Obadiah; Psalm 82-83

We know nothing of Obadiah.  Just him name. (so cool).  This short book has 2 sections to it.

• The Destruction of Edom
• The Restoration of Israel

This book was probably written around 587 B.C. Israel will fall to the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar and Edom will not only look on but take part of the plunder of spoils.   This prophecy does come  true and Edom is no longer considered a nation around 150 B.C.  Lingering survivors appear throughout time, one of them  being Herod the Great, the ruler of the Jews during Jesus time but in 70 A.D. the Edomites entirely disappear.

The second part of this prophecy is the confirmation of covenant.  Israel will rise from her fall, she will not only possess her original land but also that of  Philistia and Edom (today this is Jordan).  This prophecy speaks of the coming Messiah.  “The house of Jacob will possess its inheritance”.

By the way if you feel like reading a little more today read Jeremiah 49 staritn in Verse 7.  Jeremiah was a prophet also that echoed the same message of Obadiah in that chapter.

Psalm 82-83  Smile.  If you had read these Psalms 6 months ago you may not have understood them like you do today.

Obadiah Overview

• Obadiah, the shortest book in the Bible. 
• Obadiah means ‘servant of the Lord’.
• Obadiah was speaking of the doom of Edom. 

The people of Edom were the descendants of Esau.  Esau was Jacob’s brother; he sold his birthright to Jacob and since then there has always been a conflict between his people and Israel.  The Edomites never passed up an opportunity to attack or invade God’s people.  This 21 verse book will predict that the Edomites will be destroyed forever.  And so it has been.  There are two themes in this short book, Justice and Pride.  As we just read the Psalms and Proverbs we recall that God countlessly reminds us that He will eventually bring Justice, that we do not.  And as far as Pride, the capital of Edom was Petra.  Petra was a rocky mountainside just south of the dead sea. (click here for map).  The Edomites would attack and then retreat to the city that was virtually impregnable because of it’s topography.  Built on the cliff of a Red mountain (I find it ironic that it was red because Esau in Hebrew meant “red”.) So they were very confident and prideful that they could attack any nation and never be attacked back.  Here is a picture of Petra and the Book of Obadiah, a message from the Lord will address them and pronounce their destruction once and for all.