Episode 3108: Book of the Bible - Jonah

Book of the Bible - Obadiah: A Vision of Justice and Judgment
Introductory Prayer
O Lord of Hosts, Almighty and Eternal God, who sees the hearts of men and judges with justice and truth, grant us the grace to understand Thy holy Word with humility and reverence. May we recognize the dangers of pride and betrayal and embrace the call to repentance and restoration. Enlighten our minds through Thy prophet Obadiah, that we may walk always in the light of Thy truth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Introduction to the Book of Obadiah
The Book of Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, consists of a single chapter containing 21 powerful verses. It is a divine oracle of judgment against the nation of Edom, descendants of Esau, and a solemn warning against pride, betrayal, and the mistreatment of one’s kin.
Obadiah, whose name means "Servant of the Lord", was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, and his prophecy was likely written between 586 B.C. (the fall of Jerusalem) and 553 B.C. (the fall of Edom).
Set in the turbulent aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction by Babylon in 586 B.C., this prophetic utterance condemns Edom’s arrogance and cruelty, and affirms that no sin goes unseen by the eyes of God. Yet amid the thunder of judgment, there is a whisper of hope: a promise of restoration for Mount Zion and the triumph of God's holy remnant. Obadiah speaks not only to the ancient conflict between two nations born of the same patriarch, but also to the timeless struggle against pride, vengeance, and indifference to the suffering of others. As we read these sacred verses, let us reflect with humility on God's sovereignty, justice, and the mercy reserved for those who remain faithful.
Though short, this book is rich in themes of divine justice, kinship, vengeance, and God's sovereign plan for the restoration of His people, Judah and Israel.
Historical and Theological Background
• Edom was a mountainous nation to the southeast of Judah. Its capital, Petra, was carved into rock and accessible only through narrow canyons. The Edomites took pride in their fortified position.
• The Edomites were descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. Despite this kinship, Edom was historically hostile toward Israel:
o Refused Israel passage (Numbers 20:14–20)
o Fought King Solomon (1 Kings 11:14–25)
o Opposed King Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:22)
o Rebelled under King Jehoram (2 Chron. 21:8–10)
• Their greatest sin was in the time of Judah's calamity: when Babylon invaded Jerusalem, Edom rejoiced, plundered Judah, and handed over fleeing survivors to the enemy.
• This betrayal incurred God's wrath and led to the prophecy of their utter destruction.
The Prophecy of Obadiah
Verses 1–9: Judgment Against Edom’s Pride
The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God to Edom: We have heard a report from the Lord, and he hath sent an ambassador to the nations: Arise ye, and let us rise up to battle against him. Behold I have made thee small among the nations: thou art exceeding contemptible. The pride of thy heart hath lifted thee up, who dwellest in the clefts of the rocks, and settest up thy throne on high: who sayest in thy heart: Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou be exalted as an eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars: thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.
Commentary: The Edomites prided themselves in their seemingly impregnable city. But God declares He will humble them. Pride precedes destruction, a theme echoed in Proverbs 16:18.
It goes on to say. If thieves had gone in to thee, if robbers by night, how wouldst thou have been silent? would they not have stolen till they had enough? If the grape gatherers had come in to thee, would they not have left a cluster? How have they searched Esau, how have they sought out his hidden things?
Commentary: God's judgment will be so complete that nothing will be left. Not even a remnant or treasure will remain.
It goes on to say. They have sent thee out even to the border: all the men of thy peace have deceived thee: the men that eat with thee shall prevail against thee: they shall lay a snare under thee: there is no wisdom in him. Shall I not in that day, saith the Lord, destroy the wise out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
Thy valiant men, O Thema, shall be afraid: everyone shall be cut off from the mount of Esau.
Commentary: Edom’s allies will turn on them. Betrayal will be repaid with betrayal, and their wisdom will fail them.
Verses 10–14: Edom’s Violence Against Judah
For the slaughter, and for the iniquity against thy brother Jacob, confusion shall cover thee, and thou shalt perish for ever. In the day when thou stoodest against him, when strangers carried away his army captive, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem: thou also wast as one of them.
Commentary: God refers to Judah as Jacob reminding Edom of their brotherhood. Edom stood by, complicit in Judah’s destruction.
It goes on to say. But thou shalt not look on in the day of thy brother, in the day of his leaving his country: and thou shalt not rejoice over the children of Juda, in the day of their destruction: and thou shalt not magnify thy mouth in the day of distress. Neither shalt thou enter into the gate of my people in the day of their ruin: neither shalt thou also look on in his evils in the day of his calamity: and thou shalt not be sent out against his army in the day of his desolation. Neither shalt thou stand in the crossways to kill them that flee: and thou shalt not shut up them that remain of him in the day of tribulation.
Commentary: These verses outline eight specific wrongs Edom committed. They didn't merely do nothing they actively participated in Judah’s fall. God sees every injustice.
Verses 15–16: The Day of the Lord is Near
For the day of the Lord is at hand upon all nations: as thou hast done, so shall it be done to thee: he will turn thy reward upon thy own head. For as you have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all nations drink continually: and they shall drink, and swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
Commentary: God’s justice is not only for Edom it extends to all nations. The “day of the Lord” will bring divine retribution.

