INTRODUCTION
Obadiah, is the shortest book in the Old Testament.  The prophet Obadiah is called a minor prophet due to the size of material he penned.  The center and core of this prophesy is the destruction of Edom.  The descendants of Esau the twin brother of Jacob are the people and nation known as Edomites and Edom.

The unfolding of the centuries from account of Genesis 25 until at least 582 B.C. a struggle existed between Edom and Israel.

From literally the womb of Rebekah until Edom was destroyed, the Jews and Edomites were in bitter conflict.

From the battle over the birthright and the blessing of Isaac to Jacob, tensions ran high between these kinsmen.

Gen. 25:27-34  And the boys grew. And Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field. And
                       Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.   Now Isaac loved Esau, because
                      he did eat of his venison. And Rebekah loved Jacob.  And Jacob boiled
                      pottage. And Esau came in from the field, and he was faint.  And Esau said
                      to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage. For I am faint.
                      Therefore was his name called Edom.  And Jacob said, Sell me first thy
                      birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am about to die. And what profit shall
                      the birthright do to me?  And Jacob said, Swear to me first. And he sware
                      unto him. And he sold his birthright unto Jacob.  And Jacob gave Esau
                      bread and pottage of lentils. And he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went
                      his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
 

Gen.  27:30-35   And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob,
                         and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that
                         Esau his brother came in from his hunting.  And he also made savory food,
                        and brought it unto his father. And he said unto his father, Let my father arise,
                        and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.  And Isaac his
                        father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy first-born,
                        Esau.  And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who then is he that
                        hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou
                        camest, and have blessed him? Yea, and he shall be blessed. When Esau
                        heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry,
                        and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.  And he said,
                        Thy brother came with guile, and hath taken away thy blessing.

The Edomites the descendants of Esau,  are seen after the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The Edomites refuse to permit the Israelites to pass through their territory.

Numbers 20:14-21  And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus
                                saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
                               how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time;
                               and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers: 20:16and when we cried
                               unto Jehovah, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us forth out of
                               Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border.
                               Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy land: we will not pass through field or
                               through vineyard, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go
                               along the king's highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left,
                               until we have passed thy border. And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not
                               pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee. And the
                              children of Israel said unto him, We will go up by the highway; and if we drink
                              of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof: let me only,
                              without doing anything else, pass through on my feet. And he said, Thou
                             shalt not pass through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and
                             with a strong hand.  Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his
                             border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

During the reign of Saul, the first King of Israel tensions abounded between Israel and Edom.

II Sam. 8:14    And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all
                        the Edomites became servants to David. And Jehovah gave victory to David
                       whithersoever he went.

The last Edomite we know anything about is Herod who was descended from the Edomites.

The personality and characteristics of Esau dominates these people.

The Edomites had been successful in rebelling against King Joram.  They were conquered again by King Amaziah.
The regained there freedom under the reign of King Ahaz.

Assyria and Babylon conquered them and so did the Nabateans.  The Edomites were forced to leave their territory and move to southern Palestine.  The Edomites began to be called Idumeans.  Herod the great was an Edomite called an Idumean.

Herod became king of Judea in 37 B.C.  In one sense the hatred and cruelty of Edom was seen when Herod sought to kill the baby Christ.  Before the crucifixion Jesus was tried by Herod and sent back to Pilate.

The Edomites stood by and watched with satisfaction as Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 587-585 B.C.

The Edomites seem to cut of escape and hindered the Jews as they fought the Babylonians.

The Edomites were happy when Jerusalem was pillaged and destroyed by the Babylonians.  Ironically they died defending Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and then vanished from human history.
 
 

            OBADIAH THE AUTHOR

Obadiah seems to be an obscure prophet that lived in the southern kingdom of Judah.  We read nothing of his home, or family.

The fact that the name of his father is not mentioned may suggest he was not of the priestly or royal tribes.

The name Obdiah mean, " the servant of the Lord".

There are thirteen people in the Old Testament named Obadiah.  An ancient hebrew seal was inscribed with the name of Obadiah.  The seal read " Obadiah, the servant of the King".

One Obadiah was a servant or officer in the palace of Ahab, this man hid the prophets of God in a cave.

Another Obadiah was dispatched to teach the law in some cities in Judah by King Jehoshaphat.

II Chronicles 17:7  Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben-hail, and
                                Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities
                                of Judah;

There was an overseer that repaired the temple under King Josiah.

II Chronicles 34:12  And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were
                                Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of  Merari; and Zechariah
                                and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others
                                of the Levites, all that were skilful with instruments of music.

There was a priest that was serving in the days of Nehemiah named Obadiah.

Nehemiah 10:5   Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

The name Obadiah was a very common name among the Hebrew.  There are no statements made about this prophet in the New Testament.
 

Obadiah does his prophetic work and fades into the background; he delivers his message and he is gone.   And that is about all we know about the man behind this book.
 

