The Book of Zephaniah, or to little to late. Also called, “
The Day of the Lord.” Lesson 9 The Minor Prophets by Lane

2. Background

A. Political – in Judah

a. Good King Hezekiah succeeded by his son bad Kind Manasseh, a boy of twelve years. The heathen party (much like today) assumed control of the government (2 Chron. 33: 1-9; 2 Kings 21: 1-16). Later Manasseh repented without saving the nation ( 2 Chron. 33:10- 20).

b. Amon who followed after Manasseh, was also wicked (named after an Egyptian god) (2 Chron. 33: 21-245).

c. Josiah, the last good king of Judah, came to the throne at the age of eight, sought God at 15

began to reform the land at 20 completed the reform at 26. It was after this that Zephaniah

prophesied. He was killed by Pharoah-Necche at Megiddo (the Battle of Armageddon) in his one act of rebellion against God.

B. Political – in the East

a. Israel had fallen to Assyria and had been carried away captive.

b. In 625 Nabopolassar established Babylon as a separate nation and began his battle with

Assyria.

c. In 612, Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar, defeated the Assyrian empire and destroyed the great city of Nineveh.

d. No doubt it was the rise of Babylon to power that gave occasion for the prophecy of Zephaniah.

C . Religious and Moral

a. Sweeping religious and moral reforms took place in the day of Josiah.

b. Yet, although reform had restored the ritual the people worshiped only externally.

c. Social injustice and moral corruption were widespread.

d. Luxury and extravagance were seen on every hand.

3. Outline of the Book

A. Threating and judgment – chapter 1

B. Warning and Admonition – chapter 2

C. Encouragement and Promise – chapter 3

4. The Sins of Judah

A. Religious syncretism.

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a. Baal, 1:4

b. Milcam, 1:5

c. Host of Heaven, 1:5

B. Wearing of foreign apparel, 1:8.

C. Leaping over the threshold (robbery), 1-9

D. Fraud and Violence

E. Prophet, Priest, and Judge are violent and wanton, 3: 3-4

F. Indifference; they considered God as uninterested in human behavior; 1:12.

G. A refusal to receive correction, 3: 2,7.

5. The teaching of the book.

A. The day of YHWH: is near (1:14). Is a day of terror (1:15-16). Comes as judgment for sin (1:17). Falls upon all creation: man and beast, Hebrew and Gentile (1:2, 3; 2:1 -15; 3:8).

B. The constant necessity of warning (1:14-16).

C. The necessity of Moral sifting (3:14-20).

D. The Spiritual nature of God's Kingdom (3:14-20).

6. Great passages in Zephaniah

A. 1:14-18 – Description of the Day of YHWH

B. 2:3 – What to seek – Pathway to safety.

a. YHWH

b. Righteousness.

c. Meekness

C. 3:1- The opposite of Micah 6:2.

D. 3:3-4 – Description of the Messiah's Kingdom.

a. From all nations with one purpose, 9-10 (Ephesians 2:11-22)

b. Restored, cleansed, sanctified, 11-13 ( 1 Corinthians 6:10-11).

c. Comforted and exalted, 14-20 ( 1 Peter 5:10; 2 Tim 2:11-13; Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 3: 14-21).

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7. Practical lessons of permanent value.

A. One becomes like the God he worships.

B. Earnest warning is needed to draw us back to the presence of God.

C. God gives assurance that humble seekers will be safe in the day of judgment.

D. God's ministers should put strong emphasis on the spiritual nature of the the kingdom.

E. God's purpose is not vengeance but to cleanse and refine and save those who will allow Him

to save them.

An Outline of Zephaniah:

1. Judgment upon the whole world – Judah in particular, 1:2-19.

A. A world judgment, vs. 2-6

a. Prelude: Judgment on the whole world vs. 2-3.

b. Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem for idolatry vs. 4-6.

B. Judgment on sinners of every rank, vs. 7-13.

a. On princes, vs. 7-8.

b. On thieves (or idolaters), v. 9.

c. On indifferent and wealthy, vs. 12-13.

C. The imminence and terrible nature of the judgment, vs. 14-18.

a. Imminent, v. 14.

b. A terrible dark day, vs. 15-17.

c. There shall be no deliverance, v. 18.

2. Exhortation to repentance and to perseverance, 2: 1-3: 8.

A. Call to repentance and to seek to Lord, that they may be hidden from the day of the Lord : 2: 1- 3: 8.

B. Reason: God will judge the nations near and far, 2: 4-15.

(1) Judgment upon the nations that are near, vs. 4-11.

a. On Philistia, vs. 4-7.

b. On Moab and Ammon. vs. 8-10.

c. On all the gods of the earth v. 11.

(2) Judgment on powerful nations afar, vs. 12-15.

a. On Ethiopia, v. 13

b. On Assyria and Nineveh, vs. 13-15.

C. If God will punish the heathen, He will not spare Judah, 3: 1-8.

(1) Woe to the polluted city – classes of sinners and sin. vs. 1-7.

a. Princes, judges, prophets, priests . vs. 1-4.

b. YHWH'S constant reminder of His sovereignty, vs. 5-7.

(2) God has called. They have refused, therefore woe! v. 8.

3. Salvation and glorification for the remnant, after the judgment, 3: 9-20.

A. From among the heathen shall come God's remnant, vs. 9-10.

B. Israel restored shall be cleansed and sanctified, vs. 11-13.

C. Israel comforted and exalted to honor, vs. 14-20.