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Minor Prophets, Part 2: Babylonian Crisis

  1. Lesson One
    Nahum
    23 Activities
    |
    3 Assessments
  2. Lesson Two
    Zephaniah
    22 Activities
    |
    3 Assessments
  3. Lesson Three
    Habakkuk
    19 Activities
    |
    4 Assessments
  4. Lesson Four
    Joel and Josiah
    24 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  5. Lesson Five
    Interpreting Prophecy
    34 Activities
    |
    7 Assessments
  6. Course Wrap-up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

Participants 9

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Minor Prophets, Part 2: Babylonian Crisis Zephaniah In | Shame Transformed, Part 2
Lesson 2, Activity 12

In | Shame Transformed, Part 2

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“He will exult over you with loud singing.
I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
. . . and I will change their shame into praise . . .
At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the LORD. 
Zephaniah 3:17-20 ESV

Although their singing has been silenced and replaced by wailing, the people will sing again—and they should begin even while they are still in exile. Notice that in this prophecy YHWH sings first and enables the people to enter into His song. It is not primarily that the people become praised, but rather that they become the actual praise itself in YHWH’s song (Zephaniah 3:20). As a people, they become the lyrics and the music of the earth’s song with YHWH. 

The King James Version comes the closest to giving us the sense of the original Hebrew:

I will make you . . . a praise among all people of the earth.

And this praise will give glory to YHWH before all the nations. They will hear the song and convert to worship the true God.