Obadiah Sermon: A Fraternal Feud Finished: the betraying brother burns; but the shamed sibling saved in Zion
Introduction: Battling Brothers
King David writes:
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1 NIV)
It is wonderful when brothers agree. But brothers don’t always agree. That’s why it’s a blessing when they do.
Brothers can become fierce rivals. Think of the two cricketing brothers, Mike and Dave Hussey. Mike has just retired from test cricket. This is how they describe their backyard cricket matches:
"They were very, very heated," David Hussey recalls. "I would bowl for hours and hours and he [Michael] wouldn't go out and it would end with me running around the back yard and throwing a bit of a tantrum." Mike Hussey, Mr Cricket, remembers things slightly differently. "They were pretty brutal, we were constantly at each other and it would often end up in fights," he said. "David would never go out and it would always end up with me threatening to bash him up."[1]
Maybe that’s why cities are called ‘philadelphia’, brotherly love, because brotherly love is often hard to come by.
The bible has its fair share of sibling rivalries. Cain and Abel: that ended in fratricide. Ishmael and Isaac: Ishmael was expelled. Leah and Rachel: lifelong jealousy and competition for the love of Jacob their husband. Joseph and his 10 older brothers, which issued in Joseph being sold into slavery, and Joseph’s mind tricks with his brothers. But resolved in the end in reconciliation. Absalom and Amnon, which ended by Absolom killing Amnon. Solomon and Adonijah, which ended by Solomon killing Adonijah. James, Joseph, Judas, Simon and Jesus, which ended by the repentance brought by the risen Jesus’ appearing to James.
Jacob –v– Esau: No Love Lost
But none of these sibling rivalries, I would argue, has the intensity and longevity of that between the twins, Jacob and Esau. Some sibling rivalries die with one or both the siblings. Others resolve through reconciliation and repentance. But that between Rebeka’s twins continued for over a thousand years. As feotuses, Jacob and Esau fought in the womb. As young men, they fought for pre-eminence. As old men, they went their separate ways. And as nations, they continued their fight for a millennium.
God promised that the twins Jacob, also called Israel, and Esau, also called Edom, would become great nations. The older, Edom, would serve the younger, Jacob[2], but also that they would always fight. Jacob and Esau’s relationship is characterised by their ongoing bitter hostility. After Jacob stole Esau’s blessing and birthright, Esau received a dubious blessing from his Father, Isaac, away from the earth’s riches[3]:
Esau, or Edom, got the raw deal, doomed to a hard life, to serve his brother, with only the faintest hope of relief. And Edom hated his brother. Esau lived in the the mountainous country of Seir, which later took his name, Edom (Genesis 32:3; 36:8; Josh 24:4; 1 Chr 1:35-54).
Meanwhile, it all wasn’t roses for Israel. Israel went down to Egypt, about 1,800 BC, 70 in all, for 400 hundred years hard labour. And then Moses brought them to their inheritance, over 2 million people, in 1400BC. But when Israel came up to take the land God gave them, they had to watch how they treated Edom. Yahweh warned Israel through Moses:
4 Give the people these orders: 'You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.'" … 12 Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land the LORD gave them as their possession… (Deuteronomy 2:4-13 NIV)
Yahweh had been kind to both brothers. Edom received an inheritance of land from God, just like Israel[4]. But when Israel asked to pass through Edom’s territory, Edom said no!
18 But Edom answered: "You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword." (Numbers 20:18 NIV) And Edom came out against Israel with a large and powerful army. (Numbers 20:18-21 NIV).
All Israel wanted was for his brother to let him take a short cut through the front yard. But Edom wouldn’t let him. And that’s even when Israel wants to pay for drinking out of the hose. So Israel had to walk the long way round (Numbers 21:4).
The twins never saw eye to eye. And it continues into their nationhood[5]. And the history in the Old Testament of relations between Israel and Edom was the ebb and flow of struggle and warfare. The sibling rivalry only intensified. And just like Edom didn’t let Israel pass through, when Israel came to the promised land, the conflict continued. But after Israel became a kingdom, Scripture records Israel continually defeating Edom in battle[6].
So as a nation, Edom didn’t treat Israel is a brother. And as a nation, Israel didn’t treat Edom as a brother[7].
