The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:9-20

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a unassisted review of Zephaniah 3:9-20, which is the text for next chapter of my commentary.  Zephaniah's message from the Lord up until this moment (chapter 1 and 2 and chapter 3 so far) has been harsh (but warranted) as God renders judgement not just on Judah but also her neighbors.  Judah has been full of pride and spurning God (see Zephaniah 3:1-2).  Now, remarkably, in 3:9-20 we see God's amazing grace - this is a great example of how God loved us (believers) while we were still slave to our sin, softened our heart towards Him and saved us (see also Romans 5:8) - not because of anything we did (see also Ephesians 2:8).  Of the many blessings from Zephaniah 3:9-20:

• No condemnation, forgiveness - v11
• Freedom from pride, lies and deceit as sin - v11
• Peace of mind - v13
• Joy - v14
• Protection - v15
• Fellowship with God - v17
• Will make God's people a renowned name (for His glory) - v20
• Restored fortunes - v20
  

Of course, those who remain proud and haughty will not experience restoration as God will remove from Judah's midst those who remain "proudly exultant" (v11).  This is similar to Adam and Eve's separation from God after their sin and the Fall (Genesis 3). What a terrible thing to be separated from God's love at any point - believers can take great comfort in knowing that nothing can separate us from His love (see also Romans 8:38-39).  His mercies are new every morning and never cease (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for rejoicing over me with gladness and exult over me with singing, and for quieting me with Your love...and of course saving me!  I am not deserving....no.  My sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1-8

The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame. Zephaniah 3:5

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 3:1-8, which is the text for the second division of the commentary's chapter covering Zephaniah 2:4-3:8.  The commentary further breaks down this second division into eight subdivisions, and today I review the last four that explore 3:4-8.

1. The priests dishonor God and dishonor His word (3:4): "Not only were the political leaders dishonoring God and leading the people to do so, in what was a much greater tragedy, the religious leaders were doing the same. They are described as “reckless” and “treacherous,” not to mention that they “profane the sanctuary” and “they do violence to instruction.” Much like the priests in the book of Malachi, these priests had abandoned their calling for their own pursuit of pleasure." See also Malachi 1:6-7....While these priests were making a show of serving God, their behavior belied any belief in God....The church may not be led by priests, as it was when Zephaniah wrote, but her leaders are just as susceptible today to burnout, doubt, and even self-serving behavior that teeters on the edge of the ethical—occasionally even falling off the edge."
   
2. God is faithful when His people are not (3:5): God "reaffirms" that He is still Holy, righteous, and faithful.  Yet this was not enough for Judah as they continued in their sin.
   
3. God’s discipline is fruitless (3:6-7): "He has delivered blow after blow of judgment in an effort to rouse them from their spiritual slumber, but they refuse to respond in obedience."
   
4. God’s justice is coming because of their obstinate disobedience (3:8): The text ends here on a somber note as God warns Judah of impending judgement.  The commentary however ends on a hopeful note as it looks forward to the remaining text in Zephaniah (3:9-20) and how it describes how God restores Judah so that they will trust and obey. 
   

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your faithfulness and how You never change - I am grateful that You are My Rock and Refuge - I take great comfort in Your faithfulness.  I am not deserving of how You are faithful in providing mercies new every morning that never cease, You always provide for all of my needs and I can never be separated from Your love.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of these blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God.

Zephaniah 3:1-8

Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God. Zephaniah 3:1-2

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 3:1-8, which is the text for the second division of the commentary's chapter covering Zephaniah 2:4-3:8.  The commentary further breaks down this second division into eight subdivisions, and today I review the first four that explore 3:1-3.

1. God’s chosen people are defiled because of their rebellion (3:1): "We have now come full circle. As in chapter 1, Zephaniah again turns his prophecy toward the people of Judah. In similar tone and focused on similar targets, Zephaniah levels devastating judgment from God, to His own people, after clearly bringing justice to those who were His enemies. As Zephaniah leveled the charges against Judah’s enemies, I can only imagine that Judah stood by and listened with pleasure, only to find that pleasure withering under the return of God’s scrutiny....They knew God’s word and had been warned against their disobedience. In spite of that, they continue to revel in their pride and self-confidence, functionally rejecting God and serving themselves instead. This was not unique to this generation of God’s chosen people. No, this is a refrain that we hear repeatedly throughout Scripture."  See also Psalms 106:43.  "The truth is that this constant rebellion, met with constant grace, is our story too. Like the people of Judah, we constantly turn away from God, are consistent in our disobedience, and are critically in need of grace."  See also Romans 7:5. "Apart from the grace of God, we are relentlessly bent toward sin. After coming into contact with God’s grace, we are transformed into adopted children of God, but we still retain our sin nature and find ourselves drawn, at times, back into sin. Thankfully, the grace of God makes it possible to be free from sin, but until Jesus returns to make things right, we will probably never be free from the temptation to sin. The people of Judah were susceptible to that same temptation, only they had succumbed to it and were now buried in it....God expects holiness, and they were unholy (defiled)....They were desperately in need of salvation. See also Romans 3:23. " 
   
2. God’s discipline has not compelled His people to obey (3:2): "[Judah has] been disobedient, they have ignored God’s discipline, they have failed to trust God, and they have not drawn near to God." 
   
3. The disobedience of God’s people is due to their lack of trust (3:2): "[W]hat makes this judgment more troubling is not simply that they were rebellious, but that when they were confronted with the Lord’s discipline, they remained hard-hearted toward Him." See also Romans 1:21-24. 
   
