Zephaniah: An Inconvenient Truth - chapter 3

Zephaniah: An Inconvenient Truth

The Introduction and Chapters 1 & 2 can be found on the menu bar on the right.

Zephaniah 3

In chapters 1 and 2 Zephaniah has been prophesying of the day of the LORD and what will happen to Judah, Jerusalem, and the nations around them. Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah, all prophesied around the same time and all said God would raise up the Chaldeans (Babylonians) and that He would use them to fulfill His purposes. Chapter 3 begins with one last note on the sins of the people of Judah and then breaks forth into restoration and salvation!

I first attempted to go through the chapter verse by verse, but it felt like I was disturbing the flow of thought, causing ripples on the lake, muddying the water - I think you get the picture! So instead of verse by verse, I will consider each section as a whole.

1-7 The spiritual state of Jerusalem

1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
4 Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
5 The just LORD [is] in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
6 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings.
Zephaniah is talking about Jerusalem. He is speaking to her, especially her princes, prophets, and priests. What a sad picture of the spiritual state of Jerusalem and the Jews in Zephaniah’s day! They had witnessed His chastisements, his judgments, yet they continued to rise early and corrupt all their ways. They were sold out to sin and would not turn to the Lord.

8-20 Restoration and Salvation

8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination [is] to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, [even] the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
This is very interesting. The day of the LORD is coming in which God will use Babylon to execute his judgment on Judah, sending them into captivity in Babylon. And here he speaks of their restoration. Their salvation is described as I will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD. “This promise must refer to the conversion of the Jews…That the whole nation may call upon God by Christ, and serve him with one consent.” (Adam Clarke) It seems to me that the restoration and salvation is greater than the return from Babylon under Ezra and Nehemiah.

11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid.
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, [even] the LORD, [is] in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
18 I will gather [them that are] sorrowful for the solemn assembly, [who] are of thee, [to whom] the reproach of it [was] a burden.
19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
20 At that time will I bring you [again], even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.
Notice, in that day (11 & 16) and at that time (19 & 20). This refers to the return to the land and their restoration to the Lord - he is detailing what will happen in that day and at that time. This will be a great day and a great salvation! Deliverance, peace, and joy! I believe verses 11-20 have a double fulfillment: first, the rescue from Babylon and the return to the land, and second, the greater rescue and restoration in the last days at the second coming and millennial reign of Christ, the King of Israel.

I have read those who say Zephaniah is no longer speaking of Israel here, that there is no future restoration of Israel, that this is referring only to a future, spiritual people (i.e. The Church). But this doesn’t make sense. The Jews get the day of the LORD of chapter 1 but not the restoration of chapter 3? How would Zephaniah’s readers have understood this? Where are the clues that the intended audience has changed? We know for certain that God told them of the Babylonian captivity, that He promised restoration from Babylon after 70 years of captivity, and that this is exactly what happened. This is clearly what Zephaniah prophesied – when I turn back your captivity before your eyes.

But as I have said, this seems to be referring to more, to a greater restoration which has yet to take place, but will when Christ returns. And of course this is where some differ, they deny that God will fully restore Israel, that Israel has a future. This would of course mean that God would cast them off at some point. That some point being after the first coming of Christ – he came, they rejected him, as a result God rejected them, cast them off as His people (the destruction of Jerusalem). But Paul asks and answers this very question in Romans 11:1-2, I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.

Is there a future for Israel? Will God restore Israel as a people and save them? Here is what the angel Gabriel declared to Mary in Luke 1:30-33

Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

And Paul in Romans 11:26-27

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Yes, all Israel shall yet be saved. God has promised this to them, this is the covenant he made with them. This the faithfulness of God. He is faithful to his Word and His covenant. In chapter 1 Zephaniah tells us the LORD is righteous and holy. In chapters 1 & 3 he tells us He is faithful. He loves His people Israel, He made a covenant in which He promised to save them from their enemies and give them peace in their land, and He will do it!

