Editor's Note
We’re also going to take a brief pause from our summer books (1 & 2 Chronicles) to read from some of the minor prophets that are either directly mentioned in 1 & 2 Chronicles or that lived and prophesied within the time frames of those books.
These short prophetical books help us understand what God’s people would have been hearing (and feeling) as they lived through some tumultuous times and help add color to the historical books we’re reading over the next couple of months!
Zephaniah Overview
The book of Zephaniah was written by the prophet Zephaniah whose name means “defended by God.” His lineage included Hezekiah, one of Judah’s godly kings, and he prophesied during the reign of King Josiah who made sweeping reforms after the book of the Law was discovered. Because of Zephaniah’s family of origin (and the fact that he was prophesying in Jerusalem), Zephaniah was an influential person at the center of the religious and political scene of the time. As a prophet (someone speaking on behalf of God), Zephaniah’s message carried a great deal of weight.
History shows that as a young man, Zephaniah was surrounded by blatant idolatry, child sacrifice, and unjust killings under the evil reign of King Manasseh (think of Nineveh). Even so, God raised him up to be a prophet who would stand before the people and declare God’s judgment and hope to those who had gone astray, people who worshiped Baal, Molech, and even the stars in heaven, instead of God. The worship of the one, true God had fallen to the wayside and judgment was coming.
So, how do we apply this short book to our own lives? Zephaniah’s message, like so many other prophets, is to repent from wickedness. When we live in unrepentant sin and go through the motions of religiosity, we make a mockery of God. When we treat worship as something that happens for 75 minutes on Sunday mornings and live like the rest of the world does the rest of the week, we make a mockery of God. The call of Zephaniah is to repent and live in a holy manner. May God use the book of Zephaniah to point out the parts of our own lives that need to be fully surrendered to Him.
For The Bible Project’s overview of Zephaniah, click here.
Read Zephaniah 1
1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiahson of Amon king of Judah:
Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord
2 “I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord.
3 “I will sweep away both man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea—
and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”
“When I destroy all mankind
on the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord,
4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,
the very names of the idolatrous priests—
5 those who bow down on the roofs
to worship the starry host,
those who bow down and swear by the Lord
and who also swear by Molek,
6 those who turn back from following the Lord
and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”
7 Be silent before the Sovereign Lord,
for the day of the Lord is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated those he has invited.
8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials
and the king’s sons
and all those clad
in foreign clothes.
9 On that day I will punish
all who avoid stepping on the threshold,
who fill the temple of their gods
with violence and deceit.
10 “On that day,”
declares the Lord,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,
wailing from the New Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, you who live in the market district;
all your merchants will be wiped out,
all who trade with silver will be destroyed.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who are complacent,
who are like wine left on its dregs,
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,
either good or bad.’
13 Their wealth will be plundered,
their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink the wine.”
14 The great day of the Lord is near—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15 That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness—
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
17 “I will bring such distress on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth.
Go Deeper
Zephaniah boldly stepped into his calling to draw the hearts of the people back to God. These were people who enjoyed wealth and prosperity while growing complacent in their worldly comforts. They were a people who had embraced pagan customs and worshiped foreign gods. He delivered crushing, blunt words of God’s swift judgment on those who defied the Lord. “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the Lord. I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea–and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble” (v. 2-3).
Zephaniah’s words were piercing and to the point, warning that destruction was sure to those who had forsaken the Lord. God had spoken and the people were guilty and doomed. Would the hearts of the people be stirred to repent and return to the God of their ancestors? Would they accept the correction delivered through Zephaniah? Verse 6 gives an indictment on the people saying, “And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek my blessings.” Today some might label this as a “deconstruction of faith.” Scripture reveals they trusted more in themselves, prosperity, and power than God. Their love and affection for God had grown cold as they slipped into idolatry clearly ignoring God’s commands. Keep in mind this was not a pagan nation, but Judah, the tribe through which the Savior of the world would come: The Lion of Judah.
Zephaniah wrote that the day of the Lord was near (1:14), that it would be a time of wrath (1;15), and that it would come as judgment on sin (1:17). Pastor Chuck Swindoll says: “Zephaniah’s prophecy shouted out for godliness and purity in a nation sinful to its core. The people of Judah had long since turned their backs on God, not only in their personal lives but also in their worship. This reflected the depth of their sin and the deep need for God’s people to be purged on their path to restoration.”
