Zephaniah - A Neo-Babylonian Prophet

The transcription is a discussion about the book of Zephaniah and its main themes. It provides background information about the reigns of King Hezekiah, Manasseh, Ammon, and Josiah, and discusses their actions and the consequences of their actions. The main point of Zephaniah is that the day of the Lord is coming, and judgment will be brought upon Judah and the surrounding nations. However, there is also hope for salvation and instructions for the Lord's people to seek righteousness and humility. The book ends with a reminder that the Lord will bring his people home and that we can hope in his forgiveness and blessings. Hello ladies and welcome to the AmazingBible.book club, I'm Julie Callio your host and thanks so very much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me you can do that at vab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are looking at the minor prophet of Zephaniah chapter 1 verse 1 tells us the word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedalia, the son of Amaria, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah, son of Amun, king of Judah. Josiah's reign is told in 2 Kings chapters 22 and 23 and 2 Chronicles chapters 34 and 35. With the background to his reign we will go to King Hezekiah in 2 Kings chapters 18-20. There is debate as to if that means Zephaniah was related to the royal family as a descendant of Hezekiah. But with King Hezekiah he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and it was during his reign that Assyria after wiping out the northern ten tribes of Israel had come to wipe out Jerusalem and Judah. But because the Assyrians blasphemed the Lord and because Hezekiah humbled himself before the Lord and because he sought the Lord by seeking the prophet Isaiah the Lord protected him and Assyria ran home never to come back to Judah. It was also at the end of Hezekiah's reign that a group from Babylon came because they had heard he had been sick and had been healed. The king was so thrilled that these men from the north had come that he showed them everything in his kingdom. Isaiah came and told them that because he had done that the Babylonians would come and take everything that he had shown them plus take his own descendants back to Babylon. But it would not happen in his lifetime which pleased Hezekiah. Once he died Manasseh became king and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. His actions were worse than the pagan nations. He brought the idolatry of Baal and Asherah back into the land like the wicked king Ahab had done in Israel. Second Kings chapter 21 verse 6 says he sacrificed his own son in the fire practiced sorcery and divination and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord provoking him to anger. He brought these idols into the temple and he added to that the worship of the sun, moon and stars. The Lord brought prophets to him but the king would not listen and verse 16 of chapter 1 says moreover Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end beside the sin that he had caused Judah to commit so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. History says that Manasseh killed Isaiah by cutting him in half but the Bible itself does not say that. He may have also shed innocent blood of other prophets as well. When he died his son Ammon took over and he also did evil in the eyes of the Lord. When he died the people placed Josiah as king and he was only 8 years old. He reigned for 31 years and he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. In Kings chapter 22 verse 2 says he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David not turning aside to the right or to the left. During his 18th year of his reign he started to repair the temple of the Lord which was when they found a book of the law. When those words were read to the king he repented and began the process of removing all the idolatry in the land. The word of the Lord came to King Josiah through the prophetess Huldah that the Lord was bringing disaster to Judah but because the king's heart was responsive and because he humbled himself before the Lord this disaster would not come until after he died. After hearing this word King Josiah did not stop as a leader of the Lord's people he desired for them to also repent and turn back to the Lord. He had the book of the law read to the people. He had the people pledged to the covenant of the Lord. He tore down all the idols in the land and he killed all the false prophets and mediums and spiritists and anyone related to the worship of false gods. He even went up into the northern tribes to the old capital of Israel Samaria and cleared out the false idols and worship places there. Once the cleansing was done he then followed the book of the covenant and reinstated the Passover. Second Kings chapter 23 verses 25 through 27 tell us neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who trusted in the Lord as he did with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength in accordance with all the law of Moses. Nevertheless the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger. So the Lord said I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel and I will reject Jerusalem the city I chose and this temple about which I said there shall my name be. Now the word of the Lord which came through Zephaniah came during the reign of King Josiah. We do not know if it happened before during or after Josiah did the reformation of the land but what we do know is that destruction is still coming. See Hassel Bullock said in his book an introduction