Obadiah - Summary

Title:	This book is named for its author, the prophet Obadiah.
Author:	Obadiah, the name which means "One who serves Yahweh".
Date:	The vision of Obadiah is dated after 586 BC, the fall of Jerusalem.  The book refers to the fall as an event that has already happened.  It also describes the punishment of Edom as a future event which actually occurs in 553 BC.  Therefore, this has to be dated during the time of captivity or even later.
Main Theme	The theme of Obadiah is that the enemies of Israel and Judah will be punished.  Why?  Because the people of Israel and Judah are in fact God's chosen people.  Why are the people of Edom punished?  Because they did not come to the aid of the Israelites yet they are their relatives.  While Edom and other enemies of Israel will recieve God's divine judgment, Israel and Judah will be restored.
Location:	The location of Obadiah is never revealed.
History	Israel has fallen to Assyria.  Judah has fallen to Babylon.  Israel's 'cousins', the people of Edom not only failed to come to the aid of the people of God, they relished in the facct they had been defeated.  Remember, the people of Edom are the descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother.
Major Characters:	Obadiah