So when disaster struck the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 601BC, this tragedy also brought out the worst from Edom. When Edom saw its brother nation on the floor, it put the boot in with glee[8]. Around this this time, the Major prophets, Jeremiah[9], Isaiah[10], Ezekiel[11] prophesied similar things against Edom. But Obadiah is the minor prophet who rebukes Edom and prophesies Edom’s destruction.
Who was Obadiah?
Now, who was Obadiah? Do we know anything else about this prophet? We know he wrote the shortest book in the Old Testament. We can’t actually be sure who Obadiah was. Obadiah was a very common name. It means ‘one who worships Yahweh’. So you can see why it’s so common. There are 12 different people in the Old Testament named Obadiah[12].
The most famous ‘Obadiah’ was an official of Ahab and Jezebel. He was a high official who had charge of Ahab’s palace. He was also a devoted believer in Yahweh. At great personal cost he saved a hundred prophets of Yahweh from Jezebel’s purge (1 Kgs 18:1-18).
It’s possible that this Obadiah wrote the book of Obadiah. But we cannot be sure. And while some scholars think perhaps he did, others think it was not likely. They think it was another Obadiah who lived later, and wrote later. About all these things we cannot be sure. But we do know that there was enough animosity in the relationship between Israel and Edom that Obadiah could have spoken at any point across a number of centuries, and the prophecy would fit very well.
Yahweh, God over the nations (verse 1)
When we come to verse 1 of Obadiah, we see Yahweh asserting his territorial sovereignty. He is not just God over Israel and Judah. He is God over all nations. Obadiah verse 1:
The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign LORD says about Edom-- We have heard a message from the LORD: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, "Rise, and let us go against her for battle"[13] (Obadiah 1)
Yahweh, the God of the whole world, has set these events in train. God will rouse the nations to battle. And Yahweh aims the military power of the nations against Edom.
And the same is true today. Yahweh has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And God is sovereign over the rise and fall of nations in our time. Britain no longer rules the waves. Russia is a former superpower. And the same will be true of the United States, while India and China seem to grow in power and influence.
And when we hear of wars and rumours of wars, we know that God has not lost control. Through good and evil, God is working out his good purposes.
The question for us, of course, is, ‘Why?’ Why does God raise up a nation, and then pull it down? We don’t know why Britania no longer rules the waves, nor why Russia is no longer a Superpower. But we do have a word about why Edom was crushed. We find the answer in verses 2 to 10. It was punishment for pride.
Esau’s Pride and Punishment (verses 2-10)
We see in Obadiah verses 2 to 10, that before this fall goes pride. Notice verse 3.
The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?' (NIV)
In ancient warfare, it was a great advantage to have the high ground. You had gravity on your side. And Edom had the high ground. They dwelt on the tops of mountains and on cliff ledges.
But Yahweh makes it clear that these strategic advantages won’t stop God’s assault. Verse 4
Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," declares the LORD. (NIV)
The high ground will not save Edom from Yahweh. Edom will be completely ransacked and pillaged (verse 6).
If God wants to humble a proud country, he can do it. We Australians have long hoped that we can live in splendid isolation. We hope that our distance from trouble spots, the great big ocean between us and the rest of the world, will keep us safe. And so we are proud. We don’t need God, apparently. That is the belief of many of our politicians, many of our business leaders, many of our intelligentsia, much of our media.
But if God wants to bring us down in our pride, he can do it. We put our hope in our riches. We have ‘golden soil and wealth for toil’. Our hope is that we have lots we can dig up and sell; or that we have beautiful and talented people; or that we have good sportsmen and women; or that we have beautiful cities; or that we are a tolerant and fair and progressive society; or that we have the great Aussie spirit of mateship’ or that we have a big friend with a big stick, the United States; or that our neighbours are too poor and weak to hurt us.
All this is folly. All this is changeable. This is putting our hope in wind.
Our hope needs to be in God, that he will never leave us or forsake us. Our hope needs to be in Christ, who says ‘all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’ and ‘surely I am with you always, even until the end of the age’.
Now, when thieves rob a house, they leave the rags, the dirty clothes baskets, the nearly empty vegemite jars and the compost bin. They only take the lap top, the ipod, the jewels, the TV and the stereo. They only bother with the things that can be easily carried away and converted to cash.
