Gods judgment on the unbelieving gentiles who opposed gods chosen people israel, and gods. We have heard a rumour from the lord, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. The hebrew name obadiah means worshipper of yahweh or servant of yahweh. Through the prophet obadiah, the lord expressed his indignation at the nation of edom. Obadiah is a little book, but it is an example of an atomic bomb in the bible.
In addition to being the shortest book in the ot, obadiah also bears the distinction of being the most difficult of all the prophecies to date gleason archer. May 07, 2016 watch our overview video on the book of obadiah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. The edomites are accused of cruelty and supporting israels enemies. Why did god judge edom so harshly in the book of obadiah. Book of obadiah christianity knowledge base fandom. The global message of obadiah obadiah in redemptive history. The book is named after the prophet who received the vision. Welcome to the study of the shortest book in the word.
Book of obadiah, the fourth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, in the jewish canon treated as one book, the twelve. This book, the shortest among the twelve minor prophets, is a single twentyoneverse oracle against edom. The majority of the book pronounces judgment on the foreign nation of edom, making obadiah one of only three prophets who pronounced judgment primarily on other nations nahum and habakkuk are the others. The prophecy is largely concerned with the condemnation of edom descendants of esau for treachery toward their brother israel descendants of jacob and the resultant punishment. According to the talmud, obadiah is said to have been a convert to judaism from edom, a descendant of eliphaz, the friend of job. They debate its author and date of composition, and they point to the striking similarity between passages in obadiah and jeremiah to question whether obadiah. Obadiah, with only one chapter consisting of 21 verses, is the shortest of all old testament books and purports to be a record of the vision of obadiah. When were obadiah s prophecies against edom fulfilled obadiah 1. There are twelve different individuals in the ot with this name a very common name, but no indication that any of these other individuals are to be identified with this particular prophet. The book of obadiah is an oracle concerning the divine judgment of edom and the restoration.
We do not know anything of the book s author but his name obadiah servant or worshipper of jehovah. The purpose of obadiah is to show that god will judge all those who are against his children, his chosen people. Book of obadiah bible survey what are the major prophets and minor prophets. The smallest old testament account, the book of obadiah is a vision written by the lords prophet known as obadiah, who prophesied against israels relative nation edom. While others of the prophetic books contain passages of judgment against edom and other nations. When were obadiahs prophecies against edom fulfilled. The author was obadiah, whose name means the servant of the eternal. Due to the nature of the prophesies in obadiah, they must be connected so to speak to an event when judah was pillaged leaving the 300 year period with two major options for dating the book. The edomites are descendants of esau and the israelites are descendants of his twin brother, jacob. In their concluding comments on the book of obadiah, authors william lasor, david hubbard and frederic bush state.
The book of obadiah contains only one chapter and is the shortest book of the whole old testament. The people from edom were relatives of the people from israel. Watch our overview video on the book of obadiah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. The jewish talmud states obadiah was not jewish, but rather an edomite proselyte god used to rebuke his own people. The shortest book in the old testament and among all the writing prophets, obadiah provides an overview of the message presented in each of the writing prophets. Amos, obadiah and jonah questions and answers mary jane. We dont know a lot about the prophet obadiah, but we know a lot about his message. Either in 853 making obadiah a contemporary of elijah this is the option that would make it the same. Obadiah is not only the shortest prophecy, but also the shortest book of the old testament.
We have heard a rumour from the lord, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle 2 behold, i have made thee small among the heathen. Because its so short, it doesnt contain as much data as other books, and that means we. Book of obadiah overview insight for living ministries. Either way, it has no significant influence on the message given by the prophet obadiah. This summary of the book of obadiah provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of obadiah. However it is quoted in several places by the prophet joel and jeremiah.
Obadiah is a prophet of god who uses this opportunity to condemn edom for sins against both god and israel. Consequent upon the overthrow of edom is the enlargement of the borders of judah and the establishment of the kingship of yahweh. Obadiah, book of, servant of yah, the shortest ot book, stands fourth among the minor prophets in the mt, but fifth in the lxx. Nothing is known of the author, although his prophecy against edom, a neighbor and rival of israel, indicates a date of composition sometime after the babylonian destruction of jerusalem in 587 b. The text consists of a single chapter, divided into 21 verses, making it the shortest book in the hebrew bible in judaism and christianity, its authorship is attributed to a prophet who lived in the assyrian period and named himself in the first verse, obadiah. Obadiah 1, new international version niv the bible app. The book of obadiah brings an important message about oppressors and the oppressed, betrayers and those who have been betrayed. For example wood suggests that obadiah s inclusion amidst ninth or eighth century prophets would be strange if 3 ibid. The book of obadiah is the shortest book in the old testament, the 4th book of the twelve minor prophets.
