Tonight we will begin our journey through the book of Obadiah. Obadiah is the shortest book in the whole Old Testament. It contains only 21 verses and deals primarily with the judgment of the nation of Edom. We do not know much about Obadiah.
- We know he is a common man with a common name. There are 13 other men in the Bible with the name Obadiah. It would be worth a study to see these individuals with this name. There are some very faithful and godly men on this list.
- We know that his name is fitting. The name Obadiah means A servant/worshiper of the Lord. He fits directly into this description as this is exactly what he is.
- We know that he is faithful during a difficult time. It is generally believed due to references of the destruction and difficulty of Judah that this book is written after the Babylonian attacks. He is the contemporary of Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. In fact the 49th chapter of Jeremiah is so similar that many believe Jeremiah is quoting Obadiah.
This is all we know of this man. However, the focus is not on the man Obadiah but the judgment pronounced and the kingdom by which the judgment is pronounced. This is a book against Edom. I think we must understand who Edom is before we can take a look at this book.
Now in this look at the history it is important to remember a few names.
- Edom: This name means red, we will see where this name originates.
- Esau: This name means hairy, rugged
- Seir: This name means hairy, rugged
- Horite: This name means rock dweller
Now the Edomites dwelt in Mt. Seir. Mt. Seir is a region named after Seir the Horrite.
Genesis 14:6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.
Genesis 36:20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,
So what we find is a people who were called the Horites mainly because of where they dwelt. Seir was the head of this tribe of people. They dwelt in Mt. Seir and this was a particular rocky and hard terrain. It is actually where Petra is located. Eventually the descendants of Esau would take over this land after the people of Seir were either destroyed or gone.
Deuteronomy 2:12 he Horims also dwelt in Seir before time; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the Lord gave unto them.
Now I think we can go through the story of Jacob and Esau. I think we should start with the Patriarch Abraham however. Abraham was of course the friend of God, and had been promised by God a great blessing. He was promised that from him would come a mighty nation. From him would come a people so great and they were to be chosen by God. Ultimately they were chosen to bring the Messiah or the king of kings into this world, that was the main purpose, a pure and holy people to bring about this great kingdom. This promise was passed down from Abraham to Isaac. Now Isaac marries Rebekah and this is where our story begins.
Genesis 25:19-23
In these verses we are first introduced to Jacob and Esau. It is at this time we find the great battle that was to take place. It is important to note a couple things in this portion of scripture.
- First, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost these unborn “fetuses”, as the world calls it, are called children. This confirms that these are lifes even in the womb.
- Secondly, we find the confirmation of the Lord that Jacob would be the greater nation. This is promised by the Lord. Now we will discuss next week the false teachings of Calvinism through these boys and their parents. The main problem is that Rebekah could not be patient and wait upon the Lord, this is the same problem of Abraham and Sarah.
Genesis 25:24-24
In these verses we find the birth and the forsaking of the birthright. Now at their birth Esau is born first. Scriptural and historically this puts him in line for the promise of God. Esau is red and hairy. This does not mean that he has a little hair, this means that Esau comes out completely hairy. Now this does not mean that he is called Edom because of his color. That will come shortly. However, he is called Esau because he is hairy, this may be the very reason he was drawn to Seir as they had a common personality trait. Remember water will always seek it’s own level. Jacob is born and he is a common person, no particular physical traits to set him apart. I imagine he is smaller as is the case with twins and Esau is larger.
In the next verses we find that these boys are vastly different. Esau is a hunter. This is of importance because it begins to show his personality and path he is heading down. There are only two individuals referred to in this manner, Nimrod and Esau. Nimrod is the father of Babel, and Babylon and much of the wickedness found within modern organized religion. Maybe one day we will trace back everything that points to Babel/Babylon and Nimrod. Jacob however is an individual who is a homebody, helping around the tents. Now let me be very clear here. Jacob is not effeminate. There is a push to remove masculinity in our nation and society, to be masculine is a crime nowadays. Jacob is at home, but Jacob is not displaying the tendency of feminism. He will grow into a great nation, a man who keeps the flock, a man who by all intent and purpose contains much masculinity. The problem we have in society today is, we see a boy like Jacob and moms and dads assume, my boy must be a homosexual, or my boy must be gender confused. Now, he is a boy who will grow into a man and you as a parent should point him in that direction.
