DAVID PAWSON UNLOCKING THE BIBLE
ZEPHANIAH
We look at the ninth out of the twelve minor prophets in the
Bible now, Zephaniah. We know very little about him, he’s not mentioned
elsewhere, and the focus is on the message rather than the messenger when we
get to the prophets. The only biographical details are in chapter 1, verse 1,
where we are told his name and his genealogy. The name Zephaniah really in
Hebrew means hidden God. Now we don’t know whether that means that God had
hidden himself. He certainly hadn’t spoken for about 70 years - or it could
mean that Zephaniah had been hidden by God. I think that’s the more likely
explanation of his name and I’ll explain why in a moment. But his genealogy is
interesting. He’s the only prophet who traces his ancestry back four
generations. The son of, the grandson of, the great-grandson of, and then the
great-great-grandson of. And once you get back to that fourth generation, he is
related to Hezekiah. He is therefore royal blood. He’s a descendant of King
Hezekiah who was the last good king of the two tribes in the south - by now the
ten tribes in the north have gone. They’ve been taken away to Assyria and the
two tribes in the south are in danger of following them if they don’t learn the
lesson from what happened to the other ten tribes and Hezekiah was the last
good king. He was a man after God's own heart, he did what was right in the
sight of the Lord and he feared God and was humble before God. Now all that
makes a good king.
So what’s been happening since Hezekiah? The answer is some very bad kings and the man who followed Hezekiah couldn’t have been a greater contrast. He was a very bad king. His name was Manasseh and it is really almost too horrible to read. He rebuilt all the pagan altars on the high ground. He re-erected those dreadful phallic symbols and the Asherah poles and he encouraged the people to go back to the fertility cults, with of course their sexual overtones. He introduced the worship of Moloch and introduced child sacrifice and killed his own sons to this god. And he offered these boys to the god Moloch in a valley called Hinnom, or Gehenna, a valley just south of Jerusalem, and Jeremiah cursed that valley and Jesus later used it as a picture of hell. It became the rubbish dump and the sewage dump, the valley of Gehenna after that. And all through the early years of Manasseh’s reign, there was a prophet called Isaiah who tried to stop it, and do you know what Manasseh did first? He forbade Isaiah to preach, so Isaiah wrote his prophecies down and they were circulated in written form, and that’s how we got the book of the prophet Isaiah. And Manasseh, when he heard this, was so furious he ordered Isaiah to be bound and pushed inside the trunk of a hollow tree and then he ordered people to saw the trunk of the tree in half and that’s how Isaiah met his death, he was literally sawn in half. He’s mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 where there is a phrase, ‘some were sawn asunder’, and that’s a direct reference to how Isaiah met his end under this very bad king. Well, he got involved in astrology, he got involved with spiritist mediums and this spiritual confusion of course led to moral chaos. Idolatry always leads to immorality - until God actually says of Manasseh in the book of Chronicles, he was more evil than the original Canaanites. Now can you imagine how God feels, because God got rid of those evil Canaanites to make room for his holy people and now, they are worse than the people they replaced. Well that was a very dangerous situation.
Well Manasseh died after reigning for 55 years and he was succeeded by a man called Ammon, a very weak character who did nothing to put the situation right and Judah simply became more evil and there was great intrigue and treachery and finally Ammon was assassinated after only two years on the throne. The whole nation is in moral chaos now, and when Ammon was assassinated, it meant that a young boy became king, only eight years old, and his name was Josiah. And the question was how would Josiah shape up? Now, because he was so young, the real ruler in the early years was Hilkiah the High Priest but as Josiah the boy developed, the big question was would he go the way of Hezekiah, his great-grandfather, or would he go the way of Manasseh, his grandfather? Which way would this boy go - and that’s when God sent Zephaniah the prophet, and really Zephaniah’s task was to try under this boy king’s reign to pull the nation back before it became too late and they were taken off as the ten tribes had also been taken off already. So that puts the setting, doesn’t it? And I believe that Zephaniah as a boy had been hidden, just like Moses was hidden, just like others had been hidden and that’s why his mother gave him the name, hidden by God, Zephaniah. That’s my theory anyway because the little boys were all being sacrificed to Moloch and his mother saved him. He was a royal prince and the other royal princes were being sacrificed, so I think his mother hid him and brought him up and that’s why she gave him that name. Well, the voice of prophecy had been silent for 70 years, ever since Hezekiah died and Isaiah had been sawn asunder - no word from God. Now at last, Zephaniah comes with a very strong message and his whole message revolves around ‘the day of the Lord’.
I’ve explained to you already that that’s not a 24-hour period. It means the day of God's judgment, the day of putting things right, the day of vindication of righteousness, the day when wrongs are righted, when wickedness is punished. The day is coming, and you might say that the whole of Zephaniah revolves around this day of the Lord when God’s going to settle accounts with people and as the day gets nearer, as it must be doing, then God's people must be getting ready for it - or should be. I’m sure you know that there are four quarter-days in the English calendar for settling accounts. There’s Lady Day, March 25th; Midsummer Day, June 24th; Michaelmas Day, September 29th and Christmas Day, December 25th. These were the four quarter days for settling accounts and all debts had to be paid on those quarter days and all finance brought up to date, and that’s when fraud was revealed and punished. It was the audit day and all those four days give us a kind of little picture of the day of the Lord when all accounts are examined and audited and settled and fraud is punished. So the day of the Lord is coming. There’s a direct connection between prophecy and music and there’s a lot about singing in the prophets, and I’m sure this is the chorus that Zephaniah would want us to learn.
That is the day, that is the day
when the Lord will judge,
when the Lord will judge.
We will regret, we will regret
and be sad in it, and be sad in it.
That is the day when the Lord will judge,
we will regret and be sad in it.
That is the day, that is the day
when the Lord will judge.
Now that’s, I think, what Zephaniah would have wanted to sing, not a cheerful one, but a day of judgment, a day to be sad, a day to repent, a day for tears not joy.
Well now, let’s look at the outline of Zephaniah and break it up a bit. I break it up into three sections which are very clear, but once again I’m afraid the chapter headings are in the wrong place. So often, the chapter divisions spoil the Word of God because they separate what God has joined together, and put asunder and it’s a pity. But there it is.
In the first section, he is concerned with the foreign religions which have got into Judah and he announces judgment and he makes four basic statements about the judgment of the day of the Lord that’s coming.
That judgment is deserved.
It is now declared.
He then describes what it will involve and what will happen to them when God judges.
And then he offers them the possibility that, even at this
stage, judgment can be deflected from Israel and turned away by repentance.
It’s the same message all the prophets have. To us, when we read one prophet after another, we say, well that’s the same message as the one we’ve just looked at. Of course it was, because God repeats himself when it’s necessary. But bear in mind that, whereas these prophecies in the Bible come next to each other, there was often a gap of 70 years between them. And therefore they had to be said all over again. And so, Zephaniah was saying that is the day when the Lord will judge, and it’s getting very, very near - and still you are going down the wrong path, and look what’s happening in the nation, he said, and you could see it. They didn’t need to be told what was happening. Well now, this is the shape of the prophecy. There is this first section on foreign religion.
