Likely battling for the title of “most-ignored-and-forgotten-book-of-the-Bible” is the prophecy of Zephaniah. Perhaps that’s because it’s so short (three chapters) that if the pages of your Bible stick together you could flip right past it without noticing. However, there’s a lot of punch in those three chapters. One author summarizes the work this way: “The Book of Zephaniah focuses on the needs of the people of God to live in righteousness before God. A people who do not respect the needs of the oppressed and care for genuine worship before God cannot long prosper. Zephaniah preached about the Day of the Lord and the impending judgment of the people of Judah. Zephaniah also believed in the sovereignty of God to preserve his remnant. Zephaniah delivered his message in the dark days before Josiah’s reform became evident. His message ever reminds the reader that God desires humble submission unto him” (Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 379).
Alex Konya joins us today to unpack this lesser-known section of Scripture. Alex currently serves as Regional Director of Word of Life ministries in Europe, recruiting and examining potential missionaries, discipling and ministering to field directors, and overseeing the ministries in the European countries. He also has an extensive preaching, teaching, and writing ministry himself.
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Josiah has served the Oakridge Bible Chapel family as one of its elders and one of its pastoral staff members since September 2018, before which he ministered as an associate pastor to a local congregation in the Canadian prairies. Josiah's desire is to be used by God to help equip the church for ministry, both while gathered (edification) and while scattered (evangelization). He is married to Patricia, and together they have five children—Jonah, Henry, Nathaniel, Josephine, and Benjamin.
