My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation starts Monday, January 29th.
I love J Vernon McGee for his insights into the Bible. He’s entered into his eternal reward, but we are blessed to still have his works of theology and bible Studies.
Blue Letter Bible provides all of his notes, amont many other commentators. For this study, I’m referring to Obadiah. I also like his outline of the book better than any I’ve seen:
I. Edom — destruction, vv. 1-16
A. Charge against Edom, vv. 1-9
B. Crime of Edom, vv. 10-14
C. Catastrophe to Edom, vv. 15, 16
(Poetic justice — lex talionis — law of retaliation)
II. Israel — restoration, vv. 17-21
A. Condition of Israel, v. 17
B. Calling of Israel, v. 18
C. Consummation of all things, vv. 19-21
(“And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”)
In case these references are not deep enough, I’ve been looking over this introduction to Obadiah by David Malik provided by Bible.org, another great place for Bible research online.
Dr Malik proposes this is the purpose of Obadiah:
A. To proclaim judgment upon Edom for rejoicing over the fall of Jerusalem
B. To proclaim through the judgment of Edom that all of the nations will be judged for their hostility to God’s people
C. To proclaim a message of hope for Judah
Here’s my understanding, and since this is my blog, I guess that’s the understanding you are going to get, hahaha!
Who is Obadiah?
Servant of God.
On Bible Gateway, when I do a search for Obadiah, it gives me the list of all the Obadiahs...including the book.
Obadiah – servant of Yahweh.
J.Vernon McGee – “this name was as common in that day as the name John is today.”
When – when was this written?
The dating has been difficult…even for all those lofty scholars that have access to tons of information and references! They have forgotten more bible knowledge than I will ever have, therefore, if they can’t figure it out, I know I won’t! hahaha!
The one agreed upon timing is that it has to do with the time that Edom laughed and helped to take down Judah.
From the Bible.org introduction,
The Babylonian context matches other exilic scriptures which describe the involvement of Edom in the fall of Jerusalem.
a. Psalm 137:7:
Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem who said, ‘Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation’b. Lamentations 4:21-22
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; but the cup will come around to you as well, you will become drunk, and make yourself naked, the punishment of your iniquity has been completed. O daughter of Zion. He will exile you no longer. But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins.c. Ezekiel 25:12-14:
Thus says the Lord God, ‘Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,’ Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. An I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of the people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath’ thus they will know My vengeance,’ declares the Lord God (cf. also Ezekiel 35:5, 12-15)
There are a few other options listed in the Bible.org link, as well as any number of others you can find online.
My feeling is this: it was appropriate then, to the enemies of the Lord, and it is appropriate today, as a shadow of what we can know of the Lord’s concern for his children today.
To Whom?
The Edomites.
Who were they? descendants of Esau.
To understand this sibling rivalry, one has to reread Genesis.
Genesis 25:19-34
Poor Rachel, finally having a baby, has twins…and they are fighting inside her womb.
She cries out to God WHY!!! and he says:
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you[b] shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”
Read on and Esau sells his birthright.
Then in Genesis 26, he marries girls that are not of the tribe Abraham…gentile, non believing girls.
Genesis 27 – here’s where Jacob really does in Esau…though he does it at the hands of his mom, Rachel – and steals Esau’s blessing. Any wonder why Esau was angry?
Genesis 27:41
41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
I don’t know God’s thoughts.
I know that there is something here about predestination and election – which I have spoken of in Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ephesians 1:3-6. I love what pastor JD Greer said in his study on Ephesians – understand that we are chosen, but that we choose, and that the ability to comprehend that is a mystery.
From Thompson’s Chain Reference Bible, commentary on Romans:
this is what the summary says:
The wall of the supposed sovereign election of God is a certain portion of the race to salvation, and the divine reprobation of all others. Rom 9:7-18
In the midst of his argument showing the awful situation of the natural man, he points out the doors of divine mercy provided for in the plan of salvation, by which all men can escape the impending judgments of God if they will.
An attempt is made in the drawing given to illustrate the points of the apostle’s arguments by a diagram of the walls and doors of escape.
There is a truth that God knew what Esau was going to be like.
There is also a truth that Esau chose to be the way he was.
