Obadiah

1. Background/Context
   1. Obadiah means “Servant/ Worshipper of Yahweh” likely indicates he was a prophet.
   2. Obadiah’s prophecy concerns Edom and its attack on Jerusalem (vv. 10-14). Although there are various dates that could be applicable, the best date is shortly after the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC. Psalm 137:7 refers to the Edomites and their encouragement of the Babylonian attack
   3. The prophecy concerns Edom because Edom had been found guilty of pride before God (v.3). This pride led to the charge against Edom in verse 10: “Because of violence towards your brother Jacob.” Edom did not choose his brother’s side; Edom chose to side with the enemies of Jerusalem in the day of her destruction (v.11). As a result, God’s judgment will be on Edom. Obadiah wanted to let Edom know that God will judge Edom severely in the future
   4. There are four series of oracles in verses 2-14 portraying the aspects of what God judges in Edom: 
      ONE- Pride and arrogance in verses 2-4

CS Lewis: According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind
TWO- Greed and plunder in verses 5-6
THREE- Loss of wisdom and understanding in verses 7-8
FOUR- Violence and gloating over the suffering of others in verses 10-14

Main characters: Jonah but God remains the central character
Jonah stands in contrast to the rest of the characters in the story
Jonah is not only a reluctant prophet but Jonah serves as a microcosm of disobedient Israel
Primary purpose is to demonstrate God’s character, mainly his grace, mercy and compassion for humanity while demonstrating “Salvation belongs to the Lord 2:9.
Book also shows us the Word of God will not return void
 
Outline

1. Jonah’s reluctance
2. Jonah’s crisis
3. Jonah’s mission
4. Jonah’s apathy

Chapter 1
V1-2 Divine commission- expect obedience- took off in other direction- God said Go Jonah said No
Pagan sailors willing to do everything to save Jonah yet Jonah unwilling to make an effort for pagan Ninevites. Claimed to fear God but actions denied it
Sailors on other hand demonstrated their genuine fear of the Lord by submissively responding to God’s will and power as revealed in casting of lots and the storm
Chapter 2 Jonah’s experience parallels that of the sailors
            Faces crisis at sea
            Prays to Yahweh
             Receives deliverance
            Offers sacrifice and makes vow
Jonah’s movement down: which is not good, symbolizing moving father and farther away from God

Chisholm writes: "One would hope that his bout with death might give him some sympathy for the Ninevites plight and a greater appreciation for the task God gave him. However, the disdain he showed for the pagans foreshadowed the attitude he would display in the story’s final scene."
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2:10 God demonstrates compassion and mercy without Jonah’s repentance by rescuing an undeserving prophet from death
Chapter 3
Obeys, declares, Ninevites respond positively v4
3:5-9 Ninevites like sailors respond positively to message
Lord spared repentant v10- Lord acts according to His nature
Chapter 4
Jonah’s anger stark contrast to God’s mercy
Praise God s mercy and grace in wake of his rebellion but deems these same attributes unjust when benefit Nineveh
4:9-11 object lesson of plant God contrasts his mercy with Jonah’s anger and His abundant compassion and lack of Jonah’s
God’s question is left unanswered  because Jonah and the reader must contemplate our own answer in light of God’s mercy, grace and compassion

Where Jonah refused to be sent, Jesus obeyed and submitted Himself to the Father’s will
Jonah acted selfishly. Jesus humbly emptied himself Phil 2:5-11
Jesus comes as something better – comes as mediator 1 Tim 2:5-6  one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus
A mediator is one intervenes between the two parties, to make peace, to make a covenant or for friendship.
The man Christ Jesus- true humanity in every way, God taken up our humanity
Christ Jesus- Christ – Annointed One, Divine Messiah
This mediator gave his life as a ransom- Jonah sought the cities destruction, Jesus sought our salvation
Ransom-price paid to free a slave. Christ paid the ransom to free us from the slavery of sin
           
 

The book of Nahum is about the destruction of Nineveh almost 150 years after Jonah’s preaching
Michael Goheen writes: “No faithful missional community will survive that does not take seriously the task of training the next generation to walk tin the way of the Lord and to encounter other ways of life. Without such instruction, that next generation will be terribly vulnerable to idolatrous ways of the surrounding nations.” A Light to the Nations
Nineveh destroyed by Babylon in 612 BC under Nabopolassar
Book is dated between 663-612BC according to two events in the book:

1. Fall of Egyptian city of Thebes (3:8) in 663 BC
2. Prophecy of fall of Nineveh 612 BC

Message is twofold: 1:2 threaten Nineveh concerning God’s judgment and 1:7-15 consolation for Judah that the enemy is finally being judged
Simple outline:

1. God’s judgment declared-chapter 1
2. God’s judgment described- chapter 2
3. God’s judgment defended- chapter 3

 
Chapter One

1. Character of God
2. V3 Whilrwind and storm- Near East literature storm gods portrayed as using elements in battle contexts
3. V7-11 God’s protection of His people
4. V12-15 Salvation/Judgment/Celebration

Chapter Two

1. V1-10 totality of destruction
2. V13- God’s hand in destroying the nation

Chapter Three

1. V1,4 Why judgment?
2. V2-3 Destruction pictured
3. V5-13 humiliation

Message for today:

1. God is a holy God who exercises His wrath
   1. God intensely hates all sin
   2. God’s wrath can be satisfied through Christ alone
   3. Jesus is a sacrifice of atonement to take away our guilt and appease God’s wrath
   4. Propitiation- To propitiate is to appease or satisfy.  Jesus’s death satisfied god’s justice and wrath against us.
   5. Expiation- Blotting out or removal of sin. The supreme act of expiation is Christ’s work on the cross.
   6. Verses to look up: Romans 1:18-32, 2:5, 3:21-26, 5:8-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Ephesians 2:1-10, 5:6
2. God is Sovereign King over all nations
   1. Revelation 18:4-8, 20, 19:1-3
3. Need for the church to be prophetic
   1. We go into the world warning nations and peoples there is a wrath and a judgment to come unless you repent and trust in Jesus

Minor Prophet Micah Lesson notes

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MICAH 
Name means "Who is like Yahweh?"
Occasion for writing is similar to Amos and Hosea: social injustices, oppressive wealthy rulers and idolatrous worship
1:1 Jotham 750-735 BC, Ahaz 735-715 BC, Hezekiah 715-686 BC
Divided into 3  cycles around the word "hear" or " listen"
A. Cycle one 1:2-2:13
B. Cycle two 3:1-5:15
C. Cycle three 6-7:20

Cycle One 1-2:13
A. Picture of divine judgment
B. v15 He who is the glory of Israel - 1 Sam. 15:29
C. Oppressive wealthy rulers and false prophets- see 2 Tim. 4:3-4
D. 2:12-13 God has not forgotten His people

Cycle two 3-5:15
A. God's people are to live in a way that is consistent with the covenant 
B. Ch 3- Wealthy tearing the people apart and in response God will not hear their prayers- see Isa. 59:1-2
C. False prophets and true prophet v8
D. Ch 4- Compare with Isaiah 2- Lord as universal King, militaries obsolete, peace and prosperity
E. Ch 5- siege is part of covenant cures- Deut. 28:45-52
F. 6 "I will's"

Cycle three 6-7:20
A. 6:6 God does not want religious formalism
B. 7:14-20- Opening words in 1:1 are judgement, closing words are merciful and bring hope