Then we turn to a second section in which he also spreads the net of judgment to other nations, to the nations all around and he includes them and says the God of Israel will not only judge us but he will judge you too and he boxes the compass. On the west side of Judah was the land of Philistia or Philistines, from which incidentally the modern Palestinian claims to be descended, and the word Palestinian is directly descended from the word Philistine. I don’t know if you knew that. Then on the east side Moab and Amman, on the south side Egypt and even as far south as Ethiopia, and on the north side, Assyria is still the world power, the biggest power on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Babylon hasn’t come on to the scene yet. Assyria is the nation that has taken away the ten tribes in the north, so most of the people of God have gone now and just little Judah is left surrounded by these nations. But Zephaniah has the courage to say, these nations also will be judged by God. He is the judge of the whole world and especially, you remember, they will be judged for their attitude to Israel, those that have had contact with her. An interesting point about the Philistines. When God brought the Israelis into Canaan from the east across the Jordan, at the same time, God brought the Philistines into the same land from the west across the Mediterranean. They were a people who lived in Crete and God brought them to Canaan at the same time as he brought the Hebrew slaves. Now that’s a bit of a mystery isn’t it? Amos, chapter 9, mentions this. God says, did I not bring you from Egypt and did I not bring the Philistines from Crete? It’s God who moves nations around. It’s God who draws the map. Why then did he bring the Philistines to the same place at the same time when he was going to kick the Canaanites out - because the Philistines became a real thorn in the side of Israel, right through to King David. King David really was the one who dealt them a death blow, though they still kept raiding even after that. It was always the Philistines. Samson had to deal with the Philistines, the Philistines, the Philistines and indeed their word has actually become proverbial in the English language for someone destructive – he’s a Philistine. We use their very name. Now why did God do that? Well, in Deuteronomy God explains. He said, “I brought them to test you. If you keep my word, you will keep them at bay, and they will be no problem to you. But if you disobey me, I have brought them to be an instrument of discipline for you, and when you are doing wrong, they will overcome you.” Now you see, God has his way of disciplining his people. God’s a Father to his people and a good father disciplines his children when they go wrong. In fact, Hebrews 12 says, if the Lord doesn’t discipline you, then you are not a true son of God, you’re a bastard. Hebrews 12. One of the proofs that you are a child of God is that he does punish you and as we shall see in a moment, the choice really is - do you want the punishment of God now or later? If you become a child of God now, then he will punish you now, life won’t be easy; when you go wrong, he’ll deal with you. Whom the Lord loves, he chastises, but he does that so that you don’t need to be punished afterwards. Do you see? So really, becoming God's people doesn’t escape his punishment, it just brings it forward a bit - but it’s much better to have it now and be a son of God and be chastised when we’ve been naughty so that we remain in the family, than not have any punishment from God now, and have it all later. See the choice? Now many people don’t realise that’s the choice, have it now or then. And I’d much rather have it now, would you not? And that’s why Christians can expect life to be a bit tough here. Jesus said, “in the world you will have big trouble, but he said, cheer up, I’m on top of it.” Yes, Jesus promised us trouble in this life. There’ll be trouble from the world who hates us. But there will also be trouble from God. God loves you too much to let you off, and if you steer away from his path then expect trouble from him. That’s his loving way of getting you back into his way and his line, and because he loves you now he will do it now. Much better than to store it all up for later, which is what the world is doing. So by and large, that means that God's people are going to have a rougher time than other people in this world. But in the next world, totally different.
Let’s move on then to the third section of Zephaniah. The first section he really hits hard this indulgence in fertility cults and superstition and astrology and spiritist mediums, and sacrificing babies to Moloch, he really goes hard after that and he declares with great force, God is irritated by this. It’s an interesting word, God is intensely irritated and from that word actually came a song that was sung in the many churches in the Middle Ages called Deus Iri and Iri is the Latin word from which we get irritate, or ire for anger, i-r-e. And it was a song that the church used to sing in the Middle Ages frequently. ‘The day of God's irritation.’ The day when God has had enough. The day when God boils over. You see, there are two sorts of anger in the Bible. In the New Testament, there are two Greek words for anger. One is for that inner anger that you keep inside, you don’t let out and it kind of simmers away inside and people don’t realise how angry you are. You know, a husband comes home late at night and there’s a note from his wife on the kitchen table, your slippers are in the fridge, and your supper’s in the dog and I’ve gone to bed with a headache, you know the kind of thing. And he has no idea that she has been angry all day with him because she kept it in. That’s one sort of anger. The other sort of anger is to boil over. Now I’m not going to ask you which your problem is, but we’d probably find ourselves equally divided, but there’s the simmering anger inside and the boiling over anger outside. Which sort of anger is God's wrath? The answer is both. Have you ladies every put a pan of milk on the stove and forgotten to watch it? If you watch it, you see it simmering and you’re ready for it, but if you don’t watch it and you go through and sit down, suddenly the house is filled with smoke. You sniff, it’s boiling over! And you tear back to the kitchen and there is it burning on the hob. If you don’t watch the simmering anger, you will not see when it boils over, and this is precisely what Zephaniah is saying and precisely what the Bible says. The Bible says, God's anger is simmering now. And I believe it’s simmering over our country, and if you really keep your eyes open you can see it because the signs of God's anger simmering are an increase in unnatural sexual relations, an increase in antisocial behaviour, an increase in breakdown of family life, an increase in people becoming slaves of their appetites and addition. Now all that’s there and that’s God's anger simmering, you see. And Zephaniah is saying, look; can’t you see that God's anger is simmering now and the day is coming when it boils over - when God can’t hold it in any longer and that’s what is meant by ‘the day of wrath’ in the New Testament as well as the old. God is holding his anger in, but it’s simmering and the symptoms of it simmering are there for all to see in a society going downhill. And it’s there for all to see in our country right now and throughout the western civilization I believe. But one day, it’s going to boil over and it’s that day that we must deflect if we possibly can and put off - by repenting and getting things put right. You see the picture? God’s anger is like that pan of milk and it’s simmering. But suddenly, quite quickly, the day of his wrath comes, and his irritation boils over, and he explodes. You see, when you’re irritated by something or someone, it builds up doesn’t it? It builds up until finally you let it out and it comes out very quickly when it comes out - and even unexpectedly if you haven’t been aware that it was building up. Well let’s get back to this.
So, in the last section, chapter 3 verse 1-20 - the chapter heading is in the right place there – there’s a strange contradiction, there’s a strange tension or ambiguity between cursing and blessing, between God's justice and his mercy and it’s almost as if Zephaniah is saying - choose, which are you really going to have? Which do you really want? God's justice to boil over in anger? This irritation - you are intensely irritating God right now and it’s building up and it’s got to explode at some point and when it explodes there will be nothing but justice and judgment and yet, God is full of mercy and what he wants to do is have mercy on you and show you his mercy. That’s what he really wants but he can’t do that without your cooperation because mercy God only gives to those who ask for it. He loves to give mercy, but you know people rarely ask for mercy, have you noticed that? I listen to many, many prayers and I hear people praying for guidance, for help, for strength, for all kinds of things, but what thrilled me in the prayer this morning, you used the word mercy, God be merciful. You only use that prayer if you think you’re pretty bad. If you think you are good, you ask for health, strength, guidance, all sorts of things, but you never ask for mercy. It’s only bad people ask for mercy and we’re all bad and it’s because of his mercy that we’re not consumed - and his mercies are fresh every morning. I always think of that if I bring the milk in in the morning. Sometimes when I get up in the morning, I feel like a Christian so I make the cup of tea, but it’s not very often, is it? But when I do, and I have to carry the milk bottles in from the front door, I always think of that verse in Lamentations: ‘His mercies are fresh every morning’. But you only think of God's mercy if you feel bad enough not to deserve anything good; and nice, good church going people don’t often ask for mercy. They’re not bad enough. But there’s a great revival going on in the prisons of this country today because bad people are asking for mercy, and they’re getting it because God is merciful to those who want his mercy. And so we have a mixture here of justice and mercy and Zephaniah is saying now which is it to be? In the first half of chapter 3, he really faces them with the possibility of a day of divine justice coming, and he tells them how obstinate they are. They have rebelled against God quite deliberately and they are resisting God's appeal. He accuses them of rebellion and resistance. They are an obstinate people.
