The Kingdom Shall Be The Lord's
By G. Campbell Morgan
"And saviors shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau, and the Kingdom shall be the Lord's" (Obadiah 21).
The prophecy of Obadiah is admittedly a strange page in the Old Testament. One could almost imagine it being said that surely there is no message in it for us, and for our times. Nevertheless it is true that Isadore said of this prophecy in his book on the Allegories of the Sacred Scriptures: "Among all the prophets, he is the briefest in number of words; in the grace of mysteries he is their equal."
The book really consists of one set message. The identity of the prophet and the historic setting are of minor importance. It is impossible to say with any definiteness who Obadiah was. We meet the name in other places in Scripture, but we cannot identify him. Neither can the actual hour of his prophesying be fixed. Therefore we do not pause with these minor matters, but give attention to the message itself.
The peculiar quality of the book is that in it the antagonism between Jacob and Esau is brought into clearer view than in any other of the prophetic writings. If we look at the first eight verses we shall find that much that Obadiah is recorded as saying is found in the prophecy of Jeremiah, which may mean that Obadiah was familiar with Jeremiah's prophecy, or that Jeremiah was familiar with Obadiah's prophecy.
This antagonism is patent throughout the Bible in definite historic statement and in continuous suggestion. In Genesis we read that "the children struggled within her." The fact thus stated created a premonition on the part of Rebekah which was most significant as it filled her with fear. A statement with which we are all familiar, "Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated," seems to have given pause to very many thoughtful people.
Let it at once be said that God's attitude did not create that in Jacob which He loved, or that in Esau which He hated. These men did not become what they were because God loved or hated. Rather it is true that God's love or hatred resulted from what they were, and what their character was. The antagonism was always recognized in the Old Testament, and emerges again in the New Testament, and is finally revealed in an almost startling way in two outstanding personalities, those of Jesus and Herod. We must remember that Herod was an Edomite, and Jesus according to the flesh was a descendant of Jacob. It is a very arresting and appalling fact that Jesus never spoke to Herod. He once sent him a stinging message, asserting His own authority, and the definiteness of His antipathy, dismissing him with profound contempt.
In this prophecy of Obadiah the background is Jacob. He is seen suffering, and suffering by the chastening hand of God; while in the foreground Esau is seen gloating over the suffering of Jacob, adding to his trouble; and God is seen dealing with both.
The supreme value of the revelation of Edom is that of concrete godlessness. We are far away from the days of Jacob and Esau but the principles revealed in Jacob and Esau are still appearing, and indeed were never more manifest in human history than they are today. The two ideals, the two conceptions, the two methods of life are in the world still.
In this prophecy we have brought before us first of all, and principally, an unveiling of the spirit of Esau, and the meaning of Edom. The prophet was dealing with these things as they were manifested at the time, not in the individual men, but in the races descended from them.
What, then, is the revelation that we have here of Esau and Edom? It is a terrible picture of cruelty and violence. Edom is here seen watching, from her heights of self satisfaction, the suffering of the nation of Israel as it was passing through the chastisements of God. Edom is revealed as looking on, and presently crossing the border line, and acting so as to add to the suffering of Jacob.
That, however, is not the beginning of the revelation. What is the profound wrong which is revealed? If we say, as we have said, that it was that of godlessness, let us remember that there was something prior to that, and causing it. It is found in the words, "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee." Pride of heart expressed itself in carelessness about God. There are some scholars who hold that the Edomites not only did not acknowledge God, but that they had no gods. Other nations had gods, but were idolaters. The Edomites seem to have done away with any reference to God or to gods in any form. "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee." That is to say, they did not feel that God was a necessity in any sense.
In this prophecy of Obadiah the background is Jacob. He is seen suffering, and suffering by the chastening hand of God; while in the foreground Esau is seen gloating over the suffering of Jacob, adding to his trouble; and God is seen dealing with both.
The supreme value of the revelation of Edom is that of concrete godlessness. We are far away from the days of Jacob and Esau but the principles revealed in Jacob and Esau are still appearing, and indeed were never more manifest in human history than they are today. The two ideals, the two conceptions, the two methods of life are in the world still.
In this prophecy we have brought before us first of all, and principally, an unveiling of the spirit of Esau, and the meaning of Edom. The prophet was dealing with these things as they were manifested at the time, not in the individual men, but in the races descended from them.
What, then, is the revelation that we have here of Esau and Edom? It is a terrible picture of cruelty and violence. Edom is here seen watching, from her heights of self satisfaction, the suffering of the nation of Israel as it was passing through the chastisements of God. Edom is revealed as looking on, and presently crossing the border line, and acting so as to add to the suffering of Jacob.
That, however, is not the beginning of the revelation. What is the profound wrong which is revealed? If we say, as we have said, that it was that of godlessness, let us remember that there was something prior to that, and causing it. It is found in the words, "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee." Pride of heart expressed itself in carelessness about God. There are some scholars who hold that the Edomites not only did not acknowledge God, but that they had no gods. Other nations had gods, but were idolaters. The Edomites seem to have done away with any reference to God or to gods in any form. "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee." That is to say, they did not feel that God was a necessity in any sense.
