In this episode, we delve into the profound lessons found in the book of Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament. Discover the historical context of Edom’s rivalry with Israel and gain insights into the destructive nature of holding grudges. Through Allen J. Huth’s reflections from diaries spanning two decades, we explore the relevance of these lessons today as both individuals and nations might grapple with pride and vengeance.
Welcome to AddBible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
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Today we cover the Old Testament book of Obadiah. According to Dr. Woodrow Kroll’s introduction to this book in his Bible called Calling America Back to the Bible, Obadiah is the story of what happens when people hold grudges and can’t let things go. The Edomites. descendants of Esau couldn’t bring themselves to forgive the Israelites, descendants of Jacob, because their ancestor had been swindled out of his birthright. This single-chaptered book illustrates that when we hold grudges, we always hurt ourselves more than the person we hold a grudge against. Obadiah means one who serves Yahweh. He wrote this book from Jerusalem after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, but before the fall of Edom in 553 BC. According to the book introduction of my English Standard Version Study Bible, the major theme of Obadiah’s book is Edom, together with all other nations that oppose Israel’s God and his people, will experience God’s retributive judgment, while God’s own covenant people, who have already experienced God’s judgment, will receive restoration from their God. The Edomites were descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau and one of Israel’s neighbors directly to the east. When Babylon was attacking Israel, Edom not only didn’t help their brothers, they sided with the foreign invaders. In the first half of this book, Obadiah addresses Edom directly, verses 1-15. The second half, verses 16-21, address the people of Jerusalem. Within 100 years of Obadiah’s prophecy, Edom was in ruins. Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, so let’s listen in to Faith Comes By Hearing’s reading of the 21 verses of the book of Obadiah. Obadiah the vision of Obadiah.
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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. 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. If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night, how you have been destroyed. Would they not steal only enough for themselves? If great gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out. 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. Will I not on that day, declares the Lord, destroy the wise men out of Edom and understanding out of Mount Esau? And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter. because of the violence done to your brother Jacob. Shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. 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.” 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. 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. But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape.” and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble. They shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken. Those of the Negev shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines. They shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem, who are in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the Negev. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.
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To help us with the book of Obadiah, I have selected a personal Bible reading journal from each of three different decades. One from 1989, the journal from 1997, and the journal from 2009. There’s actually 20 years between the first journal entry and the last one I will share. 20 years between 1989 and 2009. In 1989, I was reading the Old Testament and the New Testament. So on this day, I read the book of Obadiah with Revelation chapters 10 and 11. I made one little entry concerning the book of Obadiah. I quoted verse 15, “‘Reap what we sow.'” Eight years later, in 1997, I read the book of Obadiah, and I wrote, Judgment Against Edom, the Nation from Esau, Jacob’s Brother. And I quoted verse 3, The pride of your heart has discovered you. And I continue to write, Edom never helped Judah or Israel. They were happy to see them fall. God judged them for this. Do I help God’s people or enjoy it when key Christian leaders fall due to sin? And in 2009, when I read the book of Obadiah, I wrote in my journal, Problem with Edom? Arrogance. Many people and nations get arrogant hearts, think we get where we are on our own intelligence, become self-sufficient, self-secure, and forget God is God, we are not. Arrogance often causes us to look down on the misfortunes of others. God judges all nations. So those were my journal entries concerning the book of Obadiah. So let’s look at this book once again. First of all, like in many prophecies, the first verse says, Thus says the Lord God… And then it says concerning Edom. So these are the words that Obadiah has recorded from the Lord. Remember, Edom did not help Israel and Israel was destroyed. So God is now speaking to the nation of Edom. In verse 4, he says, 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. 10. Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.
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15.
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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. verse sixteen continues the judgment 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 just as obadiah prophesied and just as the lord proclaimed edom was captured by babylon and is no more. Do you know any Edomites today? And though God had already judged his own people with the fall of Jerusalem to the hand of the Babylonians a bit earlier, he says they will be restored. God keeps his promises to his covenant people, the nation of Israel. Verse 17 says, But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The book concludes with verse 21. Savior shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. Mount Zion, Jerusalem, will be established once again. It shall be the kingdom of the Lord. So what’s our application out of the book of Obadiah? I think there’s a couple. First, as we introduce the book, don’t hold grudges. The Edomites never got over the fact that Jacob stole Esau’s birthright. Are you holding a grudge? Do you have something against somebody that might have been an injustice to you? Maybe it’s time to give it up. Maybe it’s time to forgive or just let it go. The nation of Edom couldn’t do that. They got on the wrong side of God. You may be on the wrong side of God too if you can’t let an injustice go. And the second application is just that. Don’t get on the wrong side of God. While Jerusalem was getting destroyed by Babylon, Edom was cocky and arrogant. Let’s go back to verse 11. On that day you stood aloof. On the day the strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. 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.” Edom did. They had boasted while Israel was falling. They got on the wrong side of God. If you find yourself on the wrong side of God right now, repent. Ask God for His forgiveness. Get restored in your relationship with the Lord or with someone who has caused an injustice in your life. Edom couldn’t do it. They didn’t do it and God destroyed them. Don’t let God destroy you. Just like the Lord had mercy over Jerusalem and restored his people, he can do the same for you. So though this book is the shortest book in the Old Testament, it has a powerful lesson. Don’t hold grudges. Don’t get on the wrong side of God. Repent and let God restore you. Father, most of us have probably been wronged in our lives. We probably have also wronged someone else. So, Lord, if we’re holding a grudge, please help us let it go today. Help us forgive and forget. And if we’re on the wrong side of you, Lord, for any reason, Help us, forgive us, restore us, just like you did your covenant people, Israel. Thank you, Lord, for this lesson in Obadiah. By the power of your Holy Spirit, may it sink deep into our hearts, into our souls, into our minds. No grudges, no revenge. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening to AddBible. Our host stations are hearing from you listeners. People are calling in to say thanks for adding AddBible to their program selection. Thank you for tuning in to this program. AddBible is sponsored by the Ezra Project, a ministry started in 2002 to connect God’s people to God’s Word. We speak in churches, provide audio and written resources at EzraProject.net. and find radio as a way to reach deeply committed Christians. You can learn more about the Ezra Project by searching us from your phone, tablet, or computer. You may really enjoy the short video describing how the Lord led us to start this ministry and how he has blessed it for decades. I encourage you to also find the video tab and check out our newest message, AI. It’s not what you think it is, but it is a very relevant message in a world engulfed in artificial intelligence. Get a biblical view of it at EzraProject.net. And hey, while you’re on the Ezra Project website, consider a financial gift by selecting the donate button for a one-time gift or monthly support. Your support keeps this program on the air and provides AddBible to thousands of listeners around the world. I know you’re going to enjoy it.
In this episode, we delve into the profound lessons found in the book of Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament. Discover the historical context of Edom’s rivalry with Israel and gain insights into the destructive nature of holding grudges. Through Allen J. Huth’s reflections from diaries spanning two decades, we explore the relevance of these lessons today as both individuals and nations might grapple with pride and vengeance.
