Bible Study - the Book of Zephaniah

Bible Study - The Book of Zephaniah The Book of Nahum

Chapter 1 Day of darkness Chapter 2 The Humble of the Land Chapter 3 A Corrupt City Chapter 4 God’s Greatest Delight Chapter 5 God’s Answer to Injustice

Selected verses for the study (from Habakkuk)

Zephaniah 1 (Good News Bible)

1 This is the message that the LORD gave to Zephaniah during the time that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. (Zephaniah was descended from King Hezekiah through Amariah, Gedaliah, and Cushi.) The Day of the LORD's Judgment 2 The LORD said, “I am going to destroy everything on earth, 3 all human beings and animals, birds and fish. I will bring about the downfall of the wicked. I will destroy everyone, and no survivors will be left. I, the LORD, have spoken. 4 “I will punish the people of Jerusalem and of all Judah. I will destroy the last trace of the worship of Baal there, and no one will even remember the pagan priests who serve him. 5 I will destroy anyone who goes up on the roof and worships the sun, the moon, and the stars. I will also destroy those who worship me and swear loyalty to me, but then take oaths in the name of the god Molech. 6 I will destroy those who have turned back and no longer follow me, those who do not come to me or ask me to guide them.” 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.

(New International Version)

7 [Hush!] Be silent before the Lord God, for the day [of the vengeance] of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, and He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation.

(Amplified Bible) Zephaniah 2 (New Living Translation) A Call to Repentance 2 Gather together—yes, gather together,

you shameless nation. 2 Gather before judgment begins,

before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls

and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins. 3 Seek the LORD, all who are humble,

and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right

and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you—

protect you from his anger on that day of destruction. Judgment against Philistia Judgment against Moab and Ammon Judgment against Ethiopia and Assyria

Zephaniah 2 (Good News Bible) A Plea for Repentance

2 Shameless nation, come to your senses 2 before you are driven away like chaff blown by the wind, before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day when he shows his fury. 3 Turn to the LORD, all you humble people of the land, who obey his commands. Do what is right, and humble yourselves before the LORD. Perhaps you will escape punishment on the day when the LORD shows his anger. (Amplified Bible)

2 Collect your thoughts, yes, unbend yourselves [in submission and see if there is no sense of shame and no consciousness of sin left in you], O shameless nation [not desirous or desired]!

2 [The time for repentance is speeding by like chaff whirled before the wind!] Therefore consider, before God’s decree brings forth [the curse upon you], before the time [to repent] is gone like the drifting chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you—yes, before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you!

3 Seek the Lord [inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life], all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital]. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Zephaniah 3 (New Living Translation) Jerusalem’s Rebellion and Redemption 3 What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem,

the city of violence and crime! 2 No one can tell it anything;

it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the LORD

or draw near to its God. 3 Its leaders are like roaring lions

hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time,

who by dawn have left no trace of their prey. 4 Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain.

Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions. 5 But the LORD is still there in the city,

and he does no wrong. Day by day he hands down justice,

and he does not fail.

But the wicked know no shame.

6 “I have wiped out many nations,

devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their streets are now deserted;

their cities lie in silent ruin. There are no survivors—

none at all. 7 I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now!

Surely they will listen to my warnings. Then I won’t need to strike again,

destroying their homes.’ But no, they get up early

to continue their evil deeds. 8 Therefore, be patient,” says the LORD.

“Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations. For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth

and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured

by the fire of my jealousy.

9 “Then I will purify the speech of all people,

so that everyone can worship the LORD together. 10 My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia

will come to present their offerings. 11 On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed,

for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you.

There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain. 12 Those who are left will be the lowly and humble,

for it is they who trust in the name of the LORD. 13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong;

they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety,

and no one will make them afraid.”

A Song of Joy 14 Sing, O daughter of Zion;

shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 For the LORD will remove his hand of judgment

and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the LORD himself, the King of Israel,

will live among you! At last your troubles will be over,

and you will never again fear disaster. 16 On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be,

“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! 17 For the LORD your God is living among you.

He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness.

With his love, he will calm all your fears.

He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

18 “I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals;

you will be disgraced no more. 19 And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you.

I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together

those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles,

wherever they have been mocked and shamed. 20 On that day I will gather you together

and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction,

among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes.

I, the LORD, have spoken!” Nahum 1

3 The LORD is slow to get angry, but his power is great,

and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm.

The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet. 4 At his command the oceans dry up,

and the rivers disappear. The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade,

and the green forests of Lebanon wither. 5 In his presence the mountains quake,

and the hills melt away; the earth trembles,

and its people are destroyed.

(New Living Translation )

7 The LORD is good;

he protects his people in times of trouble;

he takes care of those who turn to him.

(Good News Bible)

7 God is good,

a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes

anyone looking for help, No matter how desperate the trouble.

(The Message)

12 Thus says the Lord, “Though they are at full strength and likewise many, Even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer.

(New American Standard Version)

13 Now I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck and tear off the chains of Assyrian oppression.”

15 Look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news! He is bringing a message of peace. Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah, and fulfill all your vows, for your wicked enemies will never invade your land again. They will be completely destroyed!

(New Living Translation ) How could God’s people, those who have been given so much light and truth, end up so corrupted? How can we protect ourselves from having the same thing happen to us?