                 THE BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK

The date seems to depend  on the statement found in verse 11.  The conquest and defeat of Jacob or Israel is mentioned.
This seems to have already occurred.

Obadiah 11    in the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that strangers carried
                      away his substance, and foreigners entered  into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem,
                      even thou wast as one of them.

If this account is accurate then the book was written after the victory of Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C.   This would make Obadiah a contemporary of the weeping prophet Jeremiah.   Most Bible commentators believe the author of this book was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, the last of the prophets before Israel went into captivity.

The message of the book is inform the people that Edom will be cut down and cast away for their sins. The Edomites are soundly denounced.

The people of Israel have a glorious future awaiting them, but Edom has death and destruction in her future.

The people of Israel will be rescued by the power of God.  Edom will be utterly brought down with no redemption from God.

Because of the utter destruction and calamities that was recorded this was a favorite book among the Jews.

 
                           THE SINS OF EDOM

The message to Edom was from God not man.  Obadiah saw the things he wrote about in a vision.

The prophets of God wrote the will of God and not their ideas and thoughts.

II Peter. 1:20-21   knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation.
                              For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God,
                              being moved by the Holy Spirit.

Obadiah 1    The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning Edom: We
                     have heard tidings from Jehovah, and an ambassador is sent among the
                      nations, saying, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

The handwriting of God was clear and plain.  The statement of the prophet was that the Edomites were already being watched by her enemies.   The plans were already being made ready to destroy this nation.

Obadiah 2    Behold, I have made thee small among the nations: thou art greatly despised.

The reason God was going to allow Edom to be destroyed was because of her pride and stubbornness.

Many have been brought to destruction because of pride.

Proverbs 11:2    When pride cometh, then cometh shame;  But with the lowly is wisdom.

The pride of Edom was shameful as it is in any people.

Proverbs 13:10  By pride cometh only contention;  But with the well-advised is wisdom.

How many problems and heartaches face the church because of selfish pride and contentions.

Proverbs 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction,  And a haughty spirit before a fall.

There is one thing that we know about pride.  The haughty and proud will be brought down.

Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low;  But he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honor.

God cannot stand pride in mortal man.  The hatred of God is stirred as he looks upon a creature filled with self righteousness or inordinate pride.  The King James Version translates haughty eyes as a proud look.

Proverbs 6:16   There are six things which Jehovah hateth;  Yea, seven which are an abomination
                          unto him:  Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,  And hands that shed innocent blood;
                          A heart that deviseth wicked purposes,  Feet that are swift in running to mischief,
                          A false witness that uttereth lies,  And he that soweth discord among brethren.

 
The Edomites took pride in things that could not save them.   There pride was a stench in the nostrils of god.
 

This people believed that they were secure and the rocks of their fortress was all the protection they needed.

Obadiah 3-4   the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock,
                       whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the
                       ground?  Though thou mount on high as the eagle, and though thy nest be set
                       among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence, saith Jehovah.

They did not need God because they felt that nothing could penetrate their defensive position in the high mountain rocks.

Here is a people that says, "Nobody can touch me. Who is going to upset me?   I will do I want out to do." This attitude of self-sufficient ability is a mark of pride. And the Lord says,  I am able to bring you down.

I have been told that the Edomites would not acknowledged Jehovah nor any other gods.  They were so full of their own strength and security they felt they did not need God.

Here is the man who says, "Nobody can touch me. Who is going to upset me? My plans are all laid out. I am able to carry
through what I set out to do." This attitude of self-sufficient ability is a mark of pride. And the Lord says that "though you soar
aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, yet I am able to bring you down.

The passage about living in the clefts of the rocks, is a very literal reference to the nation of Edom.

The Edomites lived in the Negev area and inhabited the city of Petra, the rose-red city of the dead.  This city is approached through a great fissure that runs for about a mile or more through the rock, a narrow passage which is only a few yards wide brings you at last into an open place where temples have been carved out of the rock.  Temples doors in them are about 25-30 feet high. That was the capital of Edom.  That was the where the people felt that safe by these natural defenses they were impregnable.

The pride of their heart deceived them.  They believed nothing could overthrow them, but God said they would fall, and they did.   About A.D 70  the Romans came in and destroyed the cities of Edom.  They conquered this impregnable fortress. It has been in ruins ever since.

The pride they had in their fortified city would not sustain them.

When you step into your office on Monday morning and you have been a fine Christian on Sunday, but on Monday morning you say, Now I am in charge.  I don't need the Bible. I don't need God. I don't need my religion to help me here. I know exactly how to run this business, you have the same spirit of Edom, a hellish pride and self-sufficiency.   Christians at times live as though God were dead, they believe in God, but live as though he were dead, they live without depending on his wisdom and his strength.

