Obadiah: The "Unknown" Servant of the Lord


  1. A Look at the Book
    1. Author
      1. Obadiah -- meaning "servant of the Lord"
      2. Nothing is known of the prophet, he is not elsewhere mentioned nor is he quoted in the New Testament.


    1. Date -- 9th century B.C. circa 845 B.C.
      1. There is some dispute as to the date of Obadiah. Some scholars place Obadiah @ the time of the Babylonian captivity and destruction of Jerusalem (586 B.C.)


      1. Sampey (Pulpit Commentary), Deane, Keil, Homer Hailey, and Burton Coffman all place Obadiah in the 9th Century B.C., believing his work preceded and was quoted in:


        1. Joel 3:17 (Obadiah 17)
        2. Amos 1:11 (Obadiah 10, 12, 14)
        3. Jeremiah 49:7-27 closely resembles the entire book


      1. In making his case for the early date, Sampey admits the weight of evidence is about even between the two.


      2. However, the Jewish scholars have placed Obadiah among the earliest of the minor prophets, giving weight to the early date.


    1. Contemporaries
      1. Accepting the early date, Obadiah was the earliest of the prophets, and probably a contemporary of Joel.


      1. Accepting the latter date places him with numerous prophets.
    1. Setting: the impending punishment of the Edomites
    2. Obadiah is described as a vision and is the shortest book of the Old Testament and is not quoted in the New Testament.


  1. Lessons from the Book
    1. Proverbs 16:18 -- "Pride goeth before a fall" (vv 3-4)
    2. Unholy alliances are never certain (vv 6-7) (ex. Hitler and Stalin) 2 Chronicles 16:1-8
    3. To give consent is the same as being a participant (vv 10-12) 2 John 9-11
    4. You must reap what you sow (v 15, cf vv 5-6)
      1. Galatians 6:7-8
      2. Hosea 8:7 you reap more than you sow
    5. Deliverance will come out of Zion (vv 17-18)
      1. Isaiah 2:2-3; Micah 4:1-2
      2. Luke 24:47; Acts 2:13-41