DOCSLIB.ORG

This Week's Focus Zephaniah 1:1-7

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
This Week's Focus Zephaniah 1:1-7 2 The Prophet Zephaniah 1:1-7 This Week’s Focus Tornado alley is the term some people give to states in the central region of the United States because of the cross-wind patterns that frequently develop when cold and warm fronts collide in this part of our nation. Violently rotating cones of wind can be spun to life in minutes when a tornado hits. Houses can be flattened and lives can be destroyed in a matter of minutes. Zephaniah warned all who would listen of a spiritual truth that is eerily similar to the truth about tornadoes; when the conditions are right, the devastating forces of God’s judgment will be unleashed on human society. © LifeWay 2014 10 Explore the Bible | Students Begin by reading through the passage two times. Zephaniah 1:1-7 1 The word of the ordL that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah a son of Amon king of Judah: 2 “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the L ord. 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 ordL has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited. Do you see any sense of hope in this passage of Scripture? How would you respond if you heard this message at your church? Session 2 11 © LifeWay 2014 “Day of the LORD” his- Texpression is used more in this prophecy of Zephaniah than in any other book of the Bible. he - Day T of the Lord was any time He “visited” the earth to save His people or punish His enemies. he - final T and ultimate Day of the Lord will come in the end times. HCSB Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible publishers), 1555. Verse 1 What was the lineage of Zephaniah? Why is the lineage significant and important to look at? Verses 2-3 Who survives the coming destruction? How is this different from the destruction of Noah’s day? © LifeWay 2014 | Students 12 Explore the Bible Verses 4-6 In verse 4, what groups of people were facing destruction? How were God’s people being disloyal to Him? Verse 7 What is significant about the “Day of the L ORD”? Why was a sacrifice needed? Session 2 13 © LifeWay 2014 Central Truth Judgment is coming against evil, but there is a sacrifice for those who call on His name. Now What? How do you usually respond to bad news? List a time when you felt like you were in a desperate situation. What was your initial reaction? Where or to whom did you turn? There is a day of reckoning coming. How can you be prepared for the day He re t u r n s? 14 Explore the Bible | Students © LifeWay 2014 Personal Challenge Dwell: Evil is prevalent in the world today. It is not challenging to look around and find something that is in direct rebellion against God. Despite the trials we face in this life, we can still have hope because there is a day coming when God will rectify all that is wrong. Evil will be dealt with and God will reign supreme. While we wait, it is our job to shine the light of Christ to those who need Him. Zephaniah 2:3 Memorize: Pray: Ask Jesus to give you strength and endurance to press on even in the midst of difficulties you may face. Thank Him for the day to come when He will make everything right. Until that day comes, pray for Him to help you to be a witness who points others to Jesus and to the sacrifice that was provided for their sins. Keep on Digging For further study on the Day of the Lord, read the following verses: • Isaiah 13:6,9 • Obadiah 15 • Joel 1:15; 2:1,11; 3:4; 4:14 • Zephaniah 1:7, 14 • Amos 5:18,20 • Malachi 3:23 Session 2 15 © LifeWay 2014.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Zephaniah 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on Zephaniah 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE AND WRITER The title of the book comes from the name of its writer. "Zephaniah" means "Yahweh Hides [or Has Hidden]," "Hidden in Yahweh," "Yahweh's Watchman," or "Yahweh Treasured." The uncertainty arises over the etymology of the prophet's name, which scholars dispute. I prefer "Hidden by Yahweh."1 Zephaniah was the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah (1:1), evidently King Hezekiah of Judah. This is not at all certain, but I believe it is likely. Only two other Hezekiahs appear on the pages of the Old Testament, and they both lived in the postexilic period. The Chronicler mentioned one of these (1 Chron. 3:23), and the writers of Ezra and Nehemiah mentioned the other (Ezra 2:16; Neh. 7:21). If Zephaniah was indeed a descendant of the king, this would make him the writing prophet with the most royal blood in his veins, except for David and Solomon. Apart from the names of his immediate forefathers, we know nothing more about him for sure, though it seems fairly certain where he lived. His references to Judah and Jerusalem (1:10-11) seem to indicate that he lived in Jerusalem, which would fit a king's descendant.2 1Cf. Ronald B. Allen, A Shelter in the Fury, p. 20. 2See Vern S. Poythress, "Dispensing with Merely Human Meaning: Gains and Losses from Focusing on the Human Author, Illustrated by Zephaniah 1:2-3," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 57:3 (September 2014):481-99. Copyright Ó 2021 by Thomas L.
