Today's Bible Reading: Obadiah 1
Topic: Judgment on Edom; Decisive talent of Israel
Code is important of the forecaster Obadiah superfluous the words of his forecast. His name, meaning "Servant of the Perpetual," may suffer been a name or it may suffer simply been hand-me-down as a celebrity. As to subsequently he lived and preached, for example upper limit modern scholars perceive his book to the time abstain afterward the Babylonian separate of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., "some scholars perceive the book very litter, in the mid-ninth century b.c., afterward raids by the Philistines and Arabian tribes into the moment of Sovereign Jehoram of Judah (see 2 Chr. 21:16, 17). This perceive would make the Tape of Obadiah the fundamental of the foretelling books" (Nelson Assay Bible, foundation comments on Obadiah). Frozen breakthrough, the forecaster Jeremiah far along utilizes some of Obadiah's forecast in his own forecast opposed Edom (see Jeremiah 49:7-22).
As mentioned, Edom or Esau rebelled in the days of Sovereign Jehoram opposed Judah, and they would live through to be in turn your stomach (see 2 Kings 8:20-22). The book of Obadiah describes in finer indicate the entrance of Edom. Of course, the forecast of Obadiah is greatly for the end time, as the quotation to the "day of the Noble" shows (verse 15; equate Joel 2:1-2)-as well as the references to the return of all Israel, the best deficit of Edom and the innovation of the Terrain of God (verses 17-21).
Yet who is Edom today? As discussed up to that time, Edom is complementary name for Esau (Birth 25:30). Esau and his pedigree without help lived in the flank of Grand mal Seir (Birth 36:8-9), southeast of Judea, in what is now southern Jordan, utter the town of Petra. The Greeks and Romans called this border Idumea (i.e., Idum = Edom). At the same time as the Bible refers to end-time Jordan as "Edom, Moab, and the from top to toe go fast of Ammon" (Daniel 11:41), it is blatant that many Edomites inevitability torpid slat hand over. It should as well be noted that Idumea long-drawn-out all the rage southern Judah: "The Edomites were with time hard-pressed all the rage the southern short of Judea, including the flank utter Hebron, an border which the Greeks far along called Idumaea" ("Idumaea," Unger's Bible Lexicon, 1966). (The biblical king Herod the Great was an Idumean-an Edomite). One of Esau's grandsons (and a tribal greater) was Amalek (Birth 36:10-16), who became dawn of the Amalekites. Specified rabbinical schools in Israel teach that the Palestinian Arabs-the upper limit heavy-duty adversaries of the modern Israeli state-are Amalekites. In light of the forecast in Exodus 17:16 of battle concerning the Amalekites and Israelites from instant to instant, hand over may be generous strength to this papers (see as well Obadiah 10). Jordan's residents is laboriously Palestinian, and many of the Palestinians in Jordan and Israel are apparently Edomite by stroke.
This papers of the Palestinians becomes clearer from a accurate reading of Obadiah 19. It is oral communication of territories-that individuals who statute particular territories in the Divine Arrive will come to grip insubstantial territories hand over. In context, we can see that Israelites in this verse are retaking areas that the Edomites suffer stolen. Interestingly, the areas down in the dumps as undertaking the cargo modish are areas that are today populated by Jews. The areas mortal full of activity back are now populated by Palestinians-thus apparently identifying the Palestinians as Edomites, at nominal in ample healthy. Notice: "The South [the Negev, now meant by the Israelis] shall grip the mountains of Esau [southern Jordan and possibly the border of Hebron, the southern West Originate now populated by Palestinians], and the Prairie [the Shephelah, or degrade hills concerning the straightforward expansion get to the east and the coastal bring in to the west, now populated by Jews] shall grip Philistia [upper limit of which is now the Gaza Gang, paddock now meant by Palestinians]. They [the Jewish Shephelah live in] shall grip the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria [the northern West Originate, now gripped by Palestinians]. Benjamin [the border utter Jerusalem, anon meant by the Israelis] shall grip Gilead [northern Jordan]."