4. The political leaders are ruthless and are devouring the people (3:3): "Not only would they thoroughly reject Him, but they have become so completely rebellious that their leadership is devoid of spiritual life in any sense....The leaders were living for themselves to the degree that they were gladly fleecing their own people, people who had been entrusted to them as a stewardship, and they were now using the people for their own gain." 
   

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My Prayer: God You are great and You offer grace for those whose heart is soft enough to receive it...and You are the one that hardens and softens hearts.  Thank You Jesus for softening my heart and making me one of Your elect.  I am not deserving.  My sin continues...and it is great.  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me stay near to You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“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.

Zephaniah 3:1-8

“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. Zephaniah 3:8

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a unassisted review of Zephaniah 3:1-8, which is the text for the second division of the commentary's chapter covering Zephaniah 2:4-3:8.  The commentary further breaks down this second division into eight subdivisions. Turning from chapter 2 where Zephaniah shares God's warning to Judah's sinful neighbors and how He is going to pour out His wrath upon them, chapter 3 begins with a warning for both Judah and her neighbors.  V1 describes how Jerusalem is rebellious and defiled, and v2 describes how she listens to no voice, accepts no correction, does not trust in the Lord, and does not draw near to her God.  These verses alone are quite harsh, and while believers may think they do not describe themselves, to a certain degree this may be correct, but all of us are unclean and in need of a Savior because WE ALL SIN and need a SAVIOR.  Jesus is this Savior!  The message is clear: listen to God (read and study His Word), draw near to Him, pray to God (be in relationship with Him and talk to Him), accept His correction (view difficult circumstances in light of what He is doing to mold You or bring about His plan), and trust in God (have no fear or anxiety).  Vv3-4 describe the corruption of Judah's officials, including her priests.  V5 highlights how God is righteous, just, and faithful.  V6-7 then pivots to how God's anger burns against both Judah and her neighbors.  We are exhorted to live in reverent fear of God as He reigns.  V8 then declares a warning to repent and be ready, for when God pours out His wrath during the last days, His wrath will be terrifying indeed but those who are repent, believe in Him and are ready will be spared. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who lives in my heart and life - protecting me from sin and sinful influences.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide refuge and protect.  My sin does though continue and I know there is more work for You to do.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This is 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.

Zephaniah 2:4-15

This is 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. Zephaniah 2:15

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 2:4-15, which is the text for the first division for the next chapter of the commentary, which includes two divisions.  The first division covers 2:4-15 and the commentary further breaks this down into nine subdivisions - and I tackle the last four today.

• The Gentile gods will be proven powerless in the face of Yahweh (2:11): "This God whom they have treated as a false god or an impotent god will be known for who He is: the God of the universe. He will do so by exerting His authority and sovereignty over every other so-called god. Each god who is an object of worship will join with its worshippers and bow at the feet of the one true God. All of this points to a progression that plays out not just in the book of Zephaniah but over and over again throughout human history. Man bows to his pride. Man assumes a position of self-sufficiency. God reveals man for who he is: small, insignificant, and in need of a savior."
  
• The pride of the Gentiles will be their undoing (2:10): "Verse 10 points out that they were behaving as enemies of God because they had surrendered to their pride. Their taunting is rooted in their belief that they are the supreme object in the world. Not only are they filled with pride, but their pride has blinded them to truth. This is why Augustine and Bonhoeffer, among others, have claimed pride as the chief of every other sin...From Satan’s fall out of heaven to our contemporary sins, pride is pervasive and fundamental to every sin we engage in." See also Matthew 5:21-22 for Jesus' view on this sin. "It is hard to overstate the significance of pride in relationship to the rest of our spiritual condition. Fundamentally, what makes pride so damaging is its inherent blasphemy. It claims that God is not God and that we are. It denies what is the central reality of the universe and creates the justification for every other sin that proceeds from it."   
  
• The Gentile taunting of God’s people is an affront to God Himself (2:10): See Proverbs 16:5, 16:18, Obadiah 3-4, 1 Corinthians 10:12, 1 Timothy 6:4, and James 4:6 for scripture where God "vigorously confronts and condemns pride." 
  
• Self-confidence betrays a false security that will lead to shame and destruction (2:15): "When one is steeped in pride, the natural next step is to extrapolate from that our self-sufficiency. This is precisely why God condemns the enemies of Judah....This self-centered, self-confident perspective on life has become somewhat synonymous with our culture. As we have become increasingly self-focused, this ethos has grown louder and louder. Ultimately, self-sufficiency is self-worship. It is a grievous form of idolatry that exalts ourselves to the level of highest order in the universe...God loves humanity and has a plan to help humanity flourish. At the foundation of His plan is a call to faith in Him, resting on a denial of self."  See also Philippians 3:1-7. "Of course, in contemporary society we can learn from the sin of the enemies of God that Zephaniah was addressing. Because of Christ we can turn away from self-confidence and pride and reject the false hope that is contained within. We can take the risk of rejecting self because Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection have secured for us an alternative future, a far more hopeful future." See also Galatians 2:19-20.  "Finally, at the end of verse 15, we read that the judgment of God, in response to the pride and self-sufficiency of Judah’s enemies, will bring them to nothing, making them a laughingstock among those who pass by them. As we said earlier, this follows this pattern of pride, self-sufficiency, and then God’s work to bring humility and compel us to see our dependence."  See also Mark 10:21:22. "In Zephaniah 2 we have no indication that the enemies of God did anything other than oppose God, but that does not negate the good work of God in bringing justice, which also reveals our need and pushes us to trust in Him."
  

Regardless of what we all may think, we are all broken, fallen, and sinful, in need of a Savior.  Turn away from worship of self (pride) or other idols and worship Jesus, who offers life to the full now and for eternity!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God like no other - offering amazing grace and salvation to all.  Thank You for making me one of Your elect.  I am not deserving of such a gift and blessing.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes.

