April in 2 Chronicles & 2 Kings with Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, and Amos

1. 2 Kings 4
2. 2 Kings 5
3. 2 Kings 6 & 7
4. 2 Kings 8
5. 2 Chron. 21
6. 2 Kings 9
7. 2 Kings 10
8. 2 Kings 11
9. 2 Chron. 22
10. 2 Chron. 23
11. 2 Kings 12
12. 2 Chron. 24
13. Joash Character Study
14. 2 Kings 13
15. Obadiah 1
16. Joel 1 – 2:17
17. Joel 2:18 – 3:21
18. 2 Kings 14
19. 2 Chron. 25
20. 2 Kings 15
21. 2 Chron. 26 & 27 
22. Jonah 1 & 2
23. Jonah 3 & 4
24. Amos 1
25. Amos 2
26. Amos 3 & 4
27. Amos 5
28. Amos 6
29. Amos 7 & 8
30. Amos 9

Obadiah - Condemnation of Edom

LINK: Obadiah

Please read INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS if you have not already done so. 

BACKGROUND

Map from www.wikipedia.org

Please download the "YEAR TWO BBC Overview and Timeline" for a complete picture of the prophets within the historical narrative.

Scholars disagree as to when the incidents in Obadiah occurred. Some say 841-824 B.C., at the end of the reign of Jehoram of Israel (853-841 B.C.) and overlapping with the reigns of Ahaziah, Athaliah, and Joash of Israel. This is also around the time the Philistines and the Arabs invaded Jerusalem. This is the period I have chosen to place Obadiah. We are reading this book after the completion of the readings about these kings and one queen.

Other scholars put Obadiah during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem between 605 and 586 B.C. 

Here is where I have chosen to put Obadiah within the historical narrative of the Bible: 

2 Chr. 22-24:  841-796 (2 Kings 8-13)

                       841-825 - OBADIAH 1 

                       825-809 - JOEL 1-3 

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament. I just listened to it while going on my morning walk. It is written in poetic language and written in the form of a dirge of doom.

We know nothing about Obadiah other than his name means "servant (or worshiper) of the LORD." His mission was to give God's judgment against Edom.

Do you remember from whom the Edomites descended? Esau! The conflict between Edom and Israel started all the way back to the struggle in the womb between the twins, Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25-36). While the brothers eventually reconciled, the people who descended from them never did! 

After the divided Kingdom, Edom was a dependency of Judah. In the time of Nebuchadnezzar II, the Edomites helped plunder Jerusalem and slaughter the Jews. For this reason, many of the prophets denounced Edom violently. Five years after Edom helped plunder Jerusalem, they were conquered by Nebuchadnezzar. Then, they were routed by Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C. The nation no longer existed by the first century A.D.

Obadiah condemns Edom for their refusal to aid Israel during their wilderness wanderings (Numbers 20:14-21) and later during a time of invasion. Obadiah describes Edom's crimes, tries their case, and pronounces a judgment of total destruction. "The Day of the LORD" refers to any time God judges by entering into world affairs. We will hear much more about this phrase as we continue to read through the prophetical books.

REFLECTION

The original feud between Jacob and Esau had far-reaching consequences! How are things going with your immediate family? Is there a brother, sister, parent, child, or in-law -- with whom you are in strife?

Also, reflect upon yesterday's quote by Eugene Peterson about prophets. Often, we hold people with this spiritual gift at bay because we do not always like to hear the plain truth about our spiritual condition. How do you respond to the truth-tellers in your life?

APPLICATION

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! 

(Psalm 133:1)

Meditate on this verse and go make peace with your family member!
OR
Embrace a person with the gift of prophecy today! :) They are so important in the body of Christ!

PRAYER

Lord, we pray for unity in our families and openness to prophetic teaching. In Jesus' name, amen.

Now, put Obadiah up on the shelf. You are done!!! Wasn't that easy? That is one prophet down, and only sixteen more to go. GO FOR IT! 

Introduction to the Prophetical Books

INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS

Download the Year Two BBC Overview and Timeline 

The Bible is not written in chronological order but according to the type of book:

Books of Moses (Law or Pentateuch): Genesis - Deuteronomy 
History: Joshua - Esther
Poetry and Wisdom Literature: Job - Song of Solomon
Major Prophets: Isaiah - Daniel
Minor Prophets: Hosea - Malachi

I find it easier to understand prophecy when it is read in the context of the historical period. So, that is why we are interspersing the prophets in the historical context of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. 

I will not be doing a strictly chronological approach because I do not want to jump back and forth once we start a prophetic book. So, when we get to a book like Isaiah, that covers the reign of four kings of Judah spanning six decades, we will read through all of those kings in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles before we study the entire book of Isaiah.

The prophetical books are broken up into two sections: 5 Major Prophets (Isaiah - Daniel) and 12 Minor Prophets (Hosea - Malachi). We will read them in chronological order. That way we will get breaks between the longer major prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel with the shorter Minor Prophets. Here is a brief rundown of the order of the historical dates for each prophet with the Major Prophets highlighted in bold. They are all B.C.:

841-824.....Obadiah (this date is hotly debated!)

825-809....Joel

784-772.....Jonah 

767-755.....Amos 

755-714.....Hosea 

-----722 Assyrian Captivity of Northern Kingdom of Israel

739-681.....Isaiah 

733-701.....Micah 

650-620....Nahum 

636-623....Zephaniah 

627-574.....Jeremiah 

574-538.....Lamentations 

621-609.....Habakkuk 

605-586 Babylonian Captivity of Southern Kingdom of Judah

605-536.....Daniel 

593-559.....Ezekiel 

------538 Cyrus of Persian issues edict allowing Jews to RETURN to land

520-505.....Haggai 

520-489.....Zechariah 

435-415.....Malachi 

Theologically, the prophets concentrate on warnings of impending judgment, teachings about righteous living, encouragement to the faithful and oppressed, and predictions of God's future plans.

                                                                                         

I am approaching the prophets with fear and trembling! :)  I hope that you are game and that breaking up the longer books of the Major Prophets with the shorter books of the Minor Prophets will make it easier! I believe God has so much to teach us through the study of these books.

I LOVE what Eugene Peterson says about the prophets:

Over a period of several hundred years the Hebrew people gave birth to an extraordinary number of prophets – men and women distinguished by the power and skill with which they presented the reality of God. They delivered God’s commands and promises and living presence to communities and nations who had been living on god-fantasies and god-lies. 

Everyone more or less believes in God. But most of us do our best to keep God on the margins of our lives or failing that, refashion God to suit our convenience. Prophets insist that God is the sovereign center [emphasis mine] not off in the wings awaiting our beck and call. And prophets insist that we deal with God as God reveals himself, not as we imagine him to be [Isn't that powerful? Ponder that for a moment].  

These men and women woke people up to the sovereign presence of God in their lives. They yelled, they wept, they rebuked, they soothed, they challenged, they comforted. They used words with power and imagination whether blunt or subtle. . .  

Prophets make it impossible to evade God or make detours around God. Prophets insist on receiving God in ever nook and cranny of life. For a prophet, God is more real than the next-door neighbor.  (The Message Remix, p. 1194, 1197)

With fear and trembling, let us start the prophets in the next post!