They people swelled with pride when they considered their rich possessions. This was a popular trade route and this area was prosperous and rich.
 
Obadiah 5-6   if thieves came to thee, if robbers by night (how art thou cut off!), would they not steal
                       only till they had enough? if grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not
                       leave some gleaning grapes?   How are the things of Esau searched! how are
                       his hidden treasures sought out!

How many people love riches and things more than God?  We can put our trust in the financial markets, banks and our cash only to lose it all.  We are not to be secure in our possessions.

Luke 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness:
                     for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Life is not about what we have but who we are.  God looks upon the inside not the outside.

They were filled with pride in the allies and political ties.

Obadiah 7-9    All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee on thy way, even to the
                        border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and
                        prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread lay a snare under thee: there
                        is no understanding in him.  Shall I not in that day, saith Jehovah, destroy
                        the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
                       And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one
                       may be cut off from the mount of Esau by slaughter

The trust and pride they had in political acumen would not save them from destruction.  The allies and confederates that they felt would defend them would be useless.  Sometimes we feel secure in crowds.  The political statesmen and soldiers they had would not keep them safe from their fate.

I have often heard people minimize sin by saying that everybody else is doing it. God warns us about this sinful attitude.

Exodus 23:2    Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak
                         in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest justice:

Saul had lots of friends and well -wishers but he still lost his Kingdom for his descendants.

They perhaps thought they had statesmen that could negotiate any deal and soldiers to keep them free but they were deceived by their pride.
 

We can become like the rich farmer and trust in our position and wealth only to be required of the Lord.

Luke 12:16-20  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain
                          rich man brought forth plentifully: and he reasoned within himself, saying,
                         What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?  And he said,
                          This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I
                          bestow all my grain and my goods.   And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast
                         much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.
                        But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee;
                        and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?

The church in Laodicea began to trust in their things and possessions.  They were weighed on another level by the eyes of God and found lacking.

Rev. 3:17    Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;
                   and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind
                    and naked:
 
 

                 EDOM SINS AGAINST ISRAEL

The people of Edom had dealt treacherously against Israel their kinsmen.  The had a wickedness that they would answer for.

God hates those that treat their brethren harshly and in an evil way.

They treated Judah and Israel ungodly and without compassion.

Obadiah 10-12  For the violence done to thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee,
                          and thou shalt be cut off for ever.  In the day that thou stoodest on the
                          other side, in the day that strangers carried away his substance, and
                          foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou
                          wast as one of them.

The Edomites had been very cruel and violent toward Judah.  They mocked and loughed at the misfortune and captivity of Judah.  They taunted and took pleasure in the pain of their kinsmen as they were taken away.

Violence is a type of pride.  A man who abuses his wife, children beaten,  babies whose bones have been broken,
and injured internally.  Is condemned and ungodly.

What is behind this violence?  Ego or pride, a cowardly spirit.  Pride is centered on self and strikes out against that which dares to challenge its reign in life.

I have seen  women with black eyes and bruises on her bodies because her Christian husband abused her. This is like Edom.
It is the pride of the flesh and will not be condoned or accepted by God

The bitter actions against Judah are recorded in the Psalmist verse.

Psalms 137:7  Remember, O Jehovah, against the children of Edom  The day of Jerusalem;
                       Who said, Rase it, rase it,  Even to the foundation thereof.
 
The people of Edom had no mercy or compassion on the people of Judah.

Sometimes christians take pleasure in others misfortune.   This account should cause us to be fearful and ashamed of this attitude.  Christians are admonished against behaving like the Edomites.

I John 3:17  But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need,
                     and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?

The Edomites were calloused and without mercy and pity to their kinsmen the Jews.

Jeremiah. 5:23  But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

What a sad manner of people the Edomites are because they have no love or mercy in their hearts.

God charges Edom with the sin of gloating as a type of pride.  Notice how you hear this so frequently in children,
good for you. You have it coming!

 Did you ever said about somebody? You had it coming. You gloat over them.  Adults learn to disguise this sometimes, but it comes out once in a while.

I remember reading of the hypochondriac gloating in death, written on his tombstone, I told you I was sick.

Do we like to rub salt on another's wounds?

The sin of Edom was revealed as they took the spoils of Judah.

Obadiah 13-14    Enter not into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea,
                            look not thou on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither lay
                            ye hands on their substance in the day of their calamity.  And stand thou
                            not in the crossway, to cut off those of his that escape; and deliver not up
                           those of his that remain in the day of distress.

The people of Edom watched the suffering of the Jews then took the spoils and made gain of their suffering.

The self-centered pride of getting anything from anyone no matter what the cost is sinful.

Sometimes we become selfish in our families.  Homes are broken over estates and possessions that are inherited from mom or dad.  Some marriages are broken because of selfishness.  One spouse has to get their way regardless of the consequences, or hurt to the other person.

