Zephaniah 1:1

CHAPTER XX

JUDGEMENT OF GOD

SALUTATION. Zephaniah 1:1

RV. The word of Jehovah which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
LXX. The word of the Lord which came to Sophonias the son of Chusi, the son of Godolias, the son of Amorias, the son of Ezekias, in the days of Josias son of Amon, king of Judah.

COMMENTS

As in other prophetic writings, Zephaniah's opening verse leaves no room for doubt as to the origin of his message. He does not describe his call, as does Isaiah, nor claim to have seen a vision, as, for example, Nahum. But the claim to inspiration is never in doubt.
It is not in the scope of this work to prove the validity of this claim. The reader is referred to the Moody Press (1963) publication, Can I Trust The Bible, edited by Howard F. Vos for an excellent series of treatises on the subject as it pertains to the entire Bible.

We shall simply proceed on the presupposition that Zephaniah was among those described by Peter as men (who) spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21)

The prophet's opening words the word of Jehovah are calculated to establish the authority of what he is about to say. He claims royal lineage and has easy access to the courts of Judah, but these ate not the authority to which he appeals. He will write down the word of Jehovah God.
Zephaniah identifies himself as son of Cushi. of Gedaliah. of Amariah. of Hezekiah. We know virtually nothing of either Cushi or Gedaliah or Amariah. The important name here is Hezekiah, the last God-fearing king of Judah prior to Josiah with whom Zephaniah is contemporary. (See introductory Chapter 19 for discussion of ancestry and date of Zephaniah.)

Chapter XXQuestions

Judgement of God

1.

Discuss Zephaniah's claim to inspiration.

2.

Trace the idea of judgement by fire.

3.

What are the stumbling blocks which cause man to sin? (Zephaniah 1:3)

4.

Who are the hosts of heaven on the housetops?

5.

Discuss the religious syncretism of Zephaniah's day as seen in Judah's compromise with strange gods as it typlifies modern religious syncretism.

6.

Who will likely be most surprised by God's judgement? (Zephaniah 1:6)

7.

Discuss Zephaniah's pronouncement of judgement against Judah in light of the principle set down in 1 Peter 4:17.

8.

Who are those clothed in foreign apparel? (Zephaniah 1:8)

9.

Who are those that leap over the threshold? (Zephaniah 1:9)

10.

When the invading Babylonians came against Jerusalem they came from the ___________________.

11.

Discuss I will search with lamps. (Zephaniah 1:12)

12.

Were the apostles and the prophets mistaken as to the soon coming of the final Day of the Lord? Explain,

13.

How do you reconcile the wrath of God and the love of God?

14.

God's threatenings are always a call to ___________________.

15.

Who are the meek?

16.

Meekness is _______________ ___________________.