    [Show full text]
  • Exegesis and Exposition of Zephaniah 2:14-15
    EXEGESIS AND EXPOSITION OF ZEPHANIAH 2:14-15 Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr. WENSTROM BIBLE MINISTRIES Marion, Iowa 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries Exegesis and Exposition of Zephaniah 2:14-15 Zephaniah 2:14 Flocks Will Lie Down in Nineveh Zephaniah 2:14 Flocks will lie down in her midst, all beasts which range in herds; Both the pelican and the hedgehog will lodge in the tops of her pillars; Birds will sing in the window, desolation will be on the threshold; For He has laid bare the cedar work. (NASB95) “Flocks will lie down in her midst” is composed of the following: (1) which is not translated (2) third person masculine plural qal ,( וְ) conjunction w ,( בְ) will lie down” (3) preposition b“ ,(רָ בַץ) active perfect form of the verb rābaṣ (midst” (5“ ,(תָ וְֶך) in” (4) masculine singular construct form of the noun tāwek“ her” (6) masculine“ ,(הִ יא) third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ ”.flocks“ ,(עֵדֶ ר) plural noun ʿēder The conjunction w is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a series of prophetic statements which present the result of the previous prophetic declaration recorded at the end of Zephaniah 2:13 which asserts that the God of Israel will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry land like the desert. The noun ʿēder means “flocks and herds” since this word pertains to flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. It pertains to a group of mammals that range together, usually sheep or goats as well as cows, camels, donkeys, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Open Scrolls Project - Bringing the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Internet
    Open Scrolls Project - Bringing the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Internet Open Scrolls Project The Open Scrolls Project is nothing less than an effort to bring all the published texts online in English and available to anyone with an internet connection. The three main English collections of the Dead Sea Scrolls in print are those by Vermes, Martinez, and Wise. These are available in inexpensive paperback, but they may be a burden to obtain in some countries, and it is impossible to perform searches on a printed text. The Open Scrolls Project aims to make the texts freely available and fully searchable. The publishers of the three DSS books mentioned have declined to allow reproduction of their translations, and so the only option available is to make a fresh translation from the original languages, somewhat similar to the successful NET Bible. The texts will be made available under the GNU Free Documentation License, which is a "copyleft" arrangement that allows the texts to be distributed by many web sites. The texts will be published partially, as they are completed. The owner of this web site, Peter Kirby, offers his support with web space for the project and its results as well as technical expertise in programming for the web. I am also coordinating the translation effort at this time. The project needs people willing to do translation for free. Anyone who wishes to help, either with a little or a lot, needs simply to have some working knowledge of Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek. We will be using both the Discoveries in the Judaean Desert series and The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition for the original language documents.
    [Show full text]
  • What Did King Josiah Reform?
    Chapter 17 What Did King Josiah Reform? Margaret Barker King Josiah changed the religion of Israel in 623 BC. According to the Old Testament account in 2 Kings 23, he removed all manner of idolatrous items from the temple and purified his kingdom of Canaanite practices. Temple vessels made for Baal, Asherah, and the host of heaven were removed, idolatrous priests were deposed, the Asherah itself was taken from the temple and burned, and much more besides. An old law book had been discovered in the temple, and this had prompted the king to bring the religion of his kingdom into line with the requirements of that book (2 Kings 22:8–13; 2 Chronicles 34:14–20).1 There could be only one temple, it stated, and so all other places of sacrificial worship had to be destroyed (Deuteronomy 12:1–5). The law book is easily recognizable as Deuteronomy, and so King Josiah’s purge is usually known as the Deuteronomic reform of the temple. In 598 BC, twenty-five years after the work of Josiah, Jerusalem was attacked by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:10– 16; 25:1–9); eleven years after the first attack, they returned to destroy the city and the temple (586 BC). Refugees fled south to Egypt, and we read in the book of Jeremiah how they would not accept the prophet’s interpretation of the disaster (Jeremiah 44:16–19). Jeremiah insisted that Jerusalem had fallen because of the sins of her people, but the refugees said it had fallen because of Josiah.
