An Unexpected Christmas Prophecy
During a recent daily reading plan, I read a passage that made me stop and make an unexpected connection between the Old Testament and the Birth Story of Jesus. Amazingly, an online friend of mine, SlimJim over at Veritas Domain (Domain for Truth), made the same connection. Thankfully for me, he did a lot of the hard work of study, so go read his take on this.
As for my take, here is …
Obadiah’s Connection to Christmas
I suggest reading all 21 verses of Obadiah before continuing.
It should be pointed out that there are no direct references to Obadiah anywhere in the New Testament.
The book of Obadiah is the prophecy that because of Edom’s treachery toward Israel, specifically not only not helping Israel and Judah but even aiding other people – most importantly Babylon – in attacking God’s people, Edom now faces impending destruction, and that Israel will be restored and glorified.
As Genesis 25 told us, Edom was the other name of Esau, Jacob’s brother, and they were in contention from the womb and forward. Genesis 28 also tells us that Esau married the daughter of Ishmael, his uncle through Hagar. This shows a two-fold animosity toward the people of Israel, descendants of the two brothers who did not receive the Abrahamic promises.
Edom lived in the area southeast of the Dead Sea, and they were later called in Greek the Idumeans (we can see the similar sounds to catch the same name) with an area that then extended west toward the Mediterranean Sea. We learn from Josephus’ Antiquities, primarily in Book 14, chapters 7-8, that Herod the Great has Greek, Jewish, and Edomite heritage.
Herod played up his Jewishness by his ordering construction of great buildings, most especially expanding the Temple to the biggest yet! He also played favorites with Roman Empire, showing his allegiances lied outside of worship to God.
What about Christmas?
Well, he continued the historical trend of sibling rivalry. As we see in Matthew 2, he was scared of someone becoming king over him, so he connived and made a decree to kill all of the Jewish boys in and around Bethlehem.
An Edomite was ruling over Judah and attempting to keep Jews under his control, just like Esau did centuries earlier with Jacob, and just like Esau’s descendants for centuries in between.
And this king is trying to kill the True King by slaughtering all the local boys, just like the king of Egypt 1,400 years earlier.
And we see the first fulfillment of Obadiah’s prophecy in Jesus and His family being rescued.
After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.
Matthew 2:13-18, CSB
Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they are no more.
And we see further fulfillment of v. 10,
You will be covered with shame
Obadiah 10, CSB
and destroyed forever
because of violence done to your brother Jacob.
You see, in another 40 or so years, his grandson Agrippa kills James the brother of John and tried to imprison Peter (Acts 12:1-19). After Peter is released by an angel, Agrippa leaves Jerusalem for Caesarea, and here he accepts worship from the people.
On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
Acts 12:21-23, CSB
We see Herod’s house, leadership of Edom, being wiped out, just as promised.
The very next verse shows the Christmas promise, as well:
But the word of God increased and multiplied.
Acts 12:24, CSB
So, Obadiah can be considered a Christmas prophecy. You heard it here first (and from SlimJim, I guess.)
More importantly, we see how all of Scripture is connected.
We see that God is sovereign over history.
We see that God knew what was going to happen from eternity past.
We see that God keeps His promises of restoration as well as wrath.
So, we can trust Him and celebrate His redemptive work through the Son who dwelt among men, our Emmanuel, who now dwells in all believers by the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father.
a simple man of God 