Session 1: Obadiah Historical Background
Minor Prophets Introduction
● Prophets are God’s spokesmen. They reveal the Word of the Lord to his people.
● Their typical message is to pronounce judgment for particular sins committed and
to plea for repentance and holiness.
● There are twelve Minor Prophets at the end of our Old Testament. They are only labeled “minor” because of the length of writing. But their bold and powerful message is anything but minor.
● The Minor Prophets are some of the most ignored books in our Bible. Why do you think that is the case?
Why Put Obadiah and Nahum Together?
● Both are short, little-known books that address non-Israelite nations that have sinned greatly against God’s people.
● By the end of the study, you’ll see God’s heart to avenge his children for the evil done to them. You’ll look at evil on a global scale and how God will deal with it.
● You will also see a portrait of the Messiah, whom we can lean into as we experience personal hardship because of the wickedness around us.
● What do you hope to gain from studying the Obadiah and Nahum?
Obadiah Introduction
● Shortest book: one chapter, 21 verses
● Written entirely toward the nation of Edom
● The key theme is judgment of Edom, Israel’s bother
Authorship and Dating
● Obadiah’s name means “servant of the Lord” or “one who worships the Lord.”
● Little is known about this prophet and the time of his writing. There are two leading theories about the dating.
- Early Date in 853-841 BC
a. Time of King Jehoram (2 Kgs 8:20-22; 2 Chr 21:8-15); Edom rebelled against Judah during this timeframe.
b. Possibly the same Obadiah who was Ahab’s palace administrator. He was hiding prophets from Jezebel just before Ahab’s showdown with Elijah on Mount Carmel. (1 Kgs 18:3-14)
- Exilic in 605-586 BC
a. The Nabatean Arabs displaced the Edomites from Mount Seir in 521-485 BC.
b. The Edomites settled in the Negev (desert region in southern Judah) and attacked Jerusalem after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it. (Ps 137:7; Eze 25:12-14)
c. There is a notable parallel between vv. 1-6 and Jeremiah 49:9-10, 14-16. This indicates that either one prophet borrowed from another, or they had a common source, or they were writing during the same time
period.
● Ultimately the date is unknown. Bob leans towards the later date for the writing of Obadiah for three main reasons:
It fits the culmination of Judah’s invasion of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.
It fits the idea of the Israelites longing for God’s vengeance against their enemies.
It fits the idea that both Obadiah and Jeremiah are writing the same thing within the same context.
● What do you think? Why is it important to know?
● Look at the introduction of any Study Bible. What does it say about the matter?
Historical Context
What happened? Why is there so much bad blood between Edom and Israel?
● The strife starts with the twin brother Esau and Jacob in their mother’s womb.
(Gen 25:19-26) There was a prophecy connected to these brothers that the older would submit to the younger.
● As they grew up, Jacob deceived his brother and Esau despised his birthright and family inheritance. (Gen 25:27-34)
● Jacob becomes the nation of Israel, while Esau travels southeast and becomes the powerful nation known as Edom.
The more these two nations increased, so did the strife between them.
● God gave the Edomites the hill country of Seir, south of the Promise Land, as an inheritance. They denied Israel passage through their land while wandering in the wilderness. (Num 20:14-21)
● David became famous after he and Abishai slaughtered 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. (2 Sam 8:13-14; 1 Chron 18:12)
● Hadad the Edomite rose up as an adversary against Solomon. (1 King 11:14-16)
● Jehoash defeated 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. (2 King 14:7)
● There are almost 100 Old Testament references to the Edomites. Nearly all of them are condemning because of their lack of faith in God and brutality towards their brothers, the Israelites.
● Look up a few of these texts that address the Edomites. Gen 27:41-45; 32:1-21,33,36; Ex 15:15; Num 24:18; Deut 2:1-8; 23:7-8; 1 Sam 14:47;1 Sam 22; 2 King 8:20-22; Psalm 60; 83; 137:7; Isa 34:5,9,11; Ezek 25:12-14; 35; Joel 3:18-19; Amos 1:11-12; 9:11-12
The Edomites After Obadiah
After Obadiah’s prophetic words, the Edomites were wiped from the face of the earth because of their wickedness.
● Edom’s location was a wasteland in Malachi 1:2, which is dated approximately
433 BC.
● Judas Maccabaeus subdued and greatly weakened the Edomites during the intertestamental period. (1 Macc 5:65)
● When Greek became the common language, the Edomites were called Idumaeans. Josephus references Herod the Great as an Idumaean. (cf. MK 3:8)
They eventually vanished from history books and genealogies.
● Even though Edom was a constant thorn in Israel’s flesh, the prophecy about Jacob and Esau ultimately held true: “The older will submit to the younger.”
Conclusion
● Why do you think it is important to dig into the history and background of Obadiah before just jumping into the book?
● We are about to take a deep look at the difficult subject of God’s vengeance. Without the proper historical context, it seems like God is quick to vent his wrath rather than a righteous liberator.
● Read Obadiah 15. Why is this such a key verse?
● Rest assured, we can always trust in God’s promises. He promises to judge those who dedicate their lives to violence and injustice in order to bring relief, rest, and joy to the oppressed.
