Obadiah and the Edomites - Hardback

A Short Book. A Striking Message. A God Who Always Wins.

The book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament — just twenty-one verses. But packed inside those verses is one of the Bible’s most vivid and searching messages: pride goes before a fall. And God’s justice always has the final word.

Obadiah and the Edomites brings this compact but powerful prophetic book to life for children aged 4–10 in a way that is visually stunning, theologically faithful, and immediately relevant to the world children actually live in. Written by Dr. Brian J. Wright and Pastor John Robert Brown — the team behind the God’s Daring Dozen series — and beautifully illustrated by Lisa Flanagan, this is Book 3 in Christian Focus Publications’ pioneering journey through all twelve Minor Prophets in storybook form.

The Edomites — and a Pride That Came Before a Fall

To understand Obadiah, you need to understand the Edomites. They were the descendants of Esau — the brother of Jacob, the ancestor of Israel. They lived in the rocky highlands of Edom, in fortified cities carved into cliffs. They were proud. They felt untouchable. They believed their position, their power, and their geography made them secure.

And when Israel was attacked — when God’s people were suffering — the Edomites did not help. They stood by. They gloated. They took advantage. They acted as though they were above it all.

Through the prophet Obadiah, God spoke clearly: the pride of the Edomites would be their undoing. No fortress carved in rock is high enough to be beyond God’s reach. No nation is too powerful, too clever, or too secure to escape his justice. What they had done to others would be done to them. God sees. God acts. God wins.

Lessons Children Need — From a Prophet They’ve Never Met

The themes at the heart of Obadiah are themes that children encounter from the very earliest age: pride and humility, fairness and unfairness, standing by when someone needs help, and the deep human desire to see wrongs made right.

Wright and Brown draw these themes out with skill and pastoral warmth, helping children understand that the message of Obadiah is not just about ancient nations and long-ago conflicts. It is about the kind of people God calls his people to be — humble, just, compassionate, and dependent on him rather than on their own strength and status.

And at the heart of it all is a God who does not ignore injustice. He sees it. He names it. And in his own time and in his own way — he puts it right.

From Obadiah to Jesus — The Hope Behind the Judgement

Like every book in the God’s Daring Dozen series, Obadiah and the Edomites does not stop at the judgement. It opens up the hope. Obadiah ends with a vision of God’s kingdom — a day when God’s people will be fully restored and God’s rule will be fully established. Wright and Brown help young readers see that this vision finds its fulfilment in Jesus Christ — the one who conquered sin, defeated the real enemy, and is coming again to establish his kingdom for ever.

Even from the shortest book in the Old Testament, the path leads to Jesus. This is the kind of Bible reading the God’s Daring Dozen series teaches children to do — and it is one of its most valuable and enduring gifts.

What This Book Covers

• The historical context of Obadiah — the relationship between Edom and Israel, and what the Edomites did when Israel suffered
• Obadiah’s message of judgement against Edom’s pride, gloating, and failure to help
• The biblical truth that pride leads to a fall — and that God’s justice is certain
• The call to humility, fairness, kindness, and compassion toward others
• The hope at the end of Obadiah — the coming of God’s kingdom and the restoration of his people
• The connection between Obadiah’s vision and the coming of Jesus as King
• Beautifully diverse illustrations by Lisa Flanagan throughout

What Children Will Discover

• That pride — thinking we are better than others, or above needing God — leads to a fall
• That God sees every act of injustice, cruelty, and indifference — and that he cares
• That treating others with fairness, kindness, and respect matters deeply to God
• That no one is too powerful, too high up, or too secure to be beyond God’s reach
• That God’s justice is not just a threat — it is a promise that wrongs will be made right
• That even the shortest book in the Bible points to Jesus and the coming of his kingdom
• That the Minor Prophets are not minor — they are full of truth that is as relevant today as when it was first spoken

Who Should Read This Book

• Parents wanting to introduce their children aged 4–10 to the Minor Prophets in a faithful and engaging way
• Families working through the full God’s Daring Dozen series together
• Sunday school and children’s ministry leaders wanting a resource that tackles Old Testament prophecy, justice, and humility for children
• Churches in India — where questions of justice, caste, pride, and the treatment of others carry particular cultural weight — building a library of resources that speak into real life
• Grandparents and family members looking for a theologically rich and beautifully illustrated Christian gift
• Homeschooling families wanting a narrative-driven companion to Old Testament Bible study
• Anyone wanting to help children see that God is a God of justice — and that he always has the final word

What Endorsers Are Saying About the God’s Daring Dozen Series

“Too many people miss out on the rich truths of the Minor Prophets. God’s Daring Dozen is a rich resource for families. They carefully uncover the ancient context while bringing it forward to our day, and in ways our children can understand.” — Bruce Ware, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The entire Bible, even the section called the Minor Prophets, is relevant for God’s people, including children.” — Series endorser

“Open this book and see the clear and simple truths that Brian and John share from this not so minor prophet.” — Barbara Reaoch, former director, Children’s Division of Bible Study Fellowship International

About the Authors

Dr. Brian J. Wright is a New Testament scholar and author committed to making the full sweep of biblical truth accessible to children and families. His academic rigour and pastoral heart combine to produce writing that is both theologically grounded and genuinely engaging for young readers.

Pastor John Robert Brown is a pastor and co-author of the God’s Daring Dozen series, bringing warmth, clarity, and practical application to each volume. Together, Wright and Brown have built a series that is academically trustworthy and warmly accessible — making the Minor Prophets not just understandable but genuinely exciting for children and the adults reading alongside them.

About the Illustrator

Lisa Flanagan illustrates the God’s Daring Dozen series with vibrant, beautifully diverse artwork that represents a range of ethnicities — a thoughtful feature that makes the books welcoming and relatable for children from varied backgrounds, including readers across India and South Asia.

About the God’s Daring Dozen — Minor Prophets Series

Obadiah and the Edomites is Book 3 in the God’s Daring Dozen series — a pioneering collection from Christian Focus Publications that brings all twelve Minor Prophets to life in storybook form for children aged 4–10. Each book is beautifully illustrated, theologically faithful, and carefully crafted to connect the message of each prophet to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Other titles in the God’s Daring Dozen series include:

• Jonah’s Journeys (Book 1)
• Joel and the Locusts (Book 2)
• Haggai’s Feast (Book 4)
• Nahum and the Ninevites
• Malachi’s Final Message
• and more