I wrote this sermon for Hebrew Exegesis II at Bob Jones University in March 2001.
Theme: Though the wicked may for a time prosper, God will vindicate His people by means of the destruction of His enemies.
Introduction: Clear back in Genesis 25:21–23 we are told, “Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is so, why then am I this way?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger’.” Here was the beginning of the struggle of two nations. God had chosen one to be the children of promise upon whom He would bestow His blessing and favor and had rejected the other (“For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” Romans 9:11).
God’s gracious election of Jacob and rejection of Esau shows itself to be true in the outworking of the history of these two nations. Here in the prophecy of Obadiah, God’s people, Israel, were oppressed by God’s enemies, Edom. In Malachi 1:2–3 the Prophet writes concerning these two nations: “‘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.’” The vindication of God’s people and the judgment of God’s enemies is a common theme through the prophets. Often times the wicked would be prospering and successful while God’s people were suffering affliction. But God would send a word of encouragement to His people that their situation was not unnoticed. God would act in His time in deliverance and judgment; therefore God’s oppressed people should take courage because He is still the righteous Master of the universe.
I. The Enemies of God Will Be Destroyed (vv. 1–16).
In spite of how things appeared at the present for Edom and for Jacob, God had not abandoned His covenant people, nor was He ignoring the wickedness of Esau. Judgment was coming for the wicked. They were doomed to face God’s just punishment.
A. Reasons for Their Destruction (vv. 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 12–14)
The prophet Obadiah lays out clearly the wickedness of Esau and why it was that God’s judgment was to come. The two specific areas of sin that he mentions are pride and violence.
1. Because of their pride (vv. 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 13)
The first indictment that the prophet brings is that of pride. God declares that He will “make [them] small” (v. 2), because they were puffed up by their pride. [The Hebrew here uses a perfect (קָטֹן נְתַתִּיךָ) which is probably not simple past (“I have made thee small”) as in the KJV, but a prophetic perfect (“I will make you small”) as in the NAS and NIV (GK § 106n). As a result of their pride, they were living in self-deception, thinking that they were indestructible.
God uses the imagery of an eagle making its nest up high. [The Hebrew word נֶשֶׁר (eagle) is used in contexts referring either to speed or to height. In Job 39:27 it is used of making high its nest. Here the reference is to its great height, where the eagle makes its nest, which is symbolic of pride.] They ask, “Who will bring me down to earth?” And God replies, “From there I will bring you down.” There is no height to where God cannot ascend to make low the haughty. Though they may think themselves to be wise and of understanding (v. 8), God will destroy them.
In verse 12 God commands Edom to not boast. This was one of the expressions of their pride. [The Hebrew here is וְאַל־תַּגְדֵּל פִּיךָ which is literally “do not make great your mouth” (See Ezekiel 35:13).]
2. Because of their violence (vv. 10–14)
Not only was Edom to be judged for pride, but also for their violence to God’s people. [The מִן on the word מֵחֲמַס in verse 10 is clearly causal (IBHS 11.2.11d #11).] God will bring destruction on His enemies because of the wickedness of their violence. [The phrase מֵחֲמַס אָחִיךָ (from the violence of your brother) is best taken as a genitive of disadvantage, “the violence against your brother” (IBHS 9.5.2e #14) or as an objective genitive, “the violence done to your brother” (GK § 128h).] And here God reminds Edom that it was his brother to whom he was being violent. He refers specifically to an instance when Israel was being destroyed and the Edomites did nothing to help. God says, “Even you were as one from them” (v. 11).
B. Characteristics of Their Destruction (vv. 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 16, 18).
Because Edom had been puffed up in pride and treated with violence God’s special people, destruction was immanent. Obadiah characterized this destruction in three ways. First, judgment was certain. Second, Edom would get exactly what it had given. And third, this judgment would not be a partial judgment, but total and utter destruction.
1. It is a certain destruction (vv. 1, 4).
This judgment of Edom is inescapable. It is as certain as the nature and character of God Himself. Edom’s doom is sure and certain. In verse 4 God says, “Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down.” [The Hebrew construction וְאִם…אִם forms a chiasmus and should be translated “whether…or” (GK 162b).] In other words, no matter what Edom may try to do to escape it, judgment is coming. [The phrase נְאֻם־יְהוָה in verses 4 and 8 emphasizes the certainty of the coming judgment.]
