In some cultures, land holds deep emotional or spiritual significance. For indigenous groups such as the Māori of New Zealand, land is sacred—tied to culture, identity and ancestry. For others, land can represent home and security, such as the sense of attachment we may feel to childhood places. These spaces ground us, linking us to our roots and giving us a profound sense of belonging and purpose.

Obadiah’s prophecy of the “day of the Lord” (Obadiah 15) centres on God’s people reclaiming their promised inheritance of land. From the beginning, God had promised His people this land (Genesis 12:1–7), but by the time of Obadiah, much of it had been taken over by foreign nations.

Obadiah offers a message of hope: those in the south (“the Negev”) will regain nearby land taken by the Edomites, while those in “the foothills” will reclaim territory from the Philistines to the west (Obadiah 19). God’s people will also possess lands to the north, including Ephraim and Samaria, and the tribe of Benjamin will regain Gilead, directly east across the Jordan River. These acts of reclaiming land are more than geographical. They are significant in the restoration of identity and purpose for God’s people.

Obadiah then describes how two groups of exiles from Israel will also reclaim land (v. 20). One group will possess the region of Canaan, as far north as Zarephath, a port city between Tyre and Sidon. Another group of exiles, in Sepharad, will reclaim the towns of the Negev in the south. Although the location of Sepharad is uncertain, possibilities include Spain or Sardis in Asia Minor. The key message is clear: even exiles far from Jerusalem will return to restore the land, from Edom in the south to Zarephath in the north. On the day of the Lord, Israel will be reunited and restored to a territory even greater than that of the united monarchy.

Finally, as deliverers ascend Mt Zion (v. 21), this moment will be a sign to the world that the true, universal king is “the Lord”. Obadiah’s prophecy was given during a time when there was no Davidic king on the throne, prompting him to direct his audience’s focus to God’s ultimate sovereignty. Under His reign, deliverance and the return to the Promised Land are assured.