The Pulpit Commentary — Obadiah — Section 17

eque.l to any of the reat. Let us, then, ponder it in our heart8, May the Holy Spirit guide us into ell the truth this sacred portion contains I May he open our eyes, that we may behold wondrous things out of this word I I. WE MAY BEGIN BY ASKING WHO OBADIAH WAS, Some have thought he waa the pious steward of King Ahab; but th;s idea is not in keeping with the evident date of the prophecy. There are many other persons of this name in Scripture, but the prophet cannot be identified with any one of them. We read of Obadiah of the tribe of Judah (1 Chron. iii.); another of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chron. vii.); another of Benjamin (1 Chron. viii.); another of Levi (1 Chron. ix.); another of Gad (1 Chron. xii.); another of Judah (2 Cbron. xvii.); another of Zebulun (1 Chron. xxvii.). We find, also, an Obadiah-a Levite-in the time of Josiah (2 Chron. xxxiv.); another a companion of Ezra (Ezra viii.); and yet another a priest in the time of Nehemiah (Neh. x.). The name, therefore, was in very common use among the Jews; and this, not only because it had been borne by some who were distinguished for their upright character, bnt because it had a most instructive significance. II. WE ASK THE MEANING OF THE NAME. It means "a Servant," or "a Worshipper of the Lord." Let us note the import of both these. 1. "A Servant of the Lord." Here we may each long to be similarly designated. David said," 0 Lord, I am thy servant;" and the reason he gave for this was that his bonds had been broken by God. "Thou hast redeemed me from the slavery of Satan. Thou hast brought me into the glorious liberty of thy people. I now yield myself to thee. I am thy servant." And so Moses was called" the servant of God." And so, too, we meet with such words as these: "Abraham, my servant;" "David, my servant;" "Daniel, servant of the living God;" "James, a servant of God;" "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ." This blessed service is perfect freedom. Christ himself came among us as the girded Servant. "I am among you as he that serveth." He was Jehovah's righteous Servant. His disciples, therefore, can never rise above his example. They serve the living and true God. "Ich dien." It was not always so. Before the bonds were loosed there was only slavery to sin and Satan and the world, but the emancipation has come. The freed ones serve their Redeemer-God. In faith, in love, in holiness, in patience, in meekness, in joyfulness, they serve, they work, they wait. 2. The second meaning of the name is "a Worshipper of the Lord." And shall we not, every one, aim to be this? It implies much. Let us think about it. In New Testament light, worship means access to God. We are brought near by the blood of Christ's cross. It is filial nearness. We may come with holy boldness by the blood of Jesus. It includes prayer in Christ's Name. "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you. Ask, and ye shall receive." Worship includes praise. "Whoso offereth me praise, he glorifieth me;" "Praise is comely;"" Praise ye the Lord." Worship includes the yiildimg of ourselves to God. "I beseech you by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies living sacrifices." Worship includes the consecration of our substance to God. Of old his people were told not to come before him empty. They were to present their firstfruits unto him. They were first to consecrate, then enjoy. Giving was therefore a pa.rt of worship. It ought to be so now. Worship of Jehovah also involves a complete turning away from idols. '.I'here are idols of the heart. Covetousness is idolatry. There are many idols besides those of wood and stone. To be truly an Obadiah, p. worshipper of Jehovah, we must se.y with Ephraim," What have I to do any more with idols?" And one thought more on this point. In seeking to bee.r the designation of our prophet, let us remember this canon laid down by the blessed Saviour: "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in ,pirit and in trutl,." Thus, then, we see that much is implied by the designation, "a worshipper of the Lord." May we each be both "a servant" and "a worshipper" of the living God! Ill. We may now proceed to observe that THE GREAT AUTHOR OF THE BOOK IS GoD HDISELF. Obadiah was the ambassador, the messenger, but the words are God's. Ver. 1, "Thus saith the Lord God." It is this " Thua saith the Lord" which gives such supreme importance to every word of the Bible. The histories, the prophecies, the precepts, the invitations, the warnings, the exhortations, the revelations, the whole from Genesis to the end, all come to us with the words of power, "Thus saith the :::.Ord." Some minds may be perplexed as to what is said of creation; sume are 1-21.] THE BOOK OF OBADIAH. 13