Verses 17–21: Restoration of Israel and Dominion of the Lord
And in mount Sion shall be salvation, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess those that possessed them. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble: and they shall be kindled in them, and shall devour them: and there shall be no remains of the house of Esau, for the Lord hath spoken it. And they that are toward the south, shall inherit the mount of Esau, and they that are in the plains, the Philistines: and they shall possess the country of Ephraim, and the country of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Galaad. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel, all the places of the Chanaanites even to Sarepta: and the captivity of Jerusalem that is in Bosphorus, shall possess the cities of the south. And saviours shall come up into mount Sion to judge the mount of Esau: and the kingdom shall be for the Lord.
Commentary: These final verses promise restoration and victory for Zion. The once oppressed will rule. God is establishing His eternal dominion. The term "saviours" may allude to the leaders God will raise up, ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
Key Lessons from Obadiah
1. Pride leads to destruction – The Edomites trusted in their strength and position rather than in God.
2. Brotherhood must not be betrayed – The ties of kinship are sacred.
3. God sees injustice and repays it – No wrong goes unpunished.
4. God restores His people – Even after devastation, He promises salvation.
5. The kingdom belongs to the Lord – All earthly power is fleeting, but God's dominion is eternal.
The Book of Obadiah stands as a solemn warning to all who exalt themselves in pride and turn their hearts against their brethren. Edom's downfall was not merely political it was a divine chastisement brought upon by a hardened heart, a refusal to show mercy, and a betrayal of sacred kinship. As the prophet declares, “As thou hast done, so shall it be done to thee” (Obadiah 1:15). Yet, for the faithful, there remains the enduring hope of restoration and victory, for “saviours shall come up into mount Sion… and the kingdom shall be for the Lord” (Obadiah 1:21). Let us then learn from the ruins of Edom, and walk humbly with our God, seeking always to be faithful, charitable, and obedient to His holy will. May this brief yet profound book stir in us a deeper reverence for God's justice, and a greater love for His mercy.
Ways the Book of Obadiah Points to Christ and His Mission:
1. The Day of the Lord (Obadiah 1:15)
“For the day of the Lord is at hand upon all nations: as thou hast done, so shall it be done to thee.”
The “Day of the Lord” is a prophetic theme that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s first coming (for salvation) and His second coming (for judgment). In Obadiah, this day signifies a moment of divine justice where the proud are cast down and the humble are lifted up.
• This anticipates Christ’s mission to judge the world, to overthrow the proud (like Edom) and to bring justice to the oppressed.
• Jesus speaks of His own return in similar terms: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works.” (Matthew 16:27)

2. Mount Zion as the Place of Salvation (Obadiah 1:17)
“And in mount Sion shall be salvation, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess those that possessed them.”
Mount Zion, originally referring to the hill in Jerusalem, is typologically fulfilled in the Church, the new Jerusalem, founded by Christ.
• The prophecy that “salvation shall be on Mount Zion” prefigures the salvific work of Christ, who brought salvation through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection in Jerusalem.
• In Hebrews 12:22, we are told: “But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...”showing that the Church is the new Zion, where true salvation is found in Christ.
3. The Fall of Esau and the Exaltation of Jacob (Obadiah 1:18)
“And the house of Jacob shall be a fire... and the house of Esau stubble…”
This points to the reversal of worldly expectations a recurring theme in Christ’s teachings:
• Esau, representing worldly strength and pride, is overthrown.
• Jacob, chosen by God despite his weakness, is exalted.
• This mirrors Christ’s Beatitudes: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land.” (Matthew 5:4)
This contrast prefigures Christ's choosing of the lowly and humble His Church over the worldly and proud.
4. “Saviours shall come up on Mount Zion” (Obadiah 1:21)
“And saviours shall come up into mount Sion to judge the mount of Esau: and the kingdom shall be for the Lord.”
The plural "saviours" here is seen by the Fathers of the Church as those who participate in Christ's redemptive mission, such as the prophets, apostles, and especially the ultimate Savior Jesus Christ.
• The verse culminates with: “the kingdom shall be the Lord's” which clearly anticipates Christ’s Kingship.
• In Luke 1:33, the angel announces: “And he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
This final verse of Obadiah hints at the establishment of God’s Kingdom through Christ, who came to rule not only Israel, but all nations.
Theological Summary (Traditional Catholic Perspective)
Obadiah, while primarily a book of judgment, is also a book of hope. It sets the stage for the Messianic promise by:
• Exalting God’s justice fulfilled in Christ, who is the Just Judge.
• Promising restoration fulfilled in Christ’s redemptive mission and the founding of the Church.
• Anticipating God’s Kingdom fulfilled in the universal reign of Christ the King, whose dominion is eternal.
The Church Fathers often saw Edom as symbolic of sinful humanity or the proud nations opposed to God. In contrast, Mount Zion represents the faithful remnant the Church where salvation is offered to all through Christ.

Concluding Prayer
O Lord our God, just and mighty, who humbles the proud and lifts up the lowly, grant us the grace never to delight in the fall of others, especially our brethren. Root out pride and vengeance from our hearts. May we always trust in Thy justice, seek reconciliation over revenge, and strive for holiness. Restore in us what sin has broken, and may Thy Kingdom come, and Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Next Book:
Micah