Book of Obadiah bible study

            Here is a bible study on the brief book of Obadiah, a one chapter affair with 21 verses. It is the shortest book of the old testament and one of the shortest of the bible. In fact only the epistles of 2 and 3 John have fewer verses than the book of Obadiah. Despite its brevity the book has a powerful message of prophecy concerning the destruction and the judgment coming on Edom, because of the sins that they have committed against God. At the end it also speaks of the restoration of Israel and its people, after judging them as well, so the book also shows the mercy of God as well as His justice against evil doers.

(Obadiah 1:1)  The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: "Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!"

(Obadiah 1:2)  Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised.

(Obadiah 1:3)  The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, "Who will bring me down to the ground?"

(Obadiah 1:4)  Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.

(Obadiah 1:5)  If thieves came to you, if plunderers came by night-- how you have been destroyed!-- would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings?

(Obadiah 1:6)  How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!

(Obadiah 1:7)  All your allies have driven you to your border; those at peace with you have deceived you; they have prevailed against you; those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you-- you have no understanding.

(Obadiah 1:8)  Will I not on that day, declares the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of Mount Esau?

(Obadiah 1:9)  And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.

(Obadiah 1:10)  Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.

(Obadiah 1:11)  On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.

(Obadiah 1:12)  But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress.

(Obadiah 1:13)  Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity.

(Obadiah 1:14)  Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.

(Obadiah 1:15)  For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.

(Obadiah 1:16)  For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been.

(Obadiah 1:17)  But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.

(Obadiah 1:18)  The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken.

(Obadiah 1:19)  Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

(Obadiah 1:20)  The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negeb.

(Obadiah 1:21)  Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.

God is a just God who has and will continue to judge the wicked punishing them for all of their sins. He is also very merciful, sending prophets and then His very own Son Jesus, both of whom preached messages of repentance, the prophets warning of judgment and destruction following if the message wasn’t heeded, which did happen, and will happen in the tribulation period. Jesus made the atonement for our sins, willingly and lovingly going to the cross and dying for our sins, enabling us to get the free gift of salvation from God, with the idea of being able to restore the right relationship between God and man. Both Jesus and God the Father want this love relationship with us, and to bless us abundantly for they love us so. There is absolutely nothing that can compare with a love relationship with God, either, nothing at all, as it is so perfect. I am now including a prayer which will invite Jesus in your heart to begin this love relationship, or you can even use this prayer to come back to God if you have drifted away as God loves it when people repent. Please pray this prayer with me

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we will be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

God bless you and yours