NextLevel Online: The Book of Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:1-8

Judah heard the judgments against the nations and assumed they were safe. This session shows how Zephaniah turns the spotlight on Jerusalem itself, its officials, prophets, and priests, and God's persistent justice in the midst of corruption.
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Zephaniah 3:1-8

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The vision of Ozark Christian College is to glorify God by evangelizing the lost and edifying Christians worldwide. The mission of Ozark Christian College is to train men and women for Christian service as a degree-granting institution of biblical higher education.

Classroom Instructions

Lesson
15:52Session 4 Video - Zephaniah 3:1-8Session 4 Video - Zephaniah 3:1-8

Session Highlights: As Zephaniah begins chapter 3 he is intentionally ambiguous as to who is the target of this judgment. Judah had heard Zephaniah’s words of judgment against surrounding nations and probably thought they were safe. Zephaniah uses this as a rhetorical device to draw attention to Judah’s judgment. I. The target of judgment is ambiguous: the last city mentioned was Nineveh (1) II. Jerusalem’s disposition changes (2-4) a. Four indictments: i. The first two are general: does not obey, does not accept correction ii. The last two are responses to God: does not trust, does not draw near b. The first four indictments are mirrored by four more indictments: i. The first two are general: officials and rulers ii. The last two are specific: prophets and priests c. When we don’t learn, God saves the longest indictment for his people. i. Jerusalem gets 8 verses compared to 1-4 verses for other nations. ii. This follows the pattern we saw in 1:2-18. III. God’s righteous character vs. Jerusalem’s unrighteous character (5) IV. Why Jerusalem? They’ve seen what God has done (6) V. Jerusalem wasn’t teachable (7-8) a. Waiting on God, in this context, is a negative warning. b. God is gathering nations, and Judah is not spared. Pay attention to God’s warning signs. Questions for Discussion/Reflection:

  1. Zephaniah begins chapter three ambiguously crying “woe to the city of oppressors.” He doesn’t really identify the city. Why do you think he chose ambiguity over clarity in this instance?
  2. In verse 2, Jerusalem receives four indictments (does not obey, does not accept correction, does not trust God, does not draw near to God). If you were to look into the mirror, which one of these indictments would you be most likely to see in yourself and why?
  3. Why do you think people have such a difficult time looking into the spiritual mirror and acknowledging their own spiritual blemishes?
  4. How does knowing God’s character help us better recognize our own character, including our character flaws?
  5. One of Jerusalem’s fatal flaws was her unteachableness. What does it mean to have a teachable spirit?

Zephaniah 3:1-8 Instructions

Lesson
15:52Session 4 Video - Zephaniah 3:1-8Session 4 Video - Zephaniah 3:1-8

Session Highlights: As Zephaniah begins chapter 3 he is intentionally ambiguous as to who is the target of this judgment. Judah had heard Zephaniah’s words of judgment against surrounding nations and probably thought they were safe. Zephaniah uses this as a rhetorical device to draw attention to Judah’s judgment. I. The target of judgment is ambiguous: the last city mentioned was Nineveh (1) II. Jerusalem’s disposition changes (2-4) a. Four indictments: i. The first two are general: does not obey, does not accept correction ii. The last two are responses to God: does not trust, does not draw near b. The first four indictments are mirrored by four more indictments: i. The first two are general: officials and rulers ii. The last two are specific: prophets and priests c. When we don’t learn, God saves the longest indictment for his people. i. Jerusalem gets 8 verses compared to 1-4 verses for other nations. ii. This follows the pattern we saw in 1:2-18. III. God’s righteous character vs. Jerusalem’s unrighteous character (5) IV. Why Jerusalem? They’ve seen what God has done (6) V. Jerusalem wasn’t teachable (7-8) a. Waiting on God, in this context, is a negative warning. b. God is gathering nations, and Judah is not spared. Pay attention to God’s warning signs. Questions for Discussion/Reflection:

  1. Zephaniah begins chapter three ambiguously crying “woe to the city of oppressors.” He doesn’t really identify the city. Why do you think he chose ambiguity over clarity in this instance?
  2. In verse 2, Jerusalem receives four indictments (does not obey, does not accept correction, does not trust God, does not draw near to God). If you were to look into the mirror, which one of these indictments would you be most likely to see in yourself and why?
  3. Why do you think people have such a difficult time looking into the spiritual mirror and acknowledging their own spiritual blemishes?
  4. How does knowing God’s character help us better recognize our own character, including our character flaws?
  5. One of Jerusalem’s fatal flaws was her unteachableness. What does it mean to have a teachable spirit?