JUN 21

Obadiah 1
Memorise Proverbs 2:4-5
"The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver."

Understanding the historical context in which a book of the Bible was written helps us to appreciate the lives of characters and circumstances in which they lived, and therefore enable us to understand more accurately what is written. However, sometimes it is not possible to be very precise about the historical context of a book because there is little information provided from God’s Word. Still, we can try to make some conclusions while at the same time bearing in mind that we should not be too dogmatic about the certainty of our conclusions.

Obadiah is such a book where very little is known about the author, the period the book was written in, or which period the prophecy referred to. Most Bible scholars believe that Obadiah’s prophecies were set in the period after Jerusalem was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar in 588 B.C. History also tells us that Edom was eventually conquered by Nebuchadnezzar within 5 years from that time, which matches Obadiah’s prophecy which states that Edom would eventually be conquered by a heathen nation (v1-7). Based on verses 11 to 14, we can also conclude that the book may have been written after the conquest of Jerusalem, as the evil deeds against Judah which are listed appear to have already been committed. Hence, Obadiah may have written the book while he himself was in captivity. With this understanding of the context, it is possible that the book of Obadiah was then written for the Jews languishing in captivity and it was meant for their encouragement; knowing that their God had not forsaken them, but would vindicate them against their enemies and deliver them eventually could be a great source of hope and comfort in times of suffering. God is very merciful, that, despite the fact the Jews deserved their punishment for their hideous trespasses, He continued to give the Jews the promise and hope of deliverance. For us, it speaks of the merciful and loving character of God, and we can take comfort in the promise that He will never forsake us either.

With this historical context in mind, we will have a setting and frame of reference for which the contents of the book of Obadiah is understood to have taken place in. It will certainly make it easier to interpret this book, and we will be able to draw many more precious lessons from our study of it.

Thought: Did the knowledge of the historical context of the book make a difference in your understanding?
Prayer: Lord, help me to be diligent and to search out all I need to know concerning Your precious Word.