8 He built high places for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and make sacrifices to their gods (1 Kings 11:4-8). Questions and Answers . Zephaniah was a fourth-generation descendant This sin of Solomon was the cause of the division of the united kingdom (see 1 Kings 11:9-13). Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the LORD'S anger. No wonder Josiah tore his clothes! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The time for God’s judgment had come; let not the righteous ask God to withhold His hand. Zephaniah lived during one of the worst times in the history of Judah, under the evil reign of King Manasseh. This coming “Day of Judgment” is described in terms of being in the near future: Be quiet before the Lord God,for the Lord’s day of judgment is almost here.The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal;he has ritually purified his guests (Zephaniah 1:7). Solomon had a great impact on the southern kingdom of Judah because he was really the first of Israel’s kings to introduce the worship of heathen gods in Jerusalem: 4 When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. This remnant would be composed of the righteous, not only those of Judah, but also from among the Gentiles: Seek the Lord’s favor, all you humble people of the land who have obeyed his commands!Strive to do what is right! They have the hope of future blessings (2:6-9). Josiah sought a word from God, and it was the prophetess Huldah who confirmed what he feared: 22 So Hilkiah and the others sent by the king went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the supervisor of the wardrobe. Zephaniah therefore serves as the final written word of the pre-exilic Minor Prophets. God will judge those who refuse divine instruction, and who have ignored His warnings (3:1-2). My friends, the great and final “Day of Judgment” is still future, but it may not be far off. 4 He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down, and broke the incense altars that were above them. “I will sweep away people and animals alike. Having torn down the heathen idols and altars, Josiah now commences the project of refurbishing the temple (see 2 Chronicles 34:8ff.). 17 They melted down the silver in the Lord’s temple and handed it over to the supervisors of the construction foremen.” 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 25 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made. By his repetitions, Zephaniah emphasizes the important themes and messages of the prophets who ministered before him. It is a small book, nestled in the midst of the Minor Prophets, toward the end of the Old Testament. Described as the day of the Lord, the day of judgment is pictured as a time of darkness, of anguish and distress, of destruction and plunder of cities, and of threat to all life, human and animal alike. Proud member “If the Lord of armies had not left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have resembled Gomorrah” (Romans 9:27-29). 286 This is the edited manuscript of a message delivered by Robert L. Deffinbaugh, teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel, on September 9, 2001. But there is also mention of a great and final – more distant – judgment that will come upon the whole earth: 2 “I will destroy everything from the face of the earth.” says the Lord.3 “I will destroy people and animals;I will destroy the birds in the skyand the fish in the sea. They seized Manasseh, put hooks in his nose, bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. He did a great amount of evil before the Lord and angered him. This summary of the book of Zephaniah provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Zephaniah. The prophet is not speaking of worship in some future day, though that will surely take place. In terms of simple chronology, the Book of Habakkuk is the last Minor Prophet before Judah goes into exile, at the hands of the Babylonians. in 1971. The LORD gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. He also demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been offering incense to it; it was called Nehushtan. He would not be from the humble origins of a prophet like Amos, the sheepherder. In addition, when God removes the wicked, He gives their possessions to His faithful remnant (2:5-7, 9-10). All rights reserved. Can you imagine what it must have been like for Josiah and other godly people to hear the words of Deuteronomy for the first time in their life? 20 The king ordered Hilkiah, Achikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 21 “Go, seek an oracle from the Lord for me and those who remain in Israel and Judah. They stated their business, 23 and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: 24 “This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, the details of which are recorded on the scroll which they read before the king of Judah. D. God protects. God will judge those in Judah who mix the worship of God with the worship of other deities (1:5a). One cannot be certain of this, but my study of Zephaniah has led me to draw this conclusion. He then rose from the dead and ascended to the Father in heaven. But in terms of its placement in the Old Testament, it is the Book of Zephaniah which is the last of the Minor Prophets before the exile. Quick Overview of Zephaniah. Zephaniah Prophesies Judgment on Judah (Matthew 13:36–43)1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: . 288 This is a most interesting text. 5 Solomon worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. 13 I will destroy Jerusalem the same way I did Samaria and the dynasty of Ahab. God’s people are to worship by faith, knowing that God is a covenant-keeping God. It has become customary in Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments (2 Chronicles 35:25). Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. Zephaniah graphically describes the terror of that coming “Day of Judgment”: 14 The Lord’s great day of judgment is almost here;it is very rapidly approaching!There will be a bitter sound on the Lord’s Day of judgment;at that time warriors will cry out in battle.15 That day will be a day of God’s anger,a day of distress and hardship,a day of devastation and ruin,a day of darkness and gloom,a day of clouds and dark skies (Zephaniah 1:14-15). We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. The righteous should avoid taking vengeance and wait for this day when God will make all things right. Third, our sins are forgiven, and we are made righteous because God has passed judgment on our sins. This is book number 8 in the summary of the 12 Minor Prophets of the Bible. (The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people. He did not merely suffer at the hands of Rome; He endured the judgment of God that should have been ours. Much that was future for the saints of old is now history for us. To begin to dress like foreigners was to cast off their unique identity and role. The plot is apparently built on this young woman’s transition into a princess, in looks and conduct. I will briefly review those kings who had a major impact on Judah, for good or evil. I have come to the conclusion that divine judgment and divine blessings are very closely inter-related. This quiz is about the book of Zephaniah. 287 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. nothing more is said about his background. How much more this truth should be a comfort for New Testament Christians. God will judge those who practice violence and deceit (1:9). Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah (Zephaniah 1:1).287. These reasons for divine judgment can best be summarized in this way: God had warned that divine judgment was coming upon Judah, upon the surrounding nations, and upon the entire earth. ; The Prophet Zephaniah The first verse tells all we really know about the prophet. 6 He passed his son through the fire and practiced divination and omen reading. The man Zephaniah has an interesting pedigree: he traces his lineage back to a man named Hezekiah. God told me to hurry. I like to think of judgment as something that has little to do with me and much to do with my enemies. of Hezekiah, a notable king of Judah from 715 to 686 b.c. I like to think of God’s blessings and salvation as mine, unrelated to judgment. Eliminated the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and carried him to. The division of the `` day of the Lord, ” says the Lord of! In visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and who have ignored his (. Message and the contribution of the preaching of Sophonias ( 2:6-9 ) ’! 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