Book of Zephaniah
Notes.. .
. ..Introduction. By Zephaniah to shake the people of Judah out of their complacency and urge them to return to God. People include Zephaniah, the Judeans and the people of all nations. The place is Jerusalem.
. ..Themes. The Day of Judgement, Indifference to God, and the Day of Cheer.
. ..Outline. “How much wickedness will God tolerate before He brings judgement?” (William Seay 2019, L14 33:29–33:35).
. ..Application. “Two major emphases highlight Zephaniah’s message: (i) Judgement of the wicked and (ii) hope for the faithful” (Seay 2019, L14 39:23– 39:33).
. ..Timeline. Zephaniah becomes a prophet and Josiah becomes king of Judah in 640. Jeremiah becomes a prophet in 627. The book of the law is found in 622. Zephaniah’s ministry ends in 621.
Introduction. 31:35 – The purpose was to shake the people of Judah out of their complacency and urge them to return to God. The author was Zephaniah. It was written to Judah and all nations. The key people are Zephaniah, Judeans, and the people of all nations. The key place is Jerusalem.
Themes. 32:05 – There are three major theological themes. (i) The Day of Judgement. Destruction was coming because Judah had forsaken the Lord. The people worshiped Baal, Moloch, and nature. Even the priests mixed pagan practices with faith in God. God’s punishment for sin was on the way. (ii) Indifference to God. Although there had been occasional attempts at renewal, Judah had no sorrow for her sins. The people were prosperous and no longer cared about God. God’s demand for righteous living seemed irrelevant to Judah whose security and wealth made them complacent. (iii) The Day of Cheer. The Day of Judgement will also be a Day of Cheer. God will judge all those who mistreat His people. He will purify His people, purging away all sins and evil. God will restore His people and give them hope.
Outline. 33:25 – How much wickedness will God tolerate before He brings judgement? In Zephaniah’s day, people had reason to ask this question. After the death of king Hezekiah, his son Manasseh quickly abandoned the godly ways of his father. Manasseh rebuilt the idolatrous high places that his father had destroyed. He killed many innocent people and sacrifices his own son to one of the gods. His son Amon followed Manasseh’s policies during his brief reign. Amon was succeeded by his 8-year-old son Josiah. After finding the Book of the Law in the temple in c. 622 BC, Josiah instituted religious reform. Josiah was personally faithful to God, but his people did not really return to God in their hearts. Judah had been under Assyrian control since c. 701 BC when king [ ] devastated the land in a military campaign. Judah was allowed to have its own kings as long as they cooperated with Assyria. With the death of Ashurbanipal, the Assyrian empire quickly disintegrated under a succession of weak kings and fell to a coalition of nations headed by Babylonians.
Application. 39:20 – Two major emphases highlight Zephaniah’s message: (i) Judgement of the wicked and (ii) hope for the faithful. With a few adjustments to names and situations, this prophet of [ ] could stand with us today and deliver the same message. Zephaniah reminds us that God is offended by the moral and religious sins of His people and God’s people will not escape punishment when they sin willfully. Punishment may be painful, but its purpose may be redemptive rather than punitive. The inevitability of the punishment of the wicked gives comfort in a time when evil seems unbridled and victorious. A person has the freedom to disobey God but the freedom to escape the consequences of disobedience. Those who are faithful to God may be relatively few, but He does not forget them. They will rejoice in His salvation and in His blessing.
Timeline. 40:45 – Zephaniah becomes a prophet and Josiah becomes king of Judah in c. 640 BC. Jeremiah becomes a prophet in c. 627 BC. The book of the law is found in the temple in c. 622 BC. Zephaniah’s ministry ends in c. 621 BC.
Seay, William. 2019. Old Testament Theology [MP3]. Andersonville Theological Seminary (ATS). Camilla, GA: ATS
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).