ZEPHANIAH LESSON 1
The prophet Zephaniah, who penned this book, was believed to be a
direct descendent from Hezekiah. He prophesied in the urban area. His
prophecy was during the reign of Josiah. Perhaps, his prophecy had
something to do with the revival in the time of Josiah. Zephaniah was
believed to be associated with Huldah, the prophetess, and with
Jeremiah. This book is filled with prophecies of Judgement.
Zephaniah 1:1 "The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the
son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of
Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah."
This verse pinpoints the time of these prophecies as in the time
of King Josiah. This judgement is spoken specifically on Judah, but it
is, also, for all the world, God sends warning to those who are not
faithful to Him. Hizkiah is the same as Hezekiah.
Zephaniah 1:2 "I will utterly consume all [things] from off the
land, saith the LORD."
This is spoken to all the world, as well as to Judah. Isaiah 6:11
"Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be
wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be
utterly desolate," God is very angry with the unfaithful. This is
speaking of a time when desolation is everywhere.
Zephaniah 1:3 "I will consume man and beast; I will consume the
fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the
stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the
land, saith the LORD."
This wrath of God is spoken against man, and all of creation that
God had provided for man, as well. God has been very patient with
mankind, but this speaks of a time when His patience has run out. Once
during the time of Noah, God was sorry that He had ever made man.
Zephaniah 1:4 "I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and
upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant
of Baal from this place, [and] the name of the Chemarims with the
priests;"
"Chemarims" is an idolatrous priest. The "stretching of God's
hand" is showing that His judgement is about to be carried out. The
hand symbolizes work. The judgement is against Judah, and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem. Judgement of a sinful world always begins at
the house of God. "Baal" is a false god they had been worshipping.
Even the priests were involved in this. The temple of God was located
in Jerusalem. They, also, had the law of God to go by, that the
heathen world around them did not. Their sins were with full
knowledge. They were like an unfaithful wife. They had committed
spiritual adultery.
Zephaniah 1:5 "And them that worship the host of heaven upon the
housetops; and them that worship [and] that swear by the LORD, and
that swear by Malcham;"
This is speaking of consulting the stars for answers. We call
this horoscope reading today. They worshipped the sun, moon, and
stars, rather than God who created the sun, moon, and stars. "Malcham"
was the national idol of the Ammonites. This Malcham was the same as
Molech. God's people had stopped looking to God and started
worshipping the false gods of the people around them. The sad thing is
that some of them still went through the formality of worshipping God.
They included God, as if there were many gods. God will not be God to
anyone who has other gods. He will be the only One, or He will not be
your God.
Zephaniah 1:6 "And them that are turned back from the LORD; and
[those] that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired for him."
This is speaking of back-sliders, when it says that are turned
back from God. The last part of this verse, also, speaks of those who
have never sought God at all. They are not interested in hearing about
God. I guess they would be atheists, who do not believe God exists.
In very plain language, they are the lost.
Zephaniah 1:7 "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD:
for the day of the LORD [is] at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a
sacrifice, he hath bid his guests."
Romans 9:20 "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against
God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou
made me thus?" The sacrifice that God prepared for all of us was
Jesus who was the perfect Lamb sacrifice. He provided salvation to all
who would believe. God invited the Jews to come to the feast, but they
did not. Then God sent to the Gentiles, and offered the gift of
salvation to them. Matthew 22:10 "So those servants went out into the
highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad
and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests." God would have
His house full.
Zephaniah 1:8 "And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S
sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children,
and all such as are clothed with strange apparel."
We see in the following Scripture, that those who try to get to
heaven by ways other than those God has chosen have a very hard time.
Jesus is the way. To Go before God with any garment, other than the
robe of righteousness Jesus provides all believers, is dangerous.
Matthew 22:11 "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw
there a man which had not on a wedding garment:" Matthew 22:12 "And he
saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding
garment? And he was speechless." Matthew 22:13 "Then said the king to
the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast
[him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth." Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few [are] chosen."
Zephaniah 1:9 "In the same day also will I punish all those that
leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence
and deceit."
This "leaping on the threshhold" could be several things. There
was a worship of a false god, that made them jump the threshhold, when
they entered. The other meaning could be, they went into homes as a
burglur. I personally believe this is speaking of those who try to get
into heaven by some other way than through Jesus. John 10:1 "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the
sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber." John 10:2 "But he that entereth in by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep." John 10:9 "I am the door: by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture."
Zephaniah 1:10 "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the
LORD, [that there shall be] the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and
an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills."
The fish gate was in the northern wall, and was a gate where the
fishermen brought their fish to the market. There was usually a fish
market just inside the gate. The army, that came to attack them, would
have an easier chance to get in at this gate. We know in some of the
other prophetic books, the enemy was supposed to come from the North.
This would be the logical gate for them to enter. The enemy will come
crashing into Jerusalem.
Zephaniah 1:11 "Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the
merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off."
"Maktesh" means her that is broken down. This was, probably, a
valley that the enemy entered by. This was, possibly, the route the
merchant people from the North used to enter the city. They would be
the first cut off. Those that bear silver are the wealthier of the
merchant tradesmen.
Zephaniah 1:12 "And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I
will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are
settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do
good, neither will he do evil."
