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Tag: Zephaniah

Minor prophets

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Books and Testaments, What’s new?.

What is the core message of the Minor Prophets?

The Minor Prophets, sometimes referred to as “the Book of the Twelve,” make up the final section of the Old Testament. They consist of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The “minor” designation pertains solely to their shorter length in comparison to the five “Major Prophets” but doesn’t imply that they have less theological importance. Moreover, to fully understand the Minor Prophets, it’s important to grasp the core message they convey to readers.

While all seventeen prophetic books in the Old Testament share common features, such as writing style, many scholars believe that the Minor Prophets are uniquely united. Evidence for this includes the facts that (1) they are grouped together, despite having various historical contexts, suggesting theological cohesion; (2) they are referred to in non-biblical texts as a single collection, such as Sirach 49:10, which calls them “the Twelve Prophets”; (3) they number twelve, which symbolizes completeness in the Hebrew tradition; and (4) they contain numerous internal connections. For example, the books of Joel and Amos include the phrase the Lord roars from Zion (Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2, ESV).

This unity is further reflected in the core message of the Minor Prophets. Their central point is that Jews and Gentiles alike need to repent of sin and live for God, who is loving and just, so that on the day of the Lord they will receive the blessings that come through His promised Messiah, rather than face His judgment (e.g., Joel 2:28–32; Habakkuk 2:4). The basis of the prophets’ critique is the law that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai—the Mosaic Covenant identifies sinful and holy behavior (Exodus 19—24). Importantly, according to the law, a person’s behavior reveals the condition of his heart toward God (Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5).

Three themes in the Minor Prophets work together to shape their core message. Central to each one is Hosea because it’s first in the traditional arrangement of the twelve books. Bible scholars disagree on which theme is dominant, yet most recognize that each one is important.

The first theme highlights Israel’s failure to keep the law. It communicates that people need to urgently repent for disobeying God’s commands to avoid His judgment and secure His blessing. Hosea 14:9 is central to this theme: “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”

Another theme focuses on the day of the Lord, which ten out of the twelve Minor Prophets mention (e.g., Joel 1:15; 2:11; Amos 5:20). The day of the Lord is a future time when God will decisively intervene in world affairs, judging the unrighteous (e.g., Malachi 4:5) and blessing the righteous (e.g., Obadiah 1:15–18). The New Testament teaches that Pentecost foreshadowed the ultimate fulfillment of the day of the Lord (Acts 2:17–21), which will culminate with the second coming of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10).

The third theme of the Minor Prophets emphasizes the love of God. This is evident in the narrative arc of the Minor Prophets. It begins with a story that illustrates God’s love (Hosea 1—3) and concludes with a declaration of the same theme in Malachi 1:2. That verse reads, “‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have you loved us? Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob.’”

Finally, to fully comprehend the core message of the Minor Prophets, it’s important to understand that the New Testament identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. While the minor prophets looked forward with anticipation to the Messiah’s arrival, Christians look back on it. As the New Testament affirms, the minor prophets testify to Jesus’ birth (e.g., Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1), public ministry (e.g., Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:5), death (e.g., Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34–27), and resurrection (e.g., Jonah 2:10; Matthew 12:39–41). Jesus also taught that the Old Testament prophets testified about Him (Luke 18:31; 24:44–47).

The minor prophets lived under the Mosaic Covenant, which Jesus fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). In contrast, Christians today live under the New Covenant, a unilateral agreement that Jesus established by His death and resurrection (Jeremiah 31:31–40; Luke 22:20). Yet the books of the Minor Prophets remind Christians about the importance of Holy Spirit-empowered obedience. This obedience is no longer directed toward the law in its details but to its essence through loving God and others (Matthew 22:37–40) and to the mission of preaching the gospel and making disciples of every tribe, language, people, and nation (Matthew 28:18–20; Revelation 5:9).

Chemarim / Chemarims

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?, Zephaniah.

Who are the Chemarim / Chemarims in Zephaniah 1:4?

Speaking God’s words in the days of King Josiah of Judah, the prophet Zephaniah says, “I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests” (KJV). The term Chemarims is a transliteration of a Hebrew word and is used only in the KJV and a few other translations such as the American Standard Version and English Revised Version. Other versions render the word Chemarim as “idolatrous priests” (NIV) or “pagan priests” (NET). The KJV translates same Hebrew word as “idolatrous priests” in 2 Kings 23:5.

The Chemarim were false priests who may have claimed to serve the LORD but in reality sacrificed to Baal, Molech, and other pagan deities. The Chemarim were the “pagan priests” whom Zephaniah pronounced judgment against. Baal-worship in Judah was put down by King Josiah, who did away with the pagan priests who had been appointed by former kings (2 Kings 23:5). In his reforms, Josiah stopped the practice of burning incense to Baal and to the sun and moon and stars. He also tore down the altars and shrines to false gods, destroyed the Asherah poles, and eliminated anything associated with pagan worship practices (verses 6–20). Josiah then reinstituted the observance of Passover (verses 21–23).

Zephaniah’s prophecy against the Chemarim is set in a larger passage of judgment against the entire world: “I will sweep away everything / from the face of the earth . . . / When I destroy all mankind / on the face of the earth, . . . / and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble” (Zephaniah 1:2–3). God promises to put an end to all idolatry some day. That universal Judgment Day was preceded by a smaller-scale “judgment day” led by King Josiah, who rid Judah of the Chemarim and their detestable practices. Not only were their altars and high places destroyed, but their very names were wiped out (verse 4).

The word Chemarim comes from a root word that means “black.” Why the Hebrews called the false priests “Chemarim” is unclear, but commentators have several theories: 1) the false priests wore black garments, as opposed to the white garments God had specified that priests wear (see Leviticus 16:23); 2) the garments of the Chemarim were usually darkened by soot from their numerous incense burnings; 3) the Chemarim branded their foreheads; or 4) the “blackness” of the Chemarim was a reference to the smoke of the fires in which they sacrificed children to Molech.

The obscurity of the word’s meaning indicates that God did indeed carry out His promise that the very names of the Chemarim, as well as the priests themselves, would be forgotten. God had spoken, and His word is as good as action.