FAITH – HOPE – FORGIVENESS by Growing Older

Introduction: We have no history regarding Obadiah – not even his father’s name. We find more than a dozen other Obadiah’s in the Bible, but none are identified with this one.  He is a man of obscurity that was used of God to pronounce one thing: God’s judgment on Edom and final restoration of Judah under God’s Kingdom.

The name Obadiah means – Servant of Jehovah.

The Book: It is the shortest writing of the prophets and the smallest Book of the Old Testament. It’s primary concern is with God’s judgment upon Edom for their alliance with Babylon against their own kin: Israel. Then, the plundering and destruction of Jerusalem, by Babylon.

Date: An exact date is not found. We can speculate that it was written around 887 B.C. 

Edom: During Obadiah’s time, the capitol was Petra … the Rock City.

I.   The Day Of The Lord Is Near

      A.  Every eye shall see Him: Rev. 1:7

      B.  He comes as a thief: II Peter 3:10-12

      C.  Paul looked for it: Phil. 3:20

      D.  We are to wait for His coming: I Thess. 1:10

      E.  No man knows when He will return: Matt. 24:36 

II. Rewards When He Returns: Obadiah 1:15

     A. Galatians 6:7: Reap what you sow

     B. Rev. 22:12: He brings rewards

     C. I Cor. 3:14-15: Rewards can also be taken away from us

         1. Build a work for Christ that will last

         2. Our works will be tested by the refiner’s fire: I Peter 1:7

Even though Obadiah looked for the second Coming; Paul looked for it; the early Christians looked for it; you and I should look for the Second Coming. We must remember; God is on HIS time table and not ours.

God, in His wisdom and timing, still has a work to do; a work for you and me to do.

God must be waiting for something, what it is, we don’t know and it is not for us to know or we’d know it.

Genesis 7:4 & 10: for some reason, God gave 7 more days of Grace before He flooded the earth.

Today, He is still a God of Grace. God patiently waits for souls to receive Christ as Saviour.

He patiently waits for Christians to do a work for God, to live for Jesus, to win souls.

But …. He is Coming: Mark 13:32-33

Vs 2-3: God made them small, vs 2, because of their sinful pride: vs 3

Vs 2: they are despised, scorned, contemptible.

Vs 3:   They deceived themselves by their own sinful pride

           They dwelt in the clefts of the rocks … Petra … the capitol city was a Rock City.

           Their houses were mostly cut into the rocks.

Vs 4: Pride MUST be brought down. No matter how high they tried to exalt themselves…

         God WILL bring them down

Vs 5: The enemies of Edom have ravaged them more than thieves and robbers would have

Vs 6: Even the things that they hid in caves etc. were found and ravaged: I Corinthians 4:5

Vs 7: Brought to their border = they were hemmed in, on every side, by their enemies.

          “They that eat thy bread” = they pretended to be their friends but in all reality: they

          joined together to destroy them.

          “laid a wound” = laid a trap or placed a snare.

          “none understanding” = they we so foolish – they could not see their danger

Vs 8: The Edomite’s were remarkable for wisdom, counsel, and prudence.    

          When God purposes to destroy a nation for its sins, He commonly removes from it the

          wise and prudent, and gives it over to weak and foolish counsels:  Jeremiah 49:7.

Vs 9: The wise men will be destroyed by a violent death

NOTE: The problem here – is the sinful pride of Edom. In verses 1-16, we read of the destruction of Edom because of their sin.  Proverbs 6:16-20 – Proverbs 8:13

Arrogancy means “swelling.” Or like “he has the big head.”

 Verses 17-21: We read of the salvation of Israel.

Vs 17: Deliverance: Psalms 2:6

            Holiness = they shall return to God and separate themselves from idols

            The promise of God – in the Palestinian Covenant – to take what God has rightfully given

            to Israel.

Vs 18: Isaiah 10:17: God’s power to consume his enemies properly belongs only to himself.

           As a people and a nation, they shall be destroyed. It does not refer to every individual.

Vs 19 – 21: Obadiah ends his prophecy with a promise of the restoration of Israel and the

            Messianic Kingdom.