Obadiah

The vision of Obadiah concerns Edom, the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother (Gen. 36:11Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. (Genesis 36:1)). Their hand has always been against Israel (Gen. 27:40-4140And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. 41And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. (Genesis 27:40‑41)). We see this in their attitude when Israel was in need (Ps. 137:7; Ezek. 35:1515As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 35:15)). They are determined to cut off Israel from being a nation (Ps. 83:4-8; Ezek. 35:1010Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the Lord was there: (Ezekiel 35:10)). Doeg was an Edomite (1 Sam. 21-22), as was Haman (Esther 3:11After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. (Esther 3:1); 1 Sam. 15:88And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. (1 Samuel 15:8); Gen. 36:9, 129And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir: (Genesis 36:9)
12And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife. (Genesis 36:12)).
Although Edom, along with several other nations, may be found in the prophets as coming under the judgment of God, such is the importance of the subject that the entire book, though brief, is dedicated to Edom alone.