If this is for Israel, and it is, is there any application for the Christian today? The one who has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? For the Church of Christ? The new people of God made up of people from every nation? Yes! Through Christ we inherit the salvation promised to Israel: That the Gentiles should be…partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. (Ephesians 3:6) Hallelujah! We inherit it, we enjoy the benefits of it, but we don’t exhaust it. That is, even though we’re partakers of his promise in Christ, we are only tasting the powers of the world to come, there is still the full deal when Christ returns in glory, So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28) And that Israel will yet enjoy salvation through their Messiah, hear the Apostle Paul in Romans 11

11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Now, let’s go through Zephaniah 3:11-20 again and see this salvation we’re partakers of:

11 in that day shalt thou not be ashamed of all thy doings – forgiveness
13 do no iniquity, nor speak lies – saved from sin, which we call sanctification
none shall make them afraid – the peace of God which passeth all understanding
14 sing, be glad and rejoice – the joy of the Lord, unspeakable and full of glory
15 taken away thy judgments – justification
Cast out thine enemy – deliverance and salvation
The king is in the midst of thee – the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Thou shalt not see evil anymore – all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose
17 the LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty – In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” Hallelujah!!!!
18-19 I will gather the sorrowful / I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out – is this not what He is doing now? saving the lost and broken? We can all sing: “I was lost in sin when Jesus found me, but he rescued me all glory to his name!” ('Twas A Glad Day, A.S. Reitz)

Is this not the Gospel? Christ has come and brought the salvation of God.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved - with the very salvation described in these verses! Praise God!


Verse 17 is beautiful: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

We used to sing this verse -

The Lord Thy God in the midst of Thee,
Is mighty, is mighty.
He will save, He will rejoice over Thee
With joy, with joy.
He will rest in His love.
He will joy over Thee with singing.
The Lord Thy God in the midst of Thee,
Is mighty, is mighty, is mighty.
(by Tapu Moala © 1972 Scripture In Song)

You can listen to it here  We sang it a little faster than this.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people from their sins.

Zephaniah: An Inconvenient Truth - Chapter 2

Zephaniah: An Inconvenient Truth

The Introduction and Chapter 1 can be found on the menu bar on the right.

Zephaniah 2 The Day of the LORD and the nations

In chapter 1:7 we read an ominous warning:

Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD [is] at hand
As I said, this suggests that it was too late for repentance and reformation to save them from the coming judgment. Nevertheless this chapter begins with a note of comfort.

1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
2 Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.
3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
O nation not desired, before the day of the LORD come upon you, Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness.

This is a call to repent and turn to the LORD. The best part of this call is, He told them how to seek Him. Seek the LORD all ye meek of the earth, or perhaps land. All you lowly and humble folk, seek the LORD, in prayer, looking to and trusting Him to protect and care for you.

which have wrought his judgment – they may be humble, but they are the righteous remnant.

seek righteousness – ah, don’t simply pray, continue to live right, do right, and treat your neighbor with chesed or lovingkindness.

seek meekness – this word is translated humility three times, gentleness once, and meekness once. In Proverbs we read, Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility and By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. Seek to be righteous and humble, meek and caring.

And this call comes with a promise: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

“The sword has not a commission against you. Ask God, and he will be a refuge to you from the storm and from the tempest.” (Adam Clarke)

From the beginning of the Book to the end, this is a pattern with the Lord: –

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13)

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (Rev 7:2-3)

God’s way has not been removal from the situation, but protection through it. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were young men in Judah at the time of the Babylonian captivity. They were righteous and meek young men, who sought the LORD. They still went to Babylon, but they were hidden (kept and protected) by the LORD. As our Lord Jesus prayed for us, I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)


Now Zephaniah speaks to the nations surrounding Judah

4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings [and] cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast – this is the west coast of Israel, what we call the West Bank, the land of the Philistines; the day of the LORD will also come upon them. This was part of the promised land, the territory that Israel was to conquer and occupy. They did not to do this in Joshua’s day (Joshua 13) and the Philistines were still around in Zephaniah’s day. And still powerful. Now this day of the LORD, this tidal wave of Chaldeans, will destroy them too.

the remnant of the house of Judah – Zephaniah is still prophesying the day of the LORD, but he slips in the restoration of the Jews; for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity. This is like a secret that can't be kept, like trying to hold water in your hand, it just leaks out! The day of the LORD will come upon them, they will be carried away into Babylon, but God will turn away their captivity!! Isn't he done with them? Isn't this judgment? How can it be that God will turn away their captivity? Because God made a covenant with them, he will not, he can not, utterly forsake them! Hallelujah!

8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified [themselves] against their border.
9 Therefore [as] I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, [even] the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified [themselves] against the people of the LORD of hosts.
11 The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen.

Moab and Ammon were on the east border of Judah. They had historically reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts. The day of the LORD will also be upon them, as a result they shall be a perpetual desolation and the remnant of my people shall possess them.”

The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen – could this be Zephaniah seeing the last days?

