Exploring the Meaning of Obadiah 1
作者: New Christian Bible Study Staff
In Obadiah 1, the sole chapter in this book, there's a prophecy of destruction for Edom. The people of the land of Edom -- the Edomites -- were descendants of Esau, so they were cousins and neighbors of the Jewish people.
In Swedenborg's sketch of the internal sense of this part of the Word, (The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms 213), we find this:
- Edom represents people who are in self-intelligence and who pervert the sense of the letter of the word.
- In Obadiah 1:1-3, They must be combated, because they believe themselves to be more intelligent than others.
- In 1:4-5, They defend falsities by natural light, but they will perish, and with them, the falsities themselves.
- In 1:6, They have pride.
- In 1:7, They have no truths.
- In 1:8-9, They will perish on the day of judgment, because they have oppressed the church.
- In 1:10-14, They destroy the church still further, and this is their delight.
- In 1:15-16, Destruction will come upon them on the day of judgment.
- In 1:17, A new church will come into existence.
- In 1:18, in place of the former church, which is condemned.
- In 1:19-21, The new church will be in the understanding of truth, and those that are in it will be saved.
This story was written around 2600 years ago. There were people alive then who were impressed with their own intelligence. They didn't respect the Word's inner meaning, and twisted its literal meaning. In Obadiah 1:10, we see them even taking delight in destroying true ideas.
Today, maybe it's easier than ever to be impressed by our own intelligence, because we can do so much. We're putting vehicles on Mars, and making robots that can do back flips. But how should we regard the Word? We need to look at its deep meaning, to really understand spiritual truths -- so that we have the fundamental spiritual wisdom to hold and harness our intelligence -- and to be part of the Lord's church, where we're open to receiving his good and truth, and living by it.
Joshua 19
1
The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah.
2
They had for their inheritance Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah,
3
Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,
4
Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,
5
Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,
6
Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages;
7
Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages;
8
and all the villages that were around these cities to Baalath Beer, Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.
9
Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.
10
The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families. The border of their inheritance was to Sarid.
11
Their border went up westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth. It reached to the brook that is before Jokneam.
12
It turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrise to the border of Chisloth Tabor. It went out to Daberath, and went up to Japhia.
13
From there it passed along eastward to Gath Hepher, to Ethkazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretches to Neah.
14
The border turned around it on the north to Hannathon; and it ended at the valley of Iphtah El;
15
Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.
16
This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.
17
The fourth lot came out for Issachar, even for the children of Issachar according to their families.
18
Their border was to Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
19
Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,
20
Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,
21
Remeth, Engannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez.
22
The border reached to Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh. Their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.
23
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages.
24
The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.
25
Their border was Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,
26
Allammelech, Amad, Mishal. It reached to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath.
27
It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon, and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtah El northward to Beth Emek and Neiel. It went out to Cabul on the left hand,
28
and Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, even to great Sidon.
29
The border turned to Ramah, to the fortified city of Tyre; and the border turned to Hosah. It ended at the sea by the region of Achzib;
30
Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities with their villages.
31
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.
32
The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.
33
Their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, Adaminekeb, and Jabneel, to Lakkum. It ended at the Jordan.
34
The border turned westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there to Hukkok. It reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward the sunrise.
35
The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,
37
Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,
38
Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.
39
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages.
40
The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41
The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh,
42
Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,
44
Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
45
Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,
46
Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against Joppa.
47
The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
48
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
49
So they made an end of distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun in the midst of them.
50
According to the commandment of Yahweh, they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in the hill country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and lived there.
51
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before Yahweh, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they made an end of dividing the land.
