Obadiah: Mt. Seir VS. Mt. Zion

Chronologically, the earliest of the writing prophets.

Date is either 887 BC (2 Kgs. 8:18; 11:1-16) or 587 BC. I lean toward the earlier date, during the reign of Jehoram.

Who are the Edomites? They were those who were the descendants of Esau, just as the Israelites were the descendents of Jacob.

Esau and Jacob were twin brothers, sons of Isaac and Rebecca. . They were not identical twins; they were opposites as Genesis 25:24-34 points out.

Esau despised his birthright. The man who had the birthright was in contact with God, he was the priest of his family, he was the man who had a covenant with God, the man who had a relationship with God. In effect, Esau said, “I would rather have a bowl of sup rather than have a relationship with God.”

In the very last book of the OT, Malachi writes, Mal. 1:2-3

Malachi 1:2–3 NASB95

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.”

That would be a strange thing to say, but the reason for it is found in Obadiah.

I have divided this short vision into two sections, Verses 1-16 and verses 17-21.

1. Edom/Esau destroyed, vs. 1-16.

1 - In the vision given to Obadiah, the “servant of YHWH,” he first reveals the sovereign LORD’s divine will regarding Edom.

A. The Charge against Edom, vs. 1-9

The Lord brings the charges against Edom: judgment comes against Edom because of an inner attitude revealed in outward actions.

The LORD has sent a messenger, an envoy to stir up the nations against Edom for battle.

2 - When the nations come up against Edom, they will greatly reduce Edom’s population. This is the LORD’s divine judgment. He greatly despises them.

3 - The essential sin of Edom is Pride.

“Pride of hearts is the attitude of a life that declares its ability to live without God” — J. Vernon McGee

They thought they were self-sufficient, they thought they would be safe within their cities.

Edom was located SE of the Dead Sea among a narrow ridge of mountains which at the north end was about 4,000 feet above sea level and in the South towered over 5,700 feet over the Arabah. The many gorges in the mountains made access difficult. The major cities were Sela, Teman, Dedan, and Bozrah, which later was named Petra. Edom was also called in Scripture the mountain of Esau and Mt. Seir.

The nation of Edom was a

They trusted in their location to keep them safe. They dared anyone to remove them from their dwelling place.

4 - They built high like the eagle… in Scripture many times compared to a deity … they set their nest among the stars … Edom was deifying itself, making themselves like God yet the answer to their question in verse 3 is the LORD.

“You try to protect yourself, but it will be in vain; the One who is OVER the stars will bring you down!”

5-6 - Not only will Edom be brought down, but the nation will be ruined.

Thieves and robbers only take what they perceive as having value for them. Those who gather grapes leave some gleanings for the poor and the alien traveler.

But Edom/Esau will have nothing left! He will be ransacked and even the hidden treasures will be discovered and taken away. Utter ruin is pictured here.

7-8 - Edom aligns herself with other nations, but the LORD will overrule the plans of Edom.

She begins in peace with her allies; her representatives are sent to the border in peace. But Edom has trusted in alliances with men, not God. Their trust was in the wrong thing.

Those men who spoke peace to Edom, this alliance will break covenant with Edom. They will deceive, overpower, and set an ambush for Edom.

Allies in ungodliness turn out to be enemies, eventually.

As an example, in the justice system, criminals turn on other criminals, bearing testimony against them, to gain some favor from the courts such as shortening their sentence.

But Edom/Esau lacks understanding!

So the LORD will take the initiative on a specific yet undetermined future day, destruction will come.

Edom’s famous wise men would fail to detect the unfaithfulness of their allies before it was too late.

“Because of its communication with Babylon and Egypt and because of the information gleaned through the caravans going to and from Europe and India, Edom had gained an enviable reputation for wisdom.”

Though Edom was not considered a militarily mighty nation, they did have warriors; however both those who were mighty with the mind and those mighty with the sword would feel dismay because their allies proved traitorous.

Everyone will be cut off from the mountain of Esau (also known as Mt. Seir) by slaughter. It would be a total termination; a destruction of Edom as a people group.

What did Edom do that gained them this fate?

B. The Crime of Edom, vs. 10-14.

What is revealed in verses 10-14 is the supreme manifestation of Edom’s essential sin, pride.

10 - It was because of what was done to Jacob, used here to speak of Jacob/Israel’s descendants. It is violence to them in which Edom was complicit. They are related people groups by blood, yet they despised Jacob and the blessings that were his.

In contrast, what was Israel’s attitude toward Edom?

Deuteronomy 2:4–5 NASB95

and command the people, saying, “You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful; do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.

Deuteronomy 23:7 NASB95

“You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land.

The Hebrew term translated “violence” conveys both the moral wrong of Edom as well as physical violence committed against Jacob/Israel. God’s judgment against Edom: “covered with shame” and “will be cut off forever.”

