DAY 1: BACKGROUND OF ZEPHANIAH & CHAPTER 1 Zephaniah doesn’t waste any time communicating his message to Judah. As you’ll see by looking at some of the historical background, Zephaniah needed to rattle his countrymen’s nerves of a soon coming day of judgment. However, what he speaks is an excellent example of double prophecy – a near and a distant fulfillment.
Zephaniah & Date of Book Unlike most other prophets, Zephaniah provides a detailed family tree, identifying his relation to Hezekiah. There is debate as to whether or not the Hezekiah mentioned is indeed the past king of Judah, but if it is, then a few interesting inferences may be made.
1. Zephaniah is connecting himself with godliness since Hezekiah and Josiah are both named as kings. 2. He is identifying himself as a Judean and not Ethiopian, since that was a common name. 3. He is relating himself to the same royal family he criticizes.
Continuing with the assumption that Zephaniah is royal blood, his name translated “Yahweh has hidden” may bear additional impact based on the fact that he likely was born during the reign of King Manasseh, one of Judah’s most evil kings. Because of the content of Zephaniah’s message, it is clear to see that he is speaking against the evils occurring during Manasseh’s reign. Yet because he specifically mentions in the opening verse King Josiah, many assume that Zephaniah is preaching prior to Josiah’s national reforms in 622 B.C. An additional prophecy describing the fall of Nineveh helps us date the book to somewhere between 650-620 B.C.
Historical Background As mentioned earlier, King Manasseh had a terrible influence on Judah, reversing nearly everything his father, Hezekiah, had accomplished. Though, there was an interesting turn at the end of Manasseh’s life. Take a moment to read about King Manasseh and his successor, Amon, paying special attention to some of the things they did, as they will reappear in Zephaniah’s words.
2 Kings 21:1-26
2 Chronicles 33:1-25
Following Manasseh and Amon was King Josiah, who around age 16 began to seek the Lord. Under the godly influence of the high priest Hilkiah, and possibly Zephaniah, Josiah enacts national reforms and sets about to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. It is plausible that Zephaniah’s words helped pave the way for Josiah’s actions, a reformation similar to their ancestor Hezekiah.
“Clearly Zephaniah’s role under God was to reapply earlier truths sadly forgotten by his own generation. Zephaniah was able to foresee God’s judgment of Judah and the world. But he also proclaimed permanent truths concerning the nature of God and his providential relationship to the world and concerning the responsibilities of the people of God.” -- Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible The Day of the Lord Outflow of Judgment This book has as its central message the coming “day of the Lord,” with judgment upon Judah and foreign nations, and promises of salvation. It is of For it is time for judgment to note that Zephaniah’s message of judgment begins with Judah, the remainder begin with the household of of God’s chosen people in the Promised Land, expands outward to others and God; and if it begins with us ends with the promising hope of salvation and restoration of God’s people. first, what will be the outcome Keeping in mind God’s purposes in judgment: 1) purification of His people and for those who do not obey the 2) punishment of His enemies – this book has concise descriptions of both, gospel of God? and it is worth paying attention to the descriptors of each. -- 1 Peter 4:17
CHAPTER 1 As you read chapter 1, please do the following:
• Mark the words “Lord/God/His”, “I will,” “day of the Lord”, and “punish.” Be sure to mark all synonyms and pronouns.
• Mark all references and symbols of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
• List the “I/He will” statements.
• List the characteristics of the “day of the Lord.
Today’s Devotional Thought Are you green and Is your life stagnant? What about your heart? Zephaniah 1:12 should motivate growing or ripe and us all to be as far from stagnant as possible! Sometimes our stagnation, or rotting? complacency, comes from security in things outside of God. We feel safe, so -- Ray Kroc there’s less need to seek God. Or we don’t believe the Lord really sees what we say and do, so then it doesn’t really matter. Or perhaps we’re living in the “glory days” of our spiritual past, but there’s nothing new now.
Evaluate your life. Are you in the realm of complacency or apathy toward God? What steps can you take to change, so you can experience the fresh, living water of Christ each and every day, and avoid stagnation of spirit?
DAY TWO: CHAPTER 2 Zephaniah 2:1-3 is what I believe to be a continuation of chapter 1, but could also be a call to all nations to seek the Lord. I’ll let you make your own decision. ☺ From verse 4 through the end of the chapter, surrounding nations are clearly the focus of judgment.
