The Message of Obadiah, Nahum & Zephaniah

by Gordon Bridger

Summary

In The Message of Obadiah, Nahum and Zephaniah by Gordon Bridger (IVP, 2024; 336 pages; ISBN 978-1789744361) we receive a thoughtful, pastor-shaped commentary on three of the Old Testament’s least-read prophets. Bridger handles Obadiah’s brief but fierce oracle against Edom, Nahum’s thunderous judgment against Nineveh, and Zephaniah’s call to repent before the coming “day of the Lord.” He honours the distinct tone, context, and message of each book, but also shows how together they warn sin, call for repentance, and hold out hope for redemption under God’s sovereign rule. The commentary treats these short prophetic books as canonical Scripture with enduring significance rather than as obscure ancient miscellany.

Bridger begins by placing each prophet in his historical and social context—Edom’s pride, Assyria’s cruelty, Judah’s spiritual complacency—and draws out why their messages were urgent then and remain pressing now. As he moves through the texts, he brings out the themes of divine justice, holiness, wrath against sin, but also of mercy, restoration, and the remnant. He does not turn the prophecies into mere moral lessons, but invites readers to understand God’s character: righteous judge and compassionate covenant-Lord. In this he keeps firmly to the text and its theological claims.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

If you serve as a pastor or Bible-teacher in a church, this volume is especially helpful when you encounter congregations that rarely hear from the Minor Prophets. Bridger offers exposition that is clear enough for preaching or teaching, yet rich enough to retain theological weight. The commentary helps you proclaim God’s holiness, justice, and mercy from the Old Testament with confidence—and helps congregations face sin, societal injustice, and the hope of restoration in a way shaped by Scripture’s own voice.

The book is also an excellent tool for short-series preaching or small-group study. Since it covers three books in one volume, you get breadth along with enough depth to treat each book with respect and clarity. For busy pastors, that is a huge advantage. It does not demand knowledge of Hebrew, but its exposition is rooted in context, canonical theology, and pastoral concern—making it well suited for those who desire faithful Old Testament preaching without academic overload.

Bridger’s theological commitments align with evangelical and broadly Reformed convictions. He does not press speculative interpretation or loose allegory. Instead he encourages faithfulness to the text, seriousness before sin, urgency in repentance, and hope in God’s redemptive purposes. For a pastor concerned with faithful preaching in a Reformed church context, this commentary stands as a dependable ally.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend The Message of Obadiah, Nahum and Zephaniah by Gordon Bridger as a valuable, accessible, and theologically robust resource for preaching, teaching, and church instruction. It brings the prophetic urgencies of justice, judgment, repentance, and hope into contemporary ministry with clarity and conviction. While not a technical Hebrew commentary, it shines as a pastor’s tool—helping the church listen to the “least-read” prophets with reverence, honesty, and gospel-shaped hope.

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