Great is thy righteousness Oh God all holy
There is no error of judgment with thee.
Thou changest not, thy commandments they fade not
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be
Great is thy righteousness Great is thy righteousness
Morning by morning thy justice I see
All that sin merited thou has requited
Great is thy righteousness
Lord, hear our plea.
Now I will tell you why I have done this, because so often we love to sing the nice songs, the songs about God's faithfulness, the songs about ‘this is the day we will rejoice and be glad’. We like all that, but there’s another side to God and balancing God is very important. Paul says, behold then the goodness and the severity of God. Both! Goodness to those who believe, severity to those who do not - and goodness to those who go on believing is the right translation, and severity to those who do not go on believing. You see it’s going on believing, it’s not the faith you start with that saves, it’s the faith you finish with. It’s going on believing. John 3, 16 properly translated reads like this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whoever goes on believing in him will never perish but go on having eternal life.” Has that changed that verse for you a little? It is the faith that goes on that saves. Well he says if you go on rebelling and resisting, there will be a national disaster. God's anger will boil over, the day will come. He also says that same anger will boil over towards the nations and obliterate those nations, but then - how often even the most hard prophets, the most tough prophecies end with a note of hope. As if God always wants to make a last appeal with good news. Amos was a very tough prophet. He was the second last prophet to the ten tribes in the north before they disappeared and his message is a tough message of God's justice - but the last word to the north was Hosea, a message of God's mercy and love. And it’s almost as if God's last word to us is won’t you have my mercy? Interesting, isn’t it? God longs - he doesn’t want to punish. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked; he wants to show mercy and so, so many of these Old Testament prophets finished on a good note - a note of hope for the future, a note of mercy. And just as his note of justice here was both for the nation and the nations, his note of mercy is for the nations and then the nation. And his note of mercy for the nations was that out of every nation he’s going to have people who love him. Out of every kindred and tribe and tongue and people - God doesn’t want a single ethnic group on earth to be missed out. That’s why he told us to preach the gospel to all ethnic groups and make disciples of all ethnic groups - and that’s important. There’s a great move of God among the gypsies in this country at the moment and these videos are being used to teach gypsy preachers who can’t read or write and can’t read the Bible. Just a few months ago, I was with 160 gypsy preachers and they told me that there is not now a gypsy family in England without a Christian in it - and it may well be the first ethnic group in Britain to be entirely Christian. God wants every ethnic group in his family and his mercy will ensure that there will be some out of every nation who are godly. That’s a promise of God's mercy. Isn’t that exciting? Heaven’s going to be multi-racial, but we’re all going to be colour blind. Isn’t that exciting?
But then he finishes up with the national gladness, with the possibilities of blessing for Israel itself. Nine times in this last little section God says I will, I will, I will, I will. They may break his covenant, but he will never break it and he talks about a wonderful future when he will ‘quiet them with his love’. Isn’t that a lovely phrase? He will quiet us with his love, calm us after all the stresses and strains of this world - I will quiet them with my love. Then he says, and God will sing, that God will sing about his people, he will rejoice over them with singing.
The Lord thy God will rejoice over thee with singing.
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, is
mighty.
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, is
mighty.
He will save, he will rejoice over thee, He will joy over
thee with singing.
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, is mighty, is mighty.
What Zephaniah is saying is take your punishment now, while God’s anger is still simmering. Don’t have it later when it boils over. And what he’s saying is this - God’s people have the opportunity to be judged now and to get right with God now. The nations will have to be judged later. And that’s a principle that goes right through into the New Testament and Peter writes in his epistle, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” You see? Have it now.
That leaves us with one question about Zephaniah. Did Josiah take any notice? Was his prophecy effective? Well Josiah came to the throne at the age of 8 in 640 BC and he reigned for 31 years. At first, he was heavily influenced by the High Priest Hilkiah and priests tend to keep the status quo, but then he began to be influenced by Zephaniah. At the age of 16, he destroyed the pagan altars around the country. At the age of 16, he destroyed the altars in Jerusalem. At the age of 20, he ordered all the pagan altars to be destroyed throughout the whole country. At the age of 28, he noticed that the temple of God was in bad repair and needed spring cleaning and needed repairing, so he ordered the temple of God to be put right - and while they did that, somebody found in a dusty old cupboard a copy of the Law of Moses, and they realised they hadn’t been studying it or reading it for years. It’s like finding a dusty old Bible on a shelf - and they came to the King and said, look what we found in a cupboard, and he read it through and he was horrified. He said, no wonder God is warning us. We’ve got to put this right and at the age of 28, he ordered the Law to be read again - and done. This dear boy sought the Lord, but it was too late. You can’t make people good by Act of Parliament. You can’t impose righteousness from above. I know many people would like our government to pass laws making people behave in a Christian way. It doesn’t work, it’s got to come from the heart. And though Josiah did his best to clean up the country, he failed - and then he made a big mistake. He decided to go to war against the Egyptians, and God didn’t tell him to, and he met the Egyptian army, who weren’t going to attack him, they were simply passing through the Promised Land to go and attack Assyria; and he should have just let them go through. But I’m afraid he said, you’re not passing over my land and he met the Egyptian army at Megiddo, at the crossroads of the world, and he died. He was killed in battle. It’s a sad tale. There was a young man exactly the same age as Josiah, now 28, when Josiah died and that young man was told, you’ve got to pick up this prophetic burden and you’ve got to tell it to the people because the reform of Josiah isn’t working. You’ve got to tell it to the people and that young man’s name was Jeremiah and that’s how the prophecy of Jeremiah came to be. So Zephaniah failed. He tried hard and Josiah tried, but the people didn’t listen. We’re going to pick that up in the next prophet, Habakkuk. Because Habakkuk - 20 years later - just saw the situation getting worse, and worse and worse.
Now before we leave Zephaniah, there’s just one more thing I’d love to say. It’s a remarkable correspondence between this Old Testament prophet and our New Testament. I think I can best show you on a chart. The outline of the prophet Zephaniah - the structure of his prophecy is - exactly the same as the outline of the Book of Revelation.
Both Zephaniah and Revelation start with judgment on God's
people - in this case Israel and in this case the Church - in chapters 1-3.
They move on to judgments on the nations, chapter 2, 4-15 and here chapter
4-19. They move on to the Day of Judgment, the day when the anger or irritation
of God boils over - chapter 3, verse 1-8 in Zephaniah, chapter 20 in Revelation
- but the last word is the final bliss of God's giving a place to his people
where they can live forever - chapter 3, 9-20, chapter 21 to 22. In Zephaniah,
it is of course the old Jerusalem, but in Revelation it is the new Jerusalem.
In Zephaniah, God comes as King but in Revelation Jesus comes again as King.
