And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and
Saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau - "saviours;" there will be in the kingdom yet to come no king, but a prince; there will return the sabbatic period of the judges, when there was no visible king, but God reigned in the theocracy (cf. the phrase so frequent in Judges, only once found in the times of the kings, 2 Chronicles 14:1, "In his (Asa's) days the land was quiet ten years;" "the land had rest"). Israelites, not strangers, shall dispense justice to a God-fearing people, (Isaiah 1:26; Ezekiel 45:1.) The judges were not such a burden to the people as the kings proved afterward, according to the forewarning of Samuel (1 Samuel 8:11-20). In their time the people more readily repented than under the kings (cf. 2 Chronicles 15:17) (Roos). Judges were from time to time raised up as saviours or deliverers of Israel from the enemy. These, and the similar deliverers in the long subsequent age of Antiochus, the Maccabees, who conquered the Idumeans (as here foretold, cf. 2Ma 10:15 ; 2Ma 10:23), were types of the peaceful period yet to come to Israel.
To judge ... Esau - to punish (so "judge," 1 Samuel 3:13, "I will judge his (Eli's) house forever, for the iniquity which he knoweth") Edom (cf. Obadiah 1:1-9; Obadiah 1:15-19). Edom is the type of Israel's and God's last foes (Isaiah 63:1-4).
The kingdom shall be the Lord's - under Messiah (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14; Daniel 7:27; Zechariah 14:9; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 19:6, Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth"). Obadiah here quotes Psalms 22:28, "The kingdom is the Lord's."
Remarks:
(1) Obadiah gives no details of his personal history, desiring to be known in his prophetic rather than in his individual capacity. His prophecy was not the suggestion of his own imagination, but a "vision" of realities presented to his mind's eye, and afterward embodied in word-painting, for the edification of the Church, under the guidance of "the Lord God" (Obad). The prophet reported that which he heard from the Lord." How attentively, believingly, and obediently ought we to receive a message from God, so solemnly authenticated as is all Holy Scripture!
(2) God employs as His "ambassadors" all the powers in heaven and in earth. Not only the good, but even evil spirits and evil men, in spite of themselves, and often unconsciously, while seeking only their own bad aims, are constrained to be the fulfillers of God's purposes. So the Babylonians, moved by God's secret summons, "Arise," eagerly responded, stirring one another up against Edom, "Let us rise up against her in battle." Those great in their own eyes are "small" in the eyes of God, and shall at last be "made" so before all men (Obadiah 1:2). Those who proudly exalt themselves shall at last be "greatly despised."
(3) As the pride of Edom's heart had deceived him, so 'the men of his peace' also (Obadiah 1:7, margin) were about to deceive him. The deceit of Edom's confederates was the penal consequence of the self-deceit of his own heart through pride (Obadiah 1:3). His rock-dwellings, and his city of Petra, nestled on the summit of precipitous crags, seemed impregnable, and fostered his arrogant self-confidence. "Who shall bring me down?" is the language of the carnally secure "heart." How many there are still who, instead of sheltering "in the clefts of the rock" of ages (Song of Solomon 2:14), rest their confidence of security in the rocky clefts of natural abilities and resources, independent of God! However high these men "set their nest" "as the eagle," God can and will bring them down to the dust in a moment; as AEsop, when asked, 'What doeth God?' replied, 'He humbleth the proud and exalteth the humble.'
(4) In the coming day of the Lord, "the hidden things," not only "of Esau" (Obadiah 1:6), but of all men, shall be "searched out" and brought to light (1 Corinthians 4:5). Every hiding-place of lies shall be laid bare, and the sinner shall be stripped forever of the last rag of pride with which he heretofore has cloaked his shame.
(5) It is a special aggravation to one's fall, when one's own familiar friends not only do not try to avert, but hasten it. As Edom, though the natural friend of Jacob, as being his brother, had, nevertheless, persecuted Jacob, so, in just retribution, Edom's natural friends should be his destroyers. As Edom had turned peace into strife in relation to Judah, so those who were "at peace," and confederate, and who even ate at the same table with Edom, should take advantage of their familiarity to contrive Edom's ruin (Obadiah 1:7). Thus was fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy, "When thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee" (Isaiah 33:1). Edom's vaunted "understanding" forsook him utterly at the time when it was most needed. Pride goes before a fall; and the proud often pass suddenly from the height of self-confidence to the depth of despair. Overweening self-reliance passes into unreasoning and unreasonable fear. No human sagacity for which Edom was famed can be relied on in an exigency, if men ignore God. The most clever plans often fail from some oversight utterly unaccountable, except on the principle that God can at any moment withdraw from the wise the wisdom on which success depends.
(6) Israel's conduct to Edom, according to the commandment of God, had been always regulated by the remembrance of the fraternal relation which subsisted between them. But Edom, on the contrary, had with violence helped the Babylonians in the overthrow of Jerusalem, and exulted in its downfall, thinking that thereby his own prosperity and safety were secured. How just, then, it was that the calamities which they had helped to inflict on their brother should be brought by God on themselves, through the very same Babylonians! The betrayers were in their turn betrayed; and they, who had excited over the fall of their brethren, were the object of exalting triumph to their former allies, who became their destroyers. "Shame and everlasting contempt" shall at last "cover" all who now glory over the sufferings of the people of God.
(7) Edom, though allied to Jacob, not the Babylonians, made himself "as one of them" (Obadiah 1:11). Therefore he should be treated as such, and have his eternal portion with the enemies, not with the people of God. Men must take their choice now. They cannot, like Edom, "gaze" with exultation upon the trials of the children of God, and "speak proudly" respecting them, and take advantage of their calamities to push forward their own selfish interests, and yet expect after all to share their final blessedness. Edom from malicious looks passed on to malicious words, and from malicious words to acts of selfishness, covetousness, robbery, and murder (Obadiah 1:12-13). Since we know not how soon it may be our own turn to suffer, we should, under any circumstances, feel compassion rather than exultation in the sufferings of any fellow-creature. Malice harboured in any form contains in itself the seed of all evil, and, if net overcome by grace, will at last ripen the sinner for hell, where malice reigns in all its virulence.
(8) There is at hand the great day of the Lord (Obadiah 1:15), which shall be the day of retribution, not to Edom alone, but to all who are aliens to God and to His people. Men's "reward shall then return upon their own head." Chastizements are inflicted upon the people of God for their good now, for a time; eternal punishment awaits their enemies. Let mourning believers and insulting oppressors know that the trials of the godly shall soon end, but the miseries of the ungodly shall be forever.
(9) In the worst times of the Church there is always reserved an "escaped remnant" (note Obadiah 1:17). "Holiness" is to be its final characteristic: and is even in part so now. "Upon mount Zion" Jesus hath already appeared for salvation to His people; and by virtue of His death and resurrection the Church goes forth to take spiritual "possession" of the world (Obadiah 1:17; Matthew 27:19). When He shall come again He shall consummate redemption visibly and manifestly to His saints; and the literal "house of Jacob shall possess their possessions" (Obadiah 1:17; Obadiah 1:19-20). "The mount of Esau" (Obadiah 1:21) shall be abased before mount Zion. God's mount of holiness shall then be exalted above every mountain of human pride. The transfigured saints, with Christ, the antitype to all former "saviours," shall judge the world (1 Corinthians 6:2), condemning the reprobates; and, as being king-priests, shall be the mediators of blessing to the nations in the flesh. The dominion long usurped by the prince of this world, and judicially permitted for a time, because of man's sin, shall then cease; "and the kingdom shall be the Lord's." What wise man then can hesitate whether to take his portion with the world and Satan, or with the Church and Christ?