The Minor Prophets Bible Study V: Zephaniah
February 9, 2012
BMC- Zephaniah
Opening Question: Methods and Professions related to cleaning.
Background
Call: No true call, Zeph 1:1 simply says that the word of the Lord came to him.
When: 640-609 BCE (HCSB 1402)
Where: Jerusalem (Achtemeier 61)
To Whom: The people of Jerusalem living in sin
Characteristics: (What do you notice about the style of the book)
- 9 Prophetic Oracles
- “Day of Yahweh”
- More eloquent?
Relationship with Kings & Others: King Josiah (HCSB 1402)
Important Events:
- 75-100 Year Gap in Prophesy
- Josiah’s Reforms
Outline: (Sweeney pg. 200)
I. Superscription (1:1)
II. Body of Book: Exhortation to seek YHWH (1:2-3:20)
A. Announcement of the Day of YHWH against Baal worshipers (1:2-18)
B. Exhortation to seek YHWH (2:1-3:20)
1. Exhortation proper (2:1-3)
2. Substantiation: YHWH’s actions (2:4-3:20)
a. Basic for exhortation: destruction of Philistine cities (2:4)
b. Punishment of nations (2:5-15)
c. Restoration of Jerusalem (3:1-20)
Observations by Chapter: (Note observations make or questions you have as you read the book.)
Zephaniah 1: Message to Zeph, time, and genealogy. Time for some clean-up. Day of Judgment.
Zephaniah 2: Pray for Mercy, Destruction to Judah and others, Call for Humility. It may save you. Destruction goes out to the east, west, south and north.
Zephaniah 3: Refusing Correction, No Pride allowed, Salvation to come
Themes/Issues: (Note the major themes and issues the prophet addresses.)
- Corruption and Injustice in Judah (HCSB 1402)
- Hope for a remnant (HCSB 1402)
- The fearful Day of Yahweh’s coming (Harris 171)
- Prediction of fall of Assyria (Miller 143)
- Sinful Human Pride (Achtemeier 61). “Pride is a major theme in both Isaiah and Zephaniah.” (Gowan 82)
- Judgment
- Contrast of Hope and Judgment
- Idol Worship
- ? Parallels to Amos in Israel as new voice of concern in a time of prosperity.
o “He was the first prophet on record to take up anew the message of judgment, applying it now exclusively to Judah, after a long interval from which no prophetic words have been preserved.” (Gowan 80)
o “He revived the message of Amos, from more than a century earlier: The end is near.” (Gowan 80)
So What? (Having read the prophet, what do his words have to teach us today?)
- We should seek the religious renewal he mentions and the vision of a world without ‘violence, injustice, and oppression.’ (HCSB 1403
- Some say that their prophecies are being fulfilled now with the modern Jewish state (Miller 146)
- There is a good future ahead of us (Miller 147)
- Religion shouldn’t get in the way with your relationship with God (NIB 675)
- Work against evil and injustice/don’t be complacent (1:12)
- Seek God in the midst of the storm (2:3)
- How do we effectively carry a prophetic message?
- Worry about being faithful rather than being effective (that is God’s)
- Even in all evil, there is hope.
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