Title: Restoration of Judas
Contents
The first part of this book (Ob 1:1-14) specifically lists the sins of Edom and foretells the judgment that will come upon them. Now, the text foretells that on the day of the Lord, which Joel foretold (Joel 3:11-14), the result of Edom and all the nations against God will lead to a terrible judgment. On the other hand, according to the prophecy of the prophet Habakkuk, the righteous will receive the blessing of living by faith (Hab 2:4), and thus the chosen people of Israel will be completely restored. This restoration primarily refers to the return from the Babylonian captivity, but ultimately points to the revelation of the eschatological blessing of possessing the eternal kingdom of God.
1. Judgment to come on Edom and the nations (Ob 1:15,16)
God promised that He would judge Edom and the nations when the time was fulfilled. When will the day come when all nations will be punished here? And by what principle will God execute judgment at this time? How is it compared to the nations who will be judged by God?
1) God's Judgment Principle
God said that He would punish all nations in the 'day of the Lord'. The day of the Lord here refers to the day of supernatural judgment that God predestined before the ages. In a word, God's judgment principle is that you reap what you sow. Therefore, all nations will receive a just recompense for what they have done, which is eternal death. However, we receive the unconditional gift of salvation by being excluded from the principle of judgment by the one-sided grace of Christ. Obadiah compares the judgment of the nations to God drinking the cup of wrath. Just as those who are drunk with strong alcohol stumble to and fro and fall, it indicates that the nations who drank the cup of wrath will lose their consciousness and eventually fall to death.
2) You will reap what you sow.
2. Restoration of the chosen people of Israel (Ob 1:17-20)
Unlike the judgment of the nations, the chosen people of Israel show that salvation will come to those who remain in the midst of tribulation. Then, when the nations are being judged, who are the victims on Mount Zion referring to? And especially the families of Jacob and Joseph are mentioned. What do these people mean? And the fact that the chosen people of Israel will be restored is explained through territorial expansion. If so, can the restoration of the land be a sign of the restoration of the chosen peoples Israel?
1) The ultimate victory of the church
Those who are fleeing on Mount Zion on the day of the Lord refer to those who have repented of their sins and have returned to the Lord and have been saved. On the other hand, Jacob's family means northern Israel and Joseph's family means southern Judah, and the fact that they become fire means unity and unity. Thus, these two tribes would completely destroy the Edomites, the people of Esau. Therefore, the Esau family here refers to the kingdom of Satan that will be judged on the day of the LORD. On the other hand, the house of Jacob and Joseph refers to the church that will become one member in Christ. Ultimately, it is prophesied that Christ, who is the head of the church, will have the ultimate victory over Satan. Therefore, the restoration of the chosen people of Israel does not refer to the restoration of the territory of this earth, but to the victory of the church that will be achieved through Christ. And the fulfillment of that restoration will be accomplished in the Messianic Kingdom.
2) Let's go up to Mount Zion
Mount Zion was given as a ransom sacrifice by Christ, and it is also the place where God will be glorified. Any sinner on this very mountain will be reborn as a holy and new creation when he repents and ascends. Also, only those who climb this mountain will become the people of righteousness who possess the image of God, and will possess the kingdom of God, the eternal Mount Zion.
3. The eternal kingdom of God (Ob 1:21)
As the final concluding part of Obadiah, it prophesies the judgment of the kingdoms of the world and the final victory of the saints. Then, at this time, it was said that saviors would come up to Mount Zion. Who is the savior we are talking about? And the mountain of Esau is said to be judged. What does the mountain of Esau refer to? Finally, what is the meaning of 'the kingdom shall belong to the LORD'?
1) The kingdom of the world that belongs to the kingdom of God
2) God is the true savior
Jesus Christ came to this earth incarnate to redeem all mankind. And he was obedient to the point of death and shed His precious blood, so that we today can receive the gift of salvation without cost. Christ, the Savior, will surely return to this earth to judge the days of this world. When that time comes, the people of the world will come to realize how righteous our faith is and how precious our faith is.
Although we are God's people, we are also living in a worldly kingdom. In the end, they are living exposed to sin. Therefore, we must realize that we must live a life of holiness and godliness through the judgment on Edom, and we must also keep in mind that the place we hope and belong to is the Kingdom of God. Obadiah is the savior who looks to the future and shouts to encourage us to overcome the hardships and sins of the present, and it is the Christian who sent him.
1. The day when all nations will be punished
2. The Fall of Edom
All verbs in verse 16 are used in the second person. All second-person pronouns used all the way above are always applied to Edom and are singular. However, the Hebrew word !hytv (sheti ham) used here for "you drink..." may be seen as uniquely referring to 'Judas' in the second person plural. However, it is not natural for a prophecy concerning Edom to suddenly mention Judah. It is also translated in the singular in the Septuagint to imply that it is a reference to Edom. On the other hand, the figurative expression 'drinking' mainly means to suffer judgment or shame, and appears in the book of Jeremiah, where Judas is mentioned as the chief scapegoat of such judgment. Drinking can also signify a life of ecstasy and bustle, and it depicts Edom holding a congratulatory drink as they occupy the holy mountain of God. However, by mentioning the fact that the cup of judgment will be drunk immediately afterward, it strongly contrasts the futility of Edom's pursuit of pleasure with the seriousness of the judgment.
3. Mount Zion
Mount Zion means Jerusalem, where God's reign is strongly embodied and enforced. Not only does it represent God's absolute holiness, but it also signifies the ground or place of judgment for man's sins. On the other hand, the Hebrew word for 'evacuee' is tyrp (peleita) and has the meaning of 'rescue, escape'. Judging from this, 'those who take refuge in that mountain' refer to those who escaped judgment and returned from captivity and rebuilt their homeland religion in the days of Haggai and Zechariah.
The idea that God's presence on Mount Zion assures the inviolability of Mount Zion and, as a result, Zion will become a refuge under God's protection against the backdrop of a situation in which all nations are being killed is a hope that has remained vivid since Isaiah. When all things fall, life and salvation are only possible with God at this time. This hope of salvation is not based on any human power. God has not only life but also justice. For Obadiah, the promise of salvation also includes the rebuilding of Israel. Israel gets back what it had taken from other people. This thought must have been of special interest to the people, who waited for the day of liberation, far away from home and hometown, waiting for the day of liberation, as they watched their land occupied by strangers. Therefore, in the Old Testament, when the overall restoration is referred to in the hope of salvation in this context, in this case too, the nation and the land are linked.
4. Two tribes
1) Jacob family
The text says that the house of Jacob will enjoy their inheritance (Ob 1:17). The house of Jacob referred to in the text refers to the nation of Israel, the covenant community (Psalm 97:8; Isaiah 1:27), and furthermore, God promises that the saved people will enjoy His inheritance. Therefore, the inheritance they will receive means that they will live in the kingdom of God, become heirs of that kingdom, become Christ's, become Christ's, and reign with Christ (Revelation 20:6).
2) from the tribe
If the house of Jacob is a saved people, the house of Esau means those who belong to an unsaved world. means those of the world. They are still those who do not obey God's word and do their own will, but rather oppose God's people, the house of Jacob. Therefore, it means that God uses the saved Jacobites as a fire and burns the ungodly Esaus like stubble.