Obd 19-20 | KingComments | STEP | After consuming their enemies, God’s people will take possession of their land and expand their territory in all directions. From this verse it appears that in the glorious end times the border will be shifted considerably to the east, the mountains of Esau, as well as to the west, the land of the Philistines. The places mentioned in cover the east and west, north and south. In these verses several times there is talk of ‘possess’. This connects to what has been announced in , that the house of Jacob will “possess their possessions”. “The Negev” means the population of the South, that is, the south of Canaan. They are mentioned first because they will take possession of the mountains of the Edom which has just been judged. “The Shephelah” is the population of the hilly country, situated between the mountains of Juda and the Philistine plain. But there is not only restoration for Judah. The ten tribes will also repossess the area taken from them by the Assyrians. Benjamin will possess Gilead, which is on the other side of the Jordan, outside the country.

‏ Obadiah 19-20

Restoration Finds Its Way

After consuming their enemies, God’s people will take possession of their land and expand their territory in all directions. From this verse it appears that in the glorious end times the border will be shifted considerably to the east, the mountains of Esau, as well as to the west, the land of the Philistines. The places mentioned in Oba 1:19-20 cover the east and west, north and south. In these verses several times there is talk of ‘possess’. This connects to what has been announced in Oba 1:17, that the house of Jacob will “possess their possessions”.

“The Negev” means the population of the South, that is, the south of Canaan. They are mentioned first because they will take possession of the mountains of the Edom which has just been judged. “The Shephelah” is the population of the hilly country, situated between the mountains of Juda and the Philistine plain.

But there is not only restoration for Judah. The ten tribes will also repossess the area taken from them by the Assyrians. Benjamin will possess Gilead, which is on the other side of the Jordan, outside the country.

The Possessions Received Back

All those who were exiled from the ten and the two tribes, or sold to distant lands (Joel 3:6), will also regain their possessions. God does not forget them. Whether the rightful owners are in the land or outside it, Obadiah speaks of the fact that on the “day of the LORD” (Oba 1:15) all of Israel will get its land back.

The main theme of Oba 1:19-20 is that Israel, according to the promise given to Abraham, will break out in crowds to the four winds (Gen 15:18-21; cf. Gen 28:14). The areas mentioned by Obadiah are also found in the commission given to Israel by law to take possession of those areas (Deu 1:7-8).