Zephaniah 2:4-15

The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening.  For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. Zephaniah 2:7

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 2:4-15, which is the text for the first division for the next chapter of the commentary, which includes two divisions.  The first division covers 2:4-15 and the commentary further breaks this down into nine subdivisions - and I tackle the first five today.

Across both the two main divisions and all subdivisions - covering Zephaniah 2:4-3:8 - the commentary shares the following main idea: "[i]n light of God’s judgment, God’s people must seek the Lord in humility or face destruction."  The commentary heading for the first division - covering Zephaniah 2:4-15 - is entitled: The Enemies of God’s People Will Be Judged because of Their Pride.

• The land of the Gentiles will become the feed for the animals of God’s people (2:6): "The specific judgment is that [the enemies of God's people's] land would become pastureland for the people of God....Verses 7 and following explain the future possession of God’s people. This would have been most offensive to the enemies of God’s people. Perceiving themselves to be superior physically, not to mention wealthier, they would have found it absurd that the nation of Judah would overtake them. This is, however, what God decreed because of their insolence and arrogance. In fact, verse 7 gives a foretaste of what was coming for the people of Judah. Yes, they had turned their backs on God, and yes, they were defiantly disobedient, but God was offering them redemption, and it appears, in verse 7, that God believed they would return to Him. He tells us that He would, in fact, return to them." 
  
• The land of the Gentiles will be given to God’s people (2:7): "Verse 7 tells us that God will be doing just such a work here among His people, and part of that restoration will be the settling of the enemies of Judah under the authority of Judah. Out of the ashes will rise this restored people, dedicated to God and enjoying life as He intended it. The resurrecting work of God is intended to help humanity flourish."
  
• The Gentiles’ taunting of God’s people has incurred His wrath (2:8): "It is most likely evidence of the enemies of God’s people taunting them about their God. Their taunting is most likely a blow at the character of God and therefore is much, much worse than simple name-calling. The mocking of the people of Judah may have been much like the psalmist described: “My adversaries taunt me, as if crushing my bones, while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:10)....While God gives much grace, at the end of the day those who disparage and attempt to challenge God’s character will fail. Not only have they taunted God’s people, but they have also “threatened their territory.” They not only have disregarded God, but they have attempted to usurp God’s authority by encroaching on the territory that God has given to His people." 
  
• All the people who have opposed God and His people will bow before Him (2:11): "Ultimately, inherent in this issue is the fundamental question of the gospel: what will you do with God? In the end, everyone will ultimately respond with the same declaration, “Jesus is Lord,” as Scripture reminds us. However, Scripture also affirms that most of those who will ever live will make their declaration through forced submission. Only those who voluntarily declare that Jesus is Lord, in this life, will enjoy the benefits afforded to the children of God.  Those who reject Him will not escape the declaration that Jesus is Lord; instead they will find it to be a sobering and terrifying moment as they declare it to be so, but they do so too late, having missed their opportunity to submit before God. Scripture teaches that their just recompense, then, will be eternal judgment. Verse 11 reflects that truth." 
  
• God will use His own people to destroy the Gentiles (2:9): "Verse 9 points out that these enemies would eventually be reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah. They would be a “perpetual wasteland,” according to the prophet. Their property and land would become the possession of the people of God." 
  

Be one of God's remnant that is saved from eternal damnation - confess your sin and declare Jesus as Your Lord and Savior!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO full of grace and compassion - I am not unlike those in Judah who often stray from You.  I was an enemy of You and hostile to You, yet You loved me first and made me one of Your elect!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

 

For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes.

Zephaniah 2:4-15

For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. Zephaniah 2:7b

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is an unassisted review of Zephaniah 2:4-15, which is the text for the first division for the next chapter of the commentary, which includes two divisions.  The first division covers 2:4-15.  The text describes how God will pour out his wrath upon Judah's neighbors, but at the same time He will be mindful of a repentant Judah itself and "restore their fortunes" (v7b). God specifically calls out Judah's neighbors, including Gaza, the Cherethites, Canaan, land of the Philistines, the seacoast, Moab and and the Ammonites, the Cushites, and Assyria/Nineveh.  Zephaniah calls out these neighbors for how they "taunted [God's] people and made boasts against their territory (v8, 10)", and how they claimed that they were secure and did not need God (v15). Yet Judah does not get away with anything because as I posted previously on chapter 2 (see posts on vv1-3), Judah is only spared if it accepts God gracious offer of repentance and a return to the Lord (v3). We should all recognize our sin and how we desperately need salvation, and how God freely offers it!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - You made me one of Your elect while I was still an enemy and hostile to You...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.

Zephaniah 2:3

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD. Zephaniah 2:3

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 2:3, which is the text for the third division - entitled Judgment May Be Avoided If God’s People Will Seek Him - per the commentary. Excerpts:

• Vv1-3 are a call for repentance and v3 specifically defines what God seeks for repentance: humility, obedience, and righteousness.  These "are evidence of a life given over to Him."
• "Our natural bent is away from humility and toward pride, and pride is the mother of all sin. In order to walk with God, the people of Jerusalem would need to die to themselves and trust in Him, which sounds surprisingly like Jesus’ gospel call (see also Luke 9:23-24)[.]"
• Confession and humility alone won't cut it: "It is not enough simply to acknowledge (or confess) sin; they must also change their behavior....No matter the sincerity of their intent, if their intentions were not followed with actions, they were of no value (see also 1 Samuel 15:22)."
• Use of the word seek in v3 implies a pursuit - and here we are exhorted to pursue God and His righteousness.  See also Matthew 6:33. 
• "Verses 1-3 are a breath of fresh air after the devastatingly difficult judgment and condemnation of chapter 1. Yes, God is just and His judgment is coming, but thankfully God is also loving and gracious, and repentance is possible....God is good, even when it seems like the time is bad. Judgment is coming, but so is grace, so take hold of grace (see also Romans 5:8). 
  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good, and You offer grace, hope, love and salvation to all - thank You for giving me these gifts.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

...before the decree takes effect—before the day passes away like chaff—before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD.

