I think 99% of people glance by Obadiah in the Bible, but for me it's always been intruinging because I was part of a children's musical about this very book of the Bible. Now that I read it...I'm trying to figure out how they made the subject appropriate for children!
The whole book is a scathing prophecy about the Edomites who, essentially, are a group of Israelites. The Edomites are the descendents of Esau...the same hairy Esau who lost the battle of wits with Jacob for the birthrights of the eldest son in Genesis.
The Bible is a funny book in a lot of ways, because you would think that the trickster Jacob would get punished. After all, he is the one who sticks his hand out of the womb so that he'll "really" be first, and then tricks his older brother out of his birthright. But it's Esau who ends up being the bad guy..the sap. The Edomites are looked upon in modern vernacular as "losers."
The scathing prophecy about the Edomites concerns their revenge, having helped the Babylonians through the backdoor and wipe out the Israel army, resulting in the exile of the Israelite leaders.
At the core, it's a family feud. It's a family member who has been scorned and wants revenge. This isn't what God ever commands. The laws of the Old Testament are meant to serve as a calming factor so that emotion doesn't run over, and Jesus strictly commands against revenge.
Why? Because God claims us all as family. We are to love and support each other as we would our own blood relatives, and revenge has only one aim, and that is to prove you are better than someone else.
The Edomites aren't punished for being who they are...they are punished for their hatred of the people that put them there.
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