Obadiah’s words addressed by him to the eternal enemy of the Jews - Edom, raise the question of what we sometimes call the historical justice. It seems at first sight that the prophet refers in particular to it, saying that in the day of the LORD, will arrive to Edom the same thing that occurred to the Jews that underwent destruction, to the delight of its old enemy, taking advantage of the situation. ..
Obadiah’s words addressed by him to the eternal enemy of the Jews - Edom, raise the question of what we sometimes call the historical justice. It seems at first sight that the prophet refers in particular to it, saying that in the day of the LORD, will arrive to Edom the same thing that occurred to the Jews that underwent destruction, to the delight of its old enemy, taking advantage of the situation. About what speaks Obadiah, mentioning the day of the LORD? It is the Judgment day? Maybe: the apocalyptic humors were peculiar to its era. But sometimes the day of the LORD (particularly at the pre-captivity period) was also called the time of any disaster, which is dumped on the country and the people, and the disaster was more considered as God's judgment. It is quite likely that the prophet has in mind in particular that, foreseeing that a little time after the destruction of the Judea, which delights so much Edom, will come its own turn.
It would seem there is the triumph of this historical justice: the one, who was delighted for the misfortune of another, receives in the literary sense according to the merit, experiencing in particular what he had just enjoyed, looking at the disasters of the neighbor. But indeed, the justice supposes the imperative observance of the Torah by the one who wants to restore justice. So vengeance was never a means of the execution of the commandments; the Torah reluctantly admits it in particular cases, as a concession to the bad tradition of the fallen humanity, establishing in this tradition known bounds, but does not encourage it. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is not a prescription, but a restriction, necessary so that for one knocked eye, both are not knocked to the knocker, and for a broken tooth - all the thirty-two.
However, in the situation, about which speaks the prophet, there is just in particular the principle "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth", the worst principle of all, from the point of view of the Torah. But in the fallen world, it is in particular exactly it that acts the most. It [the principle] does not suppose so much God's action, as His non-intervention in the situation.
Of course, this non-intervention is relative, God does not all the same give to the parties in conflict a complete freedom, otherwise there would finally be on the earth nobody alive. However do not of course enter into God's plan such a mutual destruction of people, and He wants not at all "the compensation" of this type, about which speaks Obadiah. But if the people of God turn away from God, it becomes the same as all, one of the multitudes of peoples living on earth. And submits itself to these laws of the fallen world common to all, that suppose as form of "higher justice", the principle "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".
