Reading Through The Bible - ZEPHANIAH

Some Books of the bible are very short and some are very long but this one is one of the shortest.

ZEPHANIAH  -  OLD TESTAMENT  -  PROPHECY

36th book of the OT 

36th book of the Bible

It starts with a declaration that this is the Word of the Lord which came through Zephaniah as we see in chapter 1 v 1

What is it?

The Book of Zephaniah is one of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament which means it is Prophecy.

It is the 9th out of the 12 minor prophets.

How Long is it?

It has 3 chapters.

When was it Written?

It is was written between 635 & 625 BC

Because ch. 1 v 1 gives us a good deal of detail about Zephaniah the historians can be more sure of the timescale for this book.

"The word of the Lord which came to 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."

Who Wrote it?

Zephaniah

The name Zephaniah means "Treasured by God"

The first verse of this book tells us who Zephaniah was

"....... Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah ........."

Teach Sunday School  tells us the following

"Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah, the king of Judah from 640 to 609 BC"

The Overview Bible  tells us the following

"Zephaniah was probably a contemporary of Habakkuk, Nahum, and Jeremiah."

"The punishment that he foretells plays out in the books of Kings, Chronicles and Jeremiah."

  

Who was it Written to?

The people of Judah.

The Overview Bible  tells us the following

"Like the book of Joel, Zephaniah takes a “bad news first” approach: he begins with the coming destruction of Jerusalem, discusses the downfall and restoration of the outside nations, and finishes with the promise that Judah and Israel will be restored.”

Why was it Written? 

It was written as a warning about the Day of the Lord 

The Overview Bible  tells us the following

"Zephaniah preached his message during the rule of King Josiah, who had initiated religious reform in all of Judah and some surrounding territories. At this time, the nation as a whole was obeying God’s laws and turning from idols (2 Chr 34:33). Since the land was obeying God, one might ask, “Whom was Zephaniah warning, then?”

His warnings seem to better resonate with the next generation of Judah. After Josiah dies in battle, his sons take the throne for 22 years. They disobey the Lord, they stir up trouble with Babylon, and they disregard the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 36:27–29; 37:1–2). Plus, the priests and citizens defile God’s temple (2 Chr 36:14). 

In light of this, Zephaniah’s message makes sense. "

What is notable about this book? 

Zephaniah mentions the "Day of the Lord" more than any other Old Testament Prophet. 

How does it end?

Although the main emphasis throughout is of warning of what will happen in the Day of the Lord in chapter 3 we do see some exhortation that God is not wrecking only vengeance but that He loves His people especially in verse 17

 

What format does this book take? 

The Overview Bible  tells us the following 

1. Desolation and discipline on Judah (Zep 1)
2. Desolation on the surrounding nations (Zep 2)
3. The Lord’s remnant from the nations (Zep 3:1–11)
4. The Lord’s remnant from Israel (Zep 3:12–20)

You can also see my Pastor's  Bible Study video on Zephaniah

OTHER BOOKS OF THE BIBLE ARE ADDED REGULARLY AND AN UPDATED LIST CAN BE FOUND AT OUR READING THE BIBLE PAGE 

Reading Through the Bible - NAHUM

Some Books of the bible are very short and some are very long but this one is one of the shortest.

NAHUM  -  OLD TESTAMENT  -  PROPHECY

34th book of the OT 

34th book of the Bible

It starts with the Greatness of God 

and continues with the Goodness of God.

It is always good to be reminded of the attributes of God. 

What is it?

The Book of Nahum is one of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament which means it is Prophecy.

How Long is it?

It has 3 chapters.

When was it Written?

It is generally thought to have been written in 650 BC

Who Wrote it?

Nahum

The second part of the very first verse tells us who Nahum was

"The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite."

Presumably this word "Elkoshite" refers to his birthplace or homeplace. 

Bible Gateway tells us the following

"It prob. refers to a place, but if so, the place is unknown."

Who was it about?

It was written about the people of Ninevah as we see in

 chapter 2 verse 8:

 "Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water,
Now they flee away."

Why was it Written? 

It was written to tell of God's judgement on Ninevah the capital of Assyria.  

The same city that Jonah had been sent to and the people repented but later they had gone back to their old ways. 

