Daily Devotions
Obadiah
"The captives"
Text: Obadiah 20
THE CAPTIVES
Many of the prophets prophesied about the captivity of both Israel and Judah. Though the two nations had once upon a time been powerful, they had sinned grievously and God had allowed them to go into captivity. But God had not made a complete end of them. They would one day return to their homeland and enjoy the land that God had promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
“The South shall possess the mountains of Esau,
And the Lowland shall possess Philistia.
They shall possess the fields of Ephraim
And the fields of Samaria.
Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
And the captives of this host of the children of Israel
Shall possess the land of the Canaanites
As far as Zarephath.
The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
Shall possess the cities of the South.
Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion
To judge the mountains of Esau,
And the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.”
Obadiah 19-21
1. “The captives”
Two significant descriptions were made by Obadiah:
a) “The captives of Jerusalem”
i) The Babylonians had many captives.
ii) The captives of Jerusalem were identified and noted.
b) “The captives of this host of the children of Israel”
i) This was an unusual term to describe a captor.
ii) Usually the captor is seen as the over-lord, the master.
iii) Here, he is described as the “host”.
c) Biblical history records how the captives fared in their host countries.
i) Daniel rose up to become a very influential ruler under the Babylonians.
ii) Esther became queen and protected her people with Mordecai.
2. “Mountains of Esau”
a) They will be captured.
b) Edom would cease to exist.
MOUNT ZION
Mount Zion includes both Israel and the Church. It further includes the angels and the Lord Jesus Christ! Zion cannot be destroyed. The future of Mount Zion is bright and glorious. The Lord would fulfil His word!