Zephaniah 2:2

...before the decree takes effect—before the day passes away like chaff—before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD. Zephaniah 2:2

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 2:2, which is the text for the second division - entitled Now Is the Time to Heed the Warning and Turn to the Lord - per the commentary.  Clearly, the text today emphasizes urgent action...to repent and turn toward the Lord.  We should not delay, lest we either fail to be prepared for when the Lord returns during the Last Days (Revelation) or we do not accept God's offer of grace and forgiveness (see post yesterday) and suffer greatly from His wrath.  From the commentary:  "[W] must recognize that as powerful as God’s love and grace is, it does not diminish His anger and justice. God will do what is right—every time. There is no changing or impeding that reality. Turn now, and follow God; this is the message of Zephaniah." 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of amazing grace for me - giving me salvation, and mercies that are new every morning and never cease...among the many blessings that You pour out for me. I am not deserving of these blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation[.]

Zephaniah 2:1

Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation[.] Zephaniah 2:1

I resume my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zephaniah 2:1, which is the text for the first division - entitled A Return to Worship Is Necessary to Recall and Repent - per the commentary.  Excerpts from the commentary:

• The commentary focuses on how chapter 2 emphasizes repentance vs chapter 1 which emphasizes judgement.  God calls us to gather in corporate repentance...and individually. 
  
• Repentance may have a worldly appearance of shame, as depicted in v1, but in God's eyes repentance is an opportunity for grace.  The commentary shares: "As we acknowledge our disobedience and humble ourselves before Him, we are able to experience grace and God’s affection."
• God's desire for and offer of repentance means that He still loves us and desires a relationship with us.
• While we are not absolved of responsibility for our sins, God offers to "comfort us and remind us of why we should return to Christ. As this verse reminds us, with its call to gather and repent, God is gracious and, in spite of our rebellion, He is calling us to repentance as a sign of His affection for us."

If you don't already believe and feel shame, repent and confess Jesus as Your Savior and be saved!  If you are already saved, rejoice in the freedom from the sting of sin and death!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your amazing grace and the blessing of never being separated from Your love.  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and You God.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.

Zephaniah 2:1-3

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD. Zephaniah 2:3

I resume my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is an unassisted review of Zephaniah 2:1-3.  Here, Zephaniah pivots from chapter 1 where as messenger of the Lord he shares God's anger at Judah and how God will soon declare judgement and punish Judah.  As chapter 2 opens, we see a pause in tone from God as Zephaniah shares that "perhaps [Judah] may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD" (v3b). God's wrath has yet to come to pass and He is giving Judah an opportunity to repent "before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD" (repeated 2x in v2). Before judgement day is upon anyone - and it will be upon everyone - God gives unbelievers an opportunity to repent and be saved by confessing sin and believing in Jesus.  This is Good News indeed.  Zephaniah 2:3 in full gives us what God seeks from us - humility, obedience to God, and righteousness.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - my sin is great yet You continue to offer mercies that are new every morning and never cease.  Thank You Jesus! Of course, I am undeserving.  My sin IS great and continues daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."

Matthew 6:9

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." Matthew 6:9

Today, I pause on my study of Zephaniah to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today uses the Lord's Prayer to highlight how we our first priority in prayer should be to "ask our heavenly Father to cause his name to be hallowed."  John Piper then shares that "this is a petition, a request. It is not a declaration or acclamation. It is not an expression of praise, but petition." Piper then seeks for us to see two things in this petition:

1. "One is that prayer does not move God to do things he is disinclined to do. He has every intention to cause his name to be hallowed. Nothing is higher on God’s priority list. But we should ask anyway."

2. "The other is that prayer is God’s way of bringing our priorities into line with his. God wills to make great things the consequence of our prayers when our prayers are the consequence of his great purposes."

Jesus, help me, in my prayer life and in all of my life, bring glory to Your Name.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God worthy of all glory, honor and praise and I seek to bring to Your Name - help me do that with my life.  Hallowed be Your Name! Thank You for my salvation and and for pouring out Your love into my life - I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:1-4

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:1-4

I continue my preparation for leading Sunday school at my church tomorrow, where our class will be looking at 1 John 5:1-4.  This morning I look back over my posts for the past several day where I have leaned on DesiringGod.com's Look at the Book video for this text and the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for 1-3 John.  My discussion guide is here.  Key excerpts:

• Concerned about false teachers and how they undermine the church, John seeks to help believers understand the marks of an authentic believer, including the right belief (who is Jesus)/doctrinal mark, right love/moral mark, and the right behavior/ethical or social mark.
• By implication, we must believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Promised Deliverer, the Great High Priest, the Prophet (who is the Truth); we must also see Jesus as King of Kings and love Him in such a way that we love what He loves and hate what He hates.
• Finally, we must treasure God so much that the world is exposed as unsatisfying vs God.

