Zephaniah 1:1-18
The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. 2 "I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land," says the Lord; 3 "I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land," says the Lord. 4 "I will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, the names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests- 5 Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, but who also swear by Milcom; 6 Those who have turned back from following the Lord, and have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him." 7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; for the day of the Lord is at hand, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests. 8 "And it shall be, in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel. 9 In the same day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit. 10 "And there shall be on that day," says the Lord, "The sound of a mournful cry from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second Quarter, and a loud crashing from the hills. 11 Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh! For all the merchant people are cut down; all those who handle money are cut off. 12 "And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil. 13 Therefore their goods shall become booty, and their houses a desolation; they shall build houses, but not inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine." 14 The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. 17 "I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse." 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.
In chapter 1 of Zephaniah we first learn of the title of the book (vs. 1), and then a threatening of the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, and utter destruction, by the Chaldeans (vs. 2-4). Next we have a charge against them for their gross sin, which provoked God to bring that destruction upon them (vs. 5-6). Then we have more threatening (vs. 7-13) and then the chapter concludes with the day of the Lord being near, and that it will be a terrible day (vs. 14-18).
The verse that stands out to me today is Zephaniah 1: 3 "I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land," says the Lord." The message of Zephaniah begins with a pronouncement of universal judgment. These words not only introduce the particular judgment that would be pronounced upon Judah, but they also speak of the final judgment that will usher in the kingdom of God on earth (see Rev. 19). Stumbling blocks here refers to idolatry, or substitutes for God in the life and affections of a person. Because there is nothing in the universe that really may be compared to the Creator (see Is. 40:25), God abhors all forms of idolatry. Those that think to divide their affections and worship between God and idols, will come short of acceptance with God; for what communion can there be between light and darkness? The people of Judah were clearly warned by the highest authority of all ? God. They refused to listen, either because they doubted God's prophet and did not believe that the message was from God, or because they doubted God himself and did not believe that he would do what He said. The truth is if we refuse to listen to God's Word, the Bible, we are as shortsighted as the people of Judah, and like them, we will be punished.
I pray that you would experience joy and peace as you spend time in God's Holy Word, knowing that God has delivered you from wrath.
I Thessalonians 1:9-10
"For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
Love in Christ,
Alan J. Schrader
Zephaniah 2:1-15
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, 2 Before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you! 3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger. 4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be uprooted. 5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: "I will destroy you; so there shall be no inhabitant." 6 The seacoast shall be pastures, with shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks. 7 The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed their flocks there; in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will intervene for them, and return their captives. 8 "I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the people of Ammon, with which they have reproached My people, and made arrogant threats against their borders. 9 Therefore, as I live," says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah- overrun with weeds and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them." 10 This they shall have for their pride, because they have reproached and made arrogant threats against the people of the Lord of hosts. 11 The Lord will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations. 12 "You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword." 13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness. 14 The herds shall lie down in her midst, every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be at the threshold; for He will lay bare the cedar work. 15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt securely, that said in her heart, "I am it, and there is none besides me." How has she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and shake his fist.
In chapter 2 of Zephaniah the prophet first declares the judgments which were ready to fall on the people, and he earnestly exhorts them to repent that these judgments may be averted (vs. 1-3). He then foretells the fate of other neighboring and hostile nations: the Philistines, Zep_2:4-7; Moabites and Ammonites, Zep_2:8-11; Ethiopians, Zep_2:12; and Assyrians, Zep_2:13. In the close of the chapter we have a prophecy against Nineveh (vs. 13-15).
The verse that stands out to me today is Zephaniah 2:1 "Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation," The Old Testament prophets announced news of destruction, but they also offered the only means of escape and protection ? turning from sin and walking with God. The people doomed for judgment in the day of the Lord (1:14) were commanded to gather together, perhaps in repentance. Seek the Lord: This is the language of true repentance, renewal, and regeneration. In other words there was still time for the people to avert God's judgment. They simply had to turn from their sins, humble themselves, and obey God.
"You will be hidden": hear Zephaniah uses a play on words with the meaning of his own name, "Hidden in the Lord." This is a fresh reminder that even in the midst of the most dreadful of judgment scenes, the mercy and grace of the Lord is still available to a repentant people.
I pray that you would have an understanding of the times.
1 Chronicles 12:32
"of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;"
Blessings,
Alan J. Schrader
Zephaniah 3:1-20
Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! 2 She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; she has not trusted in the Lord, she has not drawn near to her God. 3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone till morning. 4 Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. 5 The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame. 6 "I have cut off nations, their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, with none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; there is no one, no inhabitant. 7 I said, Surely you will fear Me, you will receive instruction- so that her dwelling would not be cut off, despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds. 8 "Therefore wait for Me," says the Lord, "Until the day I rise up for plunder; my determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy. 9 "For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord. 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering. 11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me; for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain. 12 I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. 13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid." 14 Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more. 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. 17 The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." 18 "I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. 19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. 20 At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes," says the Lord.
In chapter 3 of Zephaniah we learn how the Lord further reproves the city of Jerusalem for their sin. Despite the fact that Jerusalem was special in God's plan for man's redemption, her people would suffer judgment because they would not repent of their sin. Although the city was not mentioned by name, it is quite apparent from the context that Jerusalem, the capital of the southern kingdom, was meant (vs. 1-7). Next we learn of the encouragement to look for mercy. God will purify lips and unify language so that all his people from all nations will be able to worship him in unison. God will purify our hearts, so that the words coming from our lips will be pure as well (vs. 8-13). The chapter concludes with promises of future favor and prosperity (vs. 14-20).
The verse that stands out to me today is Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." This verse depicts the Lord as a loving mother, singing over her children and finding joy in their presence. The people of God sing and shout because of all that God has done for them. He has taken away their punishment, defeated their enemies, and come to dwell with them. Furthermore, He has guaranteed that the people of Israel will never again be afraid. Because the Lord is the King of Israel, His people have nothing to fear. This verse also appears to relate to the future conversion and restoration of Israel, and the glorious times which are to follow. They show the abundant peace, comfort, and prosperity of the people of God, in the happy times yet to come. He will save; He will be Jesus; for He will save His people from their sins. Before this time, believers would be sorrowful, and objects of reproach. But the Lord will save the weakest believer, and cause true Christians to be greatly honored where they had been treated with contempt. One act of mercy and grace shall serve, both to gather Israel out of their dispersions and to lead them to their own land. Then will God's Israel be made a name and a praise to eternity. Simply put, many are the troubles of the righteous, but they will rejoice and be quieted by God's love.
I pray that you would experience His love in the midst of you.
Love in Christ,
Alan J. Schrader
