Prophet: Obadiah

Obadiah is said to have been a convert to Judaism from Edom, a descendant of Eliphaz, the friend of Job. He may have been the Obadiah who was the servant of Ahab, and was chosen to prophesy against Edom because he was himself an Edomite. Obadiah is said to have received the gift of prophecy for having hidden the "hundred prophets" from the persecution of Jezebel. If this is the Obadiah of the Book, it would date him to the reign of Ahab in about 880 BC. However, others believe him to have been a contemporary of Jeremiah at the time of the Babylonian seige of Jerusalem, (c. 586 BC, as we have listed here).

The book of Obadiah is a brief prophetic word regarding the nearby nation of Edom. When the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem and the temple of God, Edom cheered on the Babylonians (Obadiah 10–11).Through Obadiah, God swears to turn the tables on Edom.

Obadiah unpacks a longstanding history between Israel and Edom. God had promised to Abraham to bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him (Genesis 12:1–3). That blessing was passed on to Isaac, Abraham’s son (Genesis 21:12). When Isaac’s wife Rebekah had the twins, Esau and Jacob God told Rebekah that one nation would prevail, and that Esau would serve Jacob (Genesis 25:23).

There was enmity for a long time between the twins after the younger received the birthright meant for the older, but Jacob and Esau eventually resolved their differences (Genesis 33:4). God gave both of their descendants a land, with Esau’s descendants becoming the nation of Edom, while Jacob fathered the 12 tribes of Israel. Israel’s capital was Mount Zion (Jerusalem); Edom’s was Mount Seir (Deuteronomy 2:5). 

As time wore on, the relationship between their descendants became strained. Edom refused to let Moses and the Israelites take the highway through their land, and opposed them militarily (Numbers 20:20–21). Later, when Israel was serving God under king David, Edom served Israel as a vassal state (2 Samuel 8:14). However, after Solomon and Israel turned from God, the kingdom divided and troubles with Edom reignited (1 Kings 11:14). When God finally exiled Judah to Babylon, Edom helped the Babylonians loot Judah,and happily returned to their own fortified cities in Mount Seir (Psalm 137:7; Obadiah 10–11).

The book of Obadiah shows that God will not forsake His promises to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. To the Edomites, it’s a message of judgment and doom. To the Jews, it’s a message of faithfulness and salvation.