[Read Zephaniah 1:1-18]
The key to this book is the phrase "the Day of the Lord."
• It’s a common phrase used in the prophetic books but Zephaniah used it more than any other prophet.
• It is the Lord’s D-day for men - the day He executes judgment, both to His people as well as the surrounding nations.
• God has been patient. God has been giving them warnings. But there will come a day when sentencing is due. God will act.
The book does not reveal exactly when that day will come, but it paints a shocking picture of what is involved.
• God will visit earth with His wrath. No one can escape. The warnings are specific to Judah (Jerusalem), but cover the surrounding nations too.
• Those who are determined to stay on the wrong path and in their defiant of God will have to “face the music”.
Sadly, despite all these warnings, the Israelites remained complacent and indifferent.
• They were deceived by THREE LIES that I picked up from this book:
1:12 “At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, `The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’”
(1) First Lie: “The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.”
“Don’t worry. God is not bothered. Look, we have been living this way for so long, and nothing bad has happened.”
Complacency looks harmless but it is deadly. Empires of the past fall because of complacency, battles and games are lost because of complacency.
• The vast majority of the people disregard or ignore God. This is understandable if God has not revealed Himself in any way, but He did.
Through creation - Rom 1:18-20 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Through Jesus Christ - 1 Peter 1:20-21 “He [Jesus] was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”
THE TRUTH IS: GOD IS CONCERNED AND VERY INVOLVED IN YOUR LIFE.
He has your good in mind.
• The Israelites have drifted TOO FAR from God, and for TOO LONG.
• God has to step in. Man will self-destruct eventually, if nothing is done to arrest this digression (or regression). It is for their good that God steps in.
Ask any loving parents and they will tell you discipline is necessary, to keep a child on the right and good path.
• This is the INTENT of judgement – to restore and bless.
• When God commands, don’t see it as the need to obey rules. See it as His desire to direct us to the BEST life has to offer.
When a boy throws his food on the floor and I say, “Pick it up and clean up the floor”, the boy can see it as a command to be obeyed.
But in the end, I do not want him to see it only as a command, and stop throwing food on the floor just because I say so. I want him to recognise it as something messy, that it’s a waste of food, and not the right way to dispose food.
A command is given to guide behaviour but it is not an end in itself. God wants us to live the way He has intended, so that we can enjoy life to its fullest – one that is good, abundant, righteous and free from sin.
That’s the real end to keeping God’s commands.
The second lie they fell for is in 3:2 “She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God.”
(2) Second Lie: “All You Need is Self-Confidence”
In other words, they thought they know best. They were arrogant and confident.
• So were the nations around them. To Moab and Ammon, the Lord says they will become like Sodom and Gomorrah, a wasteland forever (2:9). 2:10 “This is what they will get in return for their pride…”
• God will destroy the Assyrians too, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate (2:13). Why? 2:15 “This is the carefree city that lived in safety. She said to herself, "I am, and there is none besides me." What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts! All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists.”
All of these enemies of Israel had every reason to believe they would never, ever have to fear Israel as a world power.
• They were stronger. They were more numerous. They were more prosperous. They had self-confidence. But none of these nations and empires remained.
THE TRUTH IS: WE NEED TO SEEK THE LORD
Zeph 2:3 “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger.”
• This is the attitude the Lord is looking for. Stay humble and seek God.
• One day, the remnant of Israel will understand. The Lord prophesies in 3:11-12 “On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. 12But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD.”
The emphasis is clear – the Lord is looking for those who are meek and humble enough to seek Him and trust Him. Are you among them? Will you be among them?
Look at 3:5 - “the Lord within her is righteous, He does no wrong…” God is still with her, within the city of Jerusalem, despite her rebellion.
• Why? 3:7 “I said to the city, Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her dwelling would not be cut off, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.”
• God did not give up on them. They give up on God.
• The truth is we all need Him. Be humble and seek Him. Don’t lean on self-confidence, it cannot give you success.
(3) Third Lie: “The Future is What We Make It”
We read in Chapter 3 the creation of a new order – a life where God is enthroned among His creation. [Read 3:9-17]
This is the intent of the judgment. This is the end goal - Israel will be restored as one nation under God, and the world will come to know and worship God one day.
• This future is ordained by God. This blessing belongs to those who trust in the Name of the LORD, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
• Those who throw themselves before God and ask for mercy will get it. Not those who rebel against Him, not those who trust in themselves or idols.
If we can see that end today, we will be willing to obey God and do what it takes.
• But the problem is we do not often see that end. We need to be convinced of that end, that certain things we do today will bring us the GOOD that God has planned.
• The future is not what we make it to be. THE TRUTH IS: OUR FUTURE IS IN GOD’S HANDS.
It is not easy to convince ourselves sometimes, that God’s plan is always good.
• The people in Zephaniah’s time were complacent (1:12) and proud (2:10). They believed in themselves more than God.
• Remember Prov 3:5-8 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
We think we are fine until we get a bad diagnosis.
• We need a doctor to tell us that we have to exercise regularly, to eat more greens and fruits to stay healthy. We indulge in the present, until a crisis scares us into action.
• This was precisely what the Israelites needed, and God gave it to them.
One writer sums it well: God will intervene in history, even catastrophically, to judge humanity’s complacency and indifference, and to restore men to the conditions of blessing that He originally intended for them to enjoy.
Conclusion:
This book serves as a reminder to us. One day, God will wrap up history with the return of His Son, Jesus Christ.
• This world will not end by accident. Man will not end it. Life will not because of the depletion of natural resources.
• The end of the world comes with the return of Jesus Christ, not to save the world but to judge the human race.
• Paul said it well (in Athens, Acts 17:30-31), “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For He has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
These judgments were written in the prophetic books to serve as warnings for us.
• 1 Cor 10:11 “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come.”
• Are we like them, just as self-confident and complacent? Do we feel that we are fine and beyond correction? Do we attribute our prosperity as the results of our own efforts rather than God’s grace? Do we place more faith in our wealth and wisdom? Do we care about what God say?
God is no different today than He was then. We would do well to SEEK Him first, in every area of our lives.
• Consider praying for your course (study), your courtship, your career, and your children.
• Don’t presume that you know best. God is involved in your life. If you acknowledge Him, He will make your path straight.
• If we head down the wrong way too far and for too long, the Day of the Lord may come upon you. Not because He does not love you; He loves you too much to leave you the way you are.