12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye [shall be] slain by my sword.
I don’t know why the LORD skips over Egypt to speak of Ethiopia; we know from other prophets that Egypt also shall be included in this day of the LORD.

13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, [and] dry like a wilderness.
14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; [their] voice shall sing in the windows; desolation [shall be] in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.
15 This [is] the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I [am], and [there is] none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, [and] wag his hand.
Assyria had been a major world power. In fact it was Assyria that had carried the 10 northern tribes of Israel into captivity. They had become so powerful that they dwelt carelessly, they said of themselves, I am, and there is none beside me. Now the great Nineveh shall become a desolation, dry like a wilderness, a place for beasts to lie down in. It is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!


Zephaniah is prophesying of the day of the LORD and the impact it will have on Judah and the surrounding nations. This will be a day of judgment. God will raise up the Babylonians who will sweep into Assyria, Israel, Philistia, Ammon, Moab, and down into Egypt and Ethiopia. As these dark and dangerous days are approach, God speaks this word of promise and hope: Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

How do we apply this to our lives and our day? We live in trying times, filled with temptation, apostasy, trouble, AND we may be on the very brink of the last days, yea, the final hour, but God knows how to hide, protect, and keep us. As we read in 2 Peter 2:4-9:

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered righteous Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Yea and amen! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) Hallelujah!

The Apostle Paul declares in Romans 5:8-10

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Not only is Jesus the Savior from coming judgment, but it is by His grace

that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.” (Luke 1:74-75)

Glory to God!

Let us commit the keeping of our souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Click here and let’s sing to the Lord: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.

Zephaniah: An Inconvenient Truth - Chapter 1

Zephaniah: An Inconvenient Truth

If you missed the Introduction, you can find it on the menu bar on the right.

Zephaniah 1 The Day of the LORD and Judah

Wow! Zephaniah opens on a dark note and with a BANG! There is no getting around it, this is judgment. From God. On Judah.

In v 1-6 God declares His intention

1)
2 I will utterly consume all [things] from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
4a I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
This is a serious word that affects all of Judah.

2)
4b I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, [and] the name of the Chemarim with the priests;
5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship [and] that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham

Baal – lord; master; the supreme male divinity of the Canaanites, as Ashtoreth was their supreme female divinity. There can be no doubt of the very high antiquity of the worship of Baal. It prevailed in the time of Moses among the Moabites and Midianites (Numbers 22:41); through them it spread to the Israelites (Numbers 25:3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor) and appears never to have been permanently abolished among them. The attractiveness of this worship to the Jews undoubtedly grew out of its licentious character. We find this worship also in Phoenician colonies. The religion of the ancient British islands much resembled this ancient worship of Baal, and may have been derived from it. The plural, Baalim, is found frequently, showing that he was probably worshipped under different compound names. (Smith Bible Dictionary)

A Canaanite god! And all these years later the Jews are still worshipping him, even though Moses had instructed them in Exodus 23:23-25:

For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. And ye shall serve the LORD your God…

Chemarim – see Malcham below

them that worship the host of heaven – the stars, planets, and constellations named after gods; we call it astrology and the horoscope.

them that worship [and] that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham – How soiled the Jews were! How degraded! How utterly compromised! On the Sabbath they declared their devotion to YHWH, on Monday they declared their devotion to Malcham. They had forgotten and cast off the word of the LORD:

Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God

Malcham - Another form of Molech. The fire-god Molech was the god of the children of Ammon, and essentially identical with the Moabitish Chemosh. Fire-gods appear to have been common to all the Canaanite, Syrian and Arab tribes, who worshipped the destructive element under an outward symbol, with the most inhuman rites. According to Jewish tradition, the image of Molech was of brass, hollow within, and was situated outside of Jerusalem. "His face was (that) of a calf, and his hands stretched forth like a man who opens his hands to receive (something) of his neighbor. And they kindled it with fire, and the priests took the baby and put it into the hands of Molech, and the baby gave up the ghost." Molech was the lord and master of the Ammonites; their country was his possession, as Moab was the heritage of Chemosh. The priests of Molech were called Chemarim. (Smith Bible Dictionary)

The Jews were deeply involved in and addicted to this degrading idol worship.

3) 
6 And [I will cut off] them that are turned back from the LORD; and [those] that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
Those who have abandoned YHWH are in the same boat with the idolators.

