Zephaniah 2
COMMENTARY:
: 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come on you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come on you. (4671 “chaff” [mots] means always as driven by wind, or the worthless husk material that surrounds the ripe seed of a plant.)
DEVOTION: The Bible continually warns of a day of the LORD when HE will release HIS judgment on the nations. It is only happening to a few nations at a time at present. When the day of the LORD comes it will be judgment on all nations at once.
The LORD is warning the people to gather BEFORE the judgment begins. HE would like everyone to realize that HE is serious. They don’t and therefore will not gather together to worship the LORD in spirit and in truth. They will continue on their merry way.
There is still time to day to repent. It can happen before you are blown away like worthless grain. We seem to think that we are more important than those around us and the LORD would never do anything to us.
The Bible gives us the truth. The truth is that the fierce anger of the LORD is going to fall in the future. It is going to be a terrible day. Once it begins it will not end until all those who have rejected Jesus Christ are judged and stand before the LORD for their final judgment.
Those who are followers of the LORD should be prepared for HIS return before the fierce judgment of the LORD begins. There are warning signs that our days are getting more and more like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Our sins are the same. The judgment is sure.
Christians should be standing for marriage as that which is between one woman and one man. Anything different is against the commands of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: There is a difference between sinning and living in sin. If you don’t know the difference, study the Word of God or ask a good Bible teacher.
: 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. (1245 “seek” [baqash] means require, request, enquire, ask, to find, to secure, desire, demand, to strive after, call to account or exact.)
DEVOTION: Wouldn’t it be great if we always thought before we acted? It would keep us from sinning and facing the consequences of our sins. Thinking is a great activity. Problem is that most of us act out of emotion rather than using our head to think.
The children of Israel were acting the same way. They were just acting or going along with the crowd without thinking of the consequences. They had been getting away with it so long that they thought that the LORD didn’t care about their actions. The thought that HE was giving them time to repent never crossed their minds or at least not long enough for them to do something about it.
This verse follows a verse that uses the word “before” many times. It is a warning to act “before” the consequences of their actions come to fruition. The warning signs were there but they were looking in the wrong direction. Things seemed to be going right.
This is true in our life as well. We think everything is going well or at least things are livable. The prophet uses a word three times to encourage them to strive after a couple of things that would put them back in good graces with the LORD.
They were to first of all find the proper relationship with the LORD through repentance. Second they were to seek right living. Thirdly they were to seek humility before the LORD.
This formula is the same today. We need to see the warning signs that the LORD is sending our way. They study the Word of God to find out how to live our life more correctly and finally to do it all with a humble spirit.
We are not noted for our humble spirit today. We are arrogant. We think we can do whatever we please whenever we please and no one can stop us.
CHALLENGE: Stop thinking wrong thoughts. We have to be thirsty for the refreshing water of the LORD through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life.
Are you thirty for the LORD today?
: 11 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, everyone from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. (7812 “worship” [shachah] means bow down, prostrate oneself, reverence, or obeisance.)
DEVOTION: This chapter is about the LORD’S people commanded to seek the LORD. They are to seek the LORD with righteousness. They are to seek the LORD with meekness. Why? So that, they can be HID on the Day of Judgment.
The rest of the chapter informs us of the judgment the LORD that HE is going to impose on those around nation of Israel. It is not a nice judgment. These nations are the ones who throughout the history of Israel have given them a hard time. They have conquered them when they were out of tune with the LORD. The LORD has used them as instruments to get the attention of the children of Israel. Now they were to confess their sins and seek the LORD.
This verse instructs us that the false gods are going to be shown for what they are: false. Every nation is going to bow down before the LORD. People from all nations whither they believe in HIM and not. The day of the LORD is coming.
It is a day of judgment on the nations who contain those who have chosen not to follow the LORD. Remember that in heaven we see a great multitude that has individuals from every nation that worship the LORD. There seems to be a remnant of every nation that obeys the LORD.
We have a responsibility before the day of the LORD to share the truth of the word of God with those who are bowing down to false gods. Are we visiting those around us with this truth????
We presented a message to a church of about seventy people. We challenged them to take one bulletin with a tract in it and share it with one person a week for a year. That group of people would reach 3,640 homes in one year. Imagine if only one percent of the homes responded to the good news. We could pray that it would be ten percent.
Even more recently I spent three weeks at a church of about a hundred to encourage them to reach their neighborhood for the LORD. They would be able to reach their whole town for the LORD with each one giving one bulletin a week for fifty weeks for two and a half years. Only about ten percent of the people responded. And some are still doing it now.
Most church members never invite one person to church a year. The Bible instructs us in the fact that there is ONLY one way to become a follower of the LORD and that is through Jesus Christ. There is no other name under heaven that will do. No other religion will be represented in heaven. ONLY CHRISTIANITY!!!
Not even some of the churches that claim to be Christian will be there. It is not the name on the door but the message from the pulpit. The Bible is exclusive. The LORD is exclusive. The question will be asked: What did you do with the message of the cross of Jesus Christ???
CHALLENGE: Even after you know your responsibility to your neighbor are you doing anything about it. Remember just leaving a bulletin with a tract in it is better than doing NOTHING until Jesus comes to reach them for the LORD. Worship includes being a witness for the LORD.
: 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 passes by her shall hiss, and wag his hand. (5750 “beside” [‘uwd] means still, again, continually, no more, duration, or remainder.)
DEVOTION: Nineveh thought that they would last forever. They thought they were a strong nation that no one could conquer. They were wrong.
They lived as if they didn’t need to worship the true God of the Israelites. They said in their hearts that there was none beside them who could conquer the world without the help of the God of Israel.
God said they were wrong. They were going to become an desolation. There were going to be a resting place for only the beasts of the field. There were going to be people walking by their city who would make fun of them because they made fun of other nations.
This can come true here and now as well. We sometimes think that our nation will never fall but that is not true. Our nation started on Biblical principles in spite of what is being said and taught here.
There is about half of our nation that doesn’t want anything to do with the God of the Bible. Some of those who say they do are being taught false teachings by men who call themselves pastors. They are not honoring the LORD.
CHALLENGE: We will live to see other nations hiss and wag their hand at us.
Will there be other nations that will laugh at us?
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