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OBAIDAH

THE LEGACY BIBLE OUTLINE SERIES

© Harvestime International Network

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THE LEGACY BIBLE OUTLINE SERIES

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For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line…
(Isaiah 28:10, KJV)

...His word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones!...
(Jeremiah 20:9, NLT)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Number

Introduction To The Book Of Obadiah 4

Outline Of The Book Of Obadiah

Obadiah 1 5

Supplemental Studies 9
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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF OBADIAH

AUTHOR: Obadiah. We know nothing about Obadiah other than what is revealed in this
chapter. He is not the same Obadiah mentioned at the time of Elijah. His name means servant
or worshipper of the Lord.

TO WHOM: The nation of Edom. The Edomites were descendants of Esau and their relations
with Israel/Judah often reflected the animosity and deceit that characterized that between Esau
and Jacob.

PURPOSE: This is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but it has a powerful message: To
warn of God's punishment for sin–specifically, Edom, but applicable to all nations and people.

KEY VERSE: Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the
stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord. (Obadiah 1:4)

LIFE AND MINISTRY PRINCIPLES: God keeps His Word. Sin is punished and He brings
down that which has been sinfully exalted.

MAIN CHARACTER: Obadiah.

BRIEF OUTLINE:
I. Edom's destiny prophesied: l:1-9
II. The causes: l:10-l4
III. Judgment on Edom and all nations: l:15-16
IV. Salvation of the house of Jacob: l:l7-20
V. The millennial kingdom of Jesus: l:2l

QUESTIONS ON THE INTRODUCTION:

1. Who was the author of the book of Obadiah?
2. To whom was the book of Obadiah written?
3. State the purpose for the book of Obadiah.
4. Write the key verse of Obadiah.
5. State the life and ministry principles of the book of Obadiah.
6. Who is the main character?
7. Give a brief outline of Obadiah.
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OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF OBADIAH

Obadiah One
(There is one chapter in the book of Obadiah. It is the shortest book in the Old Testament.)

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.
2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock,
whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars,
thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.
5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have
stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some
grapes?
6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were
at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread
have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.
8 Shall I not in that day, saith the Lord, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and
understanding out of the mount of Esau?
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.
10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut
off for ever.
11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried
away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem,
even thou wast as one of them.
12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became
a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of
their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity;
yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have
laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape;
neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done
unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually,
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yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had
not been.
17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of
Jacob shall possess their possessions.
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.
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 Lord's.