As you read through Chapter 2, please do the following: “Gather yourselves together, yes, • Mark the words “nation,” “I will,” “Lord,” “day of the gather; O nation without shame.” Lord,” and “remnant.” -- Zephaniah 2:1
• Mark all references, symbols, types, etc. of Jesus and the This verse is so packed with powerful Holy Spirit. description, that it begs some elaboration.
“gather yourselves” – As in ‘assemble • List the “I will” statements. together,’ ‘enter into yourselves,’ ‘bow down,’ ‘come to your senses,’ or ‘think about the evil things you have done and repent’
“nation” – Hebrew word normally referring • List the various descriptors of the remnant. to non-Jewish nations. Therefore, if this is referring specifically to Judah, then the nation is being referred to as no different than heathen nations.
“without shame” – ‘having reason to be ashamed, but failing to show shame,’ or • In your opinion, does the Lord seem more upset with ‘you people who will not admit your evil Judah or with the unbelieving nations? Why? What deeds’ can you learn from this? An alternative paraphrase: “Come to your senses, heathen nation, you people who will not admit your evil deeds. Think about the evil things you have done and repent!”
-- Translations taken from “A Handbook on the Book of Zephaniah” • What do you notice to be the major sins of the surrounding nations? Why is the Lord so bothered by these things?
Today’s Devotional Thought Zephaniah 2:15 includes the phrase, “Who says in her heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me.’” Every person on earth at least once in his or her life has said this. It is the basis of so much of our sin! “I am, therefore…” Yet there is only one I AM and there is no one beside Him! How quickly we forget as we climb up onto His throne and take things into our own hands, as if we were God Himself.
LORD, FORGIVE US! Let us be mindful of this every single day to remember that though we are children of God, we are to be servants first…which means there are many besides me. DAY 3: CHAPTER 3 Ahhhh, sweet hope of salvation arrives at last! Though this chapter focuses again on why Judah is being judged, it ends with a more joyful description of “that day,” a day in which Judah and Israel are restored, His purified church is alive and at peace with her Savior. Where “the day of the Lord” brings terror and judgment, the future “day” of eternal rest and peace should cause us to rejoice!
And, if Google Images were any indicator of the most popular verse in Zephaniah set to artwork, it would be this: “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.” -- Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) Seriously, “Google it” and be amazed!
As you read chapter 3, please do the following:
• Mark the words “woe,” “I/He will,” “Lord,” “in that day.” Make sure to mark all pronouns and synonyms.
• Mark all references, symbols and foreshadowing of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
• List Judah’s sins.
Zephaniah 3:9-13 • List the “I will” statements. The sin of pride is most often revealed by the words that we speak. Language becomes unclean with repeated expressions of self-will or the profane use of God’s name.
Purify your heart, and your speech will be pure also. Allow God to purify your lips and your language. • Describe “that day.” -- Spirit-Filled Life Bible: Truth in Action through Zephaniah
(Continued on next page) DAY 3 (CONTINUED)
• Zephaniah 3:9-13 describes what benefits await the faithful remnant after His purifying flame of judgment. But these verses are also an invitation to evaluate our own lives and determine how the Lord is applying His purifying flame to us now for our personal and spiritual growth. In the table below, write how you can cooperate further with the Lord in each area.
Benefit How I Can Grow More
Pure language
Offerings
Humility
Trust & Freedom from shame
Righteousness
Truth
• Hebrews 11:31 says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” What does this mean to you in light of what Zephaniah says? How does this compare with the picture he paints at the end of the book?
Today’s Devotional Thought For years I used to wonder what it would be like for the Lord to sing over me. What would it sound like? Could I even hear it? Would it be beautiful – I mean, surely it had to be since the Lord is the epitome of beauty, right? Would it be loud or soft? And then one night I found out.
During a difficult point in my life I lay my head down and with tears in my eyes tried to fall asleep. Several hours later, I felt this overwhelming peace and warmth fill the room….and then I heard a deep voice singing. I don’t know what the song was, but it was GORGEOUS and gentle, soothing and confident, joyous and loving. I just lay still listening and then it was as if the words of the song were translated instantly to my heart and spoke to the core of my need. He, the Lord, was singing over me that night and the words of His song were ones of unconditional love, favor, grace, mercy and strength.
