Obadiah
Notes
Transcript
The vision of the servant of Yahweh
The vision of the servant of Yahweh
We seem to have the “straight to it” form of one of the books of minor prophets tonight. Obadiah does not begin like many of the others with some reference to the king who ruled when he ministered or other time period references up front. Instead we get what in the Hebrew text is the title of this book “The vision of Obadiah” Obed is servant and iyah or ya the short form of yahweh tells us who he is, the servant of yahweh.
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!”
Okay so we get some information out of the first verse. This is concerning Edom which is the the land directly south of the southern kingdom. They’re the descendants of Esau. I think the “We” here could mean several things but from another clue I think it’s the We of other prophets of the Lord.
In Jeremiah 49:7a it starts “Concerning Edom...” then we get down to verses 14-16 which look very very similar to what we have written in our first four verses. Let’s compare...
I have heard a message from the Lord,
and an envoy has been sent among the nations:
“Gather yourselves together and come against her,
and rise up for battle!
For behold, I will make you small among the nations,
despised among mankind.
The horror you inspire has deceived you,
and the pride of your heart,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,
who hold the height of the hill.
Though you make your nest as high as the eagle’s,
I will bring you down from there,
declares the Lord.
Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
you shall be utterly despised.
The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,
in your lofty dwelling,
who say in your heart,
“Who will bring me down to the ground?”
Though you soar aloft like the eagle,
though your nest is set among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah covers a longer time but overlaps the same time we think Obadiah was written, early 6th Century BC.
After that lovely introduction we get a second doom and then the announcement of what Edom did wrong. Now that we have been told the nation will be destroyed, by God’s call to the other nations to make war upon them, we see the more personal punishment of the people.
If thieves came to you,
if plunderers came by night—
how you have been destroyed!—
would they not steal only enough for themselves?
If grape gatherers came to you,
would they not leave gleanings?
How Esau has been pillaged,
his treasures sought out!
Well… a minor prophet did it to us again… everything was a nice prose we were following along just fine then BAM some more poetry. This lays out a how much worse your situation is scenario.
If your house gets robbed do the robbers take everything? NO they take what they thing is the most valuable and leave the rest. I love how he drops in the oh, what disaster awaits you like he can’t even wait to drop the the rest of the bombshell about how bad it’s going to be.
Same with those sneaky grape pickers, do they take every grape? NO they take what they can quickly as to not get caught.
So this is saying you’ll wish a thief came because you’re going to have nothing left when this is done. Even those secret cliff caves are gonna be pillaged… OH you didn’t think we knew about that!?
All your allies have driven you to your border;
those at peace with you have deceived you;
they have prevailed against you;
those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you—
you have no understanding.
Here we find out how they get taken from their secure places mentioned before. Betrayal, their friends and allies will bring them to their destruction.
Here’s where we need a quick history break and find out why the people of Israel might really want to see the Edomites whooped on a bit. Edom and Israel have had a very on again off again relationship. Sometimes their friends sometimes they’re enemies. Most recently they’d been allies again… that is until Babylon came and took Judah captive. The Edomites didn’t help at all… in fact they kind of moved in after they were hauled off into captivity… hey lots of free real estate became available and it was already developed… It might be one thing to not come to your brother’s aid when he’s attacked, especially if it’s a big bad dude… but to go take your brother’s stuff after the big bad dude whooped ‘em that’s another story… and that’s what happened here. The Edomites thought they’d become buddy buddy with Babylon… but that didn’t last and Babylon turned on them whom they had trusted. That was somewhere between 30 and 60 years from this being written. So quickly that being swung around I’m sure came as a surprise, they would “have no understanding” about this. It wouldn’t make sense. That’s what the context of the next verse talks about.
Will I not on that day, declares the Lord,
destroy the wise men out of Edom,
and understanding out of Mount Esau?
The utter destruction will come to them even the best of the best.
And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman,
so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.
Now we find out why...
Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob,
shame shall cover you,
and you shall be cut off forever.
Because of their violence or wrong doing - fun fact the Hebrew word there is Hamas - still a problem today but a group naming themselves that is a bit more telling, even if they named themselves via acronym, in Hebrew it’s just so fitting.
Let’s see what Edom did in verse 11
On the day that you stood aloof,
on the day that strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
and cast lots for Jerusalem,
you were like one of them.
They watched as Babylon conquered and carried off their wealth… and even did a little of the same themselves.
The next three verses give us a list of Do Nots
But do not gloat over the day of your brother
in the day of his misfortune;
do not rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their ruin;
do not boast
in the day of distress.
Do not enter the gate of my people
in the day of their calamity;
do not gloat over his disaster
in the day of his calamity;
do not loot his wealth
in the day of his calamity.
Do not stand at the crossroads
to cut off his fugitives;
do not hand over his survivors
in the day of distress.
We lastly move into the final portion of Obadiah that gets on to the ultimate, that is The Day of The Lord.
For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.
For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
so all the nations shall drink continually;
they shall drink and swallow,
and shall be as though they had never been.
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