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.
Comment and discuss this post.
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.