    [Show full text]
  • Highlights from the Books of Zephaniah & Haggai
    Highlights from the Books of Zephaniah & Haggai Treasures from God’s Word WT Library References Index Index Source Material ............................................................................... 5 Special Note .............................................................................................. 5 An Introduction to the Book of Zephaniah ................................... 6 Summary of the Highlights of the Book of Zephaniah ................ 7 Jehovah’s day of judgment is near ......................................................... 7 Punishment for Judah’s neighbors and more distant Ethiopia and Assyria ....................................................................................................... 7 Jerusalem’s rebellion and corruption ..................................................... 7 The outpouring of Jehovah’s anger and the restoration of a remnant . 7 Zephaniah – Outline of Contents .................................................. 8 Why Beneficial ................................................................................ 8 An Introduction to the Book of Haggai ....................................... 10 Summary of the Highlights of the Book of Haggai .................... 11 Message to people living in paneled houses, while Jehovah’s house lies in ruins .............................................................................................. 11 Proclamation that Jehovah will fill his house with glory ..................... 11 People are shown that neglect of temple rebuilding has made them
    [Show full text]
  • Not So Minor After All Not So Minor After All
    Not So Minor After All Not So Minor After All Define Biblical things in a Biblical way. If this is true, what scripture ever calls these 12 prophets minor? None Luke 24 : 27, 44 “...Moses and all the Prophets…” Twelve Prophets (Aramaic: Trei Asar, "The Twelve"), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is the eighth and last book of the Nevi'im, the second main division of the Jewish Tanakh. The collection is broken up to form twelve individual books in the Christian Old Testament, one for each of the prophets. Not So Minor After All We didn’t understand what they are saying. We do now. We felt there was nothing for us and we didn’t know how to use them. We see now. We felt it would take to long to go through them all. It didn’t just 12 weeks We had a lack of respect to God’s word (Completed Word). We don’t anymore. 12 Prophets Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Nahum Jonah Habakkuk Micah Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi 12 Prophets - Nahum ‘nachum’ (h) – comfort ‘nacham’ (h) – properly to sigh; by implication to be sorry, that is, to pity, console Nahum brings comfort. The book of comfort. Nahum 1 – The Lord is good. He reserves wrath, He is slow to anger, He knows those who trust in Him Nahum 2 – The Lord will restore No one will help Nineveh, she will be desolate, I am against you Nahum 3 – Consider No Amon This undefeatable city, was defeated…who can stop Me? 12 Prophets - Habakkuk ‘chabaqquq’ (h) – embrace Habakkuk is a book written from 3 perspectives: Habakkuk asking God where His embrace has gone God revealing His plan to Habakkuk Habakkuk finding comfort in God’s revealed salvation Habakkuk 1 – Two questions for God How long shall I cry, And you not hear? Why do You hold Your tongue? Habakkuk 1/2 – God’s Answers I am sending someone to deal with this.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible
    The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible James C. VanderKam WILLIAM B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN / CAMBRIDGE, U.K. © 2oi2 James C. VanderKam AU rights reserved Published 2012 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 / P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K. Printed in the United States of America 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 7654321 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data VanderKam, James C. The Dead Sea scrolls and the Bible / James C. VanderKam. p. cm. "Six of the seven chapters in The Dead Sea scrolls and the Bible began as the Speaker's Lectures at Oxford University, delivered during the first two weeks of May 2009" — Introd. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-8028-6679-0 (pbk.: alk. paper) L. Dead Sea scrolls. 2. Dead Sea scrolls — Relation to the Old Testament. 3. Dead Sea scrolls — Relation to the New Testament. 4. Judaism — History — Post-exilic period, 586 B.c-210 A.D. I. Title. BM487.V255 2012 22i.4'4 — dc23 2011029919 www.eerdmans.com Contents INTRODUCTION IX ABBREVIATIONS XÜ ι. The "Biblical" Scrolls and Their Implications ι Number of Copies from the Qumran Caves 2 Other Copies 4 Texts from Other Judean Desert Sites 5 Nature of the Texts 7 General Comments 7 The Textual Picture 9 An End to Fluidity 15 Conclusions from the Evidence 15 New Evidence and the Text-Critical Quest 17 2. Commentary on Older Scripture in the Scrolls 25 Older Examples of Interpretation 28 In the Hebrew Bible 28 Older Literature Outside the Hebrew Bible 30 Scriptural Interpretation in the Scrolls 35 ν Continuous Pesharim 36 Other Forms of Interpretation 38 Conclusion 47 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Zephaniah 1:1-6
    Zephaniah 1:1-6 Zephaniah 1:1 – “The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.” 1. The long genealogy in the superscription of a prophet is unusual. a. Jeremiah, a contemporary of Zephaniah, is similar. It dates to the 13th year of King Josiah’s reign, which would be 627-626 BC: “The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.” – Jeremiah 1:1-2 2. “Hezekiah most likely is the great King Hezekiah, because: a. It is normal to be known by your father’s name, not the name of your great-great- grandfather four generations earlier. The most likely exception is that Zephaniah’s Gr- gr-grandfather was still remembered and his name was still known in Zephaniah’s day. b. The reason Hezekiah is not called “King Hezekiah” would be because Josiah is recognized as in the very same sentence as “king of Judah”. In fact, even King Amon which is clearly a reference to the King Amon of Judah is not identified as “king of Judah” but merely listed as the father of Josiah. 3. Listing the prophet’s name and clear identification helps establish authority and accountability for the prophet and the words of the prophet.
    [Show full text]
  • Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
    A People of the Book 8-Year Curriculum Year 6, Quarter 4 A Study of Selected Texts from Minor Prophets III (Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi) Mike White Minor Prophets III 4th Quarter 2012 Table of Contents =============================================================== Introduction Timeline Summary Table for all the Minor Prophets Lesson 1–Zephaniah 1-2:3- Urgency for national spiritual revival -7 October Lesson 2–Zephaniah 2:4-3–God’s present judgment & future hope-14 October Lesson 3-Haggai 1-Putting first things first-21 October Lesson 4-Haggai 2-Victory comes from the Lord & not from men!-28 October Lesson 5-Zechariah 1-3-Be encouraged because God is among us-4 November Lesson 6-Zechariah 4-6-Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit-11 November Lesson 7 –Zechariah 7-8-What does true religion look like?-18 November Lesson 8 –Zechariah 9-11-1st Oracle: Sovereignty of God and the Good Shepherd -25 November Lesson 9 – Zechariah 12-14-2nd Oracle: Our Lord’s final victory-2 December Lesson 10 –Malachi 1 – Cheating God? – 9 December Lesson 11 – Malachi 2 – Honoring God – 16 December Lesson 12 –Malachi 3-4-God is in control & Jesus Christ is on the way-23 December Lesson 13 – Pop Quiz-30 December Minor Prophets III 4th Quarter 2012 Introduction Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi Welcome to our study of the last four books of the Old Testament. All of what we study in these books will be perfectly applicable to our lives today because the stress and challenges of the Jews in Jerusalem during the time of Zephaniah, and the small group of Jews who returned to Judah and Jerusalem after the destruction of their way of life as foreordained by God demand the same level of trust toward God and obedience to His will today as it did 2500 years ago.
