Book of Obadiah – Obadiah 1:17 – But on mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness, And shall possess the house of Jacob their possessions

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Oba 1:17 But on mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness,
And shall possess the house of Jacob their possessions

[Study Aired September 11, 2024]

Oba 1:17  But upon mountH2022 ZionH6726 shall beH1961 deliverance,H6413 and there shall beH1961 holiness;H6944 and the houseH1004 of JacobH3290 shall possessH3423 (H8804 Qal)(H853) their possessions.H4180 

H2022 – Har, hill, mountain, hill country, mount, a shortened form of H2042, Harar, mountain, hill, hill country, mount, from an unused root meaning to loom up

H6726 – Tseeyone, Zion = parched place, the same (regularly) as H6725, Tseeyoon, signpost, monument, market, (Used three times in OT) from the same as H6723, Tsiyah, dryness, drought, desert, from an unused root meaning to parch

H1961 – Hayah, to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out, to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come into being, to arise, appear, come, become like, to be instituted, be established, be in existence, abide, remain, continue, to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated, to accompany, be with, be done, be brought about, be finished, be gone, a primitive root

H6413 – Peleytah, escape, deliverance, escaped remnant, from H6412, Paleet, refugee, fugitive, escaped one, from a primitive root H6403, Palat, to escape, save, deliver, slip away, bring into security, cause to escape, cast forth, be delivered, bring to safety

H1961 – see above

H6944 – Kodesh, apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness, set-apartness, separateness, from a primitive root H6942, Kadash, to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate, be set apart, be consecrated, be hallowed, consecrated, tabooed, show oneself sacred or majestic, be honoured, be treated as sacred, set apart as sacred, dedicate, observe as holy, keep sacred, honour as sacred, hallow, set apart, devote, regard/treat as sacred/hallowed, keep oneself apart/separate, cause himself to be hallowed (of God), be observed as holy, consecrate oneself

H1004 – Bayith, house, dwelling habitation, shelter or abode, place, receptacle, home, household, family, family of descendants, household affairs, inwards, temple, on the inside, within, probably from a primitive root H1129, Banah, to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue, build a house (ie, establish a family), to be built/rebuilt, established

H3290 – Ya`akob, Jacob = heel holder or supplanter, from a primitive root H6117, Aqab, to supplant, circumvent, take by the heel, follow at the heel, assail insidiously, overreach, overreach, attack at the heel, hold back

H3423 – Yarash, (Qal) to take possession of, inherit, impoverish, be an heir, come to poverty, be poor, a primitive root

H853 – Ayth, sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative, contracted from H226, Oth, sign, signal, distinguishing mark, banner, remembrance, miraculous sign, omen, warning, token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof, probably from a primitive root H225, Ooth, to consent, agree (Used four times in OT)

H4180 – Mowrash, possession, (Used 3 times in OT) from a primitive root H3423, Yarash, to seize, dispossess, take possession of, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir, come to poverty, be poor, be dispossessed, be impoverished, devour, cause to possess or inherit, cause others to possess or inherit, destroy, bring to ruin

Oba 1:17  But on mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness, And shall possess the house of Jacob their possessions (Interlinear version)

In this study we will look at the two Hebrew words [Zion and Deliverance] and how they are used in the New Testament

[1] Zion H6726 and the corresponding Greek word G4622 Sion

[2] Deliverance H6413 and the corresponding Greek word G859 Forgiveness

Zion H6726 means a mountain of Jerusalem and the corresponding Greek word is Sion G4622.

Here is how it appears first in the New Testament

Mat 21:4  All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
Mat 21:5  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of a beast of burden

This prophecy spoken of is linked to Zechariah 9:9 and also referenced in Isaiah

Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass

Isa 12:5  Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
Isa 12:6  Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

The words of Jesus Christ are then said to be a stone of stumbling in Zion, to the outward Jews. This is true even today because to the orthodox Jew, the New Testament is not considered Holy Scripture.

Rom 9:32  wherefore? because—not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,
Rom 9:33  according as it hath been written, ‘Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.

A few chapters later Paul writes about the mystery of Israel’s salvation:

Rom 11:25  Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Rom 11:26  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob

The Deliverer who will “come from Zion” is Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world:

1Jn 4:14  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son [Jesus Christ] to be the Savior of the world.

Deliverance H6413 Peletah, is from the root word H6403 paw-lat meaning “to escape”.

The corresponding Greek word is G859 aphesis meaning freedom, to pardon, or deliverance. It comes from the root word G575 meaning “off” or separation, departure.

Mat 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from/separation [G575] their sins.

The same word for deliverance used in Obadiah 1:17 is the same word used by Joseph. We are given to see there is only one truly sovereign will: the will of God the Father.

Gen 45:4  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Gen 45:5  Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Gen 45:6  For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
Gen 45:7  And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance [H6413].
Gen 45:8  So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Spiritually, deliverance means forgiveness. Here are the words of Christ, who went into the synagogue on sabbath and stood up and read from Isaiah 61:1

Luk 4:17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised

The holy spirit of God the Father is on Jesus Christ, his son, and we are witnesses to this truth, when we preach the good news of the gospel of Christ, the one true saviour and redeemer of our sins

Luk 24:47  And that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name [JESUS CHRIST] among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

It is the blood of Christ that is the new testament

Mat 26:27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus Christ was the rock of offence, the stumbling block in Zion, because he was crucified

Act 5:30  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Act 5:31  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit [of God the Father], whom God hath given to them that obey him.

The only thing that distinguishes us from the [Jews that seeked to kill him] is obedience. When we are obedient to the word of God, we are able to say not my will be done, but your will be done:

1Pe 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
1Pe 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him [JESUS CHRIST] who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Because of Jesus Christ’s excellent example (the love he had for his Father), we understand that love means to be obedient

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we obey his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Finally, Mount Zion appears twice more in the New Testament where it is referred to as the heavenly Jerusalem, a kingdom which cannot be moved

Heb 12:22  But ye are come to mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb [Jesus Christ our Saviour] stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

When we have our Father’s name written on our forehead  we simply follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God

Following the Lamb wherever he goes enables us to became able ministers of the new covenant (written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God) knowing that we are not sufficient to think any thing of ourselves.  This is how we are delivered from the many lies and false doctrines of Babylon.

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

1Co 4:6   that ye might learn in us not to think above that which is written

2Co 12:5  Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
2Co 12:6  For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ [the son], which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God [the Spirit of God the Father].
Eph 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us

Following the Lamb wherever he goes means our hope is firmly placed in His words, not our own:

2Co 3:11  For if that which is done away [The Mosaic Law] was glorious, much more that which remaineth [The mind of Christ] is glorious.
2Co 3:12  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
2Co 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ

We use great plainness of speech when we speak the words of Christ. Amen