OBADIAH
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If you need a little more insight on the book of Obadiah we have a SHORT blog article, called The Book of Obadiah, that may help.
OBADIAH BIBLE STUDY
OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF OBADIAH
Verses 1-9: Overview of Edom. How God feels and His plan.
Verses 10-14: What God has against Edom.
Verses 15-16: God’s warning.
Verses 17-21: God’s Judgement
Read the 21 verses, of the book of Obadiah, and then review the facts of this book of the bible. Doing this will give us a good overview of this small book.
FACTS:
- We know from verse 1 that this is a vision from God, given to Obadiah.
- Obadiah is mentioned in I Kings 18:3-16, he feared the Lord and he did good for God’s people by hiding many prophets of God, keeping them safe. It’s believed this is the same Obadiah that wrote this book of the bible.
- Edom is the descendants of Esau and Judah is the descendants of Jacob.
- Genesis 25:19-34, 27:1 – 28:8. Jacob and Esau were twins that were at odds with each other. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, his younger brother, for food. Jacob tricked their father Isaac, with the help from his mother, into giving him Esau’s blessing.
- God delivers judgement and restoration. This is what God does, past, present and future.
- Some of this vision might not be fulfilled yet. Verse 21 of this vision, where it says “The kingdom shall be the Lords” might be speaking of the future, yet to be fulfilled. The earthly kingdom is usually referring to Israel, and at the time this book was written, this kingdom was not the Lord’s and we can conclude that Israel still hasn’t been restored to the Lord. (Jesus is a descendent of the tribe Judah, which is key to this earthly kingdom. Some believe that this will not be fulfilled until Jesus returns.)
>Author’s Thoughts
I find it interesting that if this is the same Obadiah, that God used someone who hid His prophets, to be a prophet and write this book of the Bible! I had never fully understood the long-lasting impact of Esau and Jacob’s history. After reading their story, to better understand the book of Obadiah, it has finally connected some dots for me. God has in the past, and will continue in the present and in the future, to deliver his judgement and bring restoration to those He sees fit.
QUESTIONS FOR THE BOOK OF OBADIAH
Read verses 1-9
Do you think God is happy with Edom? Explain
Read verses 10-16
What does God have against Edom? (vs. 10-14)
What is God’s warning to Edom? (vs. 15-16)
Read verses 17-21
Explain in your own words God’s judgement against Edom.
>Author’s Answers
Read verses 1-9
Do you think God is happy with Edom? Explain
God is NOT happy with them. So much so that He is talking about destroying them.
Read verses 10-16
What does God have against Edom? (vs 10-14)
God is not happy how Edom has treated Judah. He doesn’t like the violence that they showed toward Judah, along with how they slaughtered them, took their wealth, rejoiced and boasted over what they had done. And lastly, God did not like how they turned over those who escaped. God considered these nations brothers, and expected them to treat each other like it.
What is God’s warning to Edom? (vs 15-16)
God says that Edom will be treated the same way they treated Judah. Where they reside will no longer belong to them, but to other nations. The other nations will have all that was Edom’s. God says the day of the Lord is near, and He will hold Edom accountable for what they did. It will be like Edom never existed.
Read verses 17-21
Explain in your own words God’s judgement against Edom.
God says he is going to destroy Edom and give the land to Judah. God isn’t going to be nice and polite about it either. In fact, because Edom (Esau’s descendants) took Judah’s/Israel’s (Jacob’s Descendants) wealth, God is going to take Judah/Israel back.
Application
We know God was unhappy with Edom because of how they treated Judah, or should I say how the descendants of Esau treated his brother Jacob’s descendants. How can we take this example from bible history and learn from it, applying it right now, to help us live a life in line with God’s will?
>Author’s Thoughts
God holds His family, His children, to a higher standard than the rest of the world. (Just like a parent will discipline their child and not a stranger’s child.) God expects us to show respect, at the very least, to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not to steal, cheat, hate, etc., our Christian siblings. We are to treat each other with a mutual respect, helping and showing love to each other as God calls us to in Romans 12. We may get away with treating someone bad for such a long time that we think God isn’t going to do anything about it. You don’t have to take someone’s wealth to be considered doing something sinful. There are plenty of other sins that God can hold us accountable for. God will hold people accountable for sinful actions no matter how much they continue to sin, or how prideful they are. God will take action when He thinks it’s best.