Know and love God, and love others, and experience joyful obedience!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and worthy of all my worship and all the glory!  Thank You for the mercy You pour out for me every morning and how it never ceases!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:1-4

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:1-4

I continue my preparation for leading Sunday school at my church on 20OCT, where our class will be looking at 1 John 5:1-4.  Today, for my preparation, I lean on the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for 1-3 John.  The commentary outlines five divisions for 1 John 5:1-4:

1. We Believe That Jesus Is the Messiah (5:1).
   
2. We Have Been Born of God (5:1,4).
   
3. We Love the Father and His Family (5:1-2).
4. We Obey His Commands (5:2-3). 
5. We Have Overcome the World (5:4).

My focus today are the last three divisions and the commentary.  Excerpts:

• "The one thing that He desires more than anything else is that we love Him. Without love for God, even the good things we do have no value in His eyes."
• "[O]ur love for God is multidimensional. It flows to the Father but then its streams branch out in several directions. The word “love” appears more than 30 times in 1 John 4:7–5:3. It occurs five times here in verses 1-3."
• "We not only love the Father, we also love the family the Father is building."
• "My love for others is the natural complement and companion to my “first love” for God. When I love God, I will keep His commands. And keeping His commands involves loving others, His daughters and sons in particular."
• "It will be a joy and a delight because the new birth makes it the natural thing to do. And our love for the Father inspires and motivates us to love those He loves and to love them as He loves us."
• "I will not seek to make others comfortable while neglecting their greatest need, which is eternal salvation in Christ....I will strive above all other acts of kindness to help them come to know, love, and trust in Jesus as the Son of God and their personal Messiah (v. 1)."
• "Because I now love God instead of hating Him, I treasure and value Him above everyone and everything else. And because I treasure and value Him above everyone and everything else, I delight in obeying Him. Now I find His commands not to be a burden, but a blessing."
• On the topic of delighting in obedience, see also Psalms 1:1-2, 37:4, 40:8, 112:1, 119:14, 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 143, 174. 
• "Loving God rightly, therefore, is not just external behavior and outward obedience. It is a longing to do His will from the heart, out of gospel gratitude for who He is and what He has done for us in Jesus."
• See 1 John 2:16 for John's description of the trio of marks of being of the world: "the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life."
• "By means of the new birth (vv. 1,4), which is wedded to our faith in Jesus as the Messiah (v. 1) and the Son of God (v.5), the power of the world’s desires and aspirations is broken and we gain victory over them. The world is no longer my passion; God is! Sinful desires and attractions are no longer beautiful; God and His will are.  Overcomers, via the new birth and faith in Christ, are no longer consumed by what they don’t have (lust of the flesh and of the eyes) or what they do have (pride in lifestyle; 2:16)."
  

See God and overcome the world!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me...giving me Yourself, the Word, the Holy Spirit, and so much more so that the world no longer has a grip on me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him....For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:1-4

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him....For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:1,4

I continue my preparation for leading Sunday school at my church on 20OCT, where our class will be looking at 1 John 5:1-4.  Today, for my preparation, I lean on the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for 1-3 John.  The commentary outlines five divisions for 1 John 5:1-4:

1. We Believe That Jesus Is the Messiah (5:1).
   
2. We Have Been Born of God (5:1,4).
   
3. We Love the Father and His Family (5:1-2).
4. We Obey His Commands (5:2-3). 
5. We Have Overcome the World (5:4).

The commentary includes all of these divisions in chapter entitled The Birthmarks of the Children of God.  My focus today is first two divisions and the commentary for this text as well as the introduction to the commentary's chapter.

Excerpts from the introduction to the commentary's chapter:

• "In the letter of 1 John, the last living apostle has repeatedly drawn attention to three overarching birthmarks of the children of God. They are right belief (the doctrinal mark), right love (the moral mark), and right behavior (the ethical or social mark)."
• "Now in 1 John 5:1-5 he is going to draw out necessary implications of these three birthmarks and highlight six specific identifying evidences that a person is a child of God."
• "John wants true believers to be assured that they are children of God, and he is fully aware of the fact that there are spiritual deceivers in their midst who could raise questions and cast doubts (2:26). John wants believers to have a rock-solid assurance that they have been born again, that they belong to Jesus, and that they can enjoy right now the gift of eternal life (5:13)."
  

Excerpts from the first two divisions from the commentary:

We Believe That Jesus Is the Messiah (5:1):

• "We must believe “that Jesus is the Messiah.” We must believe—trust in the truth—that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ, the hoped-for and promised deliverer. Such a confession is a birthmark that we have been born of God and that we are children of God." 
• Furthering the implications, the commentary shares that we must believe that Jesus is the Prophet, the Priest, and the King of the Church and as such He is the Anointed to reveal (as Prophet) the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  I must accept Him as the Priest who offered the sacrifice - Himself - so that I could be saved. I must also accept Him as King and His law and seek to not only submit to Him but also seek to "hate what He hates, and love what He loves? Do I live to praise Him? Do I, as a loyal subject, desire to see His kingdom come and His will done on earth as it is in Heaven?"
  

We Have Been Born of God (5:1,4):

• "In these verses John makes three observations about the new birth and the evidences related to this birthmark. First, those who have been born of God give witness concerning their new birth by confessing that Jesus is the Messiah (v.1). Second, those who have been born of God give witness concerning their new birth by loving Father God and His children (v.1). Third, those who have been born of God give witness concerning their new birth by continually overcoming the world (v.4)."
• "In this new birth God does not just give you a new name; He gives you a new nature. He gives you the very nature of God Himself as you enter into His family."
• "[Jesus] came to dramatically, personally, radically, and eternally transform us and make us new people. It is by the new birth that He accomplishes this glorious work. Therefore, you must be born again." 