But isn’t that remarkable? There are over 400 allusions to the Old Testament in
the book of Revelation, but the closest connection is with the prophet
Zephaniah, this little minor prophet and maybe even John writing Revelation was
influenced by the little minor prophet from centuries before as he wrote the
Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Zephaniah chapter
1 verses 1 to 13
A little book with a lot to say on the unfolding purpose of God in history; it’s a boo which focuses on the amazing ability of God to do what he wants to do, when he wants to do it; it’s a prophecy that reminds is of the ultimate prize at the end of time.
It is tucked away towards the end of the Old Testament, dedicated to the so called “minor prophets”. There is nothing incidental or insignificant about his message – he is aware of what’s happening all around him, he has a true appreciation of the big picture – he comes across as someone who’s not afraid to tell it like it is.
His was a kind of in-your-face message, no doubt about that – but he didn’t shirk his onerous responsibility, he didn’t back-off when God told him what he wanted him to write, he didn’t back-down when faced with the withering challenge of delivering a message that the nations needed to know. Zephaniah is a tough cookie, he’s resilient, he’s up for it, he’s in it for the long haul. It’s only 3 chapters, 53 verses. A lot of what the prophet says is so relevant to our situation.
It seems to me there are so many of us who want a religion
that gives us access to God without having to bother with people. We want to go
to God for comfort and inspiration when we’re fed up with everyone around us. We
want God to give us an edge in the dog-eat-dog competition of daily life. We want
an inside track with God and at the same time, we want to deal with people
however we like. As it were, we want the cherry, but we don’t want the pits!
There’s nothing new about that attitude – it’s as old as the hills. It’s the
sort of mindset that men like Zephaniah were determined to root out, they are
dead set against it.
That’s why he preached his socks off 2,600 years ago; that’s
why so much of what Zephaniah says leaves us feeling a little uncomfortable, it
encroaches on our comfort zone, it gives a squeeze. There is a relevance to God’s
word – it’s timeless, it answers the big questions you’re asking right now, it
scratches where folks are itching.
Let me give you a quickie outline of the book – it’ll help
you remember what the prophet is on about;
in chapter 1 we are aware of the determination of the Lord
in chapter 2 the focus is very much on the day of the Lord
in chapter 3 the gloom is dispelled as we zoom in on the deliverance of the Lord.
It’s a 3D picture: we see a God who knows what he’s doing, a God who works according to schedule, a God who specialises in bringing hope and salvation to people; the God we’re talking about here is a God who doesn’t leave us in the doldrums, he wants us to experience and enjoy his intimate presence in our daily lives. You see, it’s all about relationship – our relationship with God; that’s how the prophet rounds off his timely message – we read in chapter 3 verse 16 and 17 some marvellously, wonderful words “Cheer up Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord you God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Saviour. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.” God meets us where we are and he takes us to where he wants us to be – he specialises in the personal touch and when we are walking with him, he finds immense pleasure in us.
Let’s go back to the beginning and see if we can find out a little more about Zephaniah. We want to trace his roots. Who is he? Where did he come from? What do we know about him? What’s on his CV? Important questions; the reality is we don’t have much to go on! One verse and that’s about it!
The first thing we’re told about him in verse 1 is his name,
he’s called Zephaniah. It’s worth noting that his name means: “Jehovah hides”
or “Jehovah protects”. The thought is there is safety in the Lord, he gives
security to his people, he looks after his own. We can turn to him in the hour
of crisis; he’s a shelter in the time of storm. When troubles and trials come,
the Lord is our refuge.
He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he has
royal blood flowing in his veins. He has a significant ancestral history – it appears
that he is the great, great grandson of King Hezekiah. You’ll recall he ran the
show for the best part of 29 years. He started out when he was 25 and by the
time he was in his mid-50’s he died. That was 686 BC.
He is fondly remembered that his was an illustrious career; and on the whole, he made a huge impact on the nation. Scripture says of him: “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” He was extremely successful during his reign an dis acclaimed as one of Israel’s great kings – we read that, in everything he did “he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly.” Apart from a few hiccups, he was a good man, a godly man. That’s the kind of vintage that Zephaniah springs from.
The good thing is, Zephaniah didn’t let the side down – nor did he fail his Lord either. He was privileged to minister in the days of King Josiah – he’s the man who turned the nation right side up, he led the nation in a religious reformation triggered by the finding of the Book of the Law in the temple in the year 622 – you read all about it in 2 Chronicles 34.
The intervening period between Hezekiah and Josiah was a real mess. Manasseh turned the clock back, he deliberately led the nation away from the Lord, he was into idolatry big time, he was a great believer in mediums and wizards, he was wicked in the best sense of that word; there’s no doubt that his long reign was a recipe for spiritual disaster. It has to be said that his son fared no better, he was a chip off the old block – his name was Amon. Mind you, he didn’t last long. He was assassinated by his servants only two years into his reign. As they say: good riddance.
That’s the appallingly awful situation that Josiah stepped into – only a lad, but God used him in a very special way to call his people back to himself. When a work needs to be done, age doesn’t enter into it – Josiah was the new kid on the block, he was only a teenager, 16 years of age: see what God used him to accomplish. It’s fantastic. Let’s not underestimate what God can do in and through the lives of our young people. It doesn’t matter what age we are; the Lord wants to use us!
We don’t know for sure, but the chances are that Zephaniah
preached God’s message prior to this reformation, or he would have said
something about it in his book. What we do know is that he and Jeremiah were
contemporaries. So too were Nahum and Habakkuk.
That tells me that God’s word was given quite a billing
during those massively important years. You see, the Lord never leaves himself
without a witness, there is a voice in the wilderness. The challenge is: when
people listen to God’s word, do they hear what he says?
Before we get in to the main text, let me ask you a
question: what do these words have to teach us today? They remind us of one of
the great needs in today’s church; our days are not so different from the days
of Josiah and Zephaniah. The nation in their day was in dire need of
reformation, one that was sparked off by a rediscovery of the word of God.
That’s our need today – a spiritual revival. You see, as the church has departed from its biblical message, so society has slipped further and further away from God-honouring moorings; therefore, what we need is a rediscovery of the timeless truths of scripture. We need to get back to the bible, back to the word of God.
We need men of the calibre of Zephaniah – men with guts, men with spiritual backbone, men who will boldly stand up and declare: thus says the Lord. Men with a sense of call on their lives, men who are passionate about God and his glory.
A look at his message tells us that Zephaniah wouldn’t be the most popular preacher in town. He certainly wouldn’t be seen as flavour of the month; we could almost say he has a one-track mind, a man with only one string to his bow. He goes on and on about judgment.
Two things: it’s certain and it’s coming! You can bet your life on it, it will come, it’s guaranteed. God says it, and God will do it. There’s a two-pronged feel to Zephaniah’s message: it’s for the here and now, but also for the three and then.
It was partially fulfilled in his day, but it awaits a wide
fulfilment in a coming day. His message was a wake-up call to the people.
Judah was in for a shake-up when the Babylonians came, it is scary stuff – no wonder Zephaniah gave them a rollicking. I reckon they didn’t know what hit them when Zephaniah opened his mouth and gave it to them straight. He was shooting from the hip. What happened then is a prelude, a curtain raiser, to what will happen on that final Day of the Lord. It was fairly local in his day; however, it will be global at the end of time. Mention that phrase and we have to take the message seriously. The day of the Lord tells us where things are going and how they’re all going to end.
During the Day of the Lord, God will send tribulation to the world, he’ll judge the nations, he’ll save his people Israel and then he’ll establish his righteous kingdom. 1000 years of Jesus rule. What happened away back then is, therefore a shadow of things to come.