Why is it so easy to forget that we are utterly dependent on God for everything that we have? How can we protect ourselves from this fatal delusion?

Look around. However alluring, the world is doomed to ultimate destruction. Why is the Lord our only hope? How can we learn to lean on Him more and more and not trust in the vain and empty things of this world?

In Zephaniah 2:1–3, we see the prophet’s call to repentance. Even though the destruction is imminent, there is still time to be sheltered from calamity, but only if the nation will repent. The wicked who refuse to repent will be consumed like “chaff ” on the day of judgment. In Psalm 1:4 the wicked are also likened to chaff and, in the end, they perish.

We tend to think of ourselves singing and rejoicing over God and what He has done for us. What does it mean to you that the Lord sings and rejoices over you? How could that be, considering all our disobedience, unfaithfulness to God, our weaknesses and failings?

How do parents quiet their children when they are anxious, experience failure, or get into trouble? How does God’s ability to comfort exceed parents’ abilities or in what way does He respond differently when dealing with His children?

Read Zephaniah 3:17 from different Bible translations. Which translation of the Bible speaks to you personally the most to gain a better understanding of God’s character of love?

17 For the LORD your God is living among you.

He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness.

With his love, he will calm all your fears.

He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (New Living Translation) 17 The LORD your God is with you;

his power gives you victory. The LORD will take delight in you,

and in his love he will give you new life. He will sing and be joyful over you.

(Good News Bible)

17 The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction]and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.

(Amplified Bible)

16-17 Jerusalem will be told: “Don’t be afraid. Dear Zion, don’t despair. Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.

(The Message)

17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

(New King James Version)

17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

(New International Version)

Zephaniah’s picture of God is very personal. It is as though the Lord were saying: “It may be that some people despise you and do not take you seriously. I am different. You have enormous value to Me. I love you so much that I even died for you! I love you more than you love yourself. I, your God, rejoice over you!”

What does Zephaniah’s portrayal of God reveal to us about who He is? What reason does Jesus give for God’s rejoicing over us?

Jesus states the reason why God rejoices: “ ‘I tell you that in the same way there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent’ ” (Luke 15:7, NIV).

The Lord rejoices over you with singing. (Genesis 15:3) One function of such a song is that it expresses love. God expresses His love and joy over us. He sings a unique song over each of us! Another function of the song is that it expresses victory. See, as examples, the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb (Genesis 49, Exodus 15, Revelation 15:3).

Our God is for us. He is a mighty warrior (Exodus 15:3) who fights for us and defeats our enemies. Sin, evil, Satan, and his allies cannot prevail over God’s people. The Lord brings victory and saves. God is a Warrior (Exodus 15:3). He defeated the entire ancient Egyptian army and brought down human pride and arrogance. The greatness of His majesty threw down all who opposed Him. He is the Victor, not because of His force, but because of His moral strength and the power of His love. Jesus is for you. He fights for your salvation because He does not want to lose you when Satan desires to put you down.

What are God’s weapons against Satan? What is God’s status as Victor over Satan based on?

The prophecy of Nahum is God’s Word against the kingdoms of this world as represented by Nineveh. The prophet saw the hand of God moving against the Assyrian Empire and that its capital city Nineveh would soon fall, never to rise again. Nahum spoke with absolute confidence because he knew God’s character, and, through the gift of prophecy (Nahum 1:1), he had been shown by the Lord what would happen. The Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished (Nahum 1:3; Exodus 34:6, 7) Years before Nahum’s time, the Ninevites, having heard Jonah’s preaching, had repented, and God had spared their city. But the repentance did not last. The people returned to their old ways. Many countries that had suffered under Nineveh’s oppressive yoke would greet the news of its fall with thunderous applause. A messenger will come to bring good news (Isaiah 52:7) that the power of Assyria is broken, with its gods. God’s people will again be able to worship in peace (Nah. 1:15).

As great as the Lord’s anger is, more tender is His mercy. He protects those who await the fullness of His goodness. Nahum teaches that God cares for those who trust in Him, but that with an overwhelming flood He will pursue His enemies into darkness (Nah. 1:8). God does not tolerate sin forever. At the same time, He is the Savior of those who trust in Him. There is no middle ground. We are on one side or the other. “ ‘He who is not with Me,” Jesus said, “ ‘is against Me’ ” (Matthew 12:30, NKJV)

You do not need to be terrified of God’s judgment. On the contrary, you can have full confidence, boldness, and joy of salvation when facing God’s judgment. This is possible because the primary meaning of God’s judgment is to justify, save, and deliver people who have faith in Him.

The Lord holds out a promise of shelter for those who seek Him (Zepheniah 2:3). The day of the Lord is more than the end of the world. It is the beginning of the future establishment of God’s rule, which will last forever.

How can we learn to live day by day trusting in the promise of the second coming of Christ, especially in times of trouble when the world offers us nothing but sorrow?

The living God is the God of all nations. He not only loves everyone, but He wants all saved. He delights when a person responds to His love, comes to Him, becomes a new person, and worships Him.

Fix your eyes on Jesus, who loves you and wants to save you. He wants to give you hope and to assure you of His enduring mercy because He does not delight in punishment, condemnation, or destruction (Ezekiel 18:23, 32). His desire is that you would find and accept His amazing love He has for you.