"Overview of Obediah"
Notes
Transcript
BACKGROUND INFORMATION -
BACKGROUND INFORMATION -
Author – Obadiah – means “servant of the Lord” or “Worshiper of the Lord”
The name Obadiah is used more about 20 times in the OT –
Date – 835 BC – this would have been prior to the destruction of Israel in 722 BC
Audience – Edom – Look at the relationship between Jacob and Esau in Genesis 26
Theme – “Edom’s Judgment”
Interesting fact – Obadiah is the shortest OT book –
Establish the Situation – What has gone on with the Nation of Israel? Genesis 12:1-3 – Abrahamic Covenant essential to have a proper understanding of this as we talk about the nation of Israel.
· Tie between Jacob and Esau – Read Genesis 25:21-34
Genesis 25:21–34 (NASB95)
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.” 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Rebekah had been barren and Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife
The Lord answered his prayer and she was pregnant with twins and they struggled within her
Vs. 23 is key – You notice anything interesting about this verse?
Two nations are in you
Two people will be separated
One group will be stronger
Older will serve (Esau) the younger (Jacob)
Through Esau comes the nation of Edom vs. 30
Through Jacob comes the nation of Israel – Remember his name was changed to Israel
Make note that through Esau comes the nation of Edom and through Jacob comes the nation of Israel. It is essential to understand this as we come to the book of Obadiah this morning.
The question that we must ask ourselves now is - what was the problem with Edom?
Numbers 20:14-20 – vs. 18 – “Edom, however, said to him, You shall not pass through us, or I will come out with the sword…”
Numbers 20:14–20 (NASB95)
14 From Kadesh Moses then sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us; 15 that our fathers went down to Egypt, and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly. 1
6 ‘But when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 ‘Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. We will go along the king’s highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.’ ”
18 Edom, however, said to him, “You shall not pass through us, or I will come out with the sword against you.” 19 Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else.”
20 But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with a heavy force and with a strong hand.
Ezekiel 25:12 – “Thus says the Lord God, Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance…”
12 ‘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,”
Ezekiel 35:15 – “As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel b/c it was desolate…”
15 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to destroy with everlasting enmity,”
MacArthur says – “There were 4 significant invasions of Jerusalem in OT history:
by Shishak, king of Egypt, ca. 925 b.c.during the reign of Rehoboam (1 Kin. 14:25,26; 2 Chr. 12);
by the Philistines and Arabians between 848–841 b.c.during the reign of Jehoram of Judah (2 Chr. 21:8–20);
by Jehoash, king of Israel, ca. 790 b.c.(2 Kin. 14; 2 Chr. 25); and
by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the fall of Jerusalem in 586 b.c.
Of these 4, only the second and the fourth are possible fits with historical data. Number two is preferable, since Obadiah’s description does not indicate the total destruction of the city, which took place under Nebuchadnezzar’s attack.[i]”
Mostly within one of those invasions the Edomites assisted in the attack – Notice what it says in Deuteronomy 23:7 –
7 “You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land.
What is the outcome of Edom’s sin?
The judgment spoke of throughout the OT -
· Isaiah 63:1-6 – “Who is this who comes from Edom…”
Isaiah 63:1–6 (NASB95)
1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
3 “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. 4 “For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come.
5 “I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. 6 “I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
· Jeremiah 25:17-26 - Judgment is coming on Edom
Jeremiah 25:17–26 (NASB95)
17 Then I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing and a curse, as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes and all his people;
20 and all the foreign people, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod); 21 Edom, Moab and the sons of Ammon; 22 and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon and the kings of the coastlands which are beyond the sea;
23 and Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who cut the corners of their hair; 24 and all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who dwell in the desert; 25 and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media; 26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
· Jeremiah 49:7-22 – “Concerning Edom…”
Jeremiah 49:7–22 (NASB95)
7 Concerning Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has good counsel been lost to the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? 8 “Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan, For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him At the time I punish him.
9 “If grape gatherers came to you, Would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, They would destroy only until they had enough. 10 “But I have stripped Esau bare, I have uncovered his hiding places So that he will not be able to conceal himself; His offspring has been destroyed along with his relatives And his neighbors, and he is no more.
11 “Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive; And let your widows trust in Me.” 12 For thus says the Lord, “Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, and are you the one who will be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainly drink it.
