Obadiah was raised up to give a message once. His message was about the Edomites. They were neighbors with the Jews, but also relatives. They were descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother, son of Isaac, son of Abraham.
God deals with the following principles through the prophet Obadiah:
- We aren't to rejoice when our enemy falls or stumbles. The Lord notes it on how we react to our enemies and disapprove of such behavior.
(Pro 24:17–18). We can be guided in our behavior by knowing God's heart. - He who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Mat 23:12, Luk 14:11, Psalm 138:6, Pro 29:23, James 4:6,
1 Pet 5:5b), see 3) Blessed are the meek in The Sermon on the Mount. - Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will roll back on him. (Pro 26:27, 28:10, Ecc 10:8a, Psalm 7:15 (16 in some translations),
9:15 (16 in some translations), 57:6b (7b in some translations).
Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap (Gal 6:7). - Those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed (Gen (1 Mos) 12:1–3, Num (4 Mos) 24:9b). It's therefore important for a country to have good relations with Israel. God still has a plan for Israel, see The Sheep and the Goats.
(Num (4 Mos) 20:14–21).
The reason the Israelites then didn't attack the Edomites was that God had said to Moses: "You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful.
Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land,
Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land,
You shall purchase food from them with money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.
For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing." (Deu (5 Mos) 2:1–8).
The Israelites shouldn't abhor them (Deu (5 Mos) 23:7a).
After Judah went into exile to the Babylonian empire, after they were taken captive, the Edomites migrated north to the southern area of Judah. The area was renamed Idumea. The map to the right shows the kingdom of Edom (in red) at its largest extent. The area in
dark red shows the approximate border of Idumea.
dark red shows the approximate border of Idumea.
Herod the Great wasn't a Jew, he was an Idumean.
He killed all the male children in Bethlehem and that region who were two years old or younger after the birth of Jesus, see The Christmas Star.
He killed all the male children in Bethlehem and that region who were two years old or younger after the birth of Jesus, see The Christmas Star.
See also 3.2 Israel Defeats Amalek in Moses; Part 9: Provision from God. The Amalekites were descendants to Esau (Gen 36:12, 1 Chron 1:35–36).
Obadiah received a vision from God that the nations would do to Edom like what happened to the Jews of Judah, who were taken captive to the Babylonian empire
(Oba 1:1–2).
(Oba 1:1–2).
- They acted against the first principle above, they acted with happiness when the Jews were taken to the Babylonian empire. They shouldn't have rejoiced over what happened to the people of Judah on the day of their downfall (Psalm 137:7, Oba 1:11–12,
Ezekiel 25:12–14, 35:5–6, 8, 10–13). - The pride of their hearts had deceived them (Oba 1:3–9). See the second principle above.
- As they had done to Judah, that would return to them, according to the third principle above (Oba 1:15).
- They took advantage of Judah's misery. Because of their violence they did to Judah they would be cut off forever (Oba 1:10, 13–16,
Ezekiel 35:3–4, 7, 9, 14–15). The Jews would return to Israel, but the
Edomites would be destroyed (Oba 1:17–21). No Edomites exist today.
See the fourth principle above.
See also The Prophet Books in the Old Testament.
