#49c - Zephaniah - Do I Accept Correction?
The prophets had warned many times in many ways that God would destroy Judah and Jerusalem for their unfaithfulness. Joash was a Godly king but his faithful reforms produced no real change in the intrenched idolatry of his people. God’s patience was stretched to its limit and Zephaniah wrote the graphic descriptions of the soon coming judgment on Judah, their enemies, indeed the whole world. He began: “I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the LORD.” (1:2) There follows a series of “I will…” as in: “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” (1:4) He said “The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast,…” It would be a day of: “wrath, distress and anguish, ruin and devastation, darkness and gloom, clouds and thick darkness, trumpet blast and battle cry.” (1:15,16) Read chapter one again. God’s judgment of the Jews was serious and awful.
The Jews were not the only ones who would suffer God’s wrath. “Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted.” (2:4) Notice the other places and nations described in chapter two: Cherethites, Canaan, Philistines, Moab, Ammonite, Cushites, Assyria, Nineveh, the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else.’ What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts? Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.” (2:15)
Just as Adam and Eve ignored God’s warning of “death for sin,” so have, and so do, all who are on the broad path to destruction. “I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. :8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.” (3:7,8) Who, with any degree of accurate observation, can look at world history, survey the world around us, honestly assess the human heart and conclude anything other than: “The heart (my heart) is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) All, they, we, me and you, have and do deserve the judgement of God for our rebellious pride. The awful Day of the LORD came, comes and will come.
In every time and every place, individuals and groups rise up and claim to have the solution to our human dilemma. But every remedy that is grounded in the pride of “self-correction, self-transformation, man-glory, is doomed to failure and subject to the judgment of God.
Zephaniah began with God saying “I will sweep away,… I will,… I will punish…” (1:1-9) Judah did not listen, the nations did not listen, our world does not listen. The question is, do I listen. Zephaniah concludes with God’s solution to the dilemma of our stubborn pride. The solution is not for us to change ourselves, for then we counterfeit the credit and the glory that only God deserves. The solution is the change that only God can bring. Read 1:1 thru 3:8 and tremble. Then, “accepting correction,” (3:7) read what “God will do” in 3:9-20. “I will: change the speech of the people… remove your proudly exultant ones… leave the humble and lowly… save… rejoice over you… quiet you… exult over you… gather… deal with your oppressors… save the lame… gather the outcast… change shame into praise… bring you in… make you renowned… restore your fortunes.” How blindly proud and foolish we are to think that we can accomplish such things by our self-righteousness. Only God can, has done, and will do, for those willing to believe, ask and let Him Alone be “our King, the LORD in our midst.” (3:15)
Watch Bible Project video about Zephaniah
The Jews were not the only ones who would suffer God’s wrath. “Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted.” (2:4) Notice the other places and nations described in chapter two: Cherethites, Canaan, Philistines, Moab, Ammonite, Cushites, Assyria, Nineveh, the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else.’ What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts? Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.” (2:15)
Just as Adam and Eve ignored God’s warning of “death for sin,” so have, and so do, all who are on the broad path to destruction. “I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. :8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.” (3:7,8) Who, with any degree of accurate observation, can look at world history, survey the world around us, honestly assess the human heart and conclude anything other than: “The heart (my heart) is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) All, they, we, me and you, have and do deserve the judgement of God for our rebellious pride. The awful Day of the LORD came, comes and will come.
In every time and every place, individuals and groups rise up and claim to have the solution to our human dilemma. But every remedy that is grounded in the pride of “self-correction, self-transformation, man-glory, is doomed to failure and subject to the judgment of God.
Zephaniah began with God saying “I will sweep away,… I will,… I will punish…” (1:1-9) Judah did not listen, the nations did not listen, our world does not listen. The question is, do I listen. Zephaniah concludes with God’s solution to the dilemma of our stubborn pride. The solution is not for us to change ourselves, for then we counterfeit the credit and the glory that only God deserves. The solution is the change that only God can bring. Read 1:1 thru 3:8 and tremble. Then, “accepting correction,” (3:7) read what “God will do” in 3:9-20. “I will: change the speech of the people… remove your proudly exultant ones… leave the humble and lowly… save… rejoice over you… quiet you… exult over you… gather… deal with your oppressors… save the lame… gather the outcast… change shame into praise… bring you in… make you renowned… restore your fortunes.” How blindly proud and foolish we are to think that we can accomplish such things by our self-righteousness. Only God can, has done, and will do, for those willing to believe, ask and let Him Alone be “our King, the LORD in our midst.” (3:15)
Watch Bible Project video about Zephaniah