God’s Judgment & Restoration

Obadiah 1 (Pastor Heo)

Obadiah’s Vision

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, let us go against her for battle”— 2 “See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. 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?’ 4 Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.

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! 7 All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you,but you will not detect it.

8 “In that day,” declares the LORD, “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau? 9 Your warriors, 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. 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 gloat over 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 gloat over 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.

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. 17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance. 18 Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame; Esau will be stubble, and they will set him on fire and destroy him. There will be no survivors from Esau.” The LORD has spoken. 19 People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead. 20 This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath; the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev. 21 Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD’s.

Great! We read a WHOLE book of the Bible! Amen?

This is the shortest book in the OT – no division of chapters, only verses (21).

Quiz: How many books with only 1 chapter? 5

1. Obadiah,
2. Jude,
3. 2 John,
4. 3 John,
5. Philemon

Quiz: How many people in the OT who are named Obadiah? (Including this prophet) – 13 – one of the most common names at that time.

But we don’t know exactly which one he was. We also don’t know his family background. We also don’t know where and when he lived. We guess he lived in the southern kingdom after the division of Israel.

Obadiah = “worshiper / servant of the Lord”

This is the story of 2 peoples/kingdoms/nations:

• Esau / Jacob = Edom / Israel = Edomites / Israelites. Bitter rivalry, fighting each other.

This prophet continually produces and pronounces condemnation against Edom and prophesies their total destruction because of their persistent opposition to God’s chosen people. This, shortest book, carries one of the strongest messages of judgment in the whole OT.

Keyword: Judgment.

• One line: Judgment (Edom)
• One line: Restoration (Israel)

There is no possibility of deliverance for Edom – God will bring total, utter destruction against them. Verse 18 “There will be no survivors…”

The book portrays Edom’s day in the divine court with arraignments.

The story of the two started in Genesis 5. Isaac married Rebecca – he prayed and then she became pregnant. She felt strong fighting in her womb “Why?” God said, “Two nations are in your womb – two from within will be separated. One will be stronger, the older will serve the younger.”

• The first boy came out with red skin and hair (Esau = “hairy”). His nickname was Edom “red”.
• After him, his brother came out, grasping the heal of Esau = Jacob “grasping, catching, deceiver/cheater”. Later, his name was changed to Israel by God “struggle/fighting with God.”

As they grew, Esau became a powerful hunter, Jacob was a quiet man inside (chef). He was cooking red lentil stew and Esau came in from hunting and said, “Give me some stew.” Jacob said, “No, sell me your birthright.” Esau, “I’m so hungry, what’s it worth to me? Nothing, you take it.” Jacob said, “Swear to me.” Esau swore. Jacob gave the stew. Esau ate, drank, got up, and left. (Bible comments: Gen 25 “Esau despised his birthright.”)

• Birthright = from God = he despised God, God’s inheritance, something from God.

Spiritually, there is no God in his lifestyle, mindset, practice.

Verse 2 “See, I will make you small.” This is the vision/revelation from God. “You will be utterly despised.”

Lesson #1: God cannot honor a man who dishonors him.

Do not despise God by despising your identity as a Christian among non-Christians. Do not despise your ministry in the church and service.

Esau

From this time, Esau started to hate his brother (blood brother).

Since then, their bitter enmity continued throughout the generations. Esau’s children became the Edomites, Jacob’s children became the Israelites.

Esau despised his birthright = his first concern was material, not spiritual – what is seen, not what is unseen. His first concern is what is temporary.

Later, Esau became Edom – they lived south of the Dead Sea – nearby Canaan.

Jacob

Jacob’s children became a huge nation – after coming out from Egypt (under the leadership of Moses). At that time, Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom to allow them to pass – they said they wouldn’t eat or drink anything – only pass through.

• Edom say, “No way. We’ll fight you and kill you.”
• Israel asked again, “Just let us pass – we will pay for whatever we use.”
• Edom marched out against them.
• Israel turned away from them.

Since then, the fighting continued – even until the New Testament time until one passed from human history.

