“The Book of Obadiah,” Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2002), 185
“The Book of Obadiah,” Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide, 185
The Book of Obadiah
A Message of Justice
Has someone ever taken advantage of you when you were in a difficult situation? Obadiah condemned the nation of Edom for taking advantage of Jerusalem. When a foreign power attacked Jerusalem, the Edomites helped defeat the Jews and steal their property. Obadiah prophesied of Edom’s destruction because of their cruelty toward Judah and of Israel’s eventual salvation upon Mount Zion.
Short Background to a Short Book
Judah
Moab
Edom
The name Obadiah means “servant (or worshiper) of Jehovah.” His book was probably written about 586 B.C., shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem, and is the shortest of all the books of the Old Testament. For more background information see the Bible Dictionary, “Obadiah” (p. 739).