One of the exciting films from the 1980s is “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and other notables. It included scenes filmed at Petra, Jordan. Petra is the ancient lost city whose famous facades were carved out of the reddish coloured sandstone by the Nabateans around 300 BCE. Prior to this time, beginning about 1200 BCE, the area was inhabited by the Edomites who called their city Sela which means rock. The Edomites were descendants of Esau. Esau was a son of Isaac, and the brother of Jacob who became known as Israel. Although the Edomites and the Israelites were related, they were antagonistic towards each other.

In about 853 BCE the prophet Obadiah appeared in Judah and spoke about the coming of the Day of the Lord when the Edomites would be punished because of the violence they did to their close relatives in Israel. In 586 BCE the Edomites rejoiced when Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar and instead of aiding their kinsmen, they looted the ruins after the Babylonians left. However, as the prophet foretold, God’s justice caught up with the Edomites and they disappeared as a nation.

Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, warns everyone not to defy God.

Bible Reading: Genesis 35:9-10, 28-29;36:6-9: Obadiah