But not with the judgment coming on Edom. Obadiah Verses 5 and 6:
5 "If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night-- Oh, what a disaster awaits you-- would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? 6 But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged! (Obadiah 1:5-6 NIV)
Edom will be stripped bare, just as pirannahs only leave a clean white skeleton. They won’t be robbers but removalists. They won’t leave a thing, everything will be taken, even the rags and the empty jars and the ice cream containers under the sink.
In fact, Edom’s allies will be first to feast on her. Verse 7:
All your allies[14] will force you to the border; your friends[15] will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you[16] (NIV)
Edom thought she had been very wise in her foreign affairs. She had entered various defensive alliances, as nations did, and still do[17]. But men are liars. Hitler had an alliance with Stalin, but it didn’t stop Germany invading Russia in World War II. It will be those covenant partners that will drive Edom away. They will lie and deceive and go back on their word. Edom’s trust in her alliances is meaningless.
As is ours. We mustn’t say, ‘We have the ANZUS Alliance. We have 2 and half thousand US troops in the Northern Territory. We will be safe.’ We must trust in God.
And what does this leave of Edom’s wisdom? Edom had a reputation of having great wise men. Job, for example, was one of them, as a descendant of Esau[18]. The book of Job is probably an early form of Edom’s wisdom literature[19].
But Edom had moved along way from Job’s wisdom[20]. Job’s wisdom was to fear God and shun evil.
But the later Edomite wisdom was to enter into alliances and trust in fortresses. But God will bring down the wisdom of the wise. Verse 8:
"In that day," declares the LORD, "will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, men of understanding in the mountains of Esau?[21]
The so-called wise men will be destroyed. Judgment is coming on Edom. And this judgment will destroy the wise men of Edom. And their wisdom and understanding will be seen foolishness and stupidity.
Friends, worldly wisdom surrounds us. People with street smarts, who know what makes our world tick, get on and advance. They make money, they acquire property, they grow in power and influence, they enter the halls of power and learning. And they don’t have time for God and his ways.
Do you know worldly people like this? The ways of God and his Christ is folly and stupidity to them. Christianity is a waste of time, the opiate of the people, a sedative for women and children and other lovers of bedtime stories and fantasies. But our New Testament gives us the ultimate verdict on this worldly wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:19-21:
19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:19-21 NIV)
God brought down the worldly wisdom of Edom. God will bring down the worldly wisdom of secular Australian society in all its sophisticated hedonism. And God will save fools and dullards and religious nutcases like you and me who believe that Jesus is the King, and that his death and resurrection was for our salvation, and that one day he will come again.
The endpoint for Edom will be death on a massive scale. Verses 9 and 10:
9 Your warriors, O Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down in the slaughter. 10 Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever[22].
And a similar end awaits those who reject the Christ. When the Lord Jesus returns, he will slay his enemies with the sword of his mouth. When the Apostle John describes the Lord Jesus in the book of Revelation, he says this: Revelation 19:11-16:
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11-16 NIV)
Do you find the genocides and holy war of the Old Testament offensive? Does it give you a problem? Does it blow your view of God and Jesus out of the water?
Well, God’s vengeance by war illustrated in the Old Testament is only a shadow of the final vengeance that Jesus Christ will wreak on his enemies. If you have a problem with the punishment of nations through war in the Old Testament, you will also have a problem with the vengeance of Jesus Christ promised in the New Testament.
From the perspective of heaven, we will see the vengeance of Jesus Christ as completely just and fair, and we will rejoice in his victory.
Esau celebrates his sibling’s suffering (verses 11-14)[23]
However, now is not the time to rejoice when disaster comes to your enemies. There will be a time to rejoice in the destruction of the enemies of God. But it is not now. The Proverbs tell us:
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, 18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. (Proverbs 24:17-18 NIV)
We should grieve, not gloat, when our enemy falls. I am a long suffering St George follower. St George won the Premiership in 2010. But I remember one of the many losses against Brisbane in the 90s, when Alan Langer led the Broncos fans in singing, ‘St George Can’t Play, St George Can’t Play’[24]. Not just loss, but humiliation.
But unfortunately, Edom did the same thing and worse, on the day Jerusalem fell: Obadiah verses 11-14:
11 On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. 12 You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. 13 You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor look down on them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. 14 You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.
