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ZEPHANIAH

INTRODUCTION

The reign of King Manasseh of Judah was the time of greatest corruption, injustice and paganism in Judah’s history. But Manasseh’s grandson King Josiah reasserted the nation’s faith and obedience to God and its independence from foreign empires. One reason for this seems to be that a member of his court stood up and warned that Judah’s breaking of the covenant had led it to the brink of destruction. The person who offered this warning was the prophet Zephaniah.

 

The book’s prologue identifies Zephaniah as the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah. No other prophet’s ancestry is traced back four generations, so this seems intended to associate Zephaniah with the great reforming king of Judah. It is likely that Zephaniah was of royal blood, since he was familiar with particular districts in Jerusalem and with specific activities in the capital.

 

This collection of prophecies has three main parts. First is a description of the day of the Lord that is coming against Judah and Jerusalem. Next is a call for national repentance, along with oracles of destruction against the Philistines, Moabites, Cushites (Ethiopians), Assyrians and Jerusalem itself. In the final section, Zephaniah promises that God will restore a humble remnant when he returns as a Mighty Warrior among his people.

 

www.bible.com/zh-TW/bible/111/ZEP.INTRO1.NIV

 

Zephaniah 1 (ESV)

1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah…

 

14 The great day of the Lord is near,

near and hastening fast;

the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;

the mighty man cries aloud there.

15 A day of wrath is that day,

a day of distress and anguish,

a day of ruin and devastation,

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities

and against the lofty battlements.

 

17 I will bring distress on mankind,

so that they shall walk like the blind,

because they have sinned against the Lord;

their blood shall be poured out like dust,

and their flesh like dung.

18 Neither their silver nor their gold

shall be able to deliver them

on the day of the wrath of the Lord.

In the fire of his jealousy,

all the earth shall be consumed;

for a full and sudden end

he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

 

REFLECTION:

• History tells us that during Josiah’s reign, he carried out religious reforms to revive the southern kingdom, but Zephaniah pointed out the many sins of Judah in this book. One possible reason is that the prophet sent a message before the reform to prepare the determination for everyone to participate in the reform.
• Zephaniah kept mentioning a special day, which was described as a day of “wrath”, “distress”, “ruin and devastation”, “darkness and gloom, clouds and thick darkness”, “trumpet blast and battle cry”, “the wrath of the Lord,” (15-18) and is the days that make people frighten. It is generally believed that it refers to the day when God executes the judgment, and sin must be punished. The fall of Israel and Judah can be said to be a preliminary experience of the severity of God’s judgment, and until the end, sin will be completely destroyed. God has shown His majesty time and time again in history and cannot tolerate the rampage of evil, but the world has not repented because of this, and even more unceasingly rebelled against God and rejected God. Their suffering has been destined.
• However, before the day of the Lord, people can still have the opportunity to repent and live; the church has actually become the prophet of this age today. Let us proclaim with one heart to call the sinners to repent, so that they will not fall into the punishment of God’s wrath.

 

PRAYER:

Lord, please forgive my sins because of Your love, and ignite the mission of the gospel in the church, so that I can work hard to preach the gospel for You, and lead more people to You before You come again.

 

HYMN:

 

The Mission – youtu.be/W0UPlr0B798