"Lees" means settlings. These are a people who have given up on
God. They are so complacent they do not believe good, or evil, of God.
They are very much like agnostics who have no mind set at all. They
have hidden in every conceivable place to keep from being found of
those who will destroy. They cannot hide from God. The Light reveals
all. They will be found and dealt with. Many of them will die where
they are found. No evil-doer can escape the Light of God. They have
not directly come out against religion, but they have great doubts in
their hearts that God exists. These people believe in luck, not in
divine providence.
Zephaniah 1:13 "Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and
their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not
inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine
thereof."
They had trusted in their earthly wealth, and now, that is gone.
They built fine houses to live in, but will not get to live in them.
They will either die in the attack, or be carried off captives to
Babylon. Someone else will benefit from their work.
Zephaniah 1:14 "The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it is]
near, and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD:
the mighty man shall cry there bitterly."
Zephaniah has told of all who will suffer under this judgement of
God for their sins of idolatry. Now, he emphasizes the nearness of
this judgement being carried out. Isaiah 13:6 "Howl ye; for the day
of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the
Almighty." The great day of the LORD could easily be the time of
judgement God brought upon Judah by the Babylonians. It can, also, be
the time when God brings judgement upon any people. There is a great
day coming in our lifetime that is speaking of the second coming of
the Lord. The mighty men will have no more protection than anyone else
in the day that God judges them. They are no match for God.
Zephaniah 1:15 "That day [is] a day of wrath, a day of trouble
and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and
gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,"
This is certainly speaking of that great day, when the end of the
Gentile age comes. It is, also, speaking of that day when the
Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and Judah. Revelation 6:17 "For the
great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;" Mark 13:24 "But in those days, after that
tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give
her light,"
Zephaniah 1:16 "A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced
cities, and against the high towers."
The trumpet was blown to gather the people, and for war. The high
towers were the places where the soldiers tried to ward off the
attack. In this day, that will do no good. They cannot fight God.
Numbers 10:9 "And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that
oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye
shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved
from your enemies." I Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
Zephaniah 1:17 "And I will bring distress upon men, that they
shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD:
and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the
dung."
They were walking like blind men, because they knew not where to
go for safety. There was no escape. They have waited too late to
repent. Deuteronomy 28:28 "The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and
blindness, and astonishment of heart:" II Corinthians 4:4 "In whom
the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe
not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine unto them." Their blindness is of a spiritual
nature. They are worthless, because they have sinned against God, and
not repented. Their fate is death, and then hell.
Zephaniah 1:18 "Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able
to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land
shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even
a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land."
They cannot buy off the enemy with their silver and gold. The
enemy will get all of that anyway. Fire is a way of purging. They will
be purged by the fire of God. The earth will experience the very same
thing at the end of the age. The earth will be destroyed by fire.
Silver and gold will not be able to help in that day. Those, who trust
in silver and gold to save them, will be disappointed. The only safety
from the wrath of God is the blood of Jesus. I Thessalonians 1:10 "And
to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even]
Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." Those, who put
their faith and trust in Jesus, will experience tribulation, but will
be saved from the wrath of God. The wrath of God is for the
unbelievers.
Zephaniah 1 Questions
1. Zephaniah was believed to be a descendent from ___________.
2. Where did Zephaniah prophesy?
3. Who was reigning when Zephaniah prophesied?
4. What prophetess was Zephaniah associated with?
5. Who was a prophet he was associated with?
6. The judgement is spoken specifically to _________.
7. Quote Isaiah chapter 6 verse 11.
8. The wrath of God is spoken on man and __________.
9. Name one time, when God was sorry He had made man.
10. What are chemarims?
11. What is shown by the "stretching of God's hand"?
12. The "hand" symbolizes _________.
13. Where does judgement of a sinful world always begin?
14. Who is "Baal"?
15. What advantages did Judah have over the world around them?
16. Their sins were with full _____________.
17. Who are those who worship the host of heaven?
18. What do we call it today?
19. Who was "Malcham"?
20. The first part of verse 6 is speaking of whom.
21. What would you call those who have never sought God at all?
22. Quote Romans chapter 9 verse 20.
23. Who was the sacrifice mentioned in verse 7?
24. Who was salvation first offered to?
25. Who is the Way to heaven?
26. What happened to the man who did not have on a wedding garment?
27. What is "leaping on the threshold" referring to?
28. Quote John chapter 10 verse 1.
29. Where was the fish gate located?
30. What does "Maktesh" mean?
31. Verse 12 says, He will search Jerusalem with _________.
32. What does "lees" mean?
33. What are they really saying, when they say, God will do no good,
or evil?
34. What is Zephaniah emphasizing in verse 14?
35. What does the author believe the great day of the LORD to be?
36. Quote Revelation chapter 6 verse 17.
37. Quote Romans chapter 1 verse 18.
38. What was the trumpet blown for?
39. Quote 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 52.
40. The distress will be so great, they will walk as ________ men.
41. Quote Dueteronomy chapter 28 verse 28.
42. Who has blinded the minds of them which believe not?
43. They cannot buy off the enemy with ________ and ______.
44. Quote 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10.
45. Those, who put their faith and trust in Jesus, will experience
______________, but will be saved from the _________ of _____.
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