Edom sought to profit from Israel’s misery. More was expected of Edom. He was a brother. But he was just like the rest. Edom pillaged and slaughtered and gloated with glee when the Babylon sacked Jerusalem.
How do we go when our enemy falls, when someone we really dislike suffers misfortune? Are we glad? Do we gloat? Or do we grieve?
There was something distasteful when middle-eastern people rejoiced in the streets when the twin towers fell on 9/11. And there was something distasteful when Americans rejoiced in the streets when Osama Bin Ladin was killed by US Navy Seals. And there is something distasteful when we rejoice when our enemy falls. We have enemies. You cannot avoid having enemies… unless of course you stand for nothing. Our enemies might be political, or ecclesiastical, or personal. And we don’t want their programs to succeed. We can thank God when an enemy is removed from doing us damage. But let us not gloat over our opposition. Now is the time to love our enemy, and pray for our persecutor. Now is the time to feed our enemy, and clothe him, and shelter him. For that is what the Lord Jesus, the great lover of the enemy, calls us to.
Because of this gloating, God promises retribution. Retribution is exact and proportionate punishment. And that is what God promises. Obadiah verses 15-16:
15 "The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. 16 Just as you drank on my holy hill, so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been.
Punishment is coming on Edom. Esau or Edom will be destroyed (see verse 18). And in fact, Edom was destroyed in the 5th Century BC by the Nabateanm Arabs[27]. But the warning here is not just for Edom, but for all the nations. Retribution is coming.
That is the nature of God’s punishment. Exact and proportionate retribution to each in accordance with what they have done. That is why hell is fair, because it is God being exactly and proportionately retributive to every human being who rejects his Son. Those people in hell are hardened into their continual rejection of God and Christ and his right to rule.
What do those in hell say of God? Probably something like this. [28] “God, I do not recognize you. I should have been God. If I were God, I would never have done that. I want nothing to do with that sort of God, you are offensive to me.” It is that sort of futile thinking that will occur in hell for eternity.
While there is retribution for the nations, there is royalty and rescue in Jerusalem. Obadiah verse 17:
But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance.
Edom watched Mount Zion get trashed, and they helped to trash it. But Mount Zion will provide deliverance. Jerusalem’s sacking at the hand of Babylon is not the end. For we know that the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Jesus bought that city with his blood, and Jesus will marry her when he returns in power. We await the city from God that comes with the Messiah of God. We await the Jerusalem above that is free, that is our mother, and we are her citizens.
And so we look forward to the Kingdom of God. Verse 21:
Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD's. (NIV)
Zerubbabel rebuilt the earthly Jerusalem when he returned from Babylon. But that city was only a silhouette of the Kingdom of God. We now belong to the Kingdom of God, through faith in the risen Jesus Christ. Yet, all God’s enemies have not been placed under Christ’s feet. Jesus’ reign is not yet recognized as universal. So we await the second coming of Christ, when the Lord Jesus destroys all dominion, authority and power, and hands over the kingdom to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). And then everything will be under God the Father. We will share in his rule going from this new Jerusalem. And God will be all in all.
Friends, continue trusting Jesus Christ as coming King. Continue to trust in God. Continue to turn to God and wait for his Son from heaven, Jesus Christ, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Let’s pray.
[1] http://news.smh.com.au/sport/sibling-rivals-aiming-for-shared-honours-20080201-1pez.html
[2] Genesis 25:21-31 NIV 21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. {25 Esau may mean hairy; he was also called Edom, which means red.} 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. {26 Jacob means he grasps the heel (figuratively, he deceives).} Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. 27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.) {30 Edom means red.}
[3] Genesis 27:39-40 NIV 39 His father Isaac answered him, "Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. 40 You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck."
[4] Where was Edom? Edom was to the South East of Judah. It was located in the hills of Seir. Teman was the son of Esau’s firstborn. And his name was given to an identifiable region in Edom (Genesis 36:15; cf v34, 40).
[5] Now, throughout Israel’s history, there were many prophecies concerning Edom. The earliest one, we’ve read, was from the lips of Isaac, Edom’s father. But when Israel entered the promised land, Balaam son of Beor said this:
15 "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly … A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab …18 Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. 19 A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city." (Numbers 24:15-19 NIV)
Again, it is a prophecy of conflict, not peaceful brotherly relations. Edom will be conquered, and Israel will be victorious.