The Overview Bible  tells us the following

"Nahum foretells of God’s judgment on Nineveh, the capital of Assyria."

which is stated in the first part of the first verse 

Teach Sunday School  tells us the following

"... almost exclusively focuses on God's pending judgement against Ninevah .....the nation that had invaded and destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel nearly a hundred years earlier."

What structure does this book take?

The Overview Bible  gives us a quick outline

1. The Lord: Nineveh’s vengeful enemy (Nah 1)
2. The siege of Nineveh (Nah 2)
3. The inevitable judgment of God (Nah 3)

What is important to take away from this book?

 

The view of the nature of God in chapter 1 v 3

What other books of the Bible have something in common to Nahum?

• Jonah also prophesied about Nineveh
• Obadiah was also written to a foreign country

How does it end?

With a direct warning to the King of Assyria in chapter 3 v 18

 "Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria;
Your nobles rest in the dust.
Your people are scattered on the mountains,
And no one gathers them.

OTHER BOOKS OF THE BIBLE ARE ADDED REGULARLY AND AN UPDATED LIST CAN BE FOUND AT OUR READING THE BIBLE PAGE 

Reading Through the Bible - JOEL

Some Books of the bible are very short and some are very long but this one is one of the shortest.

JOEL  -  OLD TESTAMENT  -  PROPHECY

29th book of the OT 

29th book of the Bible

It starts with a straight announcement in the first verse stating that it is the word of the Lord through Joel. 

So in other words  "take heed"  or   "pay attention".

What is it?

The Book of Joel is one of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament which means it is Prophecy.

How Long is it?

It has 3 chapters.

Who Wrote it?

Joel

The first verse tells us who Joel was

"The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel"

 

He was the son of someone called Pethuel but it gives us no indication who Pethuel was.

The Overview Bible  tells us the following

"Joel is the second minor prophet, who ministered to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. We don’t know much about him, and we don’t know much about how his message was received."

When was it Written?

It is difficult to get a true timeframe for this book as there is very little information in it about Joel.

Who was it Written to?

Nothing is mentioned about the people Joel was prophesying to in the whole of the first 2 chapters.

We see in some verses in chapter 3 that it was to the people of Judah.

Teach Sunday School  tells us the following

"The problem dating the book of Joel comes through the fact that the prophet has very little to say about himself.  Many of the prophets name the kings under which they were serving, but Joel does not"

What destructive creature dominates the first part of this book?

The locust.

Why was it Written? 

It was written because God want to send a distinct message to the people.

Verse 13 of chapter 2 tells us God wanted the people to repent

  

The Overview Bible  tells us the following

"Joel explains to the people what the Lord wants from them: repentance. The Lord would soon have His day, both with Judah and the whole world. Joel’s message has two strong points:

• God is judging Judah, but He will bless and restore them again when they repent.
• God will judge all the nations on Judah’s behalf."

Teach Sunday School  tells us the following

"Joel prophesied about destruction ............  He also prophsied about the Day of the Lord .......... and therefore some of his prophecies remain futuristic."

 

What does Joel state that is also good news?

The people can be glad because God has done marvelous things as this verse tells us.

The Overview Bible  tells us the following

God disciplines His people, but He also defends them. Joel says that although Judah is under God’s wrath right now, in the future holds many exciting things for the people of God:

• The Lord will pour out His Spirit on all mankind.
• Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered.
• The Lord will avenge Judah of her enemies.
• Judah will again become a land of plenty.

What structure does this book take?

Chapter 1:   

•  Locusts

Chapter 2: 

•  Day of the Lord.
•  Promised Deliverance
•  Promise of the Spirit

Chapter 3:

•  Judgement of the Nations
•  Blessing of Judah

The Overview Bible  gives us a quick outline

• God judges Judah (Joel 1–2)
  1. God sends a plague of locusts on Judah (Joel 1:1–2:11)
  2. God calls Judah to repent (Joel 2:12–17)
  3. God promises to restore Judah from the plague (Joel 2:18–27)
• God judges the nations (Joel 2:28–3:21)
  1. God promises to pour out His Spirit on all mankind (Joel 2:28–29)
  2. God provides opportunity to repent before the day of the Lord (Joel 2:30–32)
  3. God judges the nations on behalf of Judah (Joel 3)

OTHER BOOKS OF THE BIBLE ARE ADDED REGULARLY AND AN UPDATED LIST CAN BE FOUND AT OUR READING THE BIBLE PAGE