The first picture is found in verses 2 and 3 – it’s a
universal flood. It’s devastating in its consequences, a global tsunami. It sweeps
away everything before it. What needs to be done will be done, and everything
will go. Nothing is spared. Nothing is left, but piles of rubble. This is
severe, it is comprehensive, it is unique, it is divine intervention. This is
God doing what he would rather not do – but because of who he is, he has no
other option open to him. The next paragraph from verse 4 down to verse 6 reveals
a side to God’s character that we’re inclined to forget; it shows us that God’s
holiness and his justice demand that he steps into the situation. Man has sunk
into the mud and more of religion he has shut the living God out of his life,
he has openly turned against his word and blasphemed his name – basically modern
man has shown God two fingers. People who ought to know better, people who have
enjoyed so many special privileges; these just weren’t any old Jews – they were
from Judah, and they lived in Jerusalem! They had the right postcode. They knew
their history, they came out tops when it came to tribal pecking order. They
embraced a certain way of life but tragically, they ended up whistling in the
wind when it came to basic core values.
See what they did! It’s a list as long as your arm, and it’s not good reading at all. They were dabbling in all kinds of idol worship, anything to satisfy their spiritual desires, anything to give them a spiritual fix. Some of them even went so far as to engage in an early-day version of reading your stars, they were into worshipping the heavens. Not the kind of thing that Moses recommends in Deuteronomy 4.
Talk about pluralism, well, they had it back then – yes, there were those who fancied a mix-and-match religion and so they combined the worship of God with the worship of Molech. It’s a form of syncretism. I can tell you that God is not amused with their religious shenanigans – they are two-timing him and he will have none of it.
You can’t help but notice that for a lot of people, worship is fairly high up their to-do list. They want a meaningful spiritual experience. It’s important to them, it obviously plugs a big hole in their hearts, it meets a need in their lives. The problem is, they’re going about it the wrong way. I reckon we all know people like that today.
They’re not all like that for we see in verse 6 that some folk have no time for God at all. He doesn’t figure in their plans, he may as well not even exist so far as they are concerned. “God, I don’t know him they say! Want nothing to do with him. He’s a spoilsport, a killjoy!”
We’ll look at verse 7 in a moment or two … it wasn’t just the nation’s worship that was in deep trouble, so too were the royal court. They are spoken of in verses 8 and 9 – they have succumbed to the lure of “all things foreign”. Even others in the upper echelons of power were walking down a different road.
They had the mentality that said the grass is greener on the other side! When it comes to fashions and faith they were backing a loser. They wouldn’t get off Scot-free. They would get their comeuppance when God intruded into their lives.
The nation’s commercial life is also in for a hammering in
verses 10 to 13. It’s clear that Zephaniah knows the golden city of Jerusalem
like the back of his hand – the places he refers to are centres of trade and
industry. It’s a hive of activity, there’s a lot going on in the markets. Buying
and selling, and not a few folks being ripped off.
That will come to an abrupt halt when God does what he has
to do – in a matter of minutes, these guys will lose all their takings, all
their resources, all their investments; even their land and homes will be
demolished. They are left penniless. The economy will take a dramatic downturn –
a once-thriving and healthy city will be brought to its knees. They have
nothing, only the clothes they stand up in. You see, they thought they could
outdo the Lord they were getting too big for their boots.
Complacency crept in. We see an amazing picture of God in verse 12 as he searches the city – he has a lamp in his hand, he misses nothing, he sees all things, you can run but you can’t hide. God is on the prowl, he’s on the warpath, and he’ll get his man. That’s what judgment is all about.
You know, when we see what Zephaniah had to say about the times in which he lived – to me, there’s an uncanny resemblance to life in the 21st Century. I believe that’s why we need to take on board the message of verse 7 where he says: “Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near.” Yes, there is a time for us to talk, but there is also a time for us to be silent! This is one of those God moments, a moment when we’re aware of God’s unerring purpose, when we sense that God is on the verge of doing something big – when we’re conscious that he is in total control, he is sovereign. At such times, the sound of silence is golden – in light of who he is, I can do nothing else but fall down and worship him. The Lord is king. And one day, the King is coming back!
Zephaniah 1 verse 14 to chapter 2 verse 15
A birds-eye of this section gives us quite a breathtaking insight into the character of God – for example in chapter 2 verse 10 he is the Lord Almighty, and in chapter 2 verse 11 he is the awesome Lord. He is powerful and peerless! A God who is unrivalled in his person, a God who is untouchable in his ability. When I think of God’s attributes, 2 words spring to mind: justice and judgment. Those are 2 divine traits that most folks are inclined to put on the back burner – here is a God who always does what is right, and a God who deals with men and nations who turn their backs on him – we see that in chapter 2 verse 10 where we read This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty.
In that sense, God does what he does because he is who is.
There’s a couple of other factors well worth noting, to use
a football analogy: one, God never takes his eye off the ball; and two, he
never moves the goalposts. That says something about God – it means he has a
game plan and he sticks to it. He’s a God who covers every eventuality; the
fact is that nothing takes him by surprise. He’s an all-knowing God, a God who
never has a new thought. Yes, he responds to situations as and when they arise,
but he doesn’t make his policy on the hoof!
He’s also a God who plays fair – he plays by the rules, ie his rules. When he deals with men and nations, God doesn’t act capriciously, he’s not impulsive or quirky, it’s not a spur-of-the-moment knee-jerk reaction, he doesn’t target people just for the fun of it – in all he does, a thread of mercy and grace is still evident. The possibility of a way back has not been withdrawn, he may have slammed the door, but he hasn’t thrown away the key. We see faint hints of that in chapter 2 verse 3b where we read: perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger. As we work our way through this section, we’ll see echoes of that from time to time. They’re like stars shining on an inky black night. It brings cheer in the midst of impenetrable gloom; it tells me there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, it’s bad, it’s rough out there but still there’s hope!
From time to time, the prophet refers to the remnant and to the survivors (chapter 2 verse 9). You’ll notice it is always in relation to those he calls my nation or my people – that is a cryptic reference to the ancient people of God in the nation of Israel. That idea is reinforced when God refers to himself in chapter 2 verse 9 as the God of Israel. That means he is a God who keeps his word, he’s a God who stands by his covenant – when God makes a promise, he always delivers the goods. He doesn’t backtrack on any commitment that he makes. It’s what I said in our last study in chapter 1, it’s all about relationship – right here, it’s plain to see that, in spite of their waywardness God still sees them as his own people. That says a lot about God’s patience, God’s mercy and God’s faithfulness. It’s important we also keep in mind … Zephaniah’s prophecy had a partial fulfilment in his day; the enemy did come and the nations did present quite a challenge to the holiness of God, God dealt with them severely, he routed them, and they were left to lick their wounds. It’s all there in the chapter and the history books confirm it.
There is also the long-term aspect to it for the day of the Lord is a specific reference to end time events – most prophetic pundits call it the Tribulation, it’s a period of 7 years when all hell is let loose, an era which is climaxed with the second coming of Christ in power and great glory. That “great and terrible day” (as Joel called it) is ushered in after the trumpet has sounded and the saints are called home to glory. For those who know the Lord, the best is yet to be – for those who don’t know Christ as Lord and Saviour, the worst is yet to come.