Believe in Jesus and experience the blessings of being born again in His image!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and love for - exercising incredible patience with me as You mold me into more of Your image.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the love, grace and patience You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:1-4

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:2-4

I continue my preparation for leading Sunday school at my church on 20OCT, where our class will be looking at 1 John 5:1-4.  For this morning, I lean on DesiringGod.com's Look at the Book video for this text.  Excerpts from the video:

• Faith: being born again is what produces faith; our spiritually dead hearts are made alive by Christ and we can begin to see Him in His glory for who He is; we are then drawn to believe; we are warned not to believe in this as a fact because even Satan believes Jesus is the Christ - instead our belief is driven not by logic but a change in spiritual condition.
• Faith: believing in Jesus (new birth) results in love for the Father
• Love for Father results in love for God's children (other believers)
• Love of Father and His children also results in obedience to Him
• Love of God results not just in obedience but in an obedience that is NOT burdensome and Piper explains that this is breakthrough relative to the OT and ceremonial law given how this law was burdensome - instead the law as given by Jesus is joyful
• Our love of God and His children overcome the world including sin, death, everything that makes the commandments of God burdensome (see also 1 John 2:15-17) > we treasure God so much that the world is exposed as unsatisfying
• Piper lays out the sequence as described in the text: new birth > faith > love of God > overcoming the world > we keep His commandments joyfully > this is what John calls loving believers.
  

Lord Jesus, help me see the world as unsatisfying and not love anything in it above You.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - despite my sin.  Thank You Jesus for Your amazing grace!  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the mercies and blessings You pour out for me every single day.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:1-4

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  1 John 5:2-4

In preparation for leading Sunday school at my church on 20OCT, I dig into our text for this Sunday, 1 John 5:1-4.  For my preparation this week, I lean on DesiringGod.com's Look at the Book video for this text and the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for 1-3 John.  For this morning, I first study the text without any commentary aids.  Here John talks about being born again and how this produces fruit - fruit also referenced in Galatians 5, primarily love - love of God and of others.  Love of God and of others is commanded (see also Matthew 22:37-40 and Exodus 20) and obedience to these commands is not seen as burdensome by believers (v3). This is because we have the Holy Spirit with and in us working in our lives and just as Jesus overcame death and the world, we also can overcome the world.  Believers, recognize and acknowledge this power to overcome the world and live boldly!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit so that we can live boldly in obedience and in particular loving You and others boldly.  You love us in ways that we cannot imagine, including willingly going to the cross to atone for the sins of all of humanity.  Thank You Jesus!  Of course I am not deserving as my sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Zephaniah 1:18

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. Zephaniah 1:18

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is a commentary-assisted review of the seventh division per my commentary: v18.  Excerpts from the commentary:

• Acts 3:1-10 also references how a lame man expecting silver and gold from Peter and John is offered something far greater and more valuable - the gospel and Jesus Christ. Tying this back to Zephaniah, the commentary shares: "In this passage we see a people who have “silver and gold” and who think their wealth secures them happiness and protection. Instead, in spite of their wealth, God’s judgment is coming, and He will take it all away. Unlike the humility of the lame man in Acts 3, these people are drunk on their own self-confidence, and God is no longer satisfied to allow it to continue. Instead of celebrating God’s goodness and their need for Him, these people were ignoring Him, chasing their own satisfaction, and celebrating their self-fulfillment." 
  
• "[W]ealth is no barrier to God’s judgment."
• See also Matthew 6:24 where Jesus shares that "No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money."
• "Sadly, the people of Judah had decided to chase after money, and their god would now fail them, as Zephaniah reminds them in the beginning of verse 18. So now they find themselves guilty of grievous sin, worshipping a god who has failed them and cannot protect them, and soon with nothing to show for it all. Things are very, very dark indeed."
• The commentary ends by sharing how even though God's wrath is harsh and described in such dark terms, God cannot have just mercy but no justice: "God’s justice is one aspect of His character that we often misunderstand. Justice, simply put, means to do what is right. When we learn that God is just, we can be assured that God will always do what is right. Just as a human judge would be soundly condemned (and rightly so) for freeing a convicted murderer, regardless of how much good the murderer has done, so too God would cease to be just if He simply dismissed our sin. God’s justice does not run counter to His love, it runs parallel with His love. This is what makes the cross so majestic. That He condemned His Son to die testifies to God’s justice; that He allowed His Son to die in our place testifies to His grace. The cross is the perfect intersection of justice and grace."
  

God is perfect in His love, grace, mercy and justice.  Rejoice and believe in Jesus Christ, the King of Kings!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are both a merciful and just God, and You are perfect in all that You are and do.  Thank You for giving me peace knowing that You are perfectly both...and that You love and saved me.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Zephaniah 1:18

In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. Zephaniah 1:18b

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is an unassisted review of the seventh division per my commentary: v18.  In v18a, the Lord shares how material wealth not save anyone from the wrath of the Lord - we are therefore warned not to grow too comfortable with anything in this world to the point where it becomes an idol.  Those in Judah did grow too comfortable with not just wealth, but with the foreign gods of their neighbors and they allowed this comfort to grow into idol worship and as previously posted turned away from God and did not inquire of Him (v6).  

John gives us a similar warning in 1 John 2:15-17:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

This is why our number one commandment is to love God first and with all of your heart, soul, and mind (Exodus 20, Matthew 22:37-40).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who is enough for all that we need - for all of our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  You are my all in all.  Thank You Jesus for how You provide, including my salvation - of which I am undeserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.

