Zephaniah | Resources
Introduction to Zephaniah
The prophet Zephaniah focuses on the need to live in righteousness before God. Of all the prophets, Zephaniah probably gave the most forceful description of judgment, but he also lifted up the possibility of restoration for those who repented and turned to righteousness.
Gregory W. Parsons, “Zephaniah,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1435.
Memory Verse
“The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (CSB)
Bible Reading
Take time to engage with God’s Word this week. Answer these questions: What is the main idea of this passage? What’s something that stood out? How does this passage point to Jesus? How can I live out what I read?
– Day 1 — Zephaniah 1
– Day 2 — Zephaniah 2
– Day 3 — Zephaniah 3
– Day 4 — Zephaniah 1–3
– Day 5 — Revelation 14
Discussion/Reflection Questions
1) Summarize the story that is being told.
2) If God were to identify the idols in our culture today, what would they be?
3) What does it look like today to live holy lives in a world that disregards God? What aspects of culture can we help redeem, and what aspects should we avoid involvement in?
4) What does this book teach us about God, ourselves, or the gospel?
5) How is the Holy Spirit prompting you to repent or obey?
Devotional
Growing up in Tornado Alley, it wasn’t uncommon to hear warning sirens going off in the spring and summer. Sometimes they were false alarms, producing a tendency to ignore them in the future. Other times, though, they truly meant we should take cover immediately. Today, weather forecasting is big business as companies even exist that will sell data, purportedly allowing you to prepare months in advance for significant weather events. Advanced warnings are reasonable, but meteorologists can’t give us solutions and outcomes to accompany the warnings.
Much of the book of Zephaniah consists of God’s warnings to the nation of Judah. Following the reign of several evil kings, wickedness and apostasy were the norm. It doesn’t take much of a leap to recognize similarities between Zephaniah’s description of Judah and our current culture. As in verse 3:2, we also have not obeyed, accepted discipline, trusted in, or drawn near to the Lord. The warning is unambiguous – separation, punishment, and despair.
While just, though, our God is also loving and gives us a solution and an outcome. Verse 2:3 sums up the solution in three words – Seek the Lord. In the storms of life, we don’t just have to run away from the dark clouds of sin but can also run to the light of Jesus. The outcome is also clear, as articulated in verses 3:9-20 – restoration. Our punishment will be removed, and our relationship with our Creator will be renewed.
In your life, where are the areas that you trust or participate in the ways of the world? When you hear sirens going off, don’t treat them as false alarms. Instead, take cover by seeking the Lord. As written in the last sentence of Zephaniah, “The Lord has spoken.” He has spoken a warning, but also a solution and an outcome.