13 “For I have sworn by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will become perpetual ruins.” 14 I have heard a message from the Lord, And an envoy is sent among the nations, saying, “Gather yourselves together and come against her, And rise up for battle!” 15 “For behold, I have made you small among the nations, Despised among men.
16 “As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,” declares the Lord. 17 “Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss at all its wounds.
18 “Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors,” says the Lord, “no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it. 19 “Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan against a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make him run away from it, and whoever is chosen I shall appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand against Me?”
20 Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them.
21 The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea. 22 Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
· Lamination's 4:21-22 - “Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom…”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked. 22 The punishment of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!
· Ezekiel 25:13-14 – “Therefore thus says the Lord God, I will also stretch out my hand against Edom…”
13 therefore thus says the Lord God, “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. 14 “I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath; thus they will know My vengeance,” declares the Lord God.
· Joel 3:19 – “Edom will become a desolate place…”
19 Egypt will become a waste, And Edom will become a desolate wilderness, Because of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In whose land they have shed innocent blood.
· Amos 1:11-12 – Judgment is coming
11 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, While he stifled his compassion; His anger also tore continually, And he maintained his fury forever. 12 “So I will send fire upon Teman And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
As we examine the book of Obadiah this evening we will see how the wrath of God is being poured out on the nation of Edom. We will specifically see two characteristics of our God in action: First, we will see how He is the Judge, and secondly, we will see how He is the King.
1. God is Judge –
1. God is Judge –
Read Obadiah 1:1-14 – Make general observations as to what happens to Edom and why –
Obadiah 1–14 (NASB95)
1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom— We have heard a report from the Lord, And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying, “Arise and let us go against her for battle”— 2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You are greatly despised.
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.
5 “If thieves came to you, If robbers by night— O how you will be ruined!— Would they not steal only until they had enough? If grape gatherers came to you, Would they not leave some gleanings? 6 “O how Esau will be ransacked, And his hidden treasures searched out!
7 “All the men allied with you Will send you forth to the border, And the men at peace with you Will deceive you and overpower you. They who eat your bread Will set an ambush for you. (There is no understanding in him.) 8 “Will I not on that day,” declares the Lord, “Destroy wise men from Edom And understanding from the mountain of Esau?
9 “Then your mighty men will be dismayed, O Teman, So that everyone may be cut off from the mountain of Esau by slaughter. 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. 12 “Do not gloat over your brother’s day, The day of his misfortune. And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah In the day of their destruction; Yes, do not boast In the day of their distress.
13 “Do not enter the gate of My people In the day of their disaster. Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity In the day of their disaster. And do not loot their wealth In the day of their disaster. 14 “Do not stand at the fork of the road To cut down their fugitives; And do not imprison their survivors In the day of their distress.
Judgment –
· Vs. 2 – Lord says “I will make you small…”
· 4b – “From there I will bring you down…”
· 6 – “Esau will be ransacked…”
· 7 – “All the men allied with you will send you forth to the border…”
· 8 – Wise men will be destroyed
· 9 – Mighty men will be dismayed
· 10 – You will be covered with shame
By no means is this an exhaustive list the point is this God is going to judge the Edomites for their wickedness.
Why did this happen?
· Vs. 3 – Arrogance
o You are in the clefts of the rocks –
o High like eagles –
o Nest among the stars –
· Vs. 10 – Violence toward your brother – (Israel)
· Vs. 11 – “Stood aloof…”
The reason all of this happened was b/c of their pride.
How many of you struggle with Pride? (Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling”
2. God is King –
2. God is King –
Turn back in your Bibles to Genesis 12:1-3 – What do we find here? (Abrahamic Covenant)
Read Obadiah 1:17-21
Obadiah 17–21 (NASB95)
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.
19 Then those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau, And those of the Shephelah the Philistine plain; Also, possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria, And Benjamin will possess Gilead.
20 And 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.
Israel is God’s chosen people and He will take care of them. The Lord says vengeance is mine I will repay says the Lord.
You see things did not happen the way that Israel probably thought they would – But God accomplished it according to His sovereign plan!!
Guys understand this - things will not happen the way you want them to but God knows exactly what and how things are to be accomplished. That is why we as believers can have confidence in Him.
SO WHAT??
This week – Contemplate two questions –
Are you a prideful person? (Proverbs 16:18)
Do you trust in the Kings plan? (or are you trying to make things happen the way you want them to)