It’s funny to me to read Bible translations that use the word “shout” instead of “sing,” but I believe whether the Lord is singing our shouting, He’s rejoicing over His child! As an adoring parent cheers on their kid or sings a lullaby, the love is tremendous and life altering. Let Him sing and shout over you today. Hear Him in your heart.
DAY 4: BACKGROUND OF HAGGAI & CHAPTER 1
Like several other prophets, we know very little about Haggai, whose name likely means “festive.” While Jewish tradition holds that he was a prophet during the exile in Babylon, there is nothing in Scripture to back that up.
Haggai’s message is short – both in length and in time period. Based on time descriptors within the book of Haggai, he delivered 4 messages over a 4-month span in 520 B.C.
Considered post-exilic prophecy, Haggai ministers to those who returned to Jerusalem following years of exile in Babylon. Where pre-exilic prophets had to deal with people lacking a true relationship with God and dependent upon religious tradition, post-exilic prophets deal with discouraged people who didn’t think their religious traditions mattered, stemming from Persian influence that all religions were equal. Therefore, there was little incentive to rebuild the temple and restore their distinctive religious life among the nations. Haggai, and his contemporary, Zechariah, encourage the people to set themselves apart to God through obedience and reestablishment of Mosaic Law.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND For 70 years Judah had been exiled in Babylon when God moved upon the heart of Cyrus to allow some of the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem in 536 B.C. to rebuild the temple. Carrying temple treasures with them, they arrived in Jerusalem and set to work. Two years after their arrival, the altar was restored and sacrifices resumed according to Mosaic ritual, but the foundation remained unchanged. As they started to work on the foundation, the Hebrews encountered resistance from their neighbors who accused them of planning a rebellion against the king. The king responded with a decree ceasing the work in 534 B.C.
And though the spirit that animated their first enterprise, and the enthusiasm that accompanied a great national movement, excited them to commence the work with earnestness and ardour, their hearts were not sufficiently engaged in its prosecution to enable them to rise superior to inward distraction and outward opposition; and so they grew less interested in the completion of the undertaking, and they acquiesced with stolid complacency in its enforced cessation. They learned to look on the ruins of their holy house with a certain desponding equanimity, and turned to the furtherance of their own personal concerns, contentedly leaving the restoration of the temple to other times and stronger hands than theirs.
-- H.D.M. Spence, The Pulpit Commentary: Haggai
Work would not resume again until 14 years later in 520 B.C., following Haggai’s word of encouragement to resume building the temple and king Darius’ reversal of the previous decree.
Read Ezra 4:24-6:22 to learn more background details during Haggai’s time.
(Continued on next page) DAY 4 CONTINUED: CHAPTER 1
During the years of the temple not being rebuilt, the people’s priorities shifted. Haggai’s first message directly confronts this and the people are encouraged to once again build God’s house.
There are four main messages Haggai gives in the book, each beginning with the phrase, “the word of the Lord came …” Though this exact phrase is used twice in the first chapter, it is actually one message, easily seen in context. However, there is debate as to whether or not a second message begins in 1:13. The phrasing is similar, but not the same as other messages Haggai gives. You can read and decide for yourself if you think it is a new message or a continuation of Haggai’s initial prophetic utterance.
As you read Chapter 1, please do the following:
• Distinctively mark the words “word of the Lord came,” “Lord,” “consider,” “temple/house,” and “remnant.” I highly recommend similarly marking all pronouns.
• Mark any references, foreshadowing, or works of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
• Mark each reference to time.
• What is the message God is speaking through Haggai?
• How does this message apply to you today? Have you given more attention and time to personal matters but neglected the things that help further the gospel or His work in and through you?
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT
Haggai’s message to the postexilic community of Israel is one that the church of the twenty-first century needs to reflect on. To “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” is for us – as it was for them – a calling that runs the risk of being eclipsed by self-serving interests. Far too often the affluence of God’s people, rather than encouraging a self-imposed measure of personal sacrifice in order to advance the cause of God’s work in this world, leads instead to a hoarding of resources and to an ugly self-indulgence. The Book of Haggai vividly points out this inconsistency and calls for the people of God to move beyond such worldly ways of thinking. Haggai’s sermons, though first given two-and-a-half millennia ago, have a fresh and vital message for the present generation of believers. In many ways the modern church mirrors the spiritual lethargy and unresponsiveness of Haggai’s original audience. But the fact that his postexilic community eventually responded to the prophetic word and committed themselves to a great task for God’s glory holds out hope that we too may lay aside every quest for personal advantage that detracts from the greater cause of the kingdom of God in our midst. -- The New American Commentary: Haggai, Malachi
DAY 5: CHAPTER 2 The work of rebuilding the temple was happening. Everyone should be happy, right? Nope. The Lord needed to further encourage the people because though the workers had been gone from Jerusalem for 70 years, some still remembered the old temple in it’s “glory days” before it was ruined. They saw rubble, not the future dwelling place of God.
