The vision of Obadiah.

Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!”

(Obadiah 1:1)

Obadiah means “servant of the Lord” (Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon) or “worshiper of the Lord” (Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon).  There are about 13 people in the Bible with this name, and it is impossible to state with certainty which of them, if any, is the Obadiah of the Old Testament book bearing his name.  Nothing is known about the author of Obadiah save that he was a prophet of God and that he prophesied about the nation of Edom.

The book of Obadiah focuses on the nation of Edom.  The Hebrew term edom is a derivative of the Hebrew term adom which literally means “red.”  Adom was used to describe Esau’s “red” appearance when he was born (Gen. 25:25), and later was used by Esau to describe the “red” stew Jacob was preparing which Esau desired so much that he was willing to sell his birthright (Gen. 25:30a).  Moses then informed his readers that it was because of Esau’s desire for the “red” (adom) stew that Jacob’s older brother would come to be known as “Edom” (Gen. 25:30b), a play on words likely based on how the Hebrew term edom sounds very similar to the Hebrew word adom.  The name “Edom” was thereafter associated with Esau (cf. Gen. 36:1, 8, 19).  The place where he and his descendants would come to live would be known as “the land of Seir, the country of Edom” (Gen. 32:3; cf. 36:8-9).  The land of Seir which would become the country of Edom was known as “hill country” (Gen. 36:8-9), a rocky mountainous region south of the Dead Sea with heights as high as 5,700 feet above sea level.  Living in such a high and mountainous area which was so difficult for any opposing army to reach apparently gave the Edomites prideful confidence that they could not be beaten on their home turf, something about which God through Obadiah would be quick to disillusion them (Obadiah 3-4).

Esau and Jacob’s rivalry is well known by most churchgoers from Sunday School lessons (Gen. 25:19-34; 27:1-46; 32:1-32; 33:1-17).  It did not help matters that Esau, all out of a desire to displease his parents and be different from his brother (Gen. 28:1-9), rebelliously married two Hittite women (Gen. 26:34-35) as well as a Canaanite who was the daughter of his uncle Ishmael (Gen. 28:9; 36:3) and two other Canaanite women (Gen. 36:2).  Chapter 36 of Genesis gives the record of his descendants who would form the nation of Edom.  Even though God through Moses specifically directed Jacob’s descendants which formed the Israelite nation to “not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother” (Deut. 23:7), Israel and Edom would regularly come to blows throughout Old Testament history (Num. 20:14-21; 1 Sam. 14:47; 2 Sam. 8:13-14; 2 Kings 8:20-22; 2 Chr. 20:22; 21:8-10).

There is much debate about when Obadiah prophesied.  He speaks of Jerusalem being attacked (vs. 10-11ff).  Some ascribe this attack to Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of the city in 586 B.C., reasoning that Obadiah’s statement “We have heard a report from the Lord” (Obadiah 1) refers to Obadiah and other prophets who lived during the time of the beginning of the Babylonian exile, such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel who also had similar messages from God against Edom (Jer. 49:7-13; Ezek. 35:1-10).  Others take an earlier date, believing that this refers to the attack by the Philistines and the Arabians when Jehoram was king (2 Chr. 21:16-17), which would put the date at around 845 B.C.  Edom is contextually said to give Judah and Jehoram problems during this time (2 Chr. 21:8-10), and so it would make sense that the Lord would have a message for Obadiah to send to that nation as a result of their misconduct.  For the purposes of our verse-by-verse study of the book in these articles, knowing the date of the book is irrelevant.  Its message and application to modern Christians will not be affected by not knowing exactly when it was written.

As to its relevance and application to us today, our study of this very short book (the shortest book in the Old Testament!) will give us many lessons which will help us in our walk with God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17).  I look forward to studying Obadiah with you.

— Jon