Hope And A Future

Tonight, our focus is on the restoration of Israel.

17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;

The verse begins with “but”, it is a transition word linking what happened in the previous verse to this one. In verse 16 we have judgment on Edom; in contrast to that is deliverance in Jerusalem. Mount Zion is a reference to Jerusalem.

The Day of the Lord brings 2 results:

1. Destruction to the wicked

2. Restoration to the righteous

it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance.

Obadiah reveals to the children of Israel three promises from the Lord God:

1. Deliverance –

KJV & NIV - deliverance

ESV - But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape

NLT - But Jerusalem will become a refuge for those who escape;

Jerusalem will be a place of deliverance, refuge and escape from attacking heathen nations and from captivity.

2. Holiness – Israel was being punished herself for idolatry, but after her time of suffering God restores her covenant holiness.

3. Inheritance – in being restored Israel would also receive the inheritance promised her.

KJV – the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

NLT - the people of Israel will come back to reclaim their inheritance.

Beyond the nation of Israel could these blessings of inheritance refer to spiritual Israel? Spiritual Israel is the church. The Christian Church benefits from the blessings of God on the nation of Israel.

18 Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame; Esau will be stubble, and they will set him on fire and destroy him.

Obadiah’s preaching style is direct with little poetry or flamboyance. As you may remember only a couple of times in this brief prophesy has Obadiah used a play on words or anything colorful. In verse 18 we have something visual – reference to fire and burning stubble.

Using the names of Jacob and Joseph to refer to Israel, Obadiah describes them as a flame or fire that will swoop down on Edom and destroy them as a wildfire burning stubble.

There will be no survivors

from Esau.”

When that happens sometime in the future from when he shared it, the destruction would be complete – no survivors. The Life Application study Bible says that Judas Maccabeus, a Jewish revolutionary leader, led Israel to rout Edom in 164BC.

Although there will be no survivors of Edom, there will be survivors from Israel and those survivors will rise up and be the one who brings judgment on Edom.

When the remnant of Israel read or heard Obadiah’s prophesy, I believe it gave them hope of surviving their hardships wherever they were. It must have given them hope to hang on.

The LORD has spoken.

Obadiah has been cautious, even restrained in delivering his prophesy to give only what the Lord God revealed to him. Some prophets might throw in some personal perspective or opinion, but not Obadiah – we have the clear word of revelation given to him and with the ending of that revelation he closes with “the Lord has spoken”.

This section makes lots of references to geographical locations and possessing land.

19 People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess

the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

20 This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath;

the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad

will possess the towns of the Negev.

Obadiah calls them “Israelite exiles and exiles from Jerusalem”. This is another confirmation that the time of the writing is around the destruction of Jerusalem in 587BC.

Most of these places are familiar to me except Sepharad - low hill area between coastal plains and central hills. If these references to places arouses your curiosity, I would encourage you to get out a map.

The conclusions I would draw from these verses are:

• The Hebrew territory encroached by neighboring peoples will be regained

• The Israelites will even gain new land in their expansion efforts

21 Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau.

Now Obadiah calls the Jews “deliverers”. KJV and ESV calls them “saviors” little s. These people will save and deliver their people from their enemies.

And the kingdom will be the LORD’s.

What a great way to end is prophesy with an emphasis on the kingdom of God. Human kings are limited in what they can do, but the Lord God is sovereign in His power and determined in His purpose.

Spiritual application:

1. Deliverance – from our problems, troubles or tribulations so we may have peace in our lives.

2. The Lord has spoken – when you pray, ask God to reveal to you His will in decisions are need to make. Listen for His answer.