Today, we continue our journey through the Bible with today’s summary study of Zephaniah. I pray God shows us what He wants us to learn.
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14.
As we study the Bible alone or in a group setting, there are several questions we can ask ourselves to help us dig deeper. The five questions are:
- What does the scripture say about God?
- Then what does the scripture say about me?
- Does something in this passage challenge me?
- What gives me hope in this passage?
- Is anything unclear to me?
I hope these questions help you as much as they help me.
Book of Zephaniah:
- Author: Zephaniah.
- Audience: The southern kingdom of Judah.
- Date Written: 640-621 B.C.
- Length: 3 chapters.
- Keywords: The day of the Lord.
- Key Verses: “At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.” (1:12).
- Key People: Zephaniah.
Summary of Zephaniah:
Zephaniah’s principal theme is the coming of the day of the Lord, when God will unleash divine wrath upon the nations, casting them into a tumultuous abyss of suffering and despair. He portrays the stark horror of that ordeal with the same graphic imagery found elsewhere in the books of the prophets. But he also clarifies that God will yet be merciful toward his people; and his mercy will pour forth like a gentle rain as he ends his pronouncements of doom with a positive note.
Sections of the Book:
The book of Zephaniah contains four significant themes:
- Introduction (1:1-3).
- The Day of the Lord (1:4-18).
- God’s Judgment on the Nations (2:1-3:8).
- Redemption (3:9-20).
Messages in Zephaniah:
The central theme of the book of Zephaniah is the Day of the Lord. Zephaniah expounds on two major aspects of this major theme: judgment and restoration. The message is still relevant to the global church of the twenty-first century. The “day of the LORD” is coming, and on that day, all who do not accept Christ as their Savior will face punishment. Those who believe in and accept Christ will receive redemption.
Final thoughts:
And like so many other books in the Bible, we see God’s character on display in this book:
- Judge – 1:2, 3; 2:2; 3:6, 7.
- Just – 3:5.
- Loving – 3:17.
- Wrathful – 1:14-18.
Despite Zephaniah portraying the judgment of God on the people of his time, he only refers to Christ as the “Mighty One” who brings salvation to the earth. We see a connect between Zephaniah and Christ when Christ refers to Zephaniah in Matt 13:41 and Matt 24:29, thus making the connection between Zephaniah and the second coming of Christ.
All Lessons from the Bible
Each book of the Bible contains lessons for us to learn and historical information. We must study God’s Word to see what to do and what not to do in life. Paul reminds us of the importance of the words within the text in 2 Timothy 3.
2 Timothy 3:14-17; “14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Prayer
Please grant me the understanding and knowledge of You and Your word. As I open my Bible to read the scriptures, it gives me wisdom and discernment. And even as I sit and listen to the pastor, preacher or apostle reveal what Your Holy Book is speaking into my life, help me see and understand. Help me know Jesus Christ and how He lived His life so I can follow in His precious footsteps.
Grace and Peace to you,
Yvonne M. Morgan is a Christian #author, #blogger, and #speaker. #BibleGatewayPartner
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Additional Resources:
Good study, Yvonne. I look forward to reading Zephaniah again, this time with more forehand knowledge.
Thank you Priscilla. God bless
I love how we can learn something new every time we read Scripture. 🙂
Amen Melissa. That why I love doing this study. God bless
Thank you for sharing about Zephaniah. I learn so much from your posts and I love Zeph 3:17, a reminder of how mighty our Father is, our protector, and “He rejoices over us!” How humbling is that!
Thank you Katherine. Isn’t that amazing that He rejoices over us. God bless.
I enjoy your format, Yvonne, which leads us to a deeper understanding with an overview of the book. Thanks so much!
Thank you Jeannie. God bless you
As with all your studies, I find a nugget of wisdom to carry with me until I can read that book again and gain a deeper understanding. In this study, my heart is crying out for those who have an opportunity to avoid God’s coming wrath, but have chosen the ways and wiles of the world instead. They can’t let go of a momentary pleasure to accept an eternal joy. Heartbreaking. Always appreciate your posts ma’am. God’s blessings.
So true. Thanks JD and God bless
Powerful! the coming of the day of the Lord is something we all need to focus on and remember. We don’t know the day or the hour. BE READY, we are told.
Yes it is. Thanks Jessica and God bless
Such a powerful prophetic book. I love to see the connections between the Old Testament and New Testament. Thank you, Yvonne!
Thanks Melissa. God bless
Interesting book of the Bible. Thank you, Yvonne.
Zephaniah 3:17 has always been one of my favorite verses:
“The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.” (ESV)
That is a beautiful verse, I can see why it’s a favorite. Thanks for sharing about it Karen. God bless you