That is the major focus of verses 14 to 18. These verses
leave us in a tailspin, the language is apocalyptic, the outlook is grim. I
read these verses and I see no reason to be optimistic as to the future of planet
earth – it is destined for global upheaval and its peoples are pilloried by a
God who is settling old scores, a God who is determined to teach man one final
lesson. A quick read and you’re left feeling despondent, it sends the shivers
down the spine. If it does nothing else, it’s a visual reminder of the phenomenal
power and ability of God. The scene is one of absolute disarray – utter chaos,
blind confusion, and unbelievable carnage – it’s a trail of destruction for God
is on the warpath, he wreaks havoc on this old world. I like to view it from a
different angle for it instils confidence in us, as the Lord’s people, that God
will ultimately triumph – it proves, if proof were needed, that God runs the
show from start to finish. It gives us a fascinating glimpse into the
sovereignty of God in the affairs of man. God rules and overrules!
The day of the Lord isn’t any old day – we’re not
talking here about a Monday or a Tuesday; it’s an event, it’s an epoch, it’s a
specific time frame when God is doing something special and unique in the
world.
The prophet describes it is verse 14 as great – that implies it stands out as a day that is different to all others; it’s great, not in the sense that this is a moment to relish and enjoy, but “great” because of the horrendous happenings on that day. It’s one of those days that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. A day to remember, yes; but also, a day to forget!
The closeness of that day is spelt out vividly by the prophet, he says it is near. In fact, he makes his point when he says it 2 times, he brings a sense of urgency to the proceedings, it’s a wake-up call to the people of planet earth. The day is coming and it’s coming quickly. In other words, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. According to Paul, it will come like “a thief in the night”. Ok, it hasn’t happened yet, but don’t let that fool you. It’s coming! And each hour is one hour closer.
When it comes, God will wipe the smile off people’s faces, for the cry … will be bitter. There’s going to be a lot of grief and anger when that day comes. A lot of emotion, frustration, and angst. It’s a time when people won’t know what to do and they’ll run around like headless chickens – see verse 17. Hard cash will count for nothing in that day, it’s what the insurers call an “act of God.”
They can’t buy themselves a safe passage, there’s no escaping the holocaust, there’s no way out! They can run, but they can’t hide for God’s roving eye misses nothing and no one! This is the day of the Lord’s wrath in verse 18. Scary stuff! I tell you, I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. This is serious. A look at verse 15 says all that needs to be said – it’s colourful, expressive language but it leaves us in no doubt that this world is in for a rough ride.
It’s not a case of Zephaniah wanting to fill column inches
in his book, it’s not a matter of him running short on something to say so he
gets out his trusty old thesaurus to say the same thing in half-a-dozen ways!
It’s not quite like that at all! This man is under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
and, so what, if he says the same thing in a handful of ways. There are times
when we don’t get the message first time around, so it has to be said over and
over again. Look at the words: wrath … distress … anguish … trouble … ruin …
darkness … gloom … clouds … blackness. I think the message is clear: there
are dark days ahead for planet earth. Trouble is brewing on the horizon; we
hear the sound of distant drums. Jesus, the Warrior-King, is on his way back
and when he comes, we read in verse 18 that in the fire of his jealousy the
whole world will be consumed. Say what you like, but that spells judgment,
it speaks of doom and gloom. It tells me that God will do what it takes to guard
his integrity and protect the honour of his name. When God acts, he’ll do so,
not because he’s blown his top, and not because he’s lost it, but because there
is no alternative open to him – he’s a jealous God. His glory is at stake!
When the Lord acts in judgment, it’s swift, it’s decisive, it’s a killer punch; see verse 18 where we read that he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth. You can read more about this in Matthew 24 and in that great centre section of the book of Revelation.
I reckon that one message emerges from this awful period of intense retribution, and it is this: God sits on the throne. The Lord is king – he knows how to look after his own and, by the same token, he knows how to handle those who spurn his love and ride roughshod over his laws.
It’s almost as if the Lord throws out an olive branch to the people in chapter 2 verses 1 to 3. At the same time, he doesn’t go softly-softly. He doesn’t mince his words when he labels them for what they really are – they are a shameful nation; he doesn’t tone down his stern language when he faces them with the consequences of their actions – they will be blown away for that day sweeps on like chaff is the precise phrase he used; Zephaniah doesn’t dilute the character of God when he refers to the fierce anger of the Lord and the Lord’s wrath in almost the same breath – here is a God who is really hot under the collar. God isn’t playing mind games with these folks. This is strong stuff. The Lord pleads with them one more time, one final time. He’s giving them a last chance. This is it! That really says something about God’s marvellous grace. The day is marked in the divine schedule, according to verse 2, it is an appointed time. Yes, the date is already circled in God’s diary – it won’t be postponed and it certainly won’t be cancelled! There is no plan B.
That’s why the Lord
implores them to seek him in verse 3. If they seek the Lord, seek righteousness (and) seek
humility it is apparent from verse
3 that they will be spared the full rigours of the harshness of God’s judgment.
We read that they will be sheltered
on the day of the Lord’s anger –
in other words, the Lord will somehow envelop them in his protecting hand.
They will find
shelter under the umbrella of God’s mercy and grace. He will supernaturally
shadow them in the eye of the storm. I can’t explain it, and I don’t know how
he’ll do it, but that’s the line the prophet takes. That’s fine with me; we don’t
have to know all the details. We can trust God to deal with the small print; it’s
no problem to him.
The next big section runs from verse 4 through to verse 15. It’s a catalogue of what God will do to the nations round about Israel – Philistia, Moab and Ammon, Cush and Assyria. Their days are numbered; their future is bleak. Again, it’s all because they did their own thing and rejected the word of God. Every one of them embraced a way of life that was alien to the truth of Scripture, all of them deliberately set a course of action that was diametrically opposed to the law of God.
Basically, we know from verse 11 that they were into idolatry big time and, allied to that, they gave God’s people a terrible time by insulting and mocking them, we see that in verses 8 and 10.
These people groups get their comeuppance. They thought they would get off Scot-free. They reckoned they could treat the Lord’s people whatever way they liked but now, they’re finding out, it doesn’t work that way! The Lord will let them go so far and no further – there comes a point where the Lord draws a line in the sand and says: “enough is enough”. Again, it’s the name of the Lord that is at stake – it’s his honour that is being dragged through the mud. There’s no way that he will tolerate that, he just won’t stand for it! So, they pay the price. And it’s a high price at that.
The words that Zephaniah uses are so descriptive; I mean, this guy is unbelievable when it comes to language. Take a look at verse 4: Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted. Not particularly promising, is it – it tells me these places don’t have a bright and rosy future! They’re for the chop!
When the Lord strikes in judgment, there won’t be much left. They don’t stand much of a chance for the prophet tells us that the word of the Lord is against them! When God is against you, you’re on a hiding to nothing, you’re on your last legs.
It’s obvious that
some of these nations were guilty of taking God’s people to the cleaners, they
were rogue states. They had an eye on the assets of the Promised Land; they
made all kinds of threats in an attempt to unnerve the locals. They wanted to
get their hands on the good things of Canaan, so they verbally abused the
people of God – they called them all kinds of names and taunted them from sun-up
to sun-down.
Well their decline
is spelt out so dramatically by Zephaniah – he uses phrases like I will destroy you and none will be left in verse 5; they will end up like Sodom and
Gomorrah, a place of weeds and
salt pits, a wasteland for ever in
verse 9; in one fell swoop, the Lord will eradicate all the gods of the land
in verse 11; one group, the Cushite, will be decimated when they are slain by (his) sword in verse 12; Nineveh will be wiped off the
map and left as dry as the desert in verse 13. See what I mean, when God
moves in judgment, it’s pretty comprehensive, there are not too many stones
left standing.
