OBADIAH at a glance

THE PURPOSE FOR WRITING THIS BOOK: To show that God judges anyone who harasses His children, as Edom did with Judah.

WHO WROTE THIS BOOK?: Obadiah ... a little known man whose name means either ‘servant or worshiper of the Lord’.

WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN: Sometime between 855-840 BC.

WHAT WAS THE SETTING OF THE BOOK: “Historically, Edom had constantly harassed the Jews. Prior to the time this book was written, Edom had participated in attacks against Judah. Given the dates above, this prophecy came after the division of Israel into northern and southern kingdoms and before the conquering of Judah by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.”

 

THE BLUEPRINT

 

1) Edom’s destruction _{(Obadiah 1:1-16)}

2) Israel’s restoration _{(Obadiah 1:17-21)}

 

         “The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the firstborn son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob. In the womb, Esau and Jacob struggled together, and God told their mother, Rebekah, that they would become two nations, with the older one serving the younger (Genesis 25:23). As an adult, Esau rashly sold his inheritance to Jacob for a bowl of red soup (Genesis 25:30-34), and he hated his brother afterward. Esau became the father of the Edomites, and Jacob became the father of the Israelites, and the two nations continued to struggle through most of their history.” ^[1]

         The book of Obadiah shows what happens as the result of an ancient feud between Edom and Israel. Edom, which means ‘red’, was on a high mountain. This lofty position provided safety and security, but it also made the Edomites prideful and arrogant, two things the Lord doesn’t like or tolerate. Because the Edomites lorded over the inhabitants of Judah relentlessly, God destroyed them for their pride.

Just as Edom was destroyed and disappeared as a nation, so God will destroy all proud and wicked people.

         Up next are the Mega-Themes from Obadiah. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

NOTE: All quotes are from The Life Application Study Bible unless otherwise noted.

^[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/Edomites.html