Commentary - Obadiah 1:19-21

Bird's-eye view

The final three verses of Obadiah’s prophecy are a glorious crescendo. After pronouncing a devastating judgment upon Edom for their treacherous pride and violence against their brother Jacob, the prophet turns his eye to the restoration and triumph of God’s people. This isn't just about getting their old property back. This is a picture of the explosive growth of the kingdom of God. The geography here is symbolic, representing the complete reversal of fortune for God’s people and the total subjugation of His enemies. The prophecy culminates in the absolute declaration of God's sovereignty: "the kingdom will belong to Yahweh." This is the point of all history, the end toward which all of God's judgments and salvations are aimed. It is a profoundly gospel-centered conclusion, showing that God’s particular judgments in history serve His universal purpose of establishing the reign of His Son.

These verses are not simply an ancient oracle for a dusty conflict between two long-gone peoples. As the New Testament makes clear, the conflict between Jacob and Esau is a pattern that runs through all of history. The church, the true Israel of God, is the house of Jacob. The unbelieving world, in its pride and hostility to God's covenant people, is the house of Esau. Therefore, this prophecy is about the ultimate victory of the church over the world. The meek, as our Lord said, will inherit the earth. This inheritance is not a floaty, ethereal concept, but a tangible, real-world possession. The saints will judge the world, and the kingdom will be the Lord's in fact, not just in theory.

Outline

Context In Obadiah

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, but it packs a significant theological punch. The historical context is most likely the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Edom, descended from Jacob's brother Esau, not only failed to help their kinsmen but actively participated in the looting and rejoiced in Judah's downfall (vv. 10-14). This treacherous act of fraternal betrayal is the basis for God's fierce judgment. The book is a tale of two mountains: Mount Esau (representing Edom, the world, and prideful rebellion) and Mount Zion (representing Judah, the people of God, and the place of God's dwelling and deliverance). The first 18 verses detail the sin of Edom and the certainty of their destruction. Verses 19-21 then pivot to the glorious restoration and victory of God's people, which serves as the final answer to Edom's pride.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 19 Then those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau, And those of the Shephelah, the Philistine plain;

The prophecy now turns from destruction to possession. The "Negev" is the arid southland of Judah. The people from this southern region will expand and take possession of the "mountain of Esau," which is Edom itself, located to the southeast. This is a direct and fitting reversal. Edom had gloated over Judah's loss of land, and now Judah will possess Edom's heartland. Then, those from the "Shephelah," the western foothills of Judah, will possess the coastal plain of the Philistines. The Philistines were perennial enemies of Israel, and this signifies an expansion of God's kingdom into territory long held by adversaries. This is not just about reclaiming what was lost; it is about conquest and expansion. The kingdom of God is not a static entity; it is a dynamic, growing, and conquering force.

v. 19b And they will possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria, And Benjamin will possess Gilead.

The restoration is not limited to the southern kingdom of Judah. The prophecy now includes the territories of the former northern kingdom, "Ephraim and Samaria." This points to the reunification of God's people. The division between Judah and Israel, a long-standing wound in the nation's history, will be healed. The returning people of God will possess the whole land, north and south. This is a picture of the gospel's power to unify all of God's elect into one body. "Benjamin," a tribe caught between the north and south, will possess "Gilead," a fertile region east of the Jordan. The inheritance is total, spilling over the traditional boundaries in every direction. God's blessings are never stingy; they are superabundant.

v. 20 And the exiles of this military force of the sons of Israel, Who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad, Will possess the cities of the Negev.

The agents of this repossession are the "exiles." God's people have been scattered, disciplined, and humbled. But their exile is not the final word. God will gather them. The "exiles of this military force" refers to the remnant of Israel's strength, now scattered among the "Canaanites as far as Zarephath" (in modern-day Lebanon, north of Israel). The "exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad" (location uncertain, but likely a distant place, perhaps Sardis in Asia Minor) will also return. From the far north and from distant lands, God will bring His people home. And what will they do? They "will possess the cities of the Negev." The very people who were dispossessed will become the possessors. This is the pattern of the gospel: God uses the weak, the exiled, and the foolish things of the world to shame the strong.

v. 21 And the saviors will ascend Mount Zion To judge the mountain of Esau,

This is the climax. "Saviors" will ascend Mount Zion. The word here is not referring to the Savior, Jesus Christ, in a singular sense, but rather to deliverers or governors raised up by God, in the pattern of the judges of old. These are the leaders of the restored and victorious people of God. They ascend "Mount Zion," the place of God's rule and redemption, not to hide, but to govern. And what is their task? "To judge the mountain of Esau." The tables are completely turned. Edom, who stood by and judged Judah in her calamity, will now be brought under the judgment of God's people. This is a fulfillment of the promise that the saints will judge the world (1 Cor. 6:2). The church is not called to be a perpetual victim, but to grow into a position of judicial authority in the name of Christ.

v. 21b And the kingdom will belong to Yahweh.

Here is the ultimate conclusion, the foundation and goal of everything that has been prophesied. The reason saviors will judge Esau, and the reason Israel will possess the land, is not ultimately for their own glory. It is so that "the kingdom will belong to Yahweh." All human history, with its rises and falls of nations, its judgments and salvations, is orchestrated for this one grand purpose: the public, uncontested, and universal acknowledgment of God's absolute sovereignty. When the dust settles, there will be only one king on the throne. This is the heart of postmillennial eschatology. The gospel is the power of God for salvation, and that salvation is so robust that it will result in the historical establishment of Christ's kingdom over all the earth, before His final return. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

Application

The prophecy of Obadiah is not just an ancient history lesson. It is a profound encouragement and a sharp directive for the Church today. We are the house of Jacob, and the proud, unbelieving world system is the house of Esau. The world may seem to have the upper hand, gloating from its rocky fortresses of cultural and political power, much like Edom did. But God has promised a great reversal.

First, we must understand that the victory described here is the victory of the gospel. The expansion of God's people to possess the Negev, the Shephelah, Ephraim, and Gilead is a picture of the Great Commission. We are to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded. This is a territorial assignment. The gospel claims every square inch of the globe and every area of human life. We are not fighting for a tie; we are fighting for total victory.

Second, we must embrace our role as "saviors" on Mount Zion. This does not mean we usurp Christ's unique role. It means that as His body, filled with His Spirit, we are His instruments of deliverance and justice in the world. We are to apply God's Word to every aspect of life, to build Christian institutions, to raise godly families, and to exercise righteous dominion. This includes judging the world, not by retreating from it, but by engaging it with the standards of God's law and the grace of His gospel. We are to be a city on a hill, and that city has a courtroom from which the law of the Lord goes forth.

Finally, our ultimate confidence rests not in our own strength, but in the final declaration: "the kingdom will belong to Yahweh." This is a settled fact in heaven, and it is our task to make it a settled fact on earth as it is in heaven. Our work, our evangelism, our cultural engagement, all of it is driven by the sure and certain hope that Christ's kingdom will prevail. Edom's pride led to its downfall. Our humility, expressed in faithful obedience to our King, will lead to us inheriting the world. Let us therefore labor with confidence, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain, for the kingdom belongs to Him.