obadiah - background

7/29/2019 Obadiah - Background

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Obadiah Background

Date

Because he does not mention names of people or clear and specific events, Obadiah is the most difficult

prophet to date. Thus dating of the book must be based on the content of the book. Obadiah mentions an

invasion of Jerusalem (v. 11), but does not mention who the invaders were, and records that the Edomites

took advantage of Jerusalems plight. He goes on to prophecy the destruction of Edom and the restoration of

Jerusalem.

Liberal critical scholars often date Obadiah to sometime after the exile (i.e. after ~516 BC, when the Jews

exiled by Nebuchadnezzar were allowed to return following the fall of the Babylonian Empire to the Persians).

The reason for dating the book at the age is that Liberal Critical scholars do not believe in the accuracy of

prophecy, and so because Obadiah prophecies the fall of Edom and the restoration of Israel, they believe it

must date from when both of these events had actually occurred. This would mean that the earliest date could

be 516 BC.

On the other hand, conservative, evangelical scholars do believe in the accuracy of genuine prophecy, and

hence believe that the book could be dated before the destruction of Edom and the restoration of Israel. In the

historical record four attacks on Jerusalem are recorded (see Table 1). As Obadiah refers to an invasion in the

past tense, it must be subsequent to one of the known invasions of Judah in the Table 1.

Table 1: Invasion of Judah

Invasion By In Judean King

Shishak, king of Egypt

(1 Kgs. 14:25-28; 2 Chr. 12:2-12)

925 B.C. Reign of Rehoboam

(931-913)

The Philistines

(2 Kgs. 8:20-24; 2 Chr. 21:16-22:1)

845 B.C. Reign of Jehoram

(848-841)

Jehoash of Israel

(2 Kgs. 14:8-14; 2 Chr. 25:14-24)

796-782 B.C. Reign of Amaziah

(796-767)

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

(2 Kgs. 25:1-21; 2 Chr. 36:11-21; Jer. 39:1-10)

586 B.C. Reign of Zedekiah

(597-586)

Though many conservative scholars take a 586 BC date, the invasion of the Philistine and Arabs in 845 B.C., is

considered to be more likely for the following reasons:

The description in verse 11 depicts several groups casting lots to divide up the city for the purpose ofplunder. This does not fit the complete destruction of the city at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar in

586 BC as in this case there was just one invading army. It does, however, accord well with the

description in 2 Chr. 21:16 of the invasion--but not complete destruction--by the Philistines (who

were a group of 5 independent city states) and Arabians (who were a collection of several different

tribes).

Verse 13 of Obadiah, when correctly translated, predicts future opportunities to invade and plunderJerusalem.

Verses 17-19 infer that the Northern Kingdom of Israel was still in existence, and so this must dateObadiah before 720 BC.


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The literary parallels in Jeremiah indicate a dependency between Jeremiah and Obadiah; i.e. oneborrowed from the other. As Jeremiah has a habit of using older prophecies, it is more likely that

Jeremiah referred to Obadiah than vice versa. Thus, Jeremiah is describing the destruction of his day

(586 BC) in terms of the past event described by Obadiah:

Obadiah 1-9 Jeremiah 49:7-16

1 We have heard a message from

the LORD: An envoy was sent to

the nations to say, "Rise, and let

us go against her for battle"-

14 I have heard a message from the

LORD: An envoy was sent to the

nations to say, Assemble

yourselves to attack it! Rise up for

battle!

2 See, I will make you small among

the nations; you will be utterly

despised.

15 Now I will make you small among

the nations, despised among men.

3 The pride of your heart has

deceived you, you who live in the

clefts of the rocks and make your

home on the heights, you who

say to yourself, Who can bring

me down to the ground?

16a The terror you inspire and the

pride of your heart have deceived

you, you who live in the clefts of

the rocks, who occupy the

heights of the hill.

4 Though you soar like the eagle

and make your nest among the

stars, from there I will bring you

down," declares the LORD.

16b Though you build your nest as

high as the eagle's, from there I

will bring you down," declares

the LORD.

5 If thieves came to you, if robbers

in the night--Oh, what a disaster

awaits you--would they not steal

only as much as they wanted? If

grape pickers came to you,

would they not leave a few

grapes?

9 If grape-pickers came to you,

would they not leave a few

grapes? If thieves came during

the night, would they not steal

only as much as they wanted?

6 But how Esau will be ransacked,

his hidden treasures pillaged!

10 But I will strip Esau bare; I will

uncover his hiding-places, so that

he cannot conceal himself. His

children, relatives and neighbours

will perish, and he will be no

more.

8 "In that day," declares the LORD,

"will I not destroy the wise men

of Edom, men of understanding

in the mountains of Esau?

7 Concerning Edom: This is what

the LORD Almighty says: "Is there

no longer wisdom in Teman? Has

counsel perished from the

prudent? Has their wisdom

decayed?

The prophet Joel, who was a Northern Israelite who prophesised to Assyria before the rise of Babylon(circa 775 BC), is probably referring to Obadiahs prophecy when he predicts the destruction of Edomin Joel 3:19; this would date Obadiah prior to 775 BC.


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None of the six characteristics of the Babylonian invasion of 586 BC are mentioned:(1) the razing of the wall;

(2) the burning of the royal palace and all the houses;

(3) the burning of the Temple;

(4) the capture and deportation of the king to Babylon;

(5) the deportation of the entire nation to Babylon;

(6) the immigration of some Jews to Egypt.

Edom

Edom was located south of Judah. Its capital city was Petra, located in Mount Sier. This prophecy has been

termed an oracle of two mountains; Mount Zion, where Jerusalem is located and Mount Sier. Jerusalem is

754m (2,474 ft) above sea level; Petra is 810m (2,657 ft) above sea level.

This really makes sense of some of the language Obadiah uses,

such as you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your

home on the heights, you who say to yourself, Who can bring me

down to the ground? (verse 3), and Though you soar like the

eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring

you down(verse 4).

The nation Edom took its name from its progenitor and father of

the nation Esau, who was also known as Edom (Gen. 25:30)

Edom means red and Esau is associated with this name

because he wanted the red pottage that Jacob had cooked in

preference to his birth right (Gen. 25:30-35), and because his skin

was a reddish colour (Gen. 25:25).The rivalry between

Israel and Edom dated

back to the days of

Jacob and Esau. Esau,

the eldest was a man of

the country, who had no

sense of long term

planning, but rather

lived for the moment

(Look, I am about to

die. What good is the

birthright to me? Gen25:32). Jacob, on the other hand was a long term strategist. In his

early life he was a schemer and a deceiver. Even on his return home

he strategized around self-preservation as he knew of the enmity his

brother held for him. Jacob sent messengers ahead, then split up his

possessions into groups, with cattle and flocks going ahead, then his

wives and children, and then last he himself made up the rear. The

night before meeting his brother, Jacob met an angelic messenger

(many belief this messenger to be a Old Testament appearance of Jesus). This was a life changing encounter, in

which the angelic being renamed Jacob (which means deceiver), to Israel (which means one who contends

with God).

The rivalry continued for many, many generations, with Israel at times ruling over Edom, and Edom at timestaking advantage of Israels misfortunes.

obadiah - background

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