Some of these places felt; they were immune from a divine intrusion into their affairs – they were smug, complacent, and arrogant. Nineveh is one such example in verse 15 – they had a reputation as a carefree city that lived in safety. They felt they were the greatest attraction in the region, the place to be, and the place to be seen to be. Location, location, location – it was the most desirable place on planet earth, in their eyes. Well, when the hand of the Lord touches them, there ain’t much for them to shout about – there’s nothing much left but rubble and ruin. The place is razed to the ground. There’s a hollowness in it all, there’s an eerie sound from the screeching owls in empty buildings, there’s a haunting echo. The fact is, the higher they are the further and the harder they fall. You can’t shake your fist in God’s face and expect to get off lightly. Men will know that something big has happened – they will be all too aware that someone greater than them has intervened, someone has vented his indignation against them in such a way that they are left gobsmacked. There’s a sense of bewilderment and a palpable feeling of abandonment in their lives. For them, this is the “big one” – the day when God struck back! That’s a message we need to get across in today’s world – the Lord is king, God is still on the throne but, one day, he’s coming back to judge the world.
Let me finish off on a more upbeat note. The dark clouds are there, no doubt about that – but there’s always a silver lining. And behind the darkest cloud, the sun still shines.
I can’t help but see a tender touch to this section in Zephaniah, we have to look hard to find it, but it’s there – I spoke earlier of the shelter of the Lord in verse 3 – if you look down at verses 6 and 7, there is something else worth marking in your bible. It is a picture of rest and contentment in the place where God puts his people – they are the remnant, they’re the ones the Lord has a special interest in, he looks after them, he meets their needs.
I love the promise
where it says that the Lord their
God will care for them, he will restore their fortunes. That tells me the Lord isn’t in the
business of short-changing his people, it does not matter how tough it is, the
Lord compensates us with lavish portions of his amazing grace.
Zephaniah chapter
3
We’re in the final chapter and what a chapter it is! What a wonderful way to finish a book. It reaches a glorious finale, a rousing crescendo – what started out as a message of doom and gloom, ends with a robust message of love, joy and peace. If nothing else, this chapter makes much of the faithfulness of God. We read in verse 20 in the NLT: “On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction among all the nations of the earth. They will praise you as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Zephaniah 3 is a chapter of contrasts, let me show you what I mean – to quote Dickens, we have “the worst of times” and “the best of times”; on one hand, there is unprecedented judgement and on the other hand, there is unsurpassed joy; we have deep sadness followed by singing; there is widespread dereliction in one city, and unflappable hope in the hearts of one people … it doesn’t matter how we look at it, there are just so many glaring contrasts. Through all the changing scenes, with the pendulum swinging from end to end, one factor is constant. That is God! He’s at the centre, he’s up front, he’s behind it all. You see, the Lord is God … he’s into multi-tasking big time. He can juggle a lot of things at the same time and when we read a chapter like this, it serves to prove that point.
He has his finger in every pie. That same finger is also on the pulse for, all across the world, he knows what’s going on. The good news is, he keeps his eye on the big picture. And, at the same time, he’s up to speed with the small print.
That great truth has the potential to boost our confidence –
it should strengthen our faith and resolve to be the kind of people God wants us
to be – it should fire us up with renewed zeal and enthusiasm to see God’s work
going forward – it’s one of those truths that give us a bit more oomph – it’s
something to excite us, something to rouse passion in our hearts.
The chapter divides neatly into 3 sections – one: we see the
Lord’s jealous anger in dealing with Jerusalem (verses 1 to 8); two, we see God’s
gracious forgiveness in relation to the Gentiles (verses 9 and 10); three, we
see God’s bounteous blessing dispensed to the remnant (verses 11 to 20).
The prophet lifts the lid on what God’s plans are for Jerusalem, it’s not too promising. It has often been called “the holy city” – the reality is, in his day, it was far from holy. It had a name but didn’t live up to it. It’s worth nothing that the prophet wasn’t alone in that assessment. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were all singing from the same page in the songbook. The first 2 verses give us a little idea as to how far they have slipped from their moorings. They are all at sea spiritually. He describes them as oppressors, rebellious and defiled. In other words, they are going their own way and doing their own thing. God doesn’t figure in their calculations. Basically, the people were a law unto themselves.
In spite of all their privileges, in spite of their illustrious past, in spite of God’s revelation of himself to them, they didn’t want to now. So far, as they were concerned, God may as well be 10 million miles away – they didn’t want a relationship with him. They felt they were able to run their own lives, they didn’t need the Lord to help them, they’re big enough to stand on their own two feet – sounds a bit like Mr Average in today’s world.
That’s not only true for Joe Public in Jerusalem – take a look at verses 3 and 4 and you’ll notice it also applied to their leaders. The government officials were milking the situation for all it was worth; bribery is one word that springs to mind; they were taking the people to the cleaners by riding roughshod all over them.
Bad enough when you have civil leaders who are corrupt and in it for what they can get out of it, it’s a lot worse when it spreads to religious leaders, then we have every reason to be worried. A look at the prophets and Zephaniah doesn’t have much to say in their favour – they were unfaithful to the Lord and his word, they were two faced in dealing with the people; when it came to ministry, they failed to proclaim God’s word, they only told the people what they wanted to hear.
The priests didn’t fare any better – their ministry was
toxic and polluted the sanctuary. These guys twisted the Law of Moses to please
themselves; they were only interested in looking after Number One. They had no
heart for God, no heart for people no heart for biblical truth. That’s how far
gone they were! It was only a job to them.
The character of God is seen in verse 5 – when we look at the people and look at the Lord, what a stunning difference! The people have blown it bigtime, they’ve got it badly wrong – on the other hand, the Lord is righteous, he does no wrong and the Lord is right for he never gets it wrong. He gets it right first time, every time. The Lord is impeccable in his character, and unimpeachable in his integrity. The God we meet here is someone who is actively working in men’s hearts. He’s a God of justice – one of the reasons why he dispenses justice is because he is a jealous God, he guards his glory and the purity of his name. His honour is at stake and that is what motivates him to deal with men and nations. It’s not something he does in fits and starts; it’s a daily exercise; his mercy is new every morning, his justice is dished out at the break of dawn. When God works like this, it’s obvious he’s doing something. The tragedy is, it makes little or no difference with the vast majority: they carry on as before, they take no notice, it runs off them like water off a duck’s back, they have a blasé attitude as they press the self-destruct button. Basically, they couldn’t care less – the prophet says they know no shame. The Lord gives them a dressing-down in verses 6 to 8. He tells them a few home truths when he reminds them of his power to wipe nations off the face of the earth. He spells it out to them in clear language – there’s no mistaking his message. If they go his way, he’ll bless them of his power to wipe nations off the face of the earth. He spells it out to them in clear language – there’s no mistaking his message. If they go his way, he’ll bless them; if they keep on going their own way, he’ll deal with them efficiently and effectively. If they survive his judgment, they will not emerge unscathed, they’ll be left to pick up the pieces! History confirms what happened next. The Babylonians came
A look at verse 8 takes us into a courtroom in which the Lord is testifying against his people. Serious stuff! This is where we have a twofold application – initially, it referred to the rampage of Babylon over Jerusalem, we know what happened there and then – there is also a reference here to the end-times. I think it zooms in on the campaign of Armageddon that we read of in Revelation 16, it’s that conflict when the nations of the world converge on Jerusalem. We know from Zechariah 14 that God will pour out his wrath upon these nations he will deliver his people and establish his kingdom.