He is identified with the obadiah who was the servant of ahab, and it is said that he was chosen to prophesy against edom because he was himself an edomite. Human intervention, crucial though it is, is not the ultimate answer to this cry for justice. Because of this they will suffer gods wrath at the day of the lord that comes on all nations. Obadiah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. In our english bible, obadiah is the fourth book of the minor prophets. Joel, obadiah, malachi the niv application commentary. This summary of the book of obadiah provides information about the title, author s.
Obadiah is classified as a minor prophet in the christian bible due to the brevity of the writing only 21 verses and. The book does not provide any information to identify who obadiah was or where he lived. The book of the prophet obadiah is the shortest book of the ot with 21 verses only. At this point, it seems prudent to ask if these theories have any spiritual importance for us.
Book of obadiah encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. To understand this future judgment on the edomites we. Overview of the book of obadiah reformed answers to. The political situation implied in the prophecy points to a time after the exile, probably in the midfifth century b. In its introduction to the book of obadiah, the oxford annotated bible suggests another explanation for the similarities. Obadiah, book of international standard bible encyclopedia. The book of obadiah is the fourth book of the twelve minor prophets in the old testament of the bible.
Other old testament references to men of this name do not appear to be referring to this prophet. Author and date nothing is known for certain about the author. This is the central message of the bible so clearly presented in the little book penned by an ancient prophet named obadiah. Obadiah is the shortest book in the old testament and is not quoted in the new testament.
Since these were all shorter books, i combined the bible questions and answers of these minor prophet books, amos, obadiah, and jonah into a single article. Obadiah means servant of the lord or one who serves. He was probably contemporary with jeremiah and ezekiel. So obadiah is just a prophet who wrote one of the great prophecies of the scripture. The book of obadiah is the only one chapter book in the old testament. For this work though i have chosen the 845 bc date. Remember that many of the minor prophets are of supreme importance in understanding scripture and prophecy in particular. Obadiah within the book of the twelve, or what we call the minor prophets. This book of obadiah is only one chapter long, with 21 verses in the king james version. Gods judgment on the unbelieving gentiles who opposed god. The book of obadiah is found in both the hebrew bible and the old testament of the christian bible, where it is the shortest book, only one chapter long.
In judaism, obadiah is considered a later prophet, one of the twelve prophets in the final sec. While several options have been proposed by scholars, the best argument places obadiah in the 840s bc, making him the earliest writing prophet, a few years. The prophet also wants to comfort judah by announcing edoms destruction and judahs restoration and deliverance in the day of the lord. Obadiah meansservant of the lord and occurs 20 times in the ot, referring to at least 20 other ot individuals. Obadiah is the fourth of the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the bible. An obadiah was an officer in king ahab of israels court and hid gods prophets. Obadiah announces edoms downfall to babylon, which is an image of how god will bring down all arrogant and violent nations. Point of note this is one of the 7 old testament books that are not quoted in the nt. The edomites are descendants of esau and the israelites are descendants of. The purpose of the book is to announce the destruction of edom because of her pride and sin against judah. Obadiah is the shortest book of the old testament, and the fourthshortest book of the bible after third john, second john, and philemon.
An envoy was sent to the nations to say,rise, let us go. No value can be attributed to traditions identifying this prophet with king ahabs steward. Obadiah is the shortest book in the ot and is not quoted in the nt. They had been in conflict with israel since ancient times, in reality edom is the descendants of esau. His work is ascribed to periods ranging from 845 to 400 bc. Summary of the book of obadiah the story of the bible. Obadiah and jeremiah, but it may be that both prophets were drawing on a. A major factor in determining when obadiahs prophecies against edom were fulfilled rests on when the book was written. Obadiah s prophecy closely follows the pattern of a covenantlawsuit address.
Jerusalem experienced four different invasions in old testament times, yet only two fit the time period. Obadiah is only one chapter the shortest book in the old testament yet it tells of gods prophet obadiah as he announces gods powerful and authoritative judgment on the nation of edom. Obadiah announces edoms downfall to babylon, which is an image of how. Obadiah is only 21 verses long, which makes it the shortest book of the old testament. Since the edomites were descendants of jacobs brother, esau, this betrayal by edom was especially painful to gods people. This brief collection of sayings reflects the fall of jerusalem in 587 bc. In greek the book is titled obdiou, a transliteration of the. Shortly after college, i joined the staff of cru campus crusade for christ at the time. Obadiah means servant of the lord and occurs 20 times in the old testament, referring to many other old testament individuals.
