Days of Wrath and Hope—Zephaniah 1:1–3:20
Topics: Future, God, Humility, Idolatry, Insults, Joy, Mourning, People, Promises, Prophecy, Protection, Punishment, Rebellion, Restoration, Salvation, Sin, Sorrow, Sovereignty, War
Open It
1. In what way do you tend to be a pessimist or an optimist?
2. *What future event are you either dreading or anticipating?
3. What in your life brings you the most joy?
Explore It
1. Who was Zephaniah? (1:1)
2. What was prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem? (1:2–18)
3. Who were the objects of judgment? (1:4–13)
4. What was the description of judgment? (1:14–18)
5. What did the prophet summon the people to do? (2:1–3)
6. What were the judgments on neighboring nations? (2:4–15)
7. *What did Zephaniah say about Jerusalem’s doom? (3:1–7)
8. What universal judgment did the prophet foretell? (3:8)
9. *How would the nations be renewed? (3:9–10)
10. What future blessings for God’s people did Zephaniah describe? (3:11–20)
11. *How would God remove sorrow from His people? (3:18–20)
Get It
1. How does God bring judgment on rebellious nations today?
2. What sin patterns are prevalent among Christians in our culture?
3. How do we practice Israel’s crimes of idolatry, violence, and fraud today?
4. What significance does “the day of the Lord” have for us?
5. *When have you experienced restoration and rejoicing after a period of rebellion?
6. When has the Lord brought you out of sorrow and into joy?
7. In what way are you blessed right now?
8. In what way might you be a blessing to others?
9. How can looking forward to future blessings in Christ provide hope and enthusiasm for our spiritual journey with Him?
10. *In your life as a Christian, what do you look forward to most?
Apply It
1. In what areas of your life do you want to be more sensitive to God’s desires for you and less resistant of what He wants?
2. What sad memories do you want to let go of in order to experience the joy of the Lord?
3. *How can you remind yourself (or others) this week of the future hope that God has planned for His people?
Adult Questions for LESSONmaker (2024). Bellingham, WA: Logos, p. Zep 1:1–3:20.