Outline 1:
I. The introduction and subject matter: (l)
A. The message is from the Lord through Obadiah to Edom.
B. It is about a rumor (report) from the Lord.
1. An ambassador is sent among the heathen.
2. The ambassador’s message: “Arise, let us rise up against her in battle.”
(The ambassador from the Lord was calling all nations to rise up against
Edom.)
II. The message: Edom will be conquered: (2-4)
A. I have made you small among the heathen.
B. You are greatly despised.
C. The pride of your heart has deceived you.
D. You dwell in the clefts of the rock in a high habitation and proudly declare in your
heart, “Who shall bring me down to the ground?” (Edom was located in Petra,
an impenetrable cliff fortress fifty miles south of the Dead Sea. They felt secure
because of their geographical location and their deceived, prideful spirit.)
E. “Though you exalt yourself as the eagle and though you set your nest among the
stars, I will bring you down,” says the Lord. (Edom’s hostile activities spanned
centuries of Israel’s existence. Edom, proud over their own security, had gloated
over Israel’s devastation by foreign powers. But now, they are to be brought
down by God Himself.)
III. Edom will be completely destroyed: l:5-9
A. Edom will be totally plundered (Unlike thieves and grape gatherers who would
have left something untouched, the enemy will destroy everything).
B. Hidden things will be revealed, searched out, and destroyed.
C. Edom will be deceived and trapped by their allies.
1. The men of their confederacy will bring Edom to their border.
2. The men that were at peace with them will deceive them and prevail
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against them.
3. They that eat their bread have laid a wound under them. (Those who
claimed to be friends have set a snare for them.)
D. Wise and understanding men will be destroyed.
E. The mighty men of Teman shall be dismayed. (Teman was in the southern part
of Edom. It was a cultural and military center, but God is not impressed.)
F. Edom will be cut off and the people slaughtered. (There will be no survivors.).
IV. The causes for the destruction: l:l0-14
A. Violence: For your violence against your brother Jacob (the nation of Israel)
shame shall cover you and you shall be cut off for ever.
B. Indifference: In the day that the enemy conquered Israel, strangers carried away
captive their forces, and foreigners entered their gates and cast lots upon
Jerusalem, Edom remained afar–on the other side–and in so doing, they were as
one of the enemy.
C. Joy at the calamity of Israel.
D. Proud talking in the day of Israel’s distress.
E. Treatment of God’s people in the day of their calamity.
1. They invaded–entered the gates.
2. They looked on their affliction (but took no action).
3. They laid hands on their substance (partook of the spoil).
4. They prevented the escape of fugitives (they betrayed them).
5. They delivered up the survivors to the enemy.
(See supplemental study nine on pride, which was the root cause of these sins.)
V. "The day of the Lord" when judgment will come upon Edom and all heathen nations.
(15-16. See supplemental study seven on the day of the Lord.)
A. As they have done, they will receive.
B. Their reward will return upon their own head.
C. As they have drunk upon God’s holy mountain, so shall the heathen drink
continually and they shall be as though they had not been. (See Jeremiah 25:15-
18 for understanding of this reference. It refers to drinking the cup of the Lord’s
wrath.)
VI. Salvation of the house of Jacob. (l7)
A. Upon mount Zion shall be deliverance and holiness.
B. The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
VII. The Lord declared that the house of Jacob will be a fire, the house of Joseph a flame, and
the house of Esau (Edom) will be for stubble. (18-20)
A. They shall kindle in them.
B. They shall devour them.
C. There shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau.
D. Their possessions will be lost
1. They of the south shall possess the mount of Esau.
2. They of the plain shall possess the Philistines and the fields of Ephraim
and Samaria.
3. Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
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4. The captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the
Canaanites, even unto Zarephath.
5. The captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities
of the south.

VIII. The millennial kingdom. (2l)

A. Saviours shall come up on mount Zion.
(“Saviours” is a word used for those God raises up and empowers with His Spirit
to save His people. Gideon, whose story is recorded in Judges, is an example.)
B. They will judge the mount of Esau (Edom as well as other nations).
C. The final outcome: The Kingdom shall be the Lord’s. (Psalm 22:28; 103:19;
Luke 1:33)

Study questions on chapter one:

1. Who received this vision? (1)
2. From whom did the vision come? (1)
3. What specific nation did this vision concern and what do you learn about this nation from
this chapter? (1)
4. For what purpose was the ambassador from the Lord sent to the nations? (1)
5. How was Edom viewed by other nations? (2)
6. What was the basic problem which caused their deception? (3)
7. Where did Edom dwell and why did they think they could not be conquered? (3)
8. What was the proud claim Edom made? (3)
9. Who declared that Edom would be brought down? (4)
10. To what creature was Edom compared? (4)
11. Explain verse 5.
12. What would be revealed according to verse 6?
13. Who deceived Edom and what had these people done? (7)
14. Who and what would be destroyed according to verses 8-9?
15. What three terms identify the Jewish people in verses 10,12, and 13?
16. What were the reasons for God’s judgment on Edom according to verses 10-14?
17. Describe what will happen in the day of the Lord. (15-16)
18. How would Israel be delivered? (17-20)
19. Contrast what would happen to the house of Esau and that of Jacob. (17-19)
20. What would be restored to God’s people? (19-20)
21. Who would be raised up to judge Edom? (21)
22. What would the Lord establish? (21)
23. What did you learn in this chapter to apply to your life and ministry?
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SUPPLEMENTAL STUDIES
1. "Edom" means red. The Edomites came from Esau, who had a reddish appearance at
birth. To study more about their history see Genesis 25:19-34; 36; Exodus 15:15;
Numbers 20:14 and 21; and Deuteronomy 23:7-8. The settled in the regions of Mount
Seir and refused the Israelites' request to travel through their country on the journey from
Egypt. The antagonism originating between Jacob and Esau persisted through the
centuries. The nation was continually subject to foreign kingdoms and lost its identity as
a nation before the time of Christ. It finally disappeared from history in A.D. 70.