Yes, Edom opposed and fought against Saul (the united kingdom of Israel). But they were subdued under David and Solomon. Then, they fought again after the division under king Jehosophat (4th) and king Jehoram (5th) – they fought through the 9th, 12th king. Even until the 5th century, even until the New Testament.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea – during the time of king Herod. Herod heard of the birth and gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were 2 years old and younger.

• This Herod was a descendant of Esau.
• Jesus came through the line of Jacob.

So, this enmity was continued even up to the attempted murder of Jesus as a baby.

In AD 70, Titus, the Roman general, finally destroyed Edom. After that time, Edom was never heard of again in human history (just as Obadiah prophesied).

v. 4 “I will bring you down…”

v. 6 “But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged!”

v. 9 “everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter.”

v. 10 “Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever.”

v. 19 “There will be no survivors…”

We know today, there is no country named Edom/Esau, but there is still a country named Israel.

The keyword of this book is “Judgment of Edom, Restoration of Israel”

There are 2 sections:

Section 1 – v. 1-18

The coming destruction of Edom is a certainty, not condition. (v. 3 “Edom is proud of their position… (mountains)”)

Each capital city was protected by a narrow canyon. They thought they were very safe. But God says “It will make no difference.” Nothing will change God’s condemnation and destruction.

Section 2: v. 18-21 –

The promise of the restoration of Israel

This gives hope to God’s people that they will possess their own land – also that of Edom and Philistia

There are three positions of Christ in this book:

1. The Judge of ALL nations
2. The Savior of his own people
3. The Possessor of the kingdom

“The kingdom will be the Lord’s”

The book is very short, but the message is very powerful. Let me share 3 lessons. Please remember them and put them into practice in your own life.

3 Lessons

#1: God’s ways / judgment

Isaiah 55:3 “My thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.”

In our lives, we all have a big concern of others judgment on ourselves. Even as a pastor, I’m very interested in your judgment on me. But, the most important thing is GOD’S judgment on ourselves. This is the final, ultimate, whole evaluation on us. God’s evaluation can be (very) different from ours.

From our perspective, we can say, “Yes, both of these men had good/bad points, both were human. In some ways, Esau was better than Jacob – Jacob was a deceiver. Esau looked very tough and manly.” But, God’s final evaluation of Esau was “he lived by sight – a life of godlessness.”

• Hebrews 12:16 (God’s final evaluation on Esau) “You lived a life of godlessness”
• Hebrews 11:21 “Jacob lived by faith, not by sight” – he lived a life of prayer and worship.

All the time, consider God’s evaluation on your own life.

#2: God’s sovereignty

v. 1 “The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign LORD says about Edom-”

God is sovereign.

• Romans 9 (key message) = God’s sovereignty.
• Romans 10 (key) = human responsibility

Romans 9 says, “Rebecca’s children had one and the same father – our father Isaac – but even before they were born and had done anything good and bad – so that God’s purpose in election might stand, she was told ‘The older will serve the younger.’ – ‘I loved Jacob. I hated Esau.’”

(This is also repeated many times in Malachi.)

What shall we say? Is God unjust? No.

God says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” Therefore, it doesn’t matter about your will or desire or effort, but on God’s mercy and grace.

God is a sovereign God. Yes, we say, “God is good all the time.” Whatever he is doing is good, right, just. God is exclusive, independent from the creations he created. So, we must believe this sovereignty of God.

Question: Basic but fundamental: Are you lost or saved?

In the matter of the sovereignty of God,

• if a man is lost forever, he is lost because of his unbelief, unfaithfulness, by not believing in Christ as Savior and Lord.
• If we are saved, we are not saved because of our merit, but because of God’s mercy and compassion that is manifested through what Jesus has done on the cross.

#3: Practical – put into practice in daily lives

Galatians 3:7 “God cannot be deceived. The one who plants in the spirit will reap the reward of eternal life. Let us not weary of doing good for at the proper time, we will reap the harvest if we do not give up.” Let us do good to all people.

We should do good to all people – but especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

This is practical.

Esau and Jacob are blood brothers who became enemies.

In the NT, be kind, do good to all people, but do more/better to your fellow Christians/workers – because we are brothers and sisters in Christ forever.

Let’s pray.