Zephaniah Introduction
Introduction
Manasseh was king of Judah during the worst time in Judah’s history. The people treated each other unfairly. They turned away from God to evil ways of worship. And their way of living was very wicked. They were not keeping their agreement with God.
Later, King Manasseh’s grandson Josiah became king. It seems that someone gave a warning to King Josiah and his royal court. They were about to be destroyed. So King Josiah changed things. He led the people of Judah to obey God’s commands. And he led the people of Judah back to the true worship of God. The prophet Zephaniah is the one who gave the warning. Zephaniah was a member of Josiah’s royal court. Zephaniah came from the family line of King Hezekiah. He told the people of Judah that they were in trouble.
The beginning of the book tells us about Zephaniah. No other prophet’s family line is traced back four generations. It was important to know that Zephaniah was related to the famous King Hezekiah. In his time, King Hezekiah had also brought the people back to the true worship of God.
This book is a collection of prophecies. It has three main parts. The first part describes the day of the Lord. Zephaniah said that God’s judgment was coming against the whole earth, and also Judah and Jerusalem. The next part is a call for Judah to repent. That is followed by speeches telling about God’s judgment on the nations. God will also destroy Jerusalem. In the final part Zephaniah gives words of hope to the people of Judah. God will come to them as a Mighty Warrior. He will renew a small group of people from Judah. And he will bring them to a place of honor among the nations.
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Zephaniah Introduction: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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