Amos 1
Obadiah is the shortest prophetic book in the Old Testament, consisting entirely of a single chapter. This book mainly contains a message of judgment against Edom and a promise that God will ultimately restore Israel. Obadiah declares that God will judge Edom’s arrogance and wicked deeds, by which Edom took advantage of Judah’s trouble to despise them and do them harm.
1verseThe words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
2verseHe said: “The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither.”
3verseThe LORD says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron;
4versebut I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad.
5verseI will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir,” says the LORD.
6verseThe LORD says: “For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom;
7versebut I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its palaces.
8verseI will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish,” says the Lord GOD.
9verseThe LORD says: “For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, and didn’t remember the brotherly covenant;
10versebut I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its palaces.”
11verseThe LORD says: “For three transgressions of Edom, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger raged continually, and he kept his wrath forever;
12versebut I will send a fire on Teman, and it will devour the palaces of Bozrah.”
13verseThe LORD says: “For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.
14verseBut I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its palaces, with shouting in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of the whirlwind;
15verseand their king will go into captivity, he and his princes together,” says the LORD.
Flow and Structure of the Text
| Division | Content Summary |
|---|---|
| Verses 1-9 | A declaration of judgment against Edom, the cause of its pride, and a prediction of its downfall |
| Verses 10-14 | Specific references to Edom’s acts of mistreating Judah |
| Verses 15-21 | The day of the LORD: judgment that will come upon all nations, and Zion’s salvation and restoration |
Key Message
- It shows that Edom’s pride and hostile actions toward their fellow Israelites are the primary reasons for judgment.
- It emphasizes that every nation is under God’s just judgment and that evil will ultimately not prevail.
- It prophesies that Israel will be restored and God’s kingdom will come, delivering a message of hope together with this.
Points for Reflection
- In our lives, we can look back and ask whether we might have had an attitude of pride or of turning away from other people’s pain.
- We can also examine ourselves to see how we treat difficult neighbors, and whether we are living while acknowledging God’s sovereignty.
Apply to Me
Through the words of Obadiah chapter 1, I reflect on whether I, too, have carelessly turned away from other people’s suffering or allowed pride in my own strength and position. I can renew my heart so that, in the choices I make every day, I will put God’s justice and mercy into practice.
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