to the Old Testament prophetic books. The book is composed of two major sections. The first chapter 1 verse 2 through chapter 3 verse 8 largely made up of oracles against Judah and foreign nations is held together by the opening prophecy of universal judgment in chapter 1 verses 2 and 3 and a concluding word of world punishment chapter 3 verse 8. He goes on to explain that in the middle chapter 2 verse 11 it talks of the inclusion and conversion of the Gentiles that verse says the Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the land the nations on every shore will worship him everyone in its own land. Then the book ends with promises of salvation to the nations and to Judah starting in chapter 3 verse 9 to the end of the book. Bullock quoted a book called the minor prophets by Pusey and said of Zephaniah he prophesies of what shall be not when it shall be nor by whom and Bullock also said any nation opposed to Israel's God was slated for judgment especially a nation that had so blatantly defied Yahweh's people and his sovereign rule of the world. The main point of Zephaniah is that the day of the Lord is coming and let me read the references found throughout this little book chapter 1 verse 7 for the day of the Lord is near chapter 1 verse 8 and 9 and 10 on that day on that day on that day chapter 1 verse 12 at that time chapter 1 verse 14 the great day of the Lord is near chapter 1 verse 15 alone it says that day will be a day of wrath a day of distress and anguish a day of trouble and ruin a day of darkness and gloom a day of clouds and blackness and then verse 16 a day of trumpet and battle cry verse 18 on the day of the Lord's wrath chapter 2 verse 2 that day and the day of the Lord's wrath chapter 2 verse 3 on the day of the Lord's anger chapter 3 verse 16 on that day and chapter 3 verse 19 at that time and chapter 3 verse 20 at that time even though the Lord does not name who will punish Judah as Bullock said yet there is no question about the power that moves that foe it is Yahweh himself end of quote throughout the book the Lord says I will or declares the Lord or in chapter 2 verse 5 the word of the Lord is against you judgment was coming upon Judah because of their sin of idolatry and immorality which came at its peak with the leadership of King Manasseh but judgment also was coming for the nation surrounding Israel and Judah as Bullock said any nation opposed to Israel's God was slated for judgment especially a nation that had so blatantly defied Yahweh's people and his sovereign rule of the world yet interwoven in this book of judgment as always there is hope for salvation and there are things that the Lord's people are to do chapter 1 verse 7 be silent before the sovereign Lord for the day of the Lord is near chapter 2 verse 1 gather together gather together Oh shameful nation in chapter 2 verse 3 there are three things 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 in chapter 3 verse 8 it says therefore wait for me declares the Lord for the day I will stand up to testify that makes me think of Habakkuk another neo Babylonian prophet who also spoke of Babylon coming and in Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 3 it says for the revelation awaits an appointed time it speaks of the end and will not prove false though it linger wait for it it will clearly come and will not delay what I like about Zephaniah is that the Lord says to wait for me wait for me the Lord is present in that day of the Lord Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 9 we are called to do two things then will I purify the lips of the people that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder chapter 3 verse 12 says we are to be meek and humble and we are to trust in the name of the Lord verse 13 we are to do no wrong speak no lies and no deceit will be found in our mouths verse 14 says sing oh daughter of Zion shout aloud oh Israel be glad and rejoice with all of your heart oh daughter of Jerusalem we can do that because the day of the Lord's wrath is toward those who do not follow the Lord but for his children that love him verse 17 says the Lord your God is with you he is mighty to save he will take great delight in you he will quiet you with his love he will rejoice over you with singing then the book ends with a reminder that the Lord will bring his people home ladies for those who have their faith in the Lord and now since we know the New Testament it is through Jesus Christ our Lord even if the world gets really messed up this book reminds us that we can hope in the Lord's forgiveness we can hope in the Lord's deliverance we can hope in the future blessings of the Lord we can rest in God's security and his peace and we can enjoy God's presence thank you Dr. Betts as we are silent before him as we gather together as we seek the Lord as we seek righteousness and humility as we wait for the Lord as we serve him shoulder to shoulder with other believers as we trust in the Lord we can sing and shout be glad and rejoice because the Lord is faithful and he keeps his word and he plans to bring us home to him Jesus said in the New Testament in the gospel of John chapter 14 verses 1 through 3 do not let your hearts be troubled trust in God trust also in me in my father's house are many rooms if it were not so I would have told you I am going there to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am the God of Zephaniah said wait for me and Jesus the son of God said to wait for me for I am coming to get you to be with me ladies thanks for listening and may we trust in the Lord Jesus until that time