Obadiah Lesson 1

OUTLINE OF OBADIAH

“THE DOWNFALL OF EDOM” 

KEY VERSE: Obadiah 1:8 “Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?”

DATE: Most scholars think that Obadiah wrote shortly after the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, about 587 B.C. It was during that time that Zedekiah reigned.

THEME: The theme of Obadiah is the denunciation of Edom for her pride and persecution of Israel.

WRITER: The Holy Spirit, of course, is the author of this prophecy (II Peter 1:21), and He has not seen fit to disclose the details concerning the career of the human author, Obadiah. Obadiah means Worshipper of; Servant of Jehovah. He is known as the “unknown prophet.” The only thing we really know about Obadiah is that he was from Judah; however, the fact that he was a prophet tells us much. There are two more Obadiahs listed in the Bible: 1. A servant of Ahab. 2. A superintendent of temple construction in the days of Josiah.

WRITTEN: Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament. It is believed that Jeremiah quoted Obadiah (cf Obadiah 1-8 with Jeremiah 49:7-22). Joel quoted Obadiah (cf Obadiah 17 with Joel 2:32).

THE BOOK: Number in the Bible: 31st of 66 books of the Bible. Number of chapters: 1. Number of verses: 21. Number in order of writing: 4th of 12 books of minor prophesy.

PURPOSE: The Lord gave Obadiah a two-fold purpose for writing the book: 1. To reveal His plan to deal with Edom, the descendants of Esau, because of her hatefulness and pride. 2. To show that He would deliver Israel, establish her in righteousness, and restore her possessions in the days ahead.

DIVISION: 1. The downfall of Edom (Verses 1-9). 2. The cause of the downfall (Verses 10-16). 3. The triumph of Israel (Verses 17-21).

FACTS: The writings of Obadiah took place during the period of time referred to as the “Chaotic Kingdom Stage.” The book of Obadiah is one of twelve books written during that time period. 1. The Edomities were descendants of Esau, and thus, akin to the Jews. 2. The sale of the birthright by Esau to Jacob started the whole conflict that continued throughout the history of Israel. 11

The Edomites continued the animosity between Esau and Jacob. 3. They refused passage to Moses (Numbers 20:14-21) and were always ready to aid when an enemy launched an attack against Israel. 4. There are at least four instances when Edom helped in the plunder of Jerusalem and Judah: A. During the reign of Joram (853 BC). B. During the reign of Amaziah (796 BC). C. During the reign of Ahaz (735 BC). 4. During the reign of Zedekiah (597 BC) (see II Chronicles 36:11-21; Psalms 137:7).

OUTLINE: I. The Prophet – Obadiah II. The People – Edomites 1. Descendants of Esau. 2. Hated Jews. 3. They raided neighboring tribes and ran for their protective cliffs. 4. They aided armies against Israel. 5. They were bitter enemies between the Old Testament and New Testament. 6. After the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem, they disappeared from history. 7. They were proud, self-sufficient people. III. The Place – Petra, The Wonder of the World. 1. High in the rocks of the mountain (eagle nests). 2. Narrow passes to get in (one mile long). 3. Eagles and hawks sailed overhead. 4. Water and wild fruit were in abundance. 5. Bible scholars believe the caves and holes in the rocks of Petra will play a big part in the Jews’ hiding places in the Tribulation. 6. One thousand Temples cut out of the pink rock. IV. The Prophecy – 1. The doom of Edom. 2. To be despised greatly. 3. To be small among heathen (2). 4. To be cut off (5). 5. Charges against them were: a. pride (3); b. violence against their brothers (10); c. watched strangers devour them without helping (11); d. acted as one of the enemies (11); e. looked on without helping (12); f. rejoiced over their destruction (12); g. entered into their gate (13); h. looted their possessions (13); i. stood at the crossways and cut off their escape (14); j. delivered the ones that they arrested into the hands of their enemies. V. The Promise – To Israel 1. They would possess their possessions. 2. They would be a flame to make Edom into stubble. VI. The Picture – 1. Flesh versus the Spirit. 2. Sinner prevailing over the saint. 3. Materialism versus spiritualism.

MISCELLANEOUS: Petra is one of the wonders of the world. It was a city unique of its kind among the works of men. It was perched like an eagle’s nest (Obadiah 4) located amid inaccessible mountain passes. The only approach was through a deep rock cliff more than a mile long with massive cliffs more than seven hundred feet high rising on each side. The city was able to withstand any invasion. Its temples numbered a thousand. They were cut out of the pink rock on the sides of the cliffs. The dwellings were mostly caves hewn out of the soft, rich sandstone (Obadiah 3 & 6). They were placed where it is hard to believe possible that a human foot could climb. Petra was inhabited by the Edomites.

THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL: Prophecy declares that the Jews will someday have Palestine fully-restored to them. They will control tremendous land areas never before occupied, including the land of Edom. Judges will rule Edom and Petra from Jerusalem during the Millennium. Some of the prophecies concerning Edom have already come to pass, at least in part: An Arab people displaced the Edomites living in Petra (312 B. C.). The Jewish military hero, John Hyracanus, subdued the Edomites where they had fled in southern Palestine (134-104 B.C.). Wicked King Herod came from the Edomites. They were totally destroyed in 70 A.D., along with the Jews, by the Roman Empire and the invasion of Titus. Other verses foretelling the doom of Edom: Isaiah 34:5-15; Ezekiel 25:12-14, 35:1-15; Amos 1:11-12. Edom was noted for her wise men. Obadiah 8 indicates that the wisdom would be stripped away. In Job’s time, Eliphaz, the wisest of Job’s friends, was from Teman, five miles east of Petra in Edom.

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