Obadiah 1:10-15 – How It Will End – Bible study

Obadiah 1:10-15 How It Will End We are spending a good bit of time studying prophecy and the end times. The reason why is because we are so close to them. Much of our understanding of end times comes from the New Testament, Scriptures like Matt 25 and Revelation. However, there is much end time prophecy to be found in the Old Testament as well. Tonight, lets focus on a small, Old Testament book that few sermons are ever preached from, the book of Obadiah. The book of Obadiah is only one chapter long, 21 verses, and it directed to Israel but to one of Israels neighbors and enemies, Edom. I. Is this book still applicable today? A. Yes. It is the Bible, God preserved this book for our generation, and God wants us to learn some things from it. 2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 1. Every book of the Bible is given to us for a purpose, no matter how small. 2. Obadiah, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon B. Consider some things from the time of Obadiah that are still true today. 1. The land is still there. Edom today is called south Jordan. 2. The inhabitants of the land are largely the same. a. It was settled by Jacobs brother, Esau. That made those in Edom related to those in Israel. b. I believe they still are. (1) That land has been pirated and plundered. The inhabitants have been conquered, relocated, and dispersed. (2) But those who like to call themselves Palestinians and Arabians today are still of the bloodlines of those ancient nations. (3) Will there be a Palestinian State? I believe it will. I believe God is going to allow the scattered bloodlines of these nations to live again as a nation so that the prophecies left to be fulfilled may be. 3. The hatred Edom had for Israel is largely the same. a. In truth, the conflict between Jacob and Esau was in their day the cause of Jacob. b. The first time there was conflict between Israel and Edom is recorded in \#Num 20:14-18\, 430 years after Jacob and Esau. (Edom would not allow Israel to pass through Edom in returning to the Promised Land.) c. That hatred is still strong today. While Jordan has had a treaty with Israel since 1994, brokered by Bill Clinton, Jordan is still a Muslim country and there is a strong undertow of belief that the treaty should be broken. C. Is there a way these prophecies could apply to a present-day generation? Yes. II. Notice the reason this book was written. A. \#7\ Esau had betrayed Israel. 1. There was a confederacy between the two nations. 2. But the men of that confederacy "deceived and prevailed against" Israel. 3. \#10\ This betrayal moved God to judge Edom with ultimate total annihilation. B. The details are given: 1. \#11\ Esau watched while enemies ravished Jerusalem. 2. \#12\ Esau rejoiced at Israels destruction. 3. \#13\ Esau took Israels substance. 4. \#14\ Esau cut off Israels escape. C. There is a thought here that runs throughout the ages. 1. No nation should watch or rejoice as Israel is attacked. 2. No nation should loot Israel. 3. No nation should stop Israels retreat or for that matter, Israels advance. 4. Any nation that does any one of these things to Israel can expect God to be angry with them. Do all four and you can expect God to put the same judgment on them as He has promised to do on Edom. a. America should quit trying to force a treaty on Israel. b. The remainder of the world should quit boycotting Israel. (1) BDS-Boycott, Disinvest, Sanctions (2) Nations across the world and companies within America D. Theologians are divided as to when this took place. 1. There have been several possible times. a. Wikipedia says Jerusalem has been captured 44 times. b. No obvious record has been found in history thus far to tell us when this event occurred. 2. The judgments of this book against Edom have also been partially fulfilled. (Edom does not exist as Edom any more.) 3. However, I think it can and will happen again! a. It is interesting that Edom (via Jordan) does have a peace treaty with Israelagain. b. It is interesting that Israel is being scorned by the worldagain. c. We know armies are going to move against Israel and conquer Jerusalem yet again. (1) Revelation 6 describe a world battle that will surely include Israel. Does that mean that Jerusalem will fall then? No. I dont think it will. (2) The nations of the North, South, East, and West may be defeated and 5/6 turned back as described in Ezekiel 38-39, but that leaves 1/6 that I believe will come to Jerusalem as described in Zech 14. That force will not be defeated until Jesus comes but by then, they will have conquered all of Israel including Jerusalem. (3) And if we are not as near to the return of Jesus as I think, there will no doubt be many more opportunities for Edom to betray Israel again. III. So what will God do to Edomwhether because of their past or future betrayals? A. God shall defeat Edom. 1. \#8\ God shall cut off their wise and understanding men. 2. \#9\ God shall defeat the mighty men. 3. In case we have any doubts, it will be by a slaughter" \#9\. 4. That could be fulfilled already but God has promised that the Edomites would be destroyed by Israel. Eze 25:14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD. a. Ezekiel lived AFTER all the great kings of Israel. b. In fact, he lived during the Babylons captivity. c. That this prophecy has not been fulfilled yet. 5. \#15\ This defeat is called "the day of the Lord." a. The day of the Lord can be any day when the judgment of God is carried out. b. However, it often refers to time period of the tribulation and Jesus return to set up His kingdom. \#21\ B. Then God will give the land of Edom to Israel. Ob 1:19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. 20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. 21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORDS. Amos 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. 1. \#Genesis 15:18-21\ describes a Israel much larger than the nation has ever possessed including Jordan, Syria, portions of Iraq, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. 2. Ancient Edom is part of that land. 3. Eze 45 contains a land description for each of the twelve tribes of Israel for the millennial and the boundaries do NOT go that far. a. That makes me think that while Israel will possess the entire land mass outlines in Genesis 15, they will live mostly in area described in Ezekiel 45. The remainder will be theirs for whatever they wish. b. I read one writers doubts about Israel possessing the full land promised to them. (1) He asked, "What will Israel do with all the people that live there?" (2) Good question, lets note another result of Edoms actions. C. And the people of the land of Edom will be totally cut off by Israel. Ob 1:9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. Ob 1:18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it. 1. Take these verses in conjunction with \#Eze 25:14\ and I would say that it will be the people of Israel who destroy them. 2. Those who stand against Israel will perish, lock, stock, and barrel. a. \#19-20\ Some of those who will be destroyed are mentioned: (1) \#19\ Edom (2) Philistines (3) \#20\ Canaanites b. But I also notice that those verses mentioned Israels land as though they had not possessed it. (1) \#19\ fields of Ephraim (2) fields of Samaria (3) Gilead c. Perhaps that means that Israel shall re-possess land that had been taken away from them. D. God will deliver Israel. That is just a summary statement of what will happen. E. \#21\ "The kingdom shall be the Lords" 1. The Lord God shall rule and reign over it all! 2. Understand that all of these are prophecies which have NOT come to pass. 3. They will. They are end time prophecies. This is how it will end!