[6] Israel ’s foreign policy, as it is recorded in Scripture, was to subdue Edom (1 Samuel 14:47-48). David stationed garrisons in Edom (1 Chr 18:11-14). David killed 18,000 Edomites (2 Samuel 8:11-15; 1 Chronicles 18:11-14). Joab, 12,000 (Psalm 60:1). Amaziah, 10,000 (2 Kings 14:1-11; 2 Chronicles 25:14-23). In fact, under David, at one time all the Edomite men were killed. Only Prince Hadad, with his father’s officials, fled to Egypt, and later rose up after Solomon’s apostasy (1 Kgs 11:14-23). For long periods, Judah controlled Edom. During the King Jehoshaphat’s reign, Judah controlled Edom through his deputies (1 Kgs 22:47-48). Later, Edom had a King again, but was allied to the King of Judah (2 Kings 3:7-12). Later still, during Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own independent kingdom once again (2 Kings 8:20-23; 2 Chronicles 21:8-11). Just as Esau himself had personally thrown off the yoke of his brother Jacob, when Jacob returned with a generous gift and payment of reparation, so the nation that came from Esau as a kingdom threw off the yoke of the Israelites when they re-established a separate kingdom. But that didn’t prevent Edom’s celebration and cruelty when Israel fell.
[7]Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph." 9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 10 Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? 11 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. (Psalm 60:8-11 NIV; cf Psalm 108:9-10); 4 "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." 5 With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you-- 6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, 7 Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. 8 Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. 9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon (Psalm 83:4-9 NIV);
[8] And that is what Amos, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Obadiah all denounced. These prophets promised that Yahweh would punish Edom for ignoring the claims of brotherhood At the time of the destruction of the Northern Kingdom, around 722BC, Amos promises punishment for Edom.
Amos 1:6-13 NIV 6 This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, 7 I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. 8 I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines is dead," says the Sovereign LORD. 9 This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, 10 I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses." 11 This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion, {11 Or sword and destroyed his allies} because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, 12 I will send fire upon Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah."
Amos 9:11-12 11 "In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, 12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name," declares the LORD, who will do these things.
Edom had traded Israelites as slaves, and mercilessly slaughtered them. So Amos prophesies Edom’s destruction as punishment.
[9] In fact, Jeremiah even uses many of the same phrases and images and sentences that Obadiah uses. Either Jeremiah borrowed from Obadiah, or Obadiah borrowed from Jeremiah. Or perhaps both used an earlier text. Or maybe God gave both of them the same oracle. It is like the similarity of parts of Matthew, Mark and Luke, or Jude and 2 Peter 2.
Jeremiah 49:7-22 NIV Concerning Edom: This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? 8 Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him. 9 If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted? 10 But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His children, relatives and neighbors will perish, and he will be no more. 11 Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Your widows too can trust in me." 12 This is what the LORD says: "If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear by myself," declares the LORD, "that Bozrah will become a ruin and an object of horror, of reproach and of cursing; and all its towns will be in ruins forever." 14 I have heard a message from the LORD: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, "Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!" 15 "Now I will make you small among the nations, despised among men. 16 The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's, from there I will bring you down," declares the LORD. 17 "Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. 18 As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns," says the LORD, "so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it. 19 "Like a lion coming up from Jordan's thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?" 20 Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; he will completely destroy their pasture because of them. 21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea. {21 Hebrew Yam Suph; that is, Sea of Reeds} 22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom's warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
[10]Isaiah 11:10-15 NIV 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him … In that day 12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. 14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will lay hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.
[11] Ezekiel 16:57-58 NIV Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom {57 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate Aram} and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines-- all those around you who despise you. 58 You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the LORD.
Ezekiel 25:12-15 NIV 12 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because Edom took revenge on the house of Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13 therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill its men and their animals. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. 14 I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign LORD.'"
Ezekiel 32:29-30 NIV 29 "Edom is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.
Ezekiel 35:1-36:7 NIV The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it 3 and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste. 4 I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 5 "'Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax, 6 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. 7 I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go. 8 I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines. 9 I will make you desolate forever; your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 10 "'Because you have said, "These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession of them," even though I the LORD was there, 11 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you. 12 Then you will know that I the LORD have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, "They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour." 13 You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. 14 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. 15 Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of the house of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, O Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'" 36:1 "Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. 2 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The enemy said of you, "Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession." ' 3 Therefore prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people's malicious talk and slander, 4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD: This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you-- 5 this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.' 6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations. 7 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.'
