Habakkuk-Zephaniah

[wolfpurplemoon]

Habakkuk questions God, asking him why he allows evil to exist if he's so powerful, God assures him that he's going to see the Babylonians destroyed in his lifetime.

Again it is apparently crazy and pointless to talk to metal or wood idols, but obviously perfectly sane to converse with the voices in your head.

Zephaniah's prophecies are more of the apocalyptic type, God will wipe all life off the earth with his fiery wrath. God wants to turn his people into mindless sheep who don't lie or cheat but just do his bidding and be happy about it, lobotomies for everyone!

Comments

[zteccc.livejournal.com]

Habakkuk is estimated to have preached his message during the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah (about 10 years prior to the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians).

Habakkuk complained to God about the activities of the people of Judah. Habakkuk wanted God to help with the internal violence, crime and cruelty prevalent in Judah due to the people not following the covenant.
God replies that the Babylonians are coming.
Habakkuk then complains that the Babylonians, although doing God's work in getting rid of other nations who hate Judah, are scary and dangerous and asks God not to subject Judah to them.

God says that only those who live by faith are acceptable, those who are proud (those who trust their knowledge and believe that they are too smart to believe in God) are refused by God. Put another way, this means that someone must humble themselves and accept God.
Arrogant people (people who believe they can do whatever they want and ignore God's warnings) act in evil ways, cheating, stealing, murdering, etc. They use up the land, destroying wildlife and trees. They are doomed to punishment. This applies to the Babylonians, but also to those who ignore God's word.
Idolatry is nothing more than worshiping a piece of metal or wood, they can't breathe, don't live, and those who worship idols are fools.
It should be noted that there are no idols of God, that the Abrahamaic God is quite unique in this.

Habakkuk asks God to turn from anger and bless Judah as God blessed their ancestors. Habakkuk lists examples of God's greatness and power.
Habakkuk shows fear (Chapter 3:16) at the idea of the Babylonians coming to conquer Judah, but understands that they will eventually have their own day of reckoning.
Even when times get hard, Habakkuk will trust God.

Habakkuk challenged God's plan and wisdom but eventually came around to trusting God even if he didn't fully understand God's plan. Habakkuk wanted God to miraculously intervene with the rulers of Judah instead of the Babylonian conquest, but God had a different plan and Habakkuk trusts that God knows what is right.
As to voices in one's head, I'm pretty certain that there was doubt and skepticism in Habakkuk (after all, he had the courage to challenge God). When we look at other prophets, God found ways to prove evidence of who God was to them. With some it was obvious, such as miracles in their lives. For others, prophecies that came true in their lifetime. Not all of them go into detail about how they knew it was God, but we can surmise from those that did, that something similar to the challenge that Gideon gave to God may have occurred (see Judges 6:36-40).

Zephaniah preached during the time of king Josiah (sometime between 640BC) and 609BC, prior to the Babylonian invasion of Judah. Note that Zephaniah's father, Cushi would signify that he was part Ethiopian (Cushi means Ethiopian), so Zephaniah traces his ancestry back to Hezekiah (a former king of Judah) to establish his credential as a Hebrew.

Zephaniah relates God's prophecy that those who do not follow the covenant will be punished, and that the idols that they worship are going to be destroyed and nobody will worship them any longer (those idols are not worshiped any longer in modern times).
Zephaniah talks about the "great day of the Lord", again, an apocalyptic prophecy which indicates that God will defeat all who have unforgiven sin.

Zephaniah warns Judah to obey God and thus avoid the punishment that is coming.
Zephaniah iterates the warnings to Philistia, Moab, Ammon and Assyria (especially Nineveh)

Jerusalem's sins are listed and God expresses that Jerusalem was given a chance to follow God, but they were eager to sin rather than follow God.
An apocalyptic prophecy is given of a time when all nations will be brought together and judged. Worshipers of God will be blessed and those who aren't will be "done away with". After that, there will be celebration and peace.

[(Anonymous)]

Non believers are just people that are just like believers they love there life about the same way anyone else would most accept your religion so why not accept the fact that they are who they want to be. I mean no pushiness in this i just am stating my open opinion.