“But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. (Obad 1: 17). The book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament; it records the words of the prophet Obadiah. He spoke to Judah during some of its darkest day and the themes in his prophecy indicated that he probably prophesied at a time of uncertainty before Judah went into exile in Babylon. In our passage today, Obadiah expressed two important ideas.
I. On Mount Zion, there shall be deliverance.
Mount Zion was the place where the Temple was located. The Jews regarded both the Temple and the land it was situated on as holy unto the Lord. Mount Zion was also called the mountain of the Lord. The implication of this prophecy is that those who live in holiness before the Lord and take refuge in Him will experience His deliverance; the Lord delivers those who trust in Him.
II. The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
The house of Jacob is a term used to describe the nation of Israel. Israel’s possessions included all the promises that God had given them and all the things that they had been able to acquire. At the time of Obadiah’s prophecy Israel’s possessions were threatened. There were enemies all around them seeking to dispossess them. Obadiah’s prophecy assured them of how things would turn out for them in the end. They would lose what they had for a while, but the Lord would restore what they lost to them.
Today, the Lord assures us also that we shall possess our possession. Everything that is yours will be yours. The Lord will honour His Word to you He will restore your losses.