[12] The name Obadiah is mentioned in lists in 1 Chr 3:21-22 (descendants of Hananiah); 1 Chr 7:3 (descendants of Uzzi and a chief); 1 Chr 8:38-39; 9:44 (sons of Azel); 1 Chr 9:16 (Obadiah son of Shemaiah); 1 Chr 12:8-10 (the Gadite who defected to David, second in command); 1 Chr 27:19 (Zebulunite Ishmaiah son of Obadiah); 2 Chr 17:1-8 (An official of Jehoshaphat sent to teach in the towns of Judah); 2 Chr 34:1-13 (An official of Josiah’s who directed the labour in repairing the temple); Ezra 8:9 (a leader of the descendants of Joab that came with Ezra from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes); Nehemiah 10:1-6 (a leader who sealed the agreement along with Nehemiah the governor); Nehemiah 12:24-27 (A Levite gatekeeper guarding the storerooms at the gates of the temple in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe).
[13] 1The vision of Obadiah. Thus says my Lord YHWH concerning Edom. We heard a report from Yahweh. And a messenger among the nations was sent off. ‘Arise, and let us arise against her to the battle.’
[14] Literally, all the men of your covenant
[15] Literally, the men of your peace
[16] Better, 'they will set your (ms) bread a trap underneath you' (ms). The fellowship meal is merely bait for the trap they set Edom. For these ‘men of Edom’s peace’, these ‘men of Edom’s covenant’, will bring war to Edom and break their covenant.
[17] The way allies entered a treaty was to cut a covenant. It meant sacrificing animals. Often the animals were cut in half (cf Genesis 15). Then both parties would walk between the pieces. They would say, ‘May we become like these animals, if we don’t keep our word’. Also the parties would eat together.
[18] Job is from the land of Uz, and Uz was a descendant of Esau (Gen 36:28).
[19] See also Job 42:17 LXX:
And Job died, an old man and full of days: {042:17A} and it is written that he will rise again with those whom the Lord raises up. {042:17B} This man is <1> described in the Syriac book as living in the land of Ausis, on the borders of Idumea and Arabia: and his name before was Jobab; {042:17C} and having taken an Arabian wife, he begot a son whose name was Ennon. And he himself was the son of his father Zare, one of the sons of Esau, and of his mother Bosorrha, so that he was the fifth from Abraam. {042:17D} And these were the kings who reigned in Edom, which country he also ruled over: first, Balac, the son of <2> Beor, and the name of his city was Dennaba: but after Balac, Jobab, who is called Job, and after him Asom, who was governor out of the country of Thaeman: and after him Adad, the son of Barad, who destroyed Madiam in the plain of Moab; and the name of his city was Gethaim. {042:17E} And his friends who came to him were Eliphaz, of the children of Esau, king of the Thaemanites, Baldad son of the Sauchaeans, Sophar king of the Minaeans. {1) Gr. interpreted out of 2) Alex. Semphor, i.e., Zippor}
[20] Job was most probably an Edomite chieftain, descended from Abraham, a distant cousin of the sons of Israel. And Job was the most righteous man of his generation, even over the Israelites. But, Job lived more than a thousand years previously to the fall of Jerusalem in 587BC. And his wisdom was not the wisdom of the world. His wisdom was to be blameless and upright, to fear God and shun evil, and to repent when Yahweh showed him his presumption, not to array himself against Israel and seek to enrich himself from his brother.
[21] Also the last part of verse 7: The NIV says ‘but you will not detect it’ at the end of verse 7. But that’s not a literal translation. Most of the other English versions take it more literally. ‘There is no understanding in him’ (See ERV, NASB, and cf ESV). In other words, it’s a statement about Edom’s wisdom. Edom rests on his laurels. He boasts that he is wise. But his wisdom is the wisdom of the world. He has no real understanding.