In that day, the Lord will be hailed as king over all the
earth. To quote Isaac Watts: “Jesus shall reign where’er the sun, does his
successive journeys run, his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons
shall rise and set no more.” That’s a pivotal day towards the end of time – a day
the prophets dreamed off, a day when the glory of God will cover the earth like
the waters cover the sea.
It’s one of those special days when God is, once again, in
the midst of his people (more about that later!).
The repercussions of this event are staggering – the impact
on people and community is unbelievable. There is cleansing in verse 9, as well
as people engaged in worship and adoration of the living Lord. But there is
also keen and enthusiastic service; and, on top of that, there is partnership
in service – people are standing shoulder to shoulder in their work for
God.
There is unity of heart and purpose. It’s Jew and Gentile pulling in the same direction. To me, that’s what it’s all about and that’s the way it should be in our churches. That’s what grace achieves in human hearts, it is what God can do with people consecrated to him. We’re in it together.
The worship of God extends far beyond the confines of the city of Jerusalem, it reaches way beyond her borders, it embraces all those dedicated to his cause – the gospel is for all men, in every land.
It doesn’t matter where we are as a scattered people, if we are a worshipping people, the Lord is looking for us to bring him an offering in verse 10; it’s a reflection of our love for him and our loyalty to him. It seems to me, that’s what a redeemed people are supposed to do.
There’s a new sense of humility in verses 11 and 12. The fact is, we have nothing to write home about, there’s nothing good in any one of us; it doesn’t matter how impressive our CV may be, it doesn’t matter what credentials we have – when it comes to worshipping the Lord, we’re only sinners saved by grace.
In his presence, I am nothing, I am a nobody. The Lord looks for humility of heart and when we come to him like that, we enjoy him, we experience him. He richly blesses us.
Not only does God remove pride from the city, he also
removes it from his house – his desire is for his people to worship him in a
way that gives him all the credit. He’s looking for a people to trust him, not
their past, not their genealogy, not their religion, a people who will rely and
depend totally on him. When we come before the Lord with that kind of attitude,
he lifts us up. That is the genius of God’s amazing grace! There’s also a new
sense of holiness in verse 13 for God’s own people are walking close with the
Lord. There’s a huge change in their outlook – no longer do they twist and
distort the truth, no more do they wilfully sin, there’s nothing hypocritical
about them – they are a different people, a redeemed people. There’s a deep
awareness that God is with them, a sensitivity to the needs of others around
them, and a deep settled peace in their hearts and lives. They’re not running
scared – they are at peace – at peace with themselves, at peace with each other
and at peace with the Lord.
The picture is one of satisfaction and contentment. They’re not under threat; they’re not looking over their shoulder. They are safe and secure. What a transformation! There’s only one way to explain it: it’s grace and God! There is praise and lots of it, in verse 14. They sing and shout, they make a joyful noise unto the Lord, they exult in his name, they rejoice in his faithfulness to them over many years, there is an upbeat atmosphere in the place – a real buzz. They’re living on the crest of a wave of warm and expressive worship, they’re riding high in their exuberant praise. They’re singing from the bottom of their hearts. Isn’t that what God does to people – he puts a new song in their hearts!
The big question is, why are they singing? Well, take a look at verse 15. It’s because the Lord has done so many wonderful things for them – he has dealt with their sin, he has routed their enemies, he has given them a sense of his presence, and they are conscious of his power. The sobs have gone, and the anguish is over. They have so much going for them, no wonder they sing! Hey, if you can’t sing in a situation like that, you have lost your song!
These are tremendous promises that God is giving to his people – the assurance that he is with them 24/7, the fact that he rules and reigns over them, the knowledge that fear is banished into oblivion. They are totally secure and perfectly safe. The good news is, that isn’t only true for Israel in a coming day, for us, as the people of God, it’s a reality in our lives right now!
Verse 16 is a poignant reminder that the Lord strengthens each of his people. There’s no need for us to wilt and grow weary, no need for us to throw the towel into the ring and give up and give in. It’s always too soon to quit, said one of old. Do not let your hands hang limp is the message! It happens when we feel overwhelmed in life, discouraged and disheartened; when we feel exhausted and can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel; when we feel out of our depth and unable to cope in the face of mounting crises – the message is: let’s be strong in the Lord, he will see us through. He’s there to enable us, he will equip us, and keep us pressing on.
Here’s that marvellous declaration we’ve all been waiting
for in verse 17: it shines the spotlight on God’s unfailing presence for the
Lord your God is with you; it reminds us that the Lord is a God who values
and appreciates a relationship with his people, he’s a God who specialises in
the personal touch for he uses the word your in his promise; he’s a God
who can do anything, at any time and anywhere for he is mighty to save – he’s a
God of deliverance, a God of redemption, a God for whom salvation is second
nature.
He’s a God who takes immense pleasure and satisfaction in
his people for we read that he will take great delight in you; he’s a
God who tenderly ministers to us, he embraces us, he draws us near to himself
and, when he touches our hearts and lives, it’s an act of deepest love – his is
a wonderfully soothing ministry that brings out the best in us for he will
quiet (us) with his love.
The fact that we belong to him brings him enormous joy and he can’t contain himself, he breaks out singing, he bursts forth in spontaneous praise: we read that he will rejoice over you with singing. That tells me he’s deliriously happy to have us in his global family, to be numbered among his children. Again, it puts the main beam where it belongs – the focus in this verse isn’t on us as the Lord’s own people, the attention is on him and rightly so! This is all about what God can do, and what God does in your life and mine.
The next couple of verses project us into the future for they are an indication of some of the cleaning up that God will do at the end of time. People will get their comeuppance in that day, all those who turned their backs on God will realise it’s payday at last! Their evil has caught up with them, they can run but there is no place for them to hide, the roving eye of God has cornered them. God will deal with such folks – he’s a God of justice and righteousness. It’s obvious that many folks have got the rough end of the stick in the course of their lives, they’ve been handed a raw deal and others have walked all over them – well, in that final day, the Lord will make it up to them, he will compensate them for God is no man’s debtor. He never short-changes his people. God has the uncanny ability of turning situations around for we read: I will give them praise and honour in every land where they were put to shame. The lesson is, be careful how you treat God’s own people! God has a long arm and a long memory, he misses nothing: he picks us up, he puts us up!
What a gracious God we have. It’s fantastic to realise that God has a blueprint for blessing his people – they will be the talk of the town, they will be exalted. It’s payback time, and the Lord’s people always come off better! They are recognised globally for all that the Lord has done in them. Every ethnic group admires them because of the amazing turnaround in their fortunes – again, that is God, for he is the God who restores his people. It seems to me, the future is bright, the future is Christ. Let me finish off by reminding you of one little phrase tucked away in the middle of verse 20: it’s where the Lord says, I will bring you home. I know it has a special meaning to the Jewish nation, but it has a unique application to our hearts as well. It’s where we’re headed for – we’re going home! Home to glory! A new day is dawning, the Lord is coming and soon, and very soon, we’re going home! At home with the Lord.
The book began with a king – Hezekiah and Josiah, the book ends with a King, his name is Jesus. The King is coming!
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