7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD [is] at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
8 And it shall come to pass 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 strange apparel.
9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, [that there shall be] the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

The day of the LORD is at hand – this is a phrase used in the Old Testament to speak of a day when God will rise up in holy and righteous judgment. The prophets use it to refer to the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon as well as the end times.

And it shall come to pass – a common phrase in the prophets to describe and list events that will happen at a just declared event. I highlighted them so you could see the repetition.

Here in Zephaniah 1 it has been just declared, The LORD hath prepared his sacrifice, he hath bid his guests, and at that time four things will happen:

(1) I will punish the princes and the king’s children
(2) I will punish those who leap on the threshold (worship the Philistine god Dagon)
(3) all the merchant people will be cut down. (Maktesh - The place in Jerusalem for the merchants)
(4) “I will punish the men that are settled on their lees” - Those who are careless, satisfied with the goods of this life; who trust in their riches, and are completely irreligious.

hold thy peace at the presence of the LORD – this part begins with this ominous phrase, “Hold thy peace”, “Hush”. These are frightening words. Normally, when God declares a judgment, there is the possibility of repentance staying His hand, as in the case of Josiah himself. But not now. The people have gone too far for too long. There is no turning back.

14 The great day of the LORD near,
near, and hasteth greatly,
the voice of the day of the LORD:
the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
15 That day a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of wasteness and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloominess,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities,
and against the high towers.

The day of the LORD is the day when God alone is magnified and righteousness prevails. In the prophets it is a dark day. As Amos cried, Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD!

17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
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 shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
Sin is serious. Persisting in sin and rebellion is a very serious thing. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31)

The day of the LORD. This is the inconvenient truth of Zephaniah. 

How dare I speak of wrath and judgment in this gospel age? Didn’t Jesus remove all that? No. The Lord Jesus spoke of the day of the LORD and coming judgment. In Matthew 25 he said,

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

As did the Apostle Paul: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10)

The book of The Revelation describes the coming tribulation period and the rebellion of them that dwell on the earth, how they repeatedly refuse to turn to the Lord: And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21; also 16:9,11)

Sin is a deceitful and deadly enemy! We cannot afford to cozy up to it and embrace it. If we would preach the whole counsel of God we must also speak of the righteousness and holiness of God. There is a day of judgment coming. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1 Peter 4:17-18)

For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev 6:17)

Who indeed shall be able to stand in that day? It is here and now that the love, mercy, and grace of God come into focus. We are lost. We are undone. The day of the Lord will swallow us up. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us (Eph 2:4), sent his only begotten Son to die for us, then raised him from the dead, that we might be saved!

And [he, the jailor] brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spoke unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. (Acts 16:30-32)


But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The Lord is Holy is a wonderful song to end on. If you would like to sing go here

Zephaniah: An Inconvenient Truth - Introduction

The Prophet Zephaniah: An Inconvenient Truth

Introduction

Last October I revived my blog and took a look at the Prophet Habakkuk. Then for Advent I did Portraits of Faith, in which I examined the faith of the people surrounding the birth of the Lord Jesus. While I was doing that I felt a stirring and a leading to go through Zephaniah. First, I thought about doing this as a series of videos, after all we live in a video age, but I recalled being told, “You don’t have a television face.” So that was out. Then I thought about audio, you know, like a podcast. But then I remembered I don’t know how to do that. Ha! So it will still be what I am most familiar and comfortable with, print. Ah, but reading is good for you!

Let’s begin with an introduction to Zephaniah. Since this book has only three chapters, my plan is to do four posts: the introduction, and one for each of the three chapters. It has always been my goal to keep my posts to two pages, every once in a while a three page post. But, since I plan to cover a chapter at a time for Zephaniah, these posts may be more like four pages, mostly because I will include all the verses of each chapter (ch 1 has 18 verses, ch two 15, and ch three 20).

Now that we’re all on the same page . . .

1:1 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

One pastor has said, “The Book of Zephaniah is probably best known for being the least known book of the entire Bible. It is a small book, nestled in the midst of the Scroll of the Twelve, toward the end of the Old Testament.” So,

Who is Zephaniah?

He tells us who he is in the very first verse: I am the son of Cushi, who was the son of Gedaliah, who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Hizkiah. But, we don’t know who these people are. Except, Hizkiah. This is actually the same name as Hezekiah. (I don’t know why the KJV went with Hizkiah.) And most people think this is King Hezekiah. If that’s true, Zephaniah was a social somebody.

When did he prophesy?

