The book of Zephaniah deals mainly with the Day of the Lord. Zephaniah is warning the people of Jerusalem that the Day of the Lord is very soon. He wanted to expose Judah's unwillingness to accept correction from Yahweh. This was a time when the people of Jerusalem were worshipping false gods and idols. His main focus was to divert the people of Jerusalem from their worshipping ways. He preached that if they do no change their ways, that they will not receive the Kingdom of God. Another ideal he stressed was that the only way that the people could attain salvation was by submitting one's will to the sovreignty of God.
Most of the writing is prophecies against the nations of the Philistines, Moab, Assyria, and others. The rest of the book is written in a more delightful tone with promises for the future. Zephaniah is important in salvation history because he preached that the covenant between God and his people was being threatened by their idol worship. If it wasn't for the prophets like him, there may not even be salvation history. This is one of the few prophetic books in which pride is denounced and humility is praised.
Zephaniah, or Sophonias, was a Judean prophet from an aristocratic family. He was the ninth of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament. The name Zephaniah means "the Lord protects". It is a possibility that he is a descendant of the line of David. The only knowledge of him comes from his short book in the Old Testament. He preached in Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah. This was around 640-609 B.C. His preachings followed the lead of Amos.
Here is an outline for the Book of Zephaniah :
I.The Day of the Lord in Judah
A. Cosmic Extent
B. Strange Gods
C. Court Behavior
D. The Merchants
E. Unbelievers
F. The Day of the Lord
G. Call to Conversion
II. Prophecies Against the Nations
A. Philistines
B. Moab and Amnon
C. Ethiopia
D. Assyria
III. Prophecies Against Jerusalem
A. The Leaders
B. The Lesson of Other Nations
IV. Promises
A. Conversion of the Gentiles
B. The Remnant of Israel
C. A Joyful Psalm of Zion
D. Return of the Exiles
Here is a quote from the book of Zephaniah:
"Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger." 2:3
Review Questions
1. What city did Zephaniah preach in?
2. Zephaniah preached during the reign of which king?
3. The only way that people could attain __________ was by submitting one's will to the sovreignty of God.
4. Zephaniah followed the lead of which prophet before him?
5. What was the main thing that Zephaniah preached against?
Answers
Good Sites About Zephaniah and Also My Sources
Wikipedia
New Advent
Answers.com
The New American Bible. Catholic Book Publishing Co. New York, 1991.
Fitzgerald, Aloysius, F.S.C. The Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall. New Jersey, 1968.
Please send any comments, suggestions,
or corrections to Andrew Salamone.
