Day 347

Obadiah 1:1-21; Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 29:24-25

TODAY WE READ in full the book of Obadiah, which is the shortest book in the Old Testament. Although Obadiah identifies himself as the author, very little is known about him, other than that his name means “servant of Yahweh.”* Obadiah was not an uncommon name; therefore, dating the prophecy is difficult.

The general consensus among scholars is that Obadiah was probably a contemporary with Jeremiah and that his prophetic work used Babylon’s conquest of Jerusalem as context. If this theory is correct, it would date Obadiah to the late 500s BC.

The book of Obadiah contains only twenty-one verses, and yet it deals with a much longer-running family issue —and heralds doom and destruction for the Edomites.

If we reflect back to the beginning of our adventure through the Bible, we will undoubtedly remember the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, and thus his descendants became the children of Israel. Esau’s descendants also flourished, and they became known as the Edomites.

When God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, the Edomites would not allow their relatives to pass through their land as they traveled toward their own Land of Promise. At other points in history, when Israel was being attacked, the Edomites stood by silently. Obadiah spoke directly to this issue: “When they were invaded, you stood aloof, refusing to help them. Foreign invaders carried off their wealth and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem, but you acted like one of Israel’s enemies” (Obadiah 1:11).

The enmity wasn’t only of the silent and passive variety. The Edomites were willing to pillage their kinfolk while they were suffering, and God was far less than pleased:

You should not have plundered the land of Israel when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have gloated over their destruction when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have seized their wealth when they were suffering such calamity.

Ultimately, Obadiah announced the complete destruction of Edom. We have good application for this message in our own time. As believers, we have each been redeemed through Christ and therefore have become children of God —we are family. All too often, we witness our brothers and sisters at war with one another or we stand by silently as brothers and sisters suffer. We might even smugly believe that they are getting what they deserve. The book of Obadiah rejects this posture outright and grants a clear picture of God’s displeasure with such arrogance.

WORSHIP:

You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.