Audio Download

Book of Obadiah – Oba 1:1

[Study Aired December 6, 2023]

Oba 1:1  The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.

Here are the Hebrew words used in Obadiah 1:1, and where there is a root word, it is included in bold below

Oba 1:1  The vision^H2377 of Obadiah^H5662. Thus^H3541 saith^{H559 (H8804 Qal)} the Lord^H136 GOD^H3069 concerning Edom;^H123 We have heard^H8085 a rumour^H8052 from^{H4480 H854} the LORD,^H3068 and an ambassador^H6735 is sent^{H7971 (H8795 Pual)} among the heathen,^H1471 Arise^H6965 ye, and let us rise up^H6965 against^H5921 her in battle^H4421 

H2377 – Khawzone, vision, oracle, prophecy, from a primitive root H2372 Khawzaw, to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide, with the intelligence

H5662 – Obadyah, servant of Jehovah, the 4th of the 12 minor prophets; nothing personal is known of him but it is probable that he was contemporary with Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, prophesies against Edom, act part of a primitive root H5647 Ahbad, to work, serve, labour, serve another by labour, to serve as subjects, to be worked, be tilled (of land), to make oneself a servant, to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve, and H3050 Yahh, Jah (Jehovah in the shortened form), contraction for H3068 Yehovah, Jehovah = the existing one, from a primitive root H1961 Hayah, to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come into being, become, to arise, appear, come, be instituted, be established, be in existence, to abide, remain, continue, to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated, to accompany, be with, be done, be brought about, be done, be finished, be gone

H3541 – Koh, thus, here, in this manner, so, here and there, until now, until now…until then, meanwhile, from the prefix ‘k’ and a primitive root H1931 Hoo, he, she, it, himself, so, that

H559 – Awmar, (Qal) to say, speak, utter, answer, say in one’s heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend, a primitive root

H136 – Adonay, my Lord, Lord, of men, of God, Lord – title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence, emphatic form of H113 Awdone, firm, strong, Lord, master, superintendent of household, of affairs, master, king, husband, prophet, prince, father, priest, captain, Adonai (parallel with Yahweh)

H3069 – Yehovih, Jehovah – used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’, equal to H3068 (Jehovah) but pointed with the vowels of H430 (Elohim), a variation of H3068 Jehovah, used after H136 Adonai, and pronounced by Jews as H430 Elohim, in order to prevent the repetition of the same sound, since they elsewhere pronounce H3068 Yehovah as H136 Adonai

H123 – Edom, red, descendants of Esau, land of Edom, Idumea – land south and south east of Palestine, from H122 Adom, red, ruddy (of man, horse, heifer, garment, water, lentils), from H119 Adam, to be red, ruddy, be rubbed red, dyed red, reddened, cause to show red, glare, of unknown derivation

H8085 – Shawmah, (Qal) to hear, listen to, obey, hear with attention or interest, understand, give heed, consent, agree, grant request, yield to, be obedient, a primitive root

H8052 – Sehmoohaw, report, news, rumour, tidings, mention, pass part of a primitive root H8074 Shawmame, to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy, to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, to be appalled, be awestruck, be made desolate, be stunned, appalling, causing horror, horror-causer, appaller, to devastate, ravage, make desolated, to appal, show horror, to lay desolate, be desolated, to cause to be desolate, be astounded, to cause oneself desolation, cause oneself ruin

H4480 – Min, from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than, some of, after, from…even to, both…and, either…or, too much for, through, because, from an unused root H4482 Mane, string (of harp), portion, to apportion (Root word only used twice in OT)

H854 – Ayth, with, near, together with, from…with, probably from a primitive root H579 Awnaw, to meet, encounter, approach, be opportune, to allow to meet, cause to meet, be sent, be allowed to meet, seek occasion (quarrel), cause oneself to meet (Root word only used four times in OT)

H3068 – See H3069 above

H6735 – Tseer, envoy, messenger, pivot of door, hinge, pang, distress, from a primitive root H6696 Tsoor, to bind, besiege, confine, cramp, secure, shut in/up, enclose, to show hostility to, be an adversary, treat as foe, to form, fashion, delineate

H7971 – Shalakh, (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled, a primitive root

H1471 – Goy, nation, people, swarm of locusts, other animals, from the same root as H1465, Gevah, the back, behind, from H1460, Gev, the back, back, midst, from a primitive root H1342, Ga’ah, to rise up, grow up, be exalted in triumph, be lifted up, be raised up, be exalted

H6965 – Koom, (Qal) to arise, stand, maintain oneself, be established, be confirmed, endure, be fixed, be valid, be proven, be fulfilled, persist, be set, a primitive root

H6965 – See above

H5921 – Al, upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against, on the ground of, on the basis of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, in the matter of, as regards, to, over to, unto, in addition to, with, adjoining, next, at, around, down upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, against, because, although, properly, the same as H5920, Al, height, above, upwards, on high, from a primitive root H5927, Alah, to go up, ascend, climb, meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat, come up, to spring up, grow, shoot forth, go up over, rise, extend, excel, be superior to, be taken up/away, be brought up, take oneself away, be exalted, bring up, cause to ascend, cause to go up/ascend, bring against, take away, draw up, train, rouse, stir up, offer, exalt, be carried away, be led up, be taken up into, be inserted in, be offered, lift oneself

H4421 – Milkhamah, battle, war, from a primitive root H3898, Lakham, (Niphal) to engage in battle, wage war (seems to only be used in the Niphal tense)

Here is Obadiah 1:1 including root words where possible. This is an exercise in searching out the deeper meaning of the words in the verse to agree with the sum of God’s word (Psa 119:160) in accordance with the spirit of Truth (Joh 16:13).