2. Study the following references on the relationship of Esau and Jacob which was reflected
in the relationship between the nations of Edom and Israel in later years. Genesis 7:41-
44; 33:4,16-17; Hebrews 12:15-17.

3. For other prophecies against Edom read the following passages:

-Numbers 24:18-19
-Isaiah 34:5-15; 63:1-6
-Jeremiah 49:7-22
-Lamentations 421-22
-Ezekiel 25:12-14; 35:1-5
-Amos 1:11-l2

4. Edom boasted they were like an eagle (4). See Isaiah 40:30-31. This promise was only
to those who were walking in proper relationship with the Lord.

5. Key phrases in Obadiah:

-Thus saith the Lord.
-I will.
-You should not have.
-The Lord has spoken it.

6. What parallels do you see between Obadiah 1-9 and Jeremiah 49:7-22?

7. The day of the Lord mentioned in Obadiah verses 15-21 has two prophetic meanings.
The immediate fulfillment refers to the time when God would judge Edom, the enemy of
Israel. The long-range fulfillment refers to God’s judgment on all heathen nations which
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will occur at the second coming of Christ prior to the millennial reign. Verse 15 begins
by saying the day of the Lord is near on all nations (long-range fulfillment), then it
focuses on Edom with a singular “you” (immediate fulfillment). Verses 16-17 appear to
refer to the long-range fulfillment when all nations will drink the cup of God’s wrath.
Verses 18-21 reverts back to the immediate fulfillment of the prophecy of doom on
Edom.

8. Compare these passages that state God’s eternal law of returns: Obadiah 15; Matthew
7:2; Galatians 6:7.

9. Edom’s sins were rooted in pride. Verse 3 says, “The pride of your heart has deceived
you.” The specific sins that resulted from pride were:

-Self-sufficiency. A person who lives independently of God or who deems

themselves totally self-sufficient is deceived by their own pride. Their attitude
is, “I don’t need God or anyone else.”
-Violence is a form of pride. Pride strikes out against anything that dares to
challenges its supreme reign in life.
-Indifference is rooted in pride. Pride is indifferent to the needs of others and has
the attitude, “It is all about me.”
-Gloating: Malicious satisfaction at the misfortune of others is a manifestation of
pride.
-Exploitation: Taking advantage of other people. Slavery, not paying fair wages,
unfair business practices, and deceitful financial practices are all examples.
-Deception results from pride. You are deceived into thinking you are secure and
cannot fall.

A parallel passage that reveals more about this dangerous root of pride is Proverbs 6:16-
19:

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that
deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false
witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Here is the fruit of the proud look:

-A lying tongue: Pride makes itself look good by lying about others.
-Hands that shed innocent blood: Violence, as noted in Obadiah, is rooted in pride which
lashes out at anything that threatens it.
-A heart that devises wicked imaginations: Pride affects your heart. As God told Edom
in Obadiah, “The pride of your heart has deceived you.”
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-Feet that are swift in running into mischief: Prideful people enjoy causing problems for
others, for in so doing, it makes them look good.
-A false witness: Pride puts others down and lies about them to try and make themselves
appear superior.
-He that sows discord among brethren: Spreading gossip not known by others that
alienates people makes a prideful person feel superior.

We learn from Proverbs 6 that God hates pride. Perhaps this is because pride is the root
of all other sins. It was the sin that brought down Lucifer. It was the appeal Lucifer
used to Eve-- “You shall be as gods”-- to cause the fall of humanity into sin.

First Peter 5:5 states that God resists the proud, meaning to refrain from them, withstand
them, and to come against them. We learn from Obadiah chapter 1 that prideful people
reap what they sow and that they will be brought down, no matter how secure they
believe they are.