There are three separate messages in this chapter. See if you can identify them all. And be on the watch for how personal provisions and temple materials will come about. I think you’ll be amazed!
As you read Chapter 2, please complete the following:
• Mark the words “word of the Lord came,” “remnant,” “temple/house,” “Lord,” “shake,” consider,” and One And The Same To God “nations.” These grumblers had remembered the • Mark references to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. ‘former glory’ of God’s house when everything had been skillfully crafted, richly • Mark references to time. adorned and overlaid with gold…It had been the world’s most beautiful building. In • What are the three messages given through Haggai? contrast, the present temple, at least in their eyes, was nothing more than a shed, a dilapidated and derelict hut.
By saying ‘this house’ the Lord declared that both Haggai’s temple and the temple that had been built by Solomon were the same; there was no difference between them. As • How will God provide for the temple materials? far as He was concerned the two temples were one, for both were His dwelling place.
– Tim Shenton, Haggai: An Expositional Commentary • What is the direct reward of the people’s obedience?
Today’s Devotional Thought Ah, the glory days! We all have them. We all think about them. But many of us stunt ourselves – especially our spiritual growth -- by living in them. Those who knew the temple prior to exile thought of how beautiful it was with its gold overlays, ark in the Most Holy Place, sacred objects, etc. The new temple didn’t look anything like the previous one. They wanted their old temple back, the familiar, the more beautiful.
But God was trying to speak an eternal truth to them: My dwelling place isn’t dependent upon a building! Through Haggai’s words, God was pointing to the fulfillment of the temple in Jesus --‘Emmanuel’ God with us -- and to the birth of the church at Pentecost when God’s Spirit dwells in the hearts of all believers, and ultimately when Jesus returns to gather His church.
We would do well to quit focusing on the ‘glory days’ of the past, even in our spiritual lives, and focus on the dwelling place of God today. Circumstances might be different, things might not look the same, but it’s the same God dwelling…and as far as He’s concerned, it’s pleasing to Him. Let Him in. Let Him dwell anew today.
DAY 6: ZEPHANIAH AND HAGGAI REVIEW It’s that time again…remember key points and internalize the books! Though these books were short in length, they sure weren’t lacking in material, so take advantage of the opportunity to look through them again and prepare for tomorrow’s group discussion or personal reflection.
ZEPHANIAH
KEY WORD/PHRASE:
KEY CHAPTER & VERSE:
JESUS IN THE BOOK:
HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BOOK:
WHAT DID THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH TEACH YOU?
HAGGAI
KEY WORD/PHRASE:
KEY CHAPTER & VERSE:
JESUS IN THE BOOK:
HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BOOK:
WHAT DID THE BOOK OF HAGGAI TEACH YOU?
DAY 7: REFLECTION AND GROUP DISCUSSION If you’re part of a group, then the questions below will help you further prepare for your discussion time. For those who are not part of a group, take opportunity to evaluate what you’ve learned and spend time in prayer with the Lord.
ZEPHANIAH
Hebrews 11:31 says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” What does this mean to you in light of what Zephaniah says? How does this compare with the picture he paints at the end of the book?
What truths found in Zephaniah can you use in sharing the gospel with people today?
The current nation of Israel is often in the news, along with nations who support and fight her. Based on what you’ve learned in Zephaniah, how should nations relate to Israel?
HAGGAI
What in your life receives more time and attention than the things of God? How will you make changes to realign to Godly priorities?
Haggai brought a message to the people that it was no longer time to wait, but to press forward in rebuilding the temple. What in your life are you waiting for from God? How will you know when to move forward or to continue waiting?
The people in Haggai’s time had to withstand external pressure to do God’s will. What in your life is getting “heat” from others and how will you stand against it?