[22] 2Behold, I set you (ms) small among the nations, you being greatly despised.3The insolence of your heart has beguiled you (ms), settling in [the] hiding places of [the] cliffs, [the] height[s] his dwelling place, saying in his heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’ 4If you (ms) shall exalt like the eagle, and if between [the] stars [you will] set your nest, from there I will bring you (ms) down. An oracle of Yahweh. 5If thieves came to you (ms), if destroyers of night –how you’ve been cut off! –will they not steal sufficiently for them[selves]? If [the ones] cutting off [ie harvesters] came to you (fs), will they not leave gleanings? 6 How they have been searched out (mp), Esau (ms)! His hidden treasures have been searched. 7As far as the boundary all the men of your covenant have sent you (ms) away. The men of your peace beguiled, they overpowered you (ms). They will set your (ms) bread a trap underneath you (ms). There is no understanding in him (ms). 8Will I not on that day, an oracle of Yahweh, also destroy the wise [men] from Edom, and understanding from [the] mountain of Esau? 9And your mighty ones will be shattered, O Teman[22], so that a man will be cut off from the mountain of Esau, from [the] slaughter. 10[Arising] from [your] violence [against] your (ms) brother Jacob, shame will cover you (ms), and you will be cut off forever.
[23] 11On that day [you] stood aloof opposite [them]! On that day strangers took captive his wealth, and foreigners came in his gate/s; and against Jerusalem he cast a lot. And you yourself also [were] like one of them. 12But you (ms) should not gaze on the day of your (ms) brother, on the day of his misfortune; nor should you (ms) rejoice toward the sons of Judah; nor should you exalt your mouth in the day of distress.
13You (ms) should not come in [the] gate of my people on the day of their calamity; you (ms) should not gaze, moreover, you yourself, (ms) on his evil in the day of his calamity, neither should you stretch out [for] his wealth on the day of his calamity. 14You (ms) should not stand upon the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; and you (ms) should not deliver his survivors in the day of distress.
[24] http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/allan-langer-regrets-st-george-cant-play-jibe/story-e6frep66-1225931093298
[25] 17But on Mount Zion an escape will be, and it will be holy; and the house of Jacob will possess their inheritance. 18And the house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph for a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they will burn on them, and they will consume them, and not a survivor will be [left] to the house of Esau. For Yahweh has spoken. 19And the Negeb will dwell upon Mountain of Esau, and the lowlands [will dwell upon] the [the land of the] Philistines, and they will dwell upon the countryside of Ephraim and the countryside of Samaria, and Benjamin [will dwell] upon the Gilead. 20And [those subject to the] exile of this fortress belonging to the Sons of Israel who [are in the land of the] Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exile of Jerusalem who are in Seraphad, they will possess the cities of the Negeb. And the saved will go up on mount Zion to judge [the] Mountain of Esau, and the kingship will be for Yahweh.
[26]Obadiah was not the only prophet who prophesied vengeance on Edom. Isaiah and Jeremiah both prophesied that Edom would be punished for her merciless treatment of Jerusalem and Judah:
2 The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. … 5 My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed. 6 The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat-- the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in Edom. … .8 For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion's cause. 9 Edom's streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! 10 It will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again. 11 The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation. 12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away. 13 Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. 14 Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also repose and find for themselves places of rest. 15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate. 16 Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. 17 He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation. (Isaiah 34:1-17);
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? (Isaiah 63:1-2 NIV);
25 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh-- 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart." (Jeremiah 9:25-26 NIV)
21 Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked. 22 O Daughter of Zion, your punishment will end; he will not prolong your exile. But, O Daughter of Edom, he will punish your sin and expose your wickedness. (Lamentations 4:21 – 22 NIV)
19 But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. 20 Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. 21 Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon.' The LORD dwells in Zion! (Joel 3:19 – 21 NIV)
2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?' "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" the LORD says. "Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals." 4 Edom may say, "Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins." But this is what the LORD Almighty says: "They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, 'Great is the LORD-- even beyond the borders of Israel!' (Malachi 1:2-6 NIV).
A somewhat different prophecy is that of Daniel. Daniel 11:41: He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. (NIV)
[27] Dillard & Longman, An Introduction to the Old Testament, 386-7. The area became known as Idumea. The exact date of Edom’s collapse is unknown, but by the time of Malachi’s prophecy, (ca 500-450 BC) the Edomite kingdom was in ruins: Hill & Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 490. Inscriptions by 312BC indicate that Nabatean Arabs had overrun Edom.