calamity. Do not passively watch on the day of their calamity. Do not steal their possessions on the day of their calamity.

v14 - Do not stand beside the crossroads to kill the refugees. Do not hand over their survivors on the day of adversity.

In these verses, Obadiah writes in the present tense as though Edom's sins were happening at the moment. This is a literary technique he is using to express his shock and horror at the events.

Edom moves from an internal attitude to active participation in the events against Israel.  First Edom stands at a distance, watching and mocking. Then Edom moves in for a closer view and beings to take advantage of the situation by looting. Finally they actively become a part of Israel's destruction by slaughtering those escaping from the invading armies, and handing survivors over to the invaders.

Often sin moves in a progressive line like this, both in Scripture and in our lives. The lesson is that we should not sit back and mock the misfortunes of others, or seek an advantage in them for ourselves.  We should be helping those experiencing disaster, even if they are our enemies, and especially if they are our brothers or sisters.

In verse 9, God told Edom that the nation would be "cut down." In verse 14, we find that this is because Edom "cut down" the survivors of Israel. God's justice lets the punishment fit the crime. Which brings us to verse 15....

v15 - Because near is the day of Yahweh to judge all the nations. Just as you have done, so it will be done to you. He will return your reward on your own head.

This is a transitional verse, and possibly the key verse in Obadiah. Day here refers to the Day of the Lord, and Edom becomes a representative for all the godless nations that the Lord will judge.

Edom's wrongs will return back to it, illustrating the spiritual principle that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8). Thus the verse encompasses the key to Obadiah - that people will be rewarded or punished in the Day of Judgment based on their actions (or non-actions) in this life.  If our actions our good, then when God returns your reward on your own head, it will be good.  If not, then we are destined for the same fate as Edom.

v16 - Because just as you have drunk on the mountain of my holiness so all the ungodly nations will continually drink and drink quickly, and they will be as though they have never been.

Edom and the other godless nations will be forced to drink from the cup of God's wrath - a continual drinking that will utterly destroy them. God will make it as though these nations had never existed.

Drinking from God's wrath is a common theme in Scripture.  If you want to do a little mini-study on it, check out these passages:

Isaiah 51:17-23

Jeremiah 25:15-29 (note the reference to Edom in v. 21)

Ezekiel 23:31-34

Habakkuk 2:16

Stay tuned for the final part of the Obadiah study.  If you're reading these and enjoying them, please leave me a little feedback to encourage me to keep going.  Thanks!