With the church in a period of decline, it is hard to know whether the bigger threat comes from within or without. The short and often overlooked prophecy of Obadiah seems to focus largely on external threats. As George Hutcheson notes in his commentary on Obadiah’s prophecy, the first part of the prophecy exposes the futile self-confidence of those who were hostile to the Lord and explains what severe consequences will follow their opposition and violence against the Lord’s people. But even while surrounded by problems and enemies, the Lord’s people are sustained by the faithfulness of the Lord. Hutcheson identifies five comforting promises which Obadiah announces for the troubled church. Whatever partial fulfilments of these promises we may identify in the experience of the church so far, Hutcheson is looking ahead to a comprehensive fulfilment in times to come.

A promise of restoration

From verse 17 to the end, this prophecy contains comforting promises to the church now in trouble. Although Judah had some taste of the fulfilment of these promises at their return from captivity and afterwards, and although the New Testament church has a continual fulfilment of them in a spiritual way, yet at least some of these promises seem to point more especially at the time of the conversion and saving of “all Israel,” as the apostle calls it in Romans 11.

In verse 17 the church is promised three kinds of things — deliverance and relief from her troubles; holiness and the privileges she had previously enjoyed; and the restitution of their previous possessions. This is promised not only to the Jews, in reference to what they were deprived of by the captivity, but to the whole “house of Jacob,” in reference to what was given them by the covenant, made with their fathers, which is yet unaccomplished.

Although in the time of the church’s trouble, the Lord withholds from her the possession of her pleasant things, yet His thoughts and purposes of love are still as large and sure to her as ever. She may read this from the Word, even though she does not see it in providence. That is why the time of Judah’s trouble is a time when He makes many promises.

Deliverance

Even in the church’s greatest afflictions, not only are there some who will escape (it being impossible that she should totally perish), but she may expect complete deliverance from all her evils in due time. “Upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance.”

Holiness

Holiness is the inseparable companion of deliverance, and is also a means of bringing deliverance to the church, for when there is deliverance, there shall be holiness. Holiness is both an evidence that God dwells in the church (and He will establish His own habitation), and a token that God will preserve them as His consecrated people, and not permit them to be profaned and polluted by the invasion of enemies as they have been. In this way, holiness is also sometimes to be taken as the fruit of the holy Lord dwelling among them, and setting them apart for Himself, and as the free reward of their pursuit of holiness (Joel 3:17; Isa. 52:1).

Holiness is not only the church’s duty to pursue, but the Lord’s promise to fulfil. He undertakes to work it in her. “There shall be holiness” is a promise that they shall be a holy people, and enjoy God’s presence in holy ordinances, and be preserved from the violence of enemies.

Restitution

The mercies of the church, whether spiritual or temporal, insofar as God has promised them and they need them, are sure, and these mercies will be restored to them after they have been suspended from the comfort and use of them for a long time. “The house of Jacob shall possess their hereditary possessions” (as the word is) after long captivity and exile.

A promise of victory

The next promise (verse 18) is of the utter ruin of Edom, and of all the most inveterate enemies (such as Edom was) of the church, and especially of the church of converted Israel, who shall be the occasion and cause, if not also the instruments, of their enemies’ destruction.

The church of God will never be short of inveterate and cruel enemies, nor difficulties, while she is in the world. For, not only Judah in the time of their captivity, but the church in her restoration by Christ, and “the house of Jacob and Joseph” (which takes in all Israel, and the ten tribes expressly), when they share of this deliverance, have a “house of Esau” against them. There is no time in which the church has corruptions, but she is to expect difficulties in it.

Yet, the opposition of enemies against the church only contributes to making way for God to let out many proofs of His love in helping and delivering her.

Opposition to the church is a certain pledge of the utter destruction of those who oppose her, and the Lord is able (when He pleases) to make His weak people strong to bring it about. This promise that “Jacob shall be a fire” etc., indicates not only that Edom shall be utterly consumed, as a flame consumes stubble, but that their meddling with the church shall be cause of their ruin. It’s as if stubble, endeavouring to put out a fire, was burnt up itself.

The Word of God, and the omnipotence and fidelity of God who speaks it, is sufficient to confirm the church’s faith in the certainty of highly improbable things. Whatever unlikelihood there may be in this promise, it is removed by this, “For the Lord hath spoken it.”

A promise of expansion

It is further promised (verses 19 and 20) that the church shall not only have restitution but the enlargement of their possessions. They will enjoy all their own, and possess what had belonged to their enemies.

The promise teaches us that the afflictions of the church, through God’s blessing, contribute towards her advantage and gain. The captivity are to get not only their own land, but also “the mount of Esau and the Philistines,” and what they did not have before their captivity.

Christ in His church will gain ground on His enemies. He will possess and reign over them, either by their voluntary conversion, or by violent subjection and destruction. Meanwhile, the privileges of the people of God are irrevocable and inevitable, and will burst out in comforting fruits even after long and sad interruptions. “Israel shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and Samaria, and Benjamin with Gilead (as the original has it)” of which they have been so long deprived.

The Lord notices every distress and captivity of his people, and what becomes of them, and may manifest much of His goodness to those whom He has sore afflicted and brought down with corrections. Although the captivity were sent away in much ignominy, and were carried far off, yet the Lord notes that they are the captivity, and where they are, and promises that He will restore them to their possessions, and cause them to possess the gates of their enemies.

A promise of preachers

There is a further promise in verse 21 — of fit instruments, who will be raised up in the church to deliver her, and to manage the cause of God against enemies, just like long ago, when the Lord raised up judges to deliver Israel. We are to understand this not only spiritually (that Christ will send the church His apostles and messengers, who instrumentally save the elect (1 Tim. 4:16) by holding forth Christ in the Word of salvation, and by their doctrine do condemn the world): but that in all ages, and especially in the church of converted Israel, God will raise up instruments of deliverance to the church, as He also did in the times between the captivity and the coming of Christ.

The church of Christ will not lack fit instruments to promote her happiness, for, “saviours shall come up on Mount Zion.” The allowance of the church of God is salvation, both eternal and temporal also, in so far as is fit for her to receive. This is why the instruments sent to her are called “saviours,” i.e., in an instrumental way.

The doctrine of the gospel in the mouth of Christ’s servants, reproves, judges and condemns the world, and all the enemies of Christ, and this judgement is reinforced with spiritual (and sometimes temporal) plagues, till the day comes when they shall receive a complete recompense.

As the Lord is sovereign in all the world (even over his enemies), so, when He raises up instruments for the church’s good, He will bless them, and by them He will bring His enemies to account, and will execute His sentence against them.

A promise of Christ’s reign

The last and great promise is (verse 21b), that God in His Christ shall have a kingdom in His church, and among their enemies, for their benefit.

Where Christ sets up His church, there He sets up His kingdom also, and will be acknowledged as such. “The kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” No dominion or sovereignty is to be acknowledged in the true church, but Christ’s only. He alone has power to make laws binding the conscience, to institute ordinances, enjoin censures, appoint officers, and by His own courts to judge His own house, etc. All other “saviours,” or instruments of deliverance, must serve Him, and His officers must content themselves with His ministry.

The kingdom of Christ is matter of comfort to the true church and the godly, as it is sweet to live under his yoke and protection. Christ holds His kingdom by a certain and firm tenure. It is made sure to Him by the infallible promise of God, as here recorded in Holy Scripture. On this ground the church, notwithstanding all opposition, may expect the day when “the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).

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