I hear this complaint, Well, he is ignores me. He doesn't care about me. Or, She doesn't  pay attention to me. She isn't
interested in the things that I am interested in.

Isn't this strange that these things are true of some Christian homes?

And how quickly it comes in after marriage.   When we date it is, What are you thinking about?  Tell me what you would like?" But when we marry it is, Where's dinner?  Where's  the paper?   The concern is entirely different.
 
In our pride and unconcern we don't care what happens to someone else, as long as everything is all right with us.

"Now, what causes this? Why?  What is behind this perverse delight we take in another person's failure or his faults?
Pride and cruelty causes this behavior!

When calamity fell, Edom took advantage of it.  The Edomites moved in on a fallen people, a captured people, they took advantage of the fact that the Jews had become fugitives, they used the trouble and misery to their own advantage.

They delivered up the survivors in the day of Israel's distress. They took unfair advantage. God hates it when we utilize another's weakness or bad fortune to our advantage.

Do we try to move in and take advantage of another's distress.
 

          THE PUNISHMENT EDOM FACED

This nation would pay dearly for her sins.  They would have a terrible end and swift destruction.  The justice of God demanded the Edomites to be sorely and severely punished.

Obadiah 15-17  For the day of Jehovah is near upon all the nations: as thou hast done,
                          it shall be done unto thee; thy dealing shall return upon thine own head.
                          For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink
                         continually; yea, they shall drink, and swallow down, and shall be as though
                          they had not been. 1 But in mount Zion there shall be those that escape, and
                         it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

They were blinded by their pride and neglect of God.  They could not see the destruction that was in front of them.

Remember the the Emperor's Clothes?   The emperor looked throughout his kingdom for a tailor to make him a suit,  a man came and told him he would make him the finest suit that had ever made. He brought the cloth and showed it to the emperor,  the trouble was, there was nothing there. He held up his hands as though holding the cloth,  he said to the emperor,  this cloth has a really special quality. Only the pure in heart can see it. If you have an evil  heart, you can't see the cloth,  if your heart is pure, then you can see it.

Surely, sir, you can see it?"  The emperor saw nothing,  but  nodded his head and said, What a beautiful cloth!
That is exactly what I am want.  The tailor made him a suit from this cloth.   He put it on the  emperor who stood naked, thinking he had his suit on. He called his subject to admire him. The King told them of the special cloth and they  said, Oh, what a beautiful suit!  No one would admit that thee couldn't see anything.  The emperor, with his pride decided to go out in the
streets so everyone could see him.

There goes the misguided, ignorant man, parading his nakedness, the whole city pretended to admire the suit. A little boy  stood up and cried out,  The emperor doesn't have any clothes on.

The penalty for sin is still harsh and deadly.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Everyone else can see the trouble we are having, but we goon, sawing away the limb,  unaware that the limb we are sawing off is the limb we are sitting on, until it falls down and we are destroyed..

The Edomites would face enemies that would be merciless to them as they exhibited to the Jews in their distress.

God gave his word and pledge that they would be brought down.

Obadiah 18  And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and
                     the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall burn among them, and devour them;
                    and there shall not be any remaining to the house of Esau; for Jehovah hath spoken it.

The end would be painful and terrible for God promised this.

God determined judgment on Edom, there is no escape. Does that sound like destruction?  There is no hope for Esau; there is no way out.   The judgment of God is absolutely inescapable for Esau. God is forever set against him.

There would be absolutely nothing left of the Edomites for the human race.  They would pay with the sin that was placed on their own heads.

They had sown wickedly and now they would reap a whirlwind of utter annihilation.

A person, nation or congregation cannot expect to reap the rewards of iniquity, unless we repent and receive pardon and forgiveness.
 

Obadiah 21    And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau;
                       and the kingdom shall be Jehovah's.

It  is interesting to note when you get to the New Testament you find the principles personified again in two persons.
The two who meet are Jesus and Herod.  In the last week of our Lord's life, he stands before Herod.

Herod, is an Idumean, which is another spelling of Edom, he is an Edomite.  Herod the Edomite, is proud, arrogant, rebellious, watches the cruel treatment and mockery as soldiers strip Jesus down and dress him in a royal robe.

Herod sought a trick and asked Jesus with many questions,  For Herod the son of Esau there is no answer from Jesus the son of Jacob. He has nothing to say to him.

God had nothing more to say to Edom, nothing but a message of judgment.

Jesus  went out to the cross and grave, he came out the king of kings.  Herod the king, went to disgrace, exile, and, to a grave in a foreign country.   Jesus stood as a prisoner but Herod was the prisoner, bound by his chains of pride.
 

CONCLUSION
                         Believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, John 8:24
                               Repent and turn from sin,  Acts 3:19
                               Confess Christ with the mouth, Romans 10:10
                               Be baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38
                               Live faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10
 
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