Now there is a day when Esau is out in the fields hunting and he comes back in and tells Jacob to feed him. Jacob makes an agreement, I want your birthright in exchange. So Esau exchanges it and eats his red pottage. This is the reason for his name Edom. This is also the moment Esau forsook God and his plan!
Genesis 26:34-35
This is the next mention of Esau and it details his betrayal to the family by marrying two Hittite ladies.
Genesis 27
We will leave off this chapter and say a few things, but we should look at this penultimate chapter. Jacob, I guess having a bad day, decides I am going to die soon, he would actually live many more years after this, calls in Esau and commands some venison and that he was going to bless Esau. Of course Esau jumps on this opportunity because he wants this great blessing. Now Rebekah overhears and sends in Jacob in a deceptive garment carrying deceptive meat. Jacob receives the blessings and a battle that would continue for many, many years started in a tent of a blind man.
This is one of the saddest stories I think I have ever heard in a family that is supposed to be the chosen family of God. I want to show you five things in the life of Esau that show his depravity.
First, Esau is a man void of faith. If we go back to chapter 25 at the selling of the birthright we find a man who makes this great statement
Genesis 25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
He proclaims I am going to die and a birthright will do me no good. Remember Abraham in faith considered his body as good as dead and it was in faith that he trusted God and God gave him a son. Can I make a bold proclamation, if God wanted Esau to have the blessing and be the chosen son, then there was nothing that could remove him from this planet. Remember if God is for us who can be against us. Esau has no faith in his life, and for this reason he was rejected by God.
Secondly, Esau is a man void of respect. If we go to the later part of chapter 26 we find Esau marrying Hittite women.
Genesis 26:34-35 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
This shows a lack of respect first of towards his God. God had set Abraham aside and made certain he was to have a nation that was to be different, a pure and holy nation. To do this went against the plan of God. Secondly, he has no respect for mother or father. He was fully aware that this caused great grief for his parents.
Thirdly, this is a man void of honesty. In Genesis 27 we find Jacob calling in Esau. He says, Esau , go gather venison and come back and I will bless you. Now there are two alarming things that have taken place in this man’s life. First, God proclaimed Esau would serve Jacob. This was a proclamation that I have no doubt his mother made clear and that Jacob and Esau hated. Secondly, Esau knew that he sold his birthright and made mention of that in verse 36. Esau was going to be dishonest about this and take the birthright when it was no longer his.
Fourthly, he is a man void of self responsibility. Look again in verse 36 of chapter 27
Genesis 27:36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Did you notice the words, he took away my birthright. Esau is a perfect picture of an unrepentant individual who has been caught in their sin. He is in tears not because he recognizes his choices carried consequences but rather he is in tears because of what he lost. This is a great example of an individual who is remorseful that they were caught but not remorseful because of their actions. The bible is clear that self responsibility, and self repentance are necessary for a walk with God and a holy life. Esau is an individual who will constantly blame everyone else for their sins, and problems. I remember a fellow we worked with who was in prison. He would call and every time we talked he would let me know he was there because of someone else. If he got caught with a cigarette, someone else put it in his bag. There was no ability to recognize that he did wrong.
Fifthly, and most importantly he was a man void of a relationship with God. Each of these things points back to his relationship with God. I believe Abraham had a relationship with God, I believe in his own twisted and distant way Isaac had a relationship with God. I believe that eventually Jacob will find a relationship with God. However, Esau has no desire or thought of communing with his grandfather’s God.
- He has no faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God.
- He has no respect, this is not pointed towards his parents but ultimately towards the God his parents follow and the blessing and promise.
- He is a man void of honesty, and without a pure heart and clean hands a man cannot approach God.
- He is a man void of self responsibility, he will never repent to God of his sins. He will always blame everyone for his problems.
This man has no relationship with God and this is the picture of a last man trying to be in the family of God.
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