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