He tells us that too: The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah in the days of Josiah, king of Judah. Of Josiah we read in 2 Kings 22:1-3

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem... And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah… The chapter goes on to tell us how Josiah repaired the temple, and while the work was being done the scroll of Deuteronomy was found, which led Josiah to lead a revival of religion in Judah. He was indeed a good king.

What was his message?

Here is a problem of sorts. The days of Josiah were days of renewal and revival, but Zephaniah’s message was one of judgment. At first I was confused by this. The folks I consulted seemed somewhat confused as well. Then I did what I should have done at the beginning – I went back to 2 Kings to read the history of the kings of Judah and found the answer!

Many of the kings of Judah before Josiah are described in a similar way, he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but the high places were not removed. The high places were the places the Canaanites worshipped their gods. These were places of idolatry and spiritual activity. When Hezekiah came along he did something that had not been done in a long time, he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the groves, and broke in pieces the brass serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clung to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. (2 Kings 18:3-6)

But Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, was evil and seduced Judah to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel. In his days the word of the LORD came to him, And the LORD spoke by his servants the prophets, saying, Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. (2 Kings 21:10-12)

These are the times Josiah was born into and what he inherited when he became king. When the scroll of Deuteronomy was found, he also had a word from the LORD from Huldah the prophetess in 2 Kings 22:

15 And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:
17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;
19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.”

The judgment spoken to Manasseh is still coming, but Josiah will not see it. These are the times and situation Zephaniah prophesies in.

Zephaniah prophesies judgment upon Judah. He speaks of the righteousness, holiness, and faithfulness of God (chapters 1, 2, 3), as well as the love of God (ch 3). The righteousness and holiness of God. This is the inconvenient truth found in Zephaniah.

We don’t hear (or sing) much anymore of the righteousness and holiness of God. The God of Zephaniah is an uncomfortable God. We have developed this picture of God wherein he is only sweet and soft, gentle and kind, so when we read about the God who is holy and righteous, it can make us squirm in our seats. And when we hear about the wrath and judgment of God we are often shocked.

But God is righteous. That is, he is just and always does the right thing. And he requires righteousness of us. The righteousness of God helps us understand sin. It's only when we understand the righteousness of God that we can understand and appreciate the gracious gift of righteousness which is justification: God freely giving us what he demands of us. We don't talk about justification much any more because what is justification to a people who are not familiar with the righteous God?

Nor can we really appreciate the love and mercy of God until we know that he is holy. And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. The holiness of God shows us why Jesus had to die on the cross for our salvation - there can be no sin in heaven.

Zephaniah’s message is that Yahweh is righteous and Israel has sinned. Not once, or now and again, but persistent idolatry, immorality, injustice. For generations.

Yahweh is holy. He cannot dwell in the midst of an idolatrous people.

Yahweh is also faithful. Faithful to the covenant he made with Israel. He promised he would bless them if they obeyed, and if they fell into immorality and idolatry he would punish them. Zephaniah is proclaiming the faithfulness of God to the covenant.

Zephaniah also speaks of the love and mercy of God. Yahweh promises to restore Israel to himself and the land. All this according to His covenant with them.

But, hasn’t God changed since the days of Judah and Zephaniah? Jesus is not like this, is he? The God of Zephaniah, YHWH, the God of the Old Testament, is the God of the New Testament. He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.” (Hebrews 1:3) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18) Jesus is exactly like YHWH, the God of Zephaniah, the God of the Old Testament. We’ve been fed this lie that YHWH was always angry in Old Testament days. Y’know, it was all “Step out of line, the man come and take you away.” (For What It’s Worth, Buffalo Springfield, 1966). But that’s simply not true. God saved Israel, and blessed Israel, and Israel walked in peace and abundance much of the time. The prophets spoke of wrath to come only after years of enjoying the LORD's blessings, and after generations of God patiently waiting for them to turn back to Him. The Father loves us with an indescribable love. He is rich in mercy. He is also righteous. And holy.

Is Jesus in Zephaniah?

Yes. He is perhaps easier to find in other prophets, but he is here. There is no specific prophecy concerning his life or work, but he is here. Zephaniah may not be quoted in the New Testament*, but Christ is here. You see, ALL of God’s work with men have always been through His Son, the Word.

Zephaniah, prophet of an inconvenient truth, is the Word of God. May the Spirit of God help me as I seek to briefly explain this prophecy, that I might faithfully present the truth of the God who is righteous, holy, faithful, and loves us with an everlasting love.


Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein:
then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
Before the LORD: for he cometh,
for he cometh to judge the earth:
he shall judge the world with righteousness,
and the people with his truth.
(Psalm 96:11-13; if you wish to sing this click here)

* Well, perhaps not directly quoted, but some say he is referred to:

Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Revelation 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile [no lies]: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Anna - behind the scenes faith

 

Anna provides the final Portrait of Faith. She is the last of the people surrounding the birth of Jesus, and the one we have the least information on. We read about her in Luke 2:36-38. Three verses. Two sentences. That’s it. But we learn quite a lot from her. May the Lord help me to do justice to this amazing woman.

36  And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

there was one Anna - She was named after Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2), wife of Elkanah and mother of Samuel. Hannah has a great testimony herself and one worth reading. Mary’s song (Luke 1) is based on Hannah’s.

a prophetess – this one word tells us a lot about her; being a prophetess meant that, like Simenon, she also had the Holy Spirit resting upon her. This means she walked in the Spirit, was led by the Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit revealed things to her for her own life and regarding the people of Israel. She had faith to be filled with the Spirit, receive revelation from the Lord, and speak the words of the Lord.

daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher – “Though her family might have been a distinguished one in Jerusalem, yet we find that it was her very exemplary piety that entitled her to be thus honourably mentioned in the sacred history.” (Adam Clarke)

she was of a great age – we'll see how old she was in v 37

and had lived with an husband seven years – she was married for seven years; nothing is said about children.

37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

a widow of about fourscore and four years – I understand this to be her total age, 84 years old; she had not only grown old, but had faithfully walked with the Lord all those years – that is persevering faith. It is one thing to start the Christian life with a bang, it is another thing entirely to be faithful your whole life, and a long life at that!

departed not from the temple – This most likely means she attended constantly at the hours of prayer. The Gospels and Acts refer to praying at the third, sixth, and ninth hours—referring to about three hours after sunrise, noon, and three hours after noon, or nine in the morning, noon, and three in the afternoon.

served God with fastings and prayers night and day – she lived a very disciplined and spiritual life. She had faith to be holy, godly, disciplined, and full of prayer.

What was she so constantly praying about? Obviously, first of all, her own spiritual life and relationship with the Lord. I believe the context strongly suggests just as obviously her prayers were for the coming of the Lord’s Christ. Jesus taught us to pray, Thy kingdom come, she was no doubt praying this very prayer. The coming of the kingdom requires preparation, as both John and Jesus preached, Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. I’m just as certain she was occupied in praying for the people to be ready for the King. This is great faith - she is laboring with the Lord to birth the kingdom. This is a behind the scenes faith – people knew she was at the temple all the time, but she doesn’t appear to be important, even though she is doing the most important work and has chosen the good part. This is faith that moves mountains. The most important work in the kingdom is done by behind the scenes people. Oh to have faith like Anna!!

38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

coming in that instant – Simeon came to the temple because the Spirit told him to; it looks like Anna just happened to come in at that time. Yet, The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD – no happenstance; she may not have known what or who she was going to see, but the Lord directed her steps. She walked in faith, and was therefore at the right place at the right time!

gave thanks likewise unto the Lord – she saw and heard Simeon and joined him in thanking the Lord. I love this! She was walking in faith and so full of the Spirit that she instantly recognized this baby as the Christ; no thinking about it or praying over it - the Spirit bore witness with her spirit, This is the Christ, the answer to your prayers and she immediately responded with thanksgiving. She had faith to hear and receive the witness of the Spirit. And think about it, she is thanking God for His redemption before it has come to pass, I mean Jesus is just a 40 day old baby. This is faith.

and spoke of him – by faith she testified of Christ.

to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem – I am afraid that we have been given the impression that no one in Israel was looking for or ready for Christ, but that can’t be true. The Jewish people were very interested in and excited about the appearing of Christ: there were those waiting for the consolation of Israel, and those looking for redemption in Jerusalem; John the Baptizer baptized thousands of interested Jews; 3,000 people were baptized in the name of Jesus in Acts 2, and by Acts 4 there were 5,000 men who believed. Yes, as a nation they refused and rejected Christ, but God has always had a remnant. (That’s an interesting study in itself.)

I tell you, I want to be like Anna and have a persevering faith. I was young and now I am old, but I still want to walk in faith and in the Spirit. I want at the very least to have a behind the scenes faith, doing the most important work - prayer. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

But thou...follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called...

Finis

If you missed any of the Portraits of Faith posts, you can always read them by clicking on the links on the right side of this page.