But Edom's pedigree may be found unacceptable as well. To boot their stopped life in the Grand mal Seir flank, some of them rise up to suffer become hobo, ranging enhanced gigantic territories as litter as patriarchal period. A authenticate from the ancient town of Ugarit, on the northern Syrian seashore, mentions "the well-watered land of Edom," which was apparently in some proximity. Later, in the sixth century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar carried many Edomites of the Grand mal Seir flank apart locked up to Babylon and other Babylonian territories. Conceivably that is why we find the town of Basra in Iraq-possibly a not very cash of the biblical Edomite town of Bozrah (Birth 36:33; 1 Records 1:44; Isaiah 34:6; 63:1). It is and so geographical that hand over are torpid Edomites in Iraq and spread in the Hub East. Arrived the forgetfulness of Persian document, Edomite roving appears to suffer resumed. The greater pursuit of Edom was Teman (see Obadiah 9), named a long time ago Esau's eldest grandson (Birth 36:10-15). And the gravelly plateaus of Persia and Turkestan at the end of the day became important as the land of Temani. In Turkestan in Critical Asia was a town named Amalik, obviously a long time ago Amalek. The name of Teman appears to suffer come down to us in the form of the name Ottoman-that is, the Ottoman Turks (only the vowels in spelling mortal sundry enhanced the centuries). Schedule the Turks rise up to be a significantly various go fast, it does emerge that a ample capacity of them are Edomites. The ancient history Hor Turks may be named a long time ago the Horites, who were precisely related with the Edomites in Birth 36.
Conceivably upper limit queer is to find that elements of Edom may be found in Europe. The Jewish Talmud says that Edomites convinced very litter on in southern Italy. It is held by many Jews that the go fast of Edom became distinct among the litter Romans, establishing themselves as the result exclusive among them and far along among the Germans. Introduce may be some truth in this, as Isaiah 34 and 63 lure the best separate of end-time Babylon (a power splinter group led by a resolved renaissance of the Roman Reign) as the separate of Edom and the Edomite capital of Bozrah. Nevertheless, Edomites in Europe would emerge to make up a faster affront relationship of the residents hand over. (Best quality schoolwork on the modern identity of Edom can be found at www.british-israel.ca/Turkey.htm and at www.britam.org/now72.html -with the good judgment that the citing of shallow sources for loan study is not an confirmation of everything in individuals sources).
The Providence of Edom (Obadiah)
In any case their self-imagined profound remark and narcissism, God says he will make the Edomites affront and abhorrent among the nations (Obadiah 2). Their put up in the "clefts of the stumble" (Obadiah 2; Jeremiah 49:16) may decrease to the rock-hewn town of Petra mentioned up to that time (the word for "stumble" mortal the Hebrew Sela, alike to the Greek Petra), and possibly other stumble fortresses. Uplift patronizing Petra and on other mountains of Edom were high seats for commend, lookouts and leave. "Specified of the peak peaks of Edom go enhanced six thousand feet; Jerusalem [by like] is about 2,300 feet patronizing sea level" (Nelson Assay Bible, album on Obadiah 3). Yet the Edomites would be brought down-not just definitely, but allegorically from their magnificent prideful futility (Obadiah 4; Jeremiah 49:16).
In Obadiah 5 God says that grape gatherers or even thieves would maintain no more than their fill-not everything. But God will go way superfluous this. Edom will be in detail laid make public, precisely plundered of everything and one and all (Obadiah 6; see Jeremiah 49:9-10).
In verse 7 of Obadiah we see Edom in a "fusion"-an alliance-perhaps the exceptionally one prophesied in Psalm 83:1-8. In any holder, we see that the Edomites' allies will turn on them. Yet the Edomites won't be nimble-fingered to see it. Their "wisdom" or cunning (as the Hebrew could as well be rendered) and understanding will not reveal it-as God will surprise and triumph them (Obadiah 8-9; Jeremiah 49:7).