Zephaniah 1:14-17

I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Zephaniah 1:17

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is an commentary-assisted review of the fifth division per my commentary: vv14-17. Excerpts from the commentary:

• "In a series of declarations that are among the most discouraging and accusatory in all of Scripture, God’s condemnation of His people gets more ominous."
• "God is crushing His people because He desires them to repent and return to Him. He understands that they love other things more than they love Him, so He systematically begins to eliminate the things that they love, and even their own lives, in an attempt to capture their attention and to see their affections pointed in His direction. His wrath, then, is an act of love, intended to accomplish the best for His children."
• The commentary quotes John Piper's book Desiring God: "The wisdom of God has ordained a way for the love of God to deliver us from the wrath of God without compromising the justice of God."
• The commentary then shares three attributes or characteristics of God's justice displayed in the text: (a) imminence: God's words are intended to provoke an immediate response of repentance, (b) intensity: God's coming judgement will be beyond what one can imagine - harsh and terrifying, (c) iniquity: God's judgement is in response to sin.  "While [Judah's] sin has kept them from God and brought them face-to-face with God’s judgment, some, if not all, of this could be averted if they would simply repent and obey." 
  

Earlier in the commentary, a portrait of parenting is used and this is apt - there are times when God needs to immediately get our attention as a means for us to understand who is in charge (He is!) and what He expects - our obedience.  The good news is that God is a loving God and He provides beyond anyone's wild imagination and He saves!  Turn from your sin and believe in Jesus!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus - You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the life You provide is to the full now and for eternity in Heaven with You and all the saints - amazing.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.

Zephaniah 1:14-17

The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. Zephaniah 1:14

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is an unassisted review of the fifth division per my commentary: vv14-17.  Here Zephaniah, continues to warn all those in Jerusalem, and in particular those in Judah who have pursued foreign gods (vv4-5, 8-9), not inquired of the One True God (v6), and have become complacent or neutral about God (v12).  Zephaniah warns them about God's coming judgement and how this judgement or God's wrath will be soon and it will be terrifying.  This is a terrible thing to happen to anyone - hence Jude writes how believers should have mercy on those who doubt (Jude 1:22) by sharing the gospel with them with the hope that they can repent, believe and be saved.  Matthew 24 provides Jesus' warning about judgement day and exhorts believers to be ready.  We should not procrastinate in our faith.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who is saving a place for me in Heaven and this provides great comfort to me as I know when You return it will be a terrifying day for those who do not believe.  I am not deserving of my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts,‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’

Zephaniah 1:12-13

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts,‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ Zephaniah 1:12

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is a commentary-assisted review of the fourth division per my commentary: vv12-13.  Excerpts from the commentary:

• In these verses, "Zephaniah now turns his attention on the agnostics" in Judah as any claim to be neutral with God means the same as rejecting Him.
• "God’s judgment for these individuals who deluded themselves into thinking that they lived in neutrality, but actually worshiped at the feet of their own comfort and pleasure, was to destroy their gods."
• "This is ultimately God’s good work to reveal to us the lie of non-worship. We can claim not to know what is right or wrong, and we can claim not to worship, but the truth is that every person will worship, and every person will pursue what they think is right, and every one of us will be accountable for those choices that we make."
• The antidote for this neutrality or complacency is two fold: (1) "Those who are buried under the weight of their apathy or agnosticism must begin by acknowledging what God’s people have been confirming for years: God is." (2) "Secondly, our acknowledgment of God must be accompanied by the sacrifice of our other gods. We must abandon those gods in our pursuit of Him. This will almost always be a challenging and difficult task. Jesus, anticipating how important this would be and how difficult it might prove, said this: “And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell” (Mark 9:47)."
• "Finally, radical severing of the old gods and an embrace of Yahweh runs counter to our typical expectations of lethargy toward God and spiritual activity. It is the exact opposite of that, as a matter of fact. It is spiritual energy. Many times that may be exactly what we need to walk faithfully with God."

Amen! We cannot be neutral or complacent - God reigns, is in control and we must acknowledge that without Him we are nothing - and with Him we have everything, most importantly freedom from the sting of sin and death.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome great God who loves me and who saves me from the sting of sin and death...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me, for my sloth, for my gossip, etc.  Please help me turn from and repent of such sin.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts,‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’

Zephaniah 1:12-13

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts,‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ Zephaniah 1:12

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is an unassisted review of the fourth division per my commentary: vv12-13. Here, Zephaniah delivers a stern warning to those who are complacent.  First, assuming you are using the ESV translation in v12 which refers to those who are "complacent - it is important to understand the meaning of the word which is defined as "marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies."  This definition applies to those who in previous verses vv1-11 were consumed and satisfied by other gods of their own choosing and not the One True God - Yahweh.  Vv1-11 also describe Judah as being guilty of being aware of sin - idolatry, etc. - in their midst but not doing anything about this danger.  It starts with a fascination perhaps of sin and then perhaps a level of comfort which then evolves into an all consuming desire of sin.  John wrote about this danger in 1 John 2:15-17 when he wrote:   

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Romans 3:20 shares how scripture and knowledge of the law reveals sin - so we must understand God and His will for us, including His commandments.  We are then able to discern sin and Romans 12:2 further describes how a daily study of God's Word renews our mind, helping us not only understand sin but also God's will for our lives. Refer to these texts.

I go back to Zephaniah 1:6 where God seeks for us to follow and inquire of Him.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion.  Thank You for giving me Your Word and the Holy Spirit so that I can be in relationship with You and You can grow in my heart and I can get to know You more and become more like You.  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues..daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice—“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire.