When they should have been helping their relatives, they were gloating over the israelites problems and raiding their homes. Edoms pride and downfall is disclosed in the book of obadiah. Its authorship is difficult to date but was possibly written about 853841 b. The name obadiah means servant of yahweh literally one who serves or worships jehovah. This prophecy has the distinction of being the shortest book in the ot. Their fortified cities included sela petra, teman and bozrah. Obadiah probably lived in the southern kingdom of judah. The smallest book in the old testament may also be one of the least known prophecies. In the hebrew bible, the book of obadiah is listed among the latter prophets. Pusey said, god has willed that his name alone and this brief prophecy should be known to the world. The name obadiah was a very common name among the hebrews though, and it is very likely this is not the same prophet, for in this book obadiah mentions the day when jerusalem was destroyed, captured by the alien armies, and that occurs long after the time of elijah and elisha.
The authors name is obadiah, which means servant or worshiper of the lord. There are obadiahs in the old testament, and one of these may the obadiah who wrote this book. The book of the prophet obadiah is the shortest book in the old testament. The book is named after the prophet who received the vision 1. Apart from the fact that obadiah was a prophet in the southern kingdom of judah, we do not know anything about his background or ministry. The form of obadiahs name used in the septuagint is obdios. As brief as this book is, scholars raise many questions about it. Some believe obadiah may have been a contemporary of elisha.
Obadiah is viewed throughout christianity as an old testament minor prophet who wrote the book of obadiah. But the inhabitants of edom refused to help when the people from israel suffered. The purpose of the book of obadiah, therefore, was not to warn edom of imminent judgment but to reassure gods people of his triumphant justice at work for them. We do not know anything of the books author but his name obadiah servant or worshipper of jehovah. Obadiah is writing to show that god is going to judge edom for what she has done.
Book of obadiah, the destruction of edom, judahs misfortune. Israel has been split into two kingdoms after the death in 925 b. While several options have been proposed by scholars, the best argument places obadiah in the 840s bc, making him the earliest writing prophet, a few years prior to joel, and a contemporary of elisha. In christianity, the book of obadiah is classified as a minor prophet of the old testament, due to its short length. The book concerns obadiah s vision in which he is shown the destruction of edom which was the region south of the kingdom of judah. Edoms pride and downfall is disclosed in the book of. This is what the sovereign lord says about edomwe have heard a message from the lord. People still chafe under injustices in this world, and yearn for a day when things will be as they should be. Obadiah, the shortest book in the old testament, is only 21 verses long. It was written about five centuries before christ and deals with some things that were going to happen to the ancient kingdom of edom, and has some things to say that are needful for today. Dating the book of obadiah accurately is nearly impossible due to the scant historical information contained in the book.
Michael teaches an overview of the book of obadiah. Obadiah servant of the lord is particularly vehement toward the edomites, long standing enemies of israel who cooperated with the babylonian conquerors. In latin it is translated as abdias while in arabic it is. As such, this book is one of the most difficult to date with accuracy. The righteous power of god, not the evil plans of the nations, determines the course of history. The text consists of a single chapter, divided into 21 verses, making it the shortest book in the hebrew bible. Was the obadiah in 1 kings 18 the same obadiah who wrote the. In judaism, obadiah is considered a later prophet, one of the twelve prophets in the final section of neviim, the second main division of the tanakh. The book of obadiah begins with a promise to bring edom down from their mountain sier, and ends with the deliverers of israel ascending mount zion to judge edom. The book of obadiah was likely written between 848 and 840 b. Consists of one chapter, concerning edom, its impending doom 1. These messages came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the like.
In judaism and christianity, its authorship is attributed to a prophet who lived in the assyrian period and named himself in the first verse, obadiah. Apr 30, 2006 joel, obadiah, malachi the niv application commentary baker, david w. The book of obadiah is an oracle concerning the divine judgment of edom and the restoration of israel. When god had a message for the people, he gave his message through the prophets. Nothing is known of the prophet except for his name, which means servant of. Obadiah was sent to declare gods judgment on edomthe descendants of esau. A prophet, fourth of the minor prophets in the hebrew canon, and fifth in the lxx. Edom and its people edomites are the descendants of esau. The book of obadiah contains a short message about the country called edom. Its authorship is generally attributed to a person named obadiah, which means servant or worshipper of the lord. Obadiah is a biblical theophorical name, meaning servant or slave of god or worshiper of yahweh. Obadiahs name means servant of yahweh, and he delivered a message regarding the edomites who had helped the babylonians in their conquest of jerusalem in 586 bc during the reign of king zedekiah of judah.
Book of obadiah, also spelled abdias, the fourth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, in the jewish canon treated as one book, the twelve. The book of obadiah is a book of prophetic oracles. The book of obadiah is the shortest book in the old testament of the bible, with only 21 verses. The book of amos has five chapters, obadiah has only one and the classic fish tale of jonah has four chapters. The prophet mentions a recent invasion of jerusalem 1. This summary of the book of obadiah provides information about the title, authors. Yet it tells the prophet obadiahs mission to carry gods message that the kingdom of edom shall be ultimately destroyed for its sins. More than ten persons of the ot bear the same name but none of them is identical with the prophet. This fact makes it difficult to date the time of writing.
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