Obadiah
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Introduction[i]
Edom
is frequently spoken of in the prophets. This people, who, as well as Jacob,
were descended from Isaac, had an inveterate hatred to the posterity of the younger
son who were favoured as the people of Jehovah. Psalm 137 tells of this hatred
in the seventh verse. In Psalm 83 Edom forms a part of the last confederacy
against Jerusalem, the object of which was to cut off the name of Israel from
the earth. Ezekiel 35 dwells upon this perpetual hatred, shewn from the first
in the refusal to give them a passage through the land, and upon the desire of
Edom to possess the land of Israel. Our prophet enlarges upon the details of
the manifestation of this hatred, which burst forth when Jerusalem was taken.
It is possible that there was something of this sort when Jerusalem was taken
by Nebuchadnezzar. Edom is united with Babylon in Psalm 137 as the inveterate
enemy of Jerusalem.
But
it is evident that the prophecy extends to other events. Jerusalem shall again
be attacked by these Gentiles, who seek to satiate their hatred to the city of
Jehovah, and to gratify their ambitious purposes. Edom plays a sorrowful part
on this occasion, and its judgment is proportioned to its sin. The nation is
entirely cut off. When the rest of the world rejoice, the desolation of Edom
shall be complete. Edom had purposed to take advantage of the attack of the
nations upon Jerusalem, to possess itself of the land, and had united with them
to take part in the attack, by lying in wait-as was natural to a people whose
habits were those of the Arab tribes-to cut off the retreat of the fugitives,
laying hands, when possible, on their substance, and giving them up also to
their enemies. The men of Edom knew not that the day of Jehovah was upon all
the nations, and that this conduct would but bring down an especial curse on
their own heads. Their judgment is thus described: God takes away their wisdom,
their pride deceives them, their strength fails them, in order that they may be
entirely cut off. We have seen them joining the last confederacy against
Jerusalem, and taking part in the destruction of that city. But it appears that
their confederates deceive them (Oba_1:7;
and Edom, thus ill-treated by former allies, become "small among the
heathen" (Oba_1:1-) The nations
are the first instruments of Jehovah's vengeance. But another and yet more
terrible event is linked with the name of Edom, or Idumea, and is the occasion
of Jehovah's judgment falling upon that people. It is in Edom that the armies
of the nations will be assembled in the last days. We have the account of this
in Isaiah 34 and 63. See Isa_34:5-6,
the rest of the chapter displaying the judgment of desolation in the strongest
possible language. Isaiah 63 shews us Jehovah Himself returning from the
judgment, having trodden the winepress alone. Of the peoples there were none
with Him.
Finally,
Israel itself shall be an instrument in the hand of Jehovah for the judgment of
Esau (Oba_1:18. The destruction in
Isaiah relates especially to the armies of the nations, which, in their
movements, find themselves assembled in Edom. The part which Israel takes in
the judgment is on the people in general; and, I suppose, afterwards, when
Christ is at their head as the Messiah (compare Oba_1:17-18);
and Isa_11:14 appears to confirm this
view of the passage. At all events it takes place after Israel's blessing.
That
none shall be left of Edom is also declared in Oba_1:5;
Oba_1:6; Oba_1:9;
Oba_1:18; Jer_49:9;
Jer_49:10-22; and it will be observed
that there is no restoration of a remnant, as in the case of Elam and others (Jer_49:39). A part of the latter prophecy
establishes the same facts as that of Obadiah, in nearly the same words. The
same judgment is pronounced in Ezekiel 35, and in Isaiah 34, already quoted. We
see in these chapters, as well as in Isaiah 63, that it is the controversy of
Jerusalem, that Jehovah pleads with Edom (Eze_35:12;
Isa_34:8; Isa_63:4).
In these passages Jehovah does not forget His thoughts of love towards Zion and
His people.