And, God knew about Cain and Abel…and Cain chose to turn away from his offering to repent, and killed his brother. But each is responsible for HIS choice.
another Bible verse:
Proverbs 26:2
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.
and:
Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
For more on Galatians 6 – you may want to look at Itty Bitty Bible Study Galatians 6.
When there are curses, there is a reason. And even then, God sometimes chooses to judge those that are the instruments of the curse, because they are choosing to be violent and ungodly. Oh my, what a difficult thing it is to be the God of heaven and earth! My head is spinning just trying to keep this all straight!
Brotherly rivalry is as old as right outside of the Garden.
Today, we have the Israelites and all the Arab world. This is the very sibling rivalry, passed down from generation to generation.
There are two sides to every story, but, I want to make sure that this conversation does not turn into a current events religion bashing event.
As Christians, we have to remember that we have a history of blaming the Jews for crucifying Jesus, and treating Jews as less than dogs. As well as anyone that does not believe the same as we do – Muslims, all oriental religions, all tribal peoples, even differing denominations of Christianity! I don’t want to start thinking more highly of myself.
The Bible says that the Jewish people were chosen by God to tell his story. I’ve heard from a Jewish Rabbi that Christians have the wrong idea of “chosen ones” from the point of view of the Jew. “We were chosen to be an example, to carry the Word and to obey it. Look at our history, would you want to be that example?”
Jesus was a Jew. He gives promise to everyone.
Jesus went to the gentiles…probably Arabs, if the area I understand is correct.
There is NO people group that is separated from the option of “For God so loved the WORLD that HE GAVE his only begotten son that WHOSOEVER would believe on HIM should have everlasting, eternal, life”. John 3:16
I plan to look at Obadiah in the light of prophecy to US, God’s children.
I choose to recognize that if I have chosen God, HE has chosen me, because no one comes to the Father except the Father draw him. I am saved by grace through faith and that not of my own but it is a gift from God. And that is the truth for every believer and follower of Christ. This is a different view of being chosen, that I’m not chosen by my worth, I’m chosen by HIS promise. I am made worthy because HE loves me. He did not choose me because I am beautiful, I am beautiful because HE chose me.
As His child…we have been given an inheritance, and we are given protection.
Many of us pray Psalm 91 for protection when things are scary…
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
This was written long before Christ.
It’s written to “he who dwells in the secret place of the most High”, or my favorites – “He is my hiding place”, or “those that run into the name of the lord, a strong tower, shall be saved.” THESE are believers.
The other side of the coin is this:
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
This often quoted verse is written to those that are called according to HIS name…and they need to repent. That would include Jews…since it was written to the Jews…but now, it is applicable to anyone that calls upon the name of Jesus Christ! It says clearly that there is some sort of unhealed land that needs healing, and it will only be healed if the people REPENT from their wicked ways!
When the Israelite were getting a little high minded, this is what God had to say to them:
Deuteronomy 7:6-11
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. 11 You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.
Even more to the point:
Deut 9:6
6 “Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.
Remember, God was just keeping his promise to the righteous fathers that went before them. He’s faithful to a 1000 generations. Then, remember – this is not written to any specific people group – it’s just true! Cause and Effect!
Proverbs 26:2
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.
Even Jesus has something to say about where blessings fall…
Matthew 5:44-45
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
…and our responsibility to those we perceive as enemies! Love and prayer…which means then, that we are the sons of our Father…who blesses all.
What’s My Focus?
I’m looking at this tiny book to see what characteristics of Edom do I have?
And, what negative traits of the Israelites/Judeans might I have?
And, what do I do to change this in me?
I also am looking at how long suffering God is with His children. While Edom was art of the exile or destruction, there are plenty of prophecies and such that point that God gave Judah plenty of options to change, repent, and get right or He’d remove His hand of blessing. I know thatGod has been loooooooong suffering with me, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Has God been longsuffering with you?
Are you blessed to know that you were chosen by God?
Can you relate to doing something very UNChristian, and hoping that God would not find out? If so, do you know that HE has provided us with an advocate in Jesus Christ?
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1-2 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Next – Obadiah, part 1. Please Join me!
Jim & Christi 2017
Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest
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- Naomi’s Heart Ministries
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- Compassion
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