Toward a new creation
Following a series of parables, the master teacher made this comparison: “Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52). The lessons for this quarter draw from both the Old and New Testaments to highlight truths that form a crucial part of the Bible’s message.
At first glance, the books of Zephaniah and Romans, the two sources for this quarter’s lessons, would seem to have little in common. A closer look, however, will reveal a number of important similarities. These similarities highlight humanity’s sinful condition and its desperate need for the “new creation” that Jesus came to bring about.
The Human Condition
Neither the prophet Zephaniah nor the apostle Paul minces words about the reality of God’s wrath. Zephaniah predicted a coming “day of the Lord,” described as a “day of wrath” against God’s people (Zephaniah 1:14, 15, lesson 1). That day arrived when the Babylonians carried out God’s judgement in 586 BC. Judgement was also promised on all nations (3:8, lesson 2).
In the book of Romans, Paul established humanity’s need for the good news of the gospel by first pronouncing the bad news of human sinfulness. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). His inventory of humanity’s rebellion against its Creator in the remainder of this chapter (lesson 4) will cause a reader to think the apostle is describing the twenty-first century rather than the first!
The imagery used by each man to characterize the depravity of his time is quite striking. The prophet depicts the leaders of God’s people as “roaring lions” and “evening wolves” (Zephaniah 3:3, lesson 2). The apostle, for his part, uses the language of the Old Testament to paint a disgusting picture of humanity without God (lesson 6). Both prophet and apostle agree that those without God are devoid of any sense of shame or remorse for their actions (lessons 2 and 4).
The Divine Solution
However, judgement does not have the last word with either Zephaniah or Paul. The two lessons from Zephaniah that present the reason for God’s coming judgement (lessons 1 and 2) are followed by a promise of joy for the remnant, as God promises to “turn back” the captivity of His people (Zephaniah 3:20, lesson 3). In the big picture of God’s redemptive plan, this promise could well be predicting what Jesus does to free people from humanity’s ultimate captivity: bondage to sin.
That bondage is what Paul so masterfully outlines in his sobering assessment of the human condition at the beginning of Romans (lessons 4-6). But following that harsh appraisal, Paul offers the remedy: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, … the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Romans 3:21, 22; lesson 7). Lessons 8-13 then present studies from the remainder of Romans to highlight “Life on God’s Terms,” the title of the third unit.
Both Old Testament prophet and New Testament apostle thus address issues that are timeless. Humanity’s most oppressive bondage remains the bondage to sin. The solution is the “newness of life” that God provides to those who offer themselves as willing “servants to God” (Romans 6:4, 22; lesson 9) through Jesus Christ. This is an old treasure that is ever new!
by Douglas Redford
Unit 1: Judgment and Salvation
| Date | Title | Bible Text |
| June 5 | The Day of the Lord | Zephaniah 1:4-6, 14-16; 2:3 |
| June 12 | That Day Is Coming | Zephaniah 3:1-8 |
| June 19 | A Day of Joy for the Remnant | Zephaniah 3:9-14, 20 |
Unit 2: A World Gone Wrong
| Date | Title | Bible Text |
| June 26 | Ignoring God’s Plain Truth | Romans 1:18-32 |
| July 3 | Needing More Than Law | Romans 2:17-29 |
| July 10 | Struggling Under Sin’s Power | Romans 3:9-20 |
| July 17 | God Set Things Right | Romans 3:21-31 |
Unit 3: Life on God’s Terms
| Date | Title | Bible Text |
| July 24 | Unwavering Hope | Romans 5:1-11 |
| July 31 | From Death to Life | Romans 6:1-4, 12-14, 17-23 |
| August 7 | More Than Conquerors | Romans 8:28-39 |
| August 14 | Living Under God’s Mercy | Romans 9:6-18 |
| August 21 | Grafted In | Romans 11:11-24 |
| August 28 | Love Fulfills the Law | Romans 12:1-2; 13:8-10 |