VERSES: Obadiah 1:1-21
MEMORY VERSE: Obadiah 1:3 "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: 1 Peter. Write "1 Peter" on small slips of paper and hand out to students at the end of class.
PRAYER: May we all be humble and help others as we see the need.
SPECIAL SONG: Be Patient And Kind (see April - Lesson - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him on this blog)
VISUAL AID: White board or Chalkboard Drawing of Activity below
LESSON POINTS:
- Like Hosea, Joel, and Amos, Obadiah was also a minor prophet because the book that Obadiah wrote only has one chapter! Obadiah is the shortest book in all of the Old Testament! Other prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel wrote more, so they are considered major prophets.
- We don't know a lot about Obadiah. There is not a lot of information on his personal life just like Joel.
- Obadiah wrote his book about the judgment of Edom. Edom was a nation that was made up of Esau's descendants. Do we remember who Esau was? That's right! He was Jacob's twin brother who gave up his birthright and was tricked out of his blessing by Jacob (see April - Lesson - Jacob and Esau and April - Lesson - Jacob And The Blessing on this blog). As Esau's family grew and grew and grew, it became the nation of Edom.
- When Obadiah preached to Edom, it was not good news. Edom had a big problem as far as God was concerned, and that was with Edom's PRIDE.
- Edom had too much pride concerning the place where they lived among the high clefts of the rocks.
- They had too much pride in the the power they believed they had. They believed they did not need God; they could do everything themselves.
- They had too much pride in their wealth.
- They had too much pride in their allies. (Allies means friendly neighbors.)
- They had too much pride in their wisdom.
- Because of Edom's sin of pride and the sin of being violent with his brother, Israel, Edom did not come back out of Assyrian captivity.
"Older Student" Tips:
- All nations can fall. Read Proverbs 14:34. Discuss.
ACTIVITY: Edom Had A BIG Problem!
Materials needed: 9" x 12" green construction paper, crayons, markers, scissors.
- Hand out green paper.
- Fold paper in half, and then in half again, width-wise.
- Open paper flat.
- Fold the right edge, three inches in toward the middle.
- Unfold paper.
- Fold the left edge, two inches in toward the middle.
- Draw lines on fold lines.
- TOP PANEL: Write, "EDOM Had A BIG Problem!" and "Obadiah 1:3-8."
- SECOND PANEL: Write "v.3" in first square; write "Their place" in the middle square, and "PRIDE!" in third square. (see picture below)
- THIRD PANEL: Write "v.4" in first square; write "Their power" in the middle square, and "PRIDE!" in third square.
- FOURTH PANEL: Write "v.6" in first square; write "Their wealth" in the middle square, and "PRIDE!" in third square.
- FIFTH PANEL: Write "v.7" in first square; write "Their allies" in the middle square, and "PRIDE!" in third square.
- SIXTH PANEL: Write "v.8" in first square; write "Their wisdom" in the middle square, and "PRIDE!" in third square.
- Cut on the right lines and fold back.
- The intent of this activity is to show that in every aspect of the Edomites' lives, PRIDE was the sin...and their BIG problem.