11 - “The day” points to a distinguishable period of time. and on “that day” {in the recent past and looking to the future…) when Edom could have helped Israel, they stood aloof. By doing so they were complicit with those who carried off Jacob’s wealth and “entered his gates” — a phrase signifying the loss of self rule — and who would cast lots for Jerusalem.

God will condemn Edom’s sin in condoning this, seen in the parallel terminology used in verses 12-14 in the 8 “Do Not”’s

Hostile attitudes are seen in verse 12, followed by hostile actions in verses 13-14.

Verse 12 contains three hostile attitudes/prohibitions; these three emphasize that Edom has betrayed blood ties.

— Do not gloat over your brother’s day = day of his misfortune.

Proverbs 17:5 NASB95

He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

— Do not rejoice over the sons of Judah … the day of their destruction.

Proverbs 24:17–18 NASB95

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.

— Yes, do not boast in the day of their distress. Compare David and Jesus their attitude ct with others:

Psalm 35:13–15 NASB95

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother. But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing.

Verses 13-14 emphasize their hostile actions moving to physical violence.

13 -

— Do not enter the gate of My people...

— Do not gloat over their calamity...

— Do not loot their wealth...

14 - Now we see the violence perpetrated against Jacob/Israel:

— Do not stand at the fork of the road… to cut down their fugitives. The Hebrew verb is commonly used of putting someone to death.

— Do not imprison their survivors … in the day of their distress. They make captive the survivors, to turn them over to their allies.

But this day of distress is contrasted with God’s judgment, the Day of the LORD, the day when God reverses the fortunes of Jacob/Israel and Esau/Edom and the nations. It is when God intervenes in human affairs to accomplish all His will.

C. Catastrophe to Edom/Esau and the nations, vs,. 15-16.

15 - God will not permit unrequited wickedness.

Lex Talionus — the Law of Retribution — is announced upon Edom and the nations, yet God’s justice will not permit punishment to exceed the crime: “as you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.” Cf. Gal. 6:7-8

Galatians 6:7–8 NASB95

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will 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.

16 - The first part of a contrast that ends in verse 17: “Because just as you drank on My holy mountain — points to the cup of God’s wrath in this context because what will the nations also do? They will drink continually. This is a reference to “the times of the Gentiles.”

“Just as Edom is judged so to the nations ...”

“They [the nations] will drink and swallow and become as if they had never existed.” This the destiny of the nations judged by God because of their treatment of Jacob in their day of distress. However this is not Jacob/Israel’s fate, but there will be a remnant.

2. Israel/Jacob restored, vs. 17-21.

A. The Condition of Jacob, v. 17.

This verse concludes the 1st contrast. At the time that the nations are drinking the cup of God’s wrath, there will be some of Jacob who will escape. Implication is a restoration.

Furthermore Mount Zion/Jerusalem will be holy. This will be true at the beginning of the Millennium kingdom.

The possessions of the nations then will be possessed by the house of Jacob/Israel.

B. The Calling of Jacob, v. 18.

The house of Jacob and the house of Joseph emphasizes that all Israel be involved. They are said to be a fire and a flame, terms used in prophetic writings to often picture divine judgment. They will be God’s and used by God to judge the nations. The times of the Gentiles begin with the fall of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and his armies and culminates at the Lord Jesus Christ’s 2nd coming in power.

Where all of Israel will be used to set the nations on fire and consume them, Esau is stubble, absolutely worthless.

Just as the nations will be as if they never existed, “so there will be no survivor of the house of Esau — Edom will be no more. The LORD has spoken; This is a certainty that will come to pass.

C. The Consummation of All Things, vs. 19-21.

19 — there is after these things both a restoration and expansion:

those of the Negev (tribe of Simeon) will possess the mountain of Esau (land of Edom) — an extension.

those of the Shephelah (Judah) will possess the Philistine plain — restoration and extension...

… also, possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria — extention? for Judah, maybe also referencing Israel (10 tribes).

Benjamin will possess Gilead — extension.

20 — We also see a return of exiles . There will be exiles that are near (among the Canaanites) who will possess as far as Zarephath. This is part of modern day Lebanon. Zarephath was supposed to be a part of Israel’s inheritance in the land, but was never settled by the Israelites. in the future it will be a place where Jews will live.

There will also be exiles from far lands, from Sepharad who will possess the cities of the Negev (formerly the cities of the tribe of Simeon who now possess Edom).

There is no certainty where Sepharad is; some believe Spain, others Persia (modern day Iran). Either one would be considered at the limits of the known world as understood in the time of Obadiah.

The point is that the LORD will have His people and will restore them to the land He has promised.

21 - Edom will not prevail over Israel, but the LORD will prove to be sovereign. His earthly kingdom will extend over all the Promised Land, even the part that Israel’s enemies formerly occupied, and over the people who formerly opposed them. The conquest of the Land , began by Joshua, will finally be completed then. Obadiah’s vision, which finishes with the account of two mountains ends on a climax with the LORD’s kingdom dominating all nations and with the LORD as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, a clearly messianic verse.

Has God kept His promise regarding Edom? Yes, He has.