#DailyDevotion When The LORD Has Had Enough Of A People
1The vision of Obadiah. The Lord GOD says this about Edom. We have heard the news from the LORD. A messenger is sent among the nations saying, “Come, let us go and fight against her.”
Who was Obadiah? Many scholars think he was an Edomite prophet sent by the LORD to warn Edom of their coming judgement if they didn’t repent. There is a lot of debate as to when Obadiah existed. Some claim it was during the time of the Assyrians, others at the time of Babylonians and still others, when the exiles from Babylon began returning from exile and started rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. You may remember Edom is the descendents of Esau (Gen. 25) who was the brother of Jacob aka, Israel. Jacob Jacob bought Esau’s inheritance for a pot of beans and then deceived Isaac into giving him Esau’s blessing. So there was strife between these two nations even in the womb, hence the name Jacob. Edom would grow into a nation during the time Israel was in Egypt. Their kingdom was south, south west of Israel, whose border had very high cliffs. During the time of Jehoram they bought Judahite captives. It was during this time, Edom broke off its servitude from the kings of Judah.
During the time of the Babylonians, the Edomites took advantage of Judah. They attacked it, took spoils and captives. They killed men fleeing from the Babylonians. When the Jews returned from exile, they harrassed the Jews while they were trying to rebuild the wall. Since Edom was still a kingdom during this time, I tend to believe Obadiah was written around this time.
It is written in Mal. 1:2, ““I have loved Jacob, 3but Esau I hated.” The LORD now warns Edom, He is sending the nations against her. This is because of Edom’s treatment of his brother Jacob, i.e. Israel and Judah. So Edom eventually falls. During the Persian period, the Qedarites, followed by the Nabateans, ran the Edomites out of their territory into southwestern Judea. They would lose their name as the Greeks and Romans take control of the area they resided calling it Idumaea, then receiving the name Idumeans. You may recognize this name as the Herods were called Idumeans. These people either by choice or force, became converts to Judaism, while retaining a separate identity. Ultimately, as we can see today, they are no more, according to the prophecy concerning them.
Some commentators take Edom to be a figurative naming, for they see the call for the nations to go against them as something not quite fulfilled, at least, not at any one point in time. Now I do think we can use this to some extent for ourselves in our day. Edom can stand for the false Church which persecutes those who preach and teach the Gospel. If you will, we can see it as Babylon in the book of Revelation, whom the nations eventually turn against. If we take it as such, then we as the true Church can take comfort in the midst of our trials and tribulations as we stand firm, preaching and teaching repentance for our sins and the free gift of forgiveness, salvation, righteousness, and holiness bought for us by Jesus Christ by the shedding of His blood and His innocent suffering and death. Just as Jesus was humiliated, suffered and died, we as His Bride can expect nothing less. But also, as Jesus is risen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father, we can look forward to our own resurrection and the inheriting of the Kingdom of God and being seated with Him on His throne.
Heavenly Father, always give us the sight to see in the midst of our trials and tribulations, the ultimate purpose for which You called us and redeemed us in Christ Jesus, so we may persevere in the faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.