Thy Strong Word — Obadiah: The Kingdom Shall Be the LORD’s

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Obadiah addresses Edom, the nation descended from Esau. When Babylon sacked Jerusalem, Edom stood at the crossroads and watched his brother burn, then gloated, looted, and cut down the refugees who ran. Safe on the high rock, Edom asked, “Who will bring me down to the ground?” God, through the prophet Obadiah, answers him. The answer widens past Edom to every nation and ends on Mount Zion, where the kingdom belongs to the LORD.

The Rev. Dr. Richard Davenport, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Smith, AR, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study the prophet Obadiah.

To learn more about Our Redeemer in Fort Smith, visit OurRedeemerFortSmith.360unite.com.

Edom stands at the crossroads and watches his brother Judah dragged off in chains, and Obadiah announces that the day of the LORD is coming for the bystander, too. Joel sees a locust swarm strip a nation bare in a single season, calls the people to rend their hearts and not their garments, and promises a Spirit poured out on all flesh. Nahum returns to Nineveh a century after Jonah’s revival, and this time the superpower does not repent. Zephaniah spends two chapters on the day of wrath and then ends with the Lord singing over the people He has rescued. This series on Thy Strong Word works through these selected books of the so-called “minor” prophets verse by verse, showing how the Lord judges the nations while also keeping his promises to gather His people home.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Obadiah

[1] The vision of Obadiah.

Edom Will Be Humbled

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!”

[2] Behold, I will make you small among the nations;

you shall be utterly despised.

[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?”

[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.

[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?

[6] How Esau has been pillaged,

his treasures sought out!

[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.

[8] Will I not on that day, declares the LORD,

destroy the wise men out of Edom,

and understanding out of Mount Esau?

[9] And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman,

so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.

Edom’s Violence Against Jacob

[10] Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob,

shame shall cover you,

and you shall be cut off forever.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[14] Do not stand at the crossroads

to cut off his fugitives;

do not hand over his survivors

in the day of distress.

The Day of the LORD Is Near

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

The Kingdom of the LORD

[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.

[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.

[21] Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion

to rule Mount Esau,

and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.