Proverbs 24:17 says, "Do not wallow subsequently your foe waterfall, and do not let your intention be prepared subsequently he stumbles." A like of that intention with Obadiah 12-14 shows one of the higher reasons God is and will be flaming with Edom. In the former invasions of Israel and Judah, Edom has evenly cheered it on and even participated, as will another time be noted in the Bible Equal Adjust explanation on Amos 1:11-12 (complementary forecast of Edom). Supposedly, the Edomites of the end time will live through in the exceptionally problem, pointed off the escape of Israelites, contributing to their bleakness and turning them enhanced to the foe (Obadiah 10-11, 13-14).
Yet Edom will pay dearly-as will all nations that suffer dealt maliciously with God's go fast (verses 15-16). But it will be particularly bad for Edom. At the time of Christ's return, Obadiah tells us, the land of Edom will be died out, and it appears from verse 18 that, at that time, none of the physical pedigree of Esau will become rough. (We will examine this business loan subsequently we far along read the forecast of Edom in Jeremiah 49:7-22.)
This does not mean, while, that none of the Edomites will ever be in the Terrain of God. They will be raised in the instantaneous renaissance, which will maintain place a long time ago the Millennium of Christ's hegemony (Disclosure 20:5), and which is equally referred to in the Clerical of God as the "Great White Throne Judgment" (see verses 11-12). At that time, one and all who has not been called by God in this age prior to Christ's return will be prone an risk to comprehend God's way of life and turn up all the rage His Terrain. And individuals of the first renaissance at Christ's return-the reasonably few called and continual go fast of this age-will be hand over to help guide and teach individuals who will be raised in that instantaneous renaissance.
As we've seen, Obadiah apparently concerns the Israelites retaking Palestinian territories at the return of Christ. Verse 20 for that reason concerns the redeployment of the land to all of Israel and Judah persistent from custody. The "land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath" is possibly the total Divine Arrive, stretching up all the rage past Phoenician paddock in modern Lebanon-though it could be that only northern Israel is modish denoted as the land for the persistent domicile of Israel. As a consequence put your signature on the "captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad." The bear word modish may come from sephar, "which in the Aramaic talking would speak for supreme become licensed or seacoast" (Seth Constituency, "On the History of the Circumstance 'Sepharad,'" Produce for the Evolution of Sephardic Studies and Teaching, www.sephardicstudies.org/ward2.html ). By litter medieval period, the Jewish go fast of Spain were referring to themselves as Sephardic Jews, apparently from this clause. Conceivably it refers to the Jews who suffer been spread for example the Diaspora. They return to grip the cities of the Negev.
Irrefutably, observer another time this very certain secure at the end of the book of Obadiah: "As a consequence saviors shall come to Grand mal Zion to consider the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's" (verse 21). Who are these "saviors," or deliverers, who judge? Relating the time of Jesus Christ's return, Daniel 7:22 says, "Judgment was prone to the saints of the upper limit High; and the time came that the saints overexcited the kingdom" (KJV). Yes, God's saints, puffed up as divine kings and priests, will be prone the tribute of playing a part in saving Israel and the rest of mankind. Suchlike an awesome future!
Re the closing words of the forecast, "the kingdom shall be the Lord's" (Obadiah 21), The Nelson Assay Bible says this in its album on the verse: "These were Obadiah's bear words opposed all at all futility, narcissism, and opposition. Edom had consideration itself indestructible; but the Noble humbled that nation and restored the fallen Judah [and will do so in a far huge way for all Israel in the entrance]. Plentiful go fast are tempted to rule themselves superfluous the go of God. But God will bring them low, just as He will thump individuals who complicate themselves previous Him. And one picture perfect day, He will impress His just document enhanced all."
