The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament of the Bible, with only 21 verses. Yet it tells the prophet Obadiah’s mission to carry God’s message that the kingdom of Edom shall be ultimately destroyed for its sins.
Edom and its people (Edomites) are the descendants of Esau. The Israelites, on the other hand, are the descendants of Esaus’s twin brother Jacob. The brothers’ animosity to each other has affected the two nations for over a thousand years. The Edomites have refused to help the Israelites in times of hardship. They have prohibited the Israelites from crossing their land during the latter’s Exodus from Egypt. Moreover, Edom gloats over Israel’s misfortunes.
God chooses Obadiah to send His message to the kingdom of Edom: that it will be completely destroyed for its sins against Him and Israel. At the end of the book, Edom is no more.