Obadiah 1:1 Thus is saying the Lord Jehovah to Edom (the flesh/the old man), ‘Obey the report from (with) Jehovah, an ambassador (Christ) is to be sent off to the heathen (the nations, the earthen vessels), Rise, rise (train) to engage in the battle.’

Symbolically, the Bible is largely about two men: the old man and the new man. The old man represents our flesh and our carnal mind. On the other hand, the New Man is the way, the truth, and the life: Jesus Christ. The New man is Christ in us and it is only because of the New Man that we have life. As flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, we know the old man must decrease.

The process of this old man decreasing, so the New Man can increase, does not occur without a struggle, and it is in our daily dying to the flesh that we become more Christ-like. In the same way Esau supplanted by Jacob, it is the Lord’s preordained intention that our old man is to be rejected and supplanted by the New Man.

Just as Esau was a “strong” man, one acquainted with hunting, the old man may seem physically strong in the flesh, even our human wisdom is considered foolishness by God.

Gen 25:27  And the youths grew, and Esau is a man acquainted with hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob is a plain man, inhabiting tents;

1Co 3:19  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1Co 3:20  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours

The old man then is not just our “flesh and blood” but also includes our “carnal mind.” We are commanded not to glorify the flesh, and “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (1Co 1:29)

While there is an outward application for all scripture, there is also an inward application for all scripture that we who have been given eyes to see are able to accept. As the elect, every verse has an application to our lives now, which is why even though this book of Obadiah was written many years ago, and written to the people of Edom, we are able to see it as written to us, Christ’s elect.

Edom as a type and shadow

Scripture makes it clear that Edom is Esau:

Gen 36:1  Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

Gen 36:8  Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

Gen 36:19  These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom.

Spiritually, Edom typifies all religions (all of Babylon) which claim to know God but are in rebellion against the doctrines of Christ. Edom/Esau is the rejected anointed, by the Lord’s design, being supplanted by Jacob.

Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Applying this type and shadow to our own individual lives, Edom signifies our old man who is sitting on the throne of our hearts and minds. We are instructed to come out of her (Babylon).

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

The “battle” described in the first verse of Obadiah is the process of the old man being dethroned and destroyed. This is achieved by the brightness of the truth of Christ when we are finally given eyes that see and ears that hear. 

Only the future tense is used in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 denoting the ‘down payment’ aspect of our election. Also, His brightness which destroys, is a gradual one, as He deals with our false doctrines ‘by little and little’ (Exo 23:30, Isa 28:10).  According to John 6:63, it is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing and the words that I speak to you (all words of scripture) are spirit, and they are life:

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; [Our man of sin / Our flesh / Our carnal mind]
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God [sitting on the throne in us].

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The old man is in every man and is in you and me, until we step out of this body of death (Rom 7:24). It is this old man we are engaged with, in battle and our New Man is commanded to rise up, rise up and get ready for battle. This battle is not physical because we are wrestling principalities and powers in the heavens.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places [G2032: Heaven]

The wrestling is taking place in our heavens. To the carnally-minded natural man, heaven is portrayed as a physical place we are all wanting to end up at, the place with golden streets. A place of eternal paradise. These carnal ideas and false doctrines are considered to be enmity against Christ:

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity (G2189) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

G2189 echthra. Feminine of G2190; hostility; by implication a reason for opposition: From a primary word ἔχθωechthō (to hate); hateful(passively odious, or actively hostile); usually as a noun, an adversary (especially Satan): – enemy, foe.

We are wrestling with this adversary (our carnal mind) in our heavens daily. We know that heaven is not a place to which we can ascend. Instead, it is a place where the Son of man (Christ) is.

Isa 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, [even] the Son of man which is in heaven.

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another [entirely different] vessel [a new man, born of the spirit], as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Psa 132:13 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Heaven is in the hearts and minds of God’s elect. This peculiar people (a royal priesthood) are those being judged in this age, and that judgment is a fiery experience because it is the battle of our old man being judged. If we overcome and endure to the end, He will be faithful to His promise to us: He will make us a pillar in the Temple of God. 

It is encouraging to know that as the elect, we are overcomers. Our overcoming is not instantaneous though. Our overcoming is a daily struggle / trial / battle/ wrestle as we endure, and endure, and endure! We are engaged in a daily battle with our adversary (the old man / the person in the mirror staring back at us).

Rom 5:19  For as by one man’s (the first adam) disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (The new man / the second Adam / Jesus Christ) shall many be made righteous.

1Co 3:17  If any man (the old man in us) defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men (the flesh / our flesh / flesh and blood / the strength of the old man). For all things are yours;

It is encouraging to know we are Christ’s, and He is with us as we wrestle against spiritual principalities and powers in our heavens.

It is comforting to know he is right by our side as we walk each day. Even more edifying is knowing Christ as our friend:

Proverbs 18:24 but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

We are comforted knowing that Obadiah 1:1 is written to us and for us. We are wrestling against our old man and it is this battle that is strengthening us day by day.

Conclusion

Spiritual Principle: We are to keep the sayings of the prophecy of every word of this book [the sum of thy word is truth Psalm 119:160] and we are guided by the spirit of Truth:

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come