Do Not Defy the Redemptive Work of God

Obadiah 4: "Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down."


The book of Obadiah is one of those seldom referenced books of the Bible. It is nestled in the Old Testament among the other minor prophetic books; still, it is an invaluable Word from the Lord to which we must look to find important truths. These truths of God aid us in living lives of obedience to Him as our Sovereign Lord.

Not much is known about the prophet Obadiah other than he was a prophet devoted to God and assured that God would vindicate the righteous and judge the wicked ones who would attempt to thwart His redemptive work.


The book is specifically addressed to the Edomites. This tribe of people were descendants of Esau, and they lived in the region southeast of the Promised Land/Judah on the other side of the Dead Sea. Their land was much more barren as compared to the land God gave to the Israelites, as it was filled with red sandstone soil that did not yield much fruit.


These Edomites were constantly warring against their distant relatives, the Israelites, over land and preeminence in the region. In Numbers 20:21, the account is given of the Israelites under the leadership of Moses moving from Egypt to the Promised Land. The land of Edom was one of the last territories that the Israelites had to pass through to reach their final destination and experience the redemptive work of God in delivering His people from bondage. However, the Edomites would not permit the Israelites to pass through. Instead, the Edomites came out with a powerful army and turned away the Israelites from being obedient to the redemptive calling of God.


Years later, these Edomites would war against King David (2 Samuel 8:13) and against King Solomon (I Kings 11:14-15). They were a continual threat to the Israelites in the region of Palestine, as is evidenced by their invasions during the reigns of Jehosophat, Jehoram, Amaziah, and Ahaz. And later, when the Babylonians invaded the land of Judah, not only did the Edomites refuse to help their distant relatives, but they instead aided the Babylonians destroy the people of Judah. These Edomites cried out for Jerusalem to be torn down (see Psalm 137:7). Some historical sources even claim that the Edomites were directly responsible for destroying the Temple at the time of the Babylonian invasion (see I Esdras 4:45). And even while the people of Judah were fleeing the region, these Edomites took full advantage of the Israelites, seizing their wealth and "cutting down" the fugitives who were trying to escape the slaughter by the Babylonians (Obadiah 13-14). They were quite brazen after the destruction of Jerusalem, drinking in celebration among the ruins on the Holy Hill of Jerusalem. (Obadiah 16).

If anything, the Edomites are analogous to Satan, who attempts to thwart the redemptive work of the Almighty, who offers the ultimate "Promised Land" (i.e. Heaven) to His chosen ones (i.e. those who have responded to His grace). As Edom attempted to inhibit the Israelites from entering the Promised Land, so too is Satan actively at work trying to thwart God's redemptive process for His followers.


Therefore, the strong judgment response against the Edomites in the book of Obadiah is understandable, as they are seen as the epitome of wickedness and rebellion against God and His work of reclamation. God will not hold guiltless the ones that would "shake (their) fists at God, vaunting (themselves) against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield" [Job 15:25-26]. The vanity of these Edomites' with their prideful hearts and the false presumption that they lived in impenetrable fortresses would lead to their destruction (see Obadiah 3). God promised to "bring them down" from their lofty position, and would judge them for their abject rebellion, and His prophetic words were severe, "Oh, what a disaster awaits you . . . . Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged!" (Obadiah 5-6).


As we see in Obadiah 1, our God has the final word on the matter. He promised that He ultimately would deliver His people and His land (Obadiah 17), thus restoring the divine blessings that had been lost. God would not be challenged in His redemptive work, but he would restore His kingdom to the place it once was (Obadiah 21).

We can see today that God was true to His Word, for the Edomites no longer exist as a nation. And so too will all those who perpetrate rebellion against the Almighty fall to a similar fate (see Revelation 20). Let us not be associated with the Edomites (i.e. purveyors of rebellion against the purposes of the Lord); rather, let us surrender to Him as Lord and experience the blessings that the Lord desires to lavish upon us.