Zephaniah 1:8-11

And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice—“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire. Zephaniah 1:8

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is a commentary-assisted review of the third division per my commentary: 1:8-11. Excerpts from the commentary:

• In vv8-11, God outlines his anger at not just the current king but the long line of kings in Judah who sinned in the eyes of the Lord.  This includes the sins as outlined in vv4-6 such as idolatry and turning away from God.  In v9 the text describes those who "leap over the threshold" committing "violence and fraud" in God's house.
• "Verses 10 and 11, however, continue to see the spiral move downward and expand to include all the residents of the city. A resident of Judah might well have expected to see God’s judgment and anger extended to their enemies, but to see it extended to those who were the children of God would have been shocking and difficult to reconcile."
• "[T]hose who were part of Judah were learning that there is a high accountability for those who claim the name of God and do not reflect Him in their lives. The prophet wants them to be aware that to embrace God’s name and reject God’s character is to defame the name of God. To claim to follow Him and then misrepresent Him in behavior was a travesty that must be rectified."
• We are warned not to break the third commandment (see Exodus 20:7) where we are not to misuse the name of God.  This is seen as promoting false gospel.  Instead we are urged to find out fulfillment first and foremost in God so that we don't pursue other gods and misuse God for our own will and purpose.
• Zephaniah urges not just the king's court to repent and seek God, but all of Jerusalem, and by extension any reader of this text.  The sin on display in the text is on display throughout redemptive history, including today, where we live in a broken and sinful world.     

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My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are so full of grace and compassion as You came to save me and love while still hostile and an enemy of You.  Thank You for making me one of Your elect.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor the mercies You pour out every day for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice—“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire.

Zephaniah 1:8-11

And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice—“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire. Zephaniah 1:8

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is an unassisted review of the third division per my commentary: 1:8-11.  The day of the Lord will be scary for those who per v6 have "turned back from following the LORD,who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him."  In vv8-11, Zephaniah further defines those who will be punished, as he first mentions government leaders who lead the people astray.  Believers should pray for those in government leadership, that they will be led by the Lord.  These officials are in positions of great influence as many others watch and follow their lead.  For example, regardless of political party, many officials feel it is appropriate to slander others when it is not - not in public nor in private.  This is sinful and it is one of the more egregious examples of sinful behavior by public officials.  Wrongly referencing scripture is another - as we are told not to add to or take away from what scripture commands (see also Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32). We should pray for our leaders and support efforts such as the National Prayer Breakfast and Capitol Ministries. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me Your Word as lamp unto my feet so that I can make Godly choices in my life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save and how You guide and direct.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.

Zephaniah 1:7

Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. Zephaniah 1:7

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my study focus is a commentary-assisted review of the third division per my commentary: v7. Excerpts from the commentary:

• "The Day of the Lord is a reference to the coming judgment of God. While we find it mentioned a number of times throughout Scripture, Zephaniah is more uniquely focused on it than any other biblical book."
• "The Israelites were guilty of disobeying God, and because of their disobedience, God was clarifying through Zephaniah that a reckoning is coming. There is no one, regardless of class, status, or birth order, who can avoid God’s judgment. This would have been difficult for Zephaniah’s hearers to understand, as those who were part of God’s chosen people might have assumed some sense of protection from God’s wrath. Instead, God puts them on notice that no one can escape the coming judgment. The intent of the declaration, as we will see at the end of the book, is not to terrify them into cowering before God. It is not to punish them for what they have done. God is not lashing out in uncontrolled anger or sadistically dispensing judgment. This reminder of the coming day of judgment was intended to provoke them to remember their place as His chosen ones and to repent and return to faithful obedience. He compels them in this manner because He understands that life is lived most fully and completely when one is living in harmony with God."
• While it is inevitable that some will not, we are encouraged to be obedient to heed God's warning of a coming judgement and take refuge in the salvation that only Jesus provides.  This refuge not only provides life for eternity with Jesus in Heaven, but also life to the full now with the Holy Spirit in our hearts working to mold us into more of His image (sanctification) until we are fully glorified on that day when either Jesus returns or He calls us home.  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God full of grace, mercy and compassion.  Your mercies are new every day and they never cease.  You also save and are saving a place for me in Heaven and I can rest in the promises that You make to me as a believer.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.

Zephaniah 1:7

Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. Zephaniah 1:7

I continue my study of Zephaniah using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my study focus is an unassisted review of the third division per my commentary: v7.  Here, we have a scene much like that of a court room where in vv1-6 Zephaniah lays out the charges against Judah (see previous posts) - see vv4-6 where Zephaniah shares God's judgement that Judah has worshiped other gods besides the One True God, and by definition Judah has turned away from God and not "inquired of Him." This is a very serious charge considering how we are to love God first and others second as the most important commandments (see also Matthew 22:36-40, Exodus 20).  The wages of sin - ALL sin - are death; see Romans 6:23. In light of the charges against Judah and how the punishment previously described by Zephaniah (see vv2-4) - how God will destroy everything, including Judah - Zephaniah now turns to Judah (and by implication all believing readers) to sit in silence as it is now God's time to force Judah's hand into listening to Him, something they should be doing daily.  God wants us to love Him, listen to Him, be obedient to Him, and ultimately to glorify to Him - this is why we exist.  We don't exist to pursue whatever dreams WE think we want.  Our dreams - if not aligned with God's will - will become idols just as those pursued by Judah.  Much like a parent disciplines a child, in v7 Zephaniah is seeking Judah's silence because God is full of love, patience, etc. and while He could have wiped out Judah WITHOUT any warning, He sees a teaching moment and ultimately out of his compassion, He is preparing an opportunity for Judah to repent. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who is full of patience and grace - often giving those who fall away opportunities to repent and return to Your love arms.  Thank You Jesus for saving me and for the grace You give me.  I am not deserving of such love and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us led Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.