Obd 18-20 | KingComments | STEP | “The house of Joseph” stands for the ten tribes. “The house of Jacob” therefore seems to refer especially to Judah. Obadiah uses the name Jacob instead of Judah, because since the division of the realm, Judah only represents the people of God. In the future both empires will again be joined into one realm ( ; ). Mentioning the two “houses” indicates that the destruction of Edom will occur throughout Israel (cf. ). They are a fire to destroy what does not belong to God (cf. ). They do not act out of personal vengeance, but to carry out the commission of God, “for the LORD has spoken”. The Lord Jesus is also like a fire to cleanse His people ( ; ; ).

‏ Obadiah 18-20

The Houses of Jacob, Joseph and Esau

“The house of Joseph” stands for the ten tribes. “The house of Jacob” therefore seems to refer especially to Judah. Obadiah uses the name Jacob instead of Judah, because since the division of the realm, Judah only represents the people of God. In the future both empires will again be joined into one realm (Jer 31:31; Eze 37:16).

Mentioning the two “houses” indicates that the destruction of Edom will occur throughout Israel (cf. Isa 11:13-14). They are a fire to destroy what does not belong to God (cf. Zec 12:6). They do not act out of personal vengeance, but to carry out the commission of God, “for the LORD has spoken”. The Lord Jesus is also like a fire to cleanse His people (Mal 3:2; Jer 5:14; 2Thes 2:8).

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).