    [Show full text]
  • THE WAR SCROLL – 1QM,1Q33,4Q491-7, 4Q471 Hitgalut 12:17
    THE WAR SCROLL – 1QM,1Q33,4Q491-7, 4Q471 Hitgalut 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make warwarwar with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Yeshua‘ the Messiah.” 1 Outline for War Scroll I. Introduction II. Proclamation of war III. Reorganization of Temple worship IV. Program of 40 year war V. The trumpets VI. The standards VII. War formations VIII. Age of soldiers IX. The camp X. Duties of priests and Levites XI. Addresses and prayers of the battle liturgy XII. Thanksgiving songs XIII. Battle against the Kittiym 2 The War Scroll – Column 1 “For the In[structor, the Rule of] the War. The first attack of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial: the troops of Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the [Amalekitesl, Philistia, and the troops of the Kittim of Asshur. Supporting them are those who have violated the covenant.” 3 Defining the Sons of Darkness Army of Belial Edom Moab Sons of Ammon Sons of the East/ Amalekites Philistines Bands of Kittiym 4 The Coming of Melchizedek (column 1-2) 11Q13 “And concerning what Scripture says, "In this year of Jubilee you shall return, everyone of you, to your property" (Lev.Lev. 25;13Lev. 25;13)25;13 And what is also written; "And this is the manner of the remission; every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because God's remission has been proclaimed" (Deut.15;2Deut.15;2Deut.15;2Deut.15;2)” 5 The Coming of Melchizedek (column 3-6) “the interpretation is that it applies to the Last Days and concerns the captives, just as Isaiah said: "To proclaim the Jubilee to the captives" (Isa.
    [Show full text]
  • EM03222020 Notes
    DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. This week, we continue our series, “God in the Ruins: The Message of the Minor Prophets,” by looking at ZEPHANIAH the prophet Zephaniah. Begin your study by praying that God would speak to you through His Word. GOD IN THE RUINS | ZEPHANIAH 1-3 | MARCH 22, 2020 | PASTOR FEMI IBITOYE 2. Background: Zephaniah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah before the fall of Nineveh (612 BC) and the fall of Jerusalem (587 BC). Zephaniah ministered in the days of Josiah the son of “The Lord your God is with You, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; Amon, king of Judah (640 - 609 BC) 2 Kings 22-23. The prophets Jeremiah, Nahum and Habakkuk in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.” were his contemporaries. He is a descendant of King Hezekiah (Zephaniah 1:1) (Zephaniah 3:17) 3. The major themes of the book of Zephaniah include the judgement of God on the whole world (Zephaniah 1:2-3, 14-18 and 3:8; Judah and Jerusalem (Zephaniah 1:4-13, 3: 1-4, and the Surrounding Introducing Zephaniah nations. There is a warning of the coming day of the Lord (Zephaniah 1:15-11, 2:2-20) and the • Prophesized during the reign of King Josiah (640 – 609 BC) (Zephaniah 1:1) deliverance and blessing of the remnant of Israel (Zephaniah 3:14-20). • Descendant of King Hezekiah (Zephaniah 1:1) 4. Read Zephaniah 1:2-3. Summarize the prophet’s prophesy about the destruction of the whole world in • Preached in the Southern Kingdom (Judah) your own words.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on Zephaniah 2007 Edition Dr
    Notes on Zephaniah 2007 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable Introduction TITLE AND WRITER The title of the book comes from the name of its writer. "Zephaniah" means "Yahweh hides [or has hidden]," "Yahweh's watchman," or "Yahweh treasured." The uncertainty arises over the etymology of the prophet's name, which scholars dispute. I prefer "Yahweh hides." Zephaniah was the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah (1:1), evidently King Hezekiah of Judah.1 If he was indeed a descendant of the king, this would make him the writing prophet with the most royal blood in his veins, except for David and Solomon. Apart from the names of his immediate forefathers we know nothing more about him for sure, though it seems fairly sure where he lived. His references to Judah and Jerusalem (1:10- 11) seem to indicate that he lived in Jerusalem, which would fit a king's descendant. UNITY Criticism of the unity of Zephaniah has not had great influence. Zephaniah's prediction of Nineveh's fall (2:15; 612 B.C.) led critics who do not believe that the prophets could predict the future to date the book after that event. Differences in language and style influenced some critics to divide the book up and identify its various parts with diverse sources. Yet the unity of the message and flow of the entire book, plus ancient belief in its unity, have convinced most conservative scholars to regard Zephaniah as the product of one writer.2 DATE Zephaniah ministered during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (640-609 B.C.; 1:1).
    [Show full text]