God takes seriously our relationship with him and the influence we have on others. He does not wink at sin or turn a blind eye to rebellion, as an individual or a nation. Zephaniah’s words ring just as true today as they did then. Surely Zephaniah would have agreed with the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land” (33:3).
Questions
- What idol is currently causing you to stumble in your obedience to God?
- Where have you forsaken the Lord and your love for him grown cold/apathetic?
- Do you daily ask and seek God’s guidance through scripture and prayer?
A Quote
D.A. Carson, one of the leading New Testament scholars of our era, said this:
“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”
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5 thoughts on “Zephaniah Overview + 1”
Mr Carson has it right. Zephaniah is telling us what is going to happen soon. Our world has fallen away from worshipping the one true God. We need to repent from our sins and turn back to God for forgiveness. Ecclesiastes 12:13 When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person.(amp)
In reading a commentary (the Working Preacher) basically we have fallen into indifference. The opposite of love is not hate it is indifference, the opposite of faith is not heresy but indifference. Complacency, indifference is not what our God is about. We have a future with Him, to serve, worship, work , love, respect, adore, and what ever else He requires of us. God is a good God and He loves us so much that He sent His only Son. We(I) have to watch out for our indifference and complacency. What kind of idols are in my life? What am I fearing? That is what I am loving, probably, most.
God thank You for showing me, guiding me into being what it is You have called me to be. Thank You that I can see where I am indifferent, where I am not doing my best for You. Thank You for how You love me, that You gave Your son for me, that even though I am not worthy but through Christ You see me worthy. WOOHOO!!! Thank You for the leadership at HC this week and the conference of preachers. God protect their minds and hearts as You reveal what plans You have for them. Love them, give them peace, sweep Your Holy Spirit over them and their time together and alone. Show up big in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!
As I read Zephaniah’s piercing words to the people of Judah, I couldn’t help but think of America and the complacency of our culture towards God. An incredible resource, The Awe of God by John Bevere, says,”This world’s system is like river rapids forcefully surging, even pounding upon a person’s psyche in an attempt to dismiss the glory of God. The substance of this river is words, thoughts, images, videos, or any other medium that can be used to elevate mortal man at the expense of reducing the greatness of our Creator.” I am guilty of allowing the things of this world to take precedence over God. Most often it’s the iphone in my hand that draws me away from his presence. I’m setting boundaries to unplug and prioritize what truly matters most, my relationship with Christ.
God is on the move.
Not only there in Waco, but also here in East Texas. There is a spiritual movement happening all over where God is calling His people back to repentance, and awakening our nation against the paganistic cultures that are alive today.
The time is now to end complacency, lukewarmness, and be bold in our faith.
I’m reminded of the scriptures Paul and Peter wrote to the churches in 2 Thessalonians 1 & Revelation 3 for study this morning.
2 “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Rev 3
Oh, how I needed this today! All of it—the passage, commentary, questions and community insights. Thank you, Lord, for “words in due season” to one who has been drifting.
Your Truth is such a lifeline!
A word that caught my attention today is “indifference.” It seems so passive, almost innocuous, even. Complacent. COMFORTABLE.
But complacency … leads to compromise … leads to CATASTROPHE. No sheep means to head off the edge of the cliff to their own destruction – they simply wander farther and farther off, one tempting bite of grass at a time.
I, too, am often “prone to wander. Lord, I feel it! Thank you for these reminders that my safety, my security and my strength are found only when I stand firmly next to YOU! When I stop settling for earthly comforts and casual complacency. When I (re)turn my regard – attentively, passionately and wholeheartedly – back to You where it belongs.
My thanks to my Harris Creek family for sharing additional words in due season. There were a few verses in particular I really needed to hear and I have since added them to my Bible Memory App:
“When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, every hidden and secret thing, whether it is good or evil.”
-Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 AMP
“Wake up, and strengthen and reaffirm what remains [of your faithful commitment to Me], which is about to die; for I have not found [any of] your deeds completed in the sight of My God or meeting His requirements. So remember and take to heart the lessons you have received and heard. Keep and obey them, and repent [change your sinful way of thinking, and demonstrate your repentance with new behavior that proves a conscious decision to turn away from sin]. So then, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.”
-Revelation 3:2-3 AMP
To God be the glory!
Amen!.