2. It will be a deserved destruction (vv. 9, 15, 16, 18).
In verse 15 God gave this judgment to Edom, “As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.” [The word כַּאֲשֶׁר (as) is used as a comparative conjunction (GK § 161b).] In verse 14 God warns Edom not to “imprison their survivors (שְׂרִידָיו) in the day of their distress,” something which they had probably already be guilty of doing. [These 8 occurrences of אַל with the jussive should be taken as prohibitions (“do not”) with the NAS rather than past (“you should not have”) with the KJV (GK § 109c).] And in verse 18 Edom is told, “There will be no survivor (שָׂרִיד) [left] of the house of Esau.” God’s judgment upon his enemies will be deserved. They will be treated as they had treated Israel. They will get what they had coming to them. God will, so to speak, give them “a taste of their own medicine.” Likewise, in verse 9, God says that everyone of Esau will be cut off by slaughter [The מִן on the word מִקָּטֶל is probably means (IBHS 11.2.11d #12, 13).]. Just as Edom by violence afflicted God’s people, so there own destruction will be by a violent slaughter. “As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee.”
3. It will be a complete destruction (vv. 5, 6, 16, 18).
A primary emphasis of this judgment is on its comprehensiveness. When God judges, there will be nothing left of Edom. In verse 5, the Lord makes a comparison between thieves and grape gatherers and what He will do to Edom. Usually even thieves only steal as much as they need, and grape gatherers will leave some behind, but not God when He judges. He will totally ransack Edom and leave nothing left over. [The Hebrew word חָפַשׂ (to search or ransack) may carry the idea of its Aramaic and Syriac cognate חָפַס with the picture of mining or digging (see Zephaniah 1:12).] [Also both חָפַשׂ and בָּעָה are prophetic perfects (GK § 106n).]
In verse 18, God uses a different imagery, that of fire. [The Hebrew words אֵשׁ (fire) and לֶהָבָה (flame) (all but one of the 19 occurrences of this word are used in connection with אֵשׁ, either in synonymous parallelism or as an intensified expression) are often used in context of divine judgment. Nahum 1:6 refers to God’s “wrath poured out like fire” (See also Jeremiah 4:4; 21:12). In Zephaniah 3:8 Yahweh says, “All the earth will be consumed by the fire of my zeal.”] God’s wrath, like fire, will burn up His enemies.
This imagery is also continued by referring to Esau as stumble. [The Hebrew word קַשׁ (stubble or chaff) is almost exclusively used in the context of judgment (See Nahum 1:10; Malachi 3:19). The word is used in Exodus 5:12 for what the children of Israel had to gather for their building in the Egyptian captivity. It is usually found in connection with fire or with wind.] Chaff is that which is light and dry and would burn very quickly and easily and leave nothing behind. The imagery is plain: God’s enemies (chaff) are destroyed (burned up) completely by God’s wrath (fire). When God and His people come into contact with opposition, such opposition stands as little chance as chaff does against fire.
This imagery is intensified even more by the verbs burning and consuming. [The phrase וְדָלְקוּ בָהֶם וַאֲכָלוּם (and they will burn on them and they will consume them) only adds to the graphic destructive language. The word וַאֲכָלוּם is the common Hebrew word for eating. It is often used figuratively of fire which eats or consumes its object (See Zephaniah 3:8).] This judgment will not be partial judgment, in which one could hope to survive, but it will be complete.
II. The People of God Will Be Vindicated (vv. 17–21).
While God will destroy the enemies of Him and His people, He will also bring restoration and vindicate the wrong that has been done. He does so in His good time by restoring what Edom had owned but rightfully belonged to Jacob.
A. In God’s Timing (vv. 17, 21)
God will bring restoration and vindicate His people in His time. [The future is used (תִּהְיֶה וְהָיָה וְיָרְשׁוּ) to express that God will fulfill His promise in His time.] Although God’s people do not experience the present fulfillment of God’s promises, they are certain and must be embraced as true by faith.
B. By Restoration of All That Belongs To Them (vv. 17–21)
Israel will receive what belongs to them. After the exile, when Edom was wiped out, the land was restored to Israel, but God will ultimately fulfill for His people all the promises in Christ. [The phrase וְהָיְתָה לַיהוָה הַמְּלוּכָהdoes not imply that the kingdom at that time belonged to someone other than God, or that His control over the affairs of the earth was somehow limited. But rather it emphasizes that a more full realization of His kingly rule was to come.]
Conclusion: The people of God must take hope that God still rules over the kingdoms of this world. Though the wicked may seem to prosper and have success now, sooner or later God will vindicate Hs people and pour out His just fury upon His rebellious enemies. Though the good may suffer affliction and persecution at the hand of the wicked, God will punished the evil of violence. Though the enemies of God are exalted in pride and think they stand against Him and His people, He will bring them down to utter and complete destruction. No one will be able to stand in the day of His fierce wrath. Take comfort, O people of God; the Kingdom belongs to the Lord.