Zephaniah – Page 2 – Be Still…

Zephaniah 1:14-18 – This Day

Read Zephaniah 1:14-18

Zephaniah’s oracle now shifts focus to “all” people, not just rebellious Judah. Churches today have coupled this passage with New Testament passages speaking of the final judgment. You may even recognize some of these images have become the lyrics in hymns and worship songs.

This day will be a day of bitter tears, men crying out, all while the Lord’s anger is poured out on all people. It’s not a pleasant picture at all. Yet, it is destruction we can anticipate will happen when the Lord’s Day finally arrives. Will we see it in our lifetime? Only God knows.

Zephaniah 1:7-13 – A Moment of Silence

Read Zephaniah 1:7-13

Zephaniah asserts that judgment day is coming soon, and he is not referring to the end times here but to a specific time in history yet to come for those first hearing his words. Zephaniah is not the only prophet talking about it either. God is using many “mouthpieces” to get the message out that he is not happy with his people.

It’s good to take a moment of silence in our own day to take an account of what’s going on in our lives. Do our actions glorify God or disappoint him? Do we see chaos, worry, doubt, thrill, busyness, fear, loneliness, great success, embarrassing failures? What is happening in your life right now? Is God part of the picture? If not, invite him in!

Zephaniah 1:1-6 – God’s Wrath

Read Zephaniah 1:1-6

Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah and would have spoken God’s words during the reign of King Josiah. You’ll recall when King Josiah learned of the scrolls containing God’s law, great reforms began to help the people of Judah to return to God. Zephaniah would help shake the people of Judah out of their complacency so they could understand their hope comes from God.

Zephaniah doesn’t sugar coat the radical message from God but gets right to the point. God’s wrath will sweep away everything and crush Jerusalem and Judah. Even his own creation will suffer. God’s anger has been fueled by all the idol worship that fills the land.

Zephaniah 3:14-20 – Mighty to Save

Read Zephaniah 3:14-20

Hallelujah! This is quite a prophecy. Little did the people of Zephaniah’s time know that Jesus would soon be there.

Jesus delights in us. He loves us. He will calm our fears. He rejoices over us. What a feeling of love and comfort overtakes me when I think of that very thing.

Verse 17 of this final chapter of Zephaniah is probably the best known. It is quite something. “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Let’s unpack that. After all of the wrath and destruction that has preceded this message, this is like a rainbow after a storm. God is with us! We can have no fear. He has not abandoned us,despite our sinful ways. He fights for us, and he is mighty to save! God gave us Jesus to bring that salvation to life.

Have you ever imagined God taking delight in you? Maybe you feel unworthy of his love and mercy? But he does delight in us. Much like a parent finds joy in their child, multiply that by an infinite number because it’s God after all. His capacity to love is so much greater than we can even fathom. All of that love is directed at us!

He rejoices over us and is thrilled to have us as his children. Have you ever sung a lullaby to your children or grandchildren? Maybe you have your own fond memories of being sung to as a child. Imagine the God of the universe singing over you. Did you just feel the peace of God wash over you as you pictured that?

So what is the message you need to hear from God today? Are you feeling alone and comforted to know God is with you? Are you in the middle of a storm and delighted to know God is fighting for you?

Let the words of God’s promise wash over you and feel his breath as he sings over you this day.

Let’s pray. Lord, I give you thanks for being a warrior for me. Thank you for having my back and always being there. Forgive me for my lack of attentiveness and being distracted. I want to be more focused on you. Continue to use me as your hands and feet here to bring others closer to you. Use this devotional as you deem appropriate. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Zephaniah 3:1-13 – God is Waiting

Read Zephaniah 3:1-13

The focus is now on Jerusalem, the holy city. The Lord was hopeful his people would see the light and repent. Yet he calls out the leaders as totally corrupt, treacherous. The people didn’t have a chance if they were putting any trust at all in their leadership. God wanted them to fear him and self-correct their evil ways. They did not. His anger burned.

This passage holds hope and promise to follow God’s wrath. In verse 9, he says he will “purify”….so that all can “worship the Lord together”. Just like a loving father who gets angry with his child for wrongdoing. It is the “wrong” that angers, not the child. God loves us despite our failings, despite our tendency to stray, despite our sin.

He loves us so much that he sent Jesus for our redemption. We are then truly purified, and we should at all times and places now worship God together. Why don’t we? What is holding us back? We can point fingers at those who are influencing us, but God has planted his seed in our hearts and he is eagerly waiting for us, too.

Did any of the prophesies in today’s reading strike a chord with you? Sometimes we struggle with passages like this and want to gloss over them, thinking they don’t apply to us. When we hear the phrase, “fear of the Lord,” it is an example like this that should come to mind.

God has given us a life to live and choices to make. Sometimes our choices are good and pleasing to God, and sometimes they are not. We need to be careful of the latter. God is a jealous god. God desires for us to be in relationship with him, therefore righteous or right with God. Too many people today do also rebel, like the nations in our readings from Zephaniah, and want to deny God.

What about you? How does God fit into your life? Are you living for him and making choices that honor him?

Let’s pray. Father God, forgive me when my selfish heart clouds my perspective. Help me to discern your will for me and live it in a way that is pleasing to you. In this fallen world, I am sometimes overwhelmed with all the corruption and evil. The goodness in people seems to be so clouded. Use me God to help people realize their need for you is greater than their need for possessions or fame. Lord, please bless our business as well so that it can be a vehicle to help others who are struggling. May it be God honoring and draw people to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.