Topical Bible: Love: Obadiah for the Prophets

◄ Love: Obadiah for the Prophets ►

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The theme of love, while not overtly prominent in the book of Obadiah, can be discerned through the prophet's message and the broader biblical narrative. Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, focuses on the judgment of Edom, a nation descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. The historical animosity between Edom and Israel serves as a backdrop for understanding the absence of love and the consequences thereof.

Context and Background

Obadiah's prophecy is directed against Edom, highlighting their pride and violence against their brother nation, Israel. The Edomites are condemned for their lack of brotherly love, as they rejoiced over the misfortunes of the Israelites and even participated in their downfall. This absence of love and compassion is a central issue that Obadiah addresses, reflecting the broader biblical principle that love should govern relationships, even among nations.

Biblical References

While the word "love" is not explicitly mentioned in Obadiah, the implications of its absence are evident. The prophet condemns Edom for their betrayal and lack of compassion, which stands in stark contrast to the biblical command to love one's neighbor. The Berean Standard Bible captures this sentiment in Obadiah 1:10-12:

"Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. But you should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble."

Theological Implications

The absence of love in Edom's actions serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive power of pride and enmity. The prophetic message underscores the importance of love as a guiding principle in human relationships. The failure to love one's brother, as exemplified by Edom, leads to divine judgment and serves as a reminder of the biblical mandate to love others, as articulated in Leviticus 19:18, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Prophetic Message

Obadiah's prophecy, while primarily a message of judgment, implicitly calls for a return to love and compassion. The judgment against Edom is not merely punitive but serves as a corrective measure, highlighting the need for reconciliation and the restoration of relationships. The prophetic tradition, as seen throughout the Old Testament, consistently calls for justice, mercy, and love, aligning with the character of God who is described as "abounding in love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6).

Conclusion

In the broader context of the prophetic literature, Obadiah's message contributes to the understanding of love as an essential component of God's covenantal relationship with His people. The absence of love leads to division and destruction, while its presence fosters unity and peace. The book of Obadiah, though brief, serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring biblical call to love one's neighbor, even amidst historical grievances and conflicts.

Nave's Topical Index

1 Kings 18:4
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Obadiah
... prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid ... to forget any work
and labour of love, which you ... So found Obadiah in that sad day, when he met ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon ix obadiah.htm

Obadiah
... benevolence when he sheltered the Lord's prophets"one hundred ... says something for
Ahab, and more perhaps for Obadiah. ... was surrounded by a mother's love and an ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/obadiah.htm

Obadiah; Or, Early Piety Eminent Piety
... The man used to love the people of God, and now ... I feel sure of that, because Obadiah
said to Elijah, "Was ... my lord how I hid the Lord's prophets?" Now, Elijah ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 30 1884/obadiah or early piety eminent.htm

The Kingdom of Judah.
... of the period are Joel, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk and Obadiah. ... announced and implied
in the writings of the prophets. ... that "to act justly, to love mercy and ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xiv the kingdom of.htm

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... 2 Kings ap.24; Dan.1:1), Obadiah may have ... Malachi is thus the last of all the prophets.
24. ... the people of God's great and distinguishing love towards them and ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm

The Prophet Jonah.
... The prophecy of Obadiah bears, throughout, a hostile aspect ... Whilst other prophets
opposed such exclusiveness by their ... actuated by the same ardent love for his ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet jonah.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... to the soul, where inward faith, love, and obedience ... as among the greatest of the
prophets, and from ... use of earlier prophecies, as those of Isaiah and Obadiah. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

The Law, and the Prophecy.
... piety and morality"supreme love to God, and love to our ... The prophets were, so to
speak, the Protestants of the ... and around him Micah, Joel, and Obadiah in the ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 10 the law and.htm

The Voice of Stern Rebuke
... which I command you this day, to love the Lord ... Earnestly Obadiah pleaded with the
prophet not to urge him ... lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 10 the voice of.htm

Malachi
... It is not inappropriate that Malachi,[1] though not the latest of the prophets,
should close the prophetic collection. ... Obadiah) in poof of that love, i.2-5 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/malachi.htm