“I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

Zephaniah 1:1-3

“I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. Zephaniah 1:2

This morning I embark on a new study of Zephaniah and I lean on the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, I orient myself to the book by reading the first three verses and the commentary's introduction to vv1:1-18 which the commentary describes as having seven divisions. V2 clearly shows God's anger directed towards Judah - the southern kingdom of the divided Israel. Excerpts from the commentary's introduction to vv1:1-18:

• Main Idea: The book of Zephaniah is the story of God’s powerful judgment and His equally astonishing grace.
• The people of Judah ignored Zephaniah's call for repentance. "[T]he people of Judah had disregarded God for many, many years and found themselves now being called to repentance, only they seem to have had little interest in turning from their sin."
•  Zephaniah "is the great-great grandson of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah, of course, is known for his illness and request of the Lord for longer life, which God answered by extending his life 15 years. During this time he fathered Manasseh, who would follow him as the next king of Israel. Unfortunately, Manasseh was an evil king who did great spiritual damage in Israel. Following Manasseh was King Amon, who continued Manasseh’s legacy and did not honor God with his leadership. As a result Israel continued to be mired in spiritual decline. Manasseh and Amon ruled for a total of 57 years, and Josiah came to power after Amon. Josiah was a different ruler than his two predecessors; he desired to rule in a way that honored God and that called the people to repentance. Zephaniah was a contemporary of Josiah, and it was in the midst of this environment that Zephaniah began to prophesy."
• Zephaniah was a man of influence due to his family lineage as well as affluence.  Yet his influence was not well received when he called for repentance. The commentary estimates the date of this book as being written from 641 to 622 BC.  
• "The dominant themes of the book are pretty clear. This is a book of judgment, a call to repentance, and a declaration of God’s gracious work on behalf of His people."

As a believer - someone with the benefit of having Christ in their heart - I can't imagine life before Christ and how hard it may have been for the people of God to remain faithful to Him.  My reading of God's anger towards Judah and all of humanity at the time of Zephaniah is no surprise and it calls to mind Hebrews 11 - the chapter in Hebrews often referred to as the "the Hall of Faith" for how it describes how those in the Old Testament (see vv13-16 in particular) did not have Jesus but saw Him from afar and lived faithfully believing in God's promises, including the promise of His Son.  The world today may seem as if there is no hope but with Jesus we always have hope, if not in this life, but in the next. Rejoice in this hope!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for going to the cross, willingly laying down Your life for me.  I am not deserving...no not by a long shot.  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 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

 Ezekiel 12-14

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 14:21-23

Day 227 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with my study of Ezekiel.  After Ezekiel's vision from God (see yesterday), God directs Ezekiel to portray via enactment both the exile to Babylonia and the anxiety stemming from the destruction of Judah and the resulting desolation and famine (Ezekiel 12:1-20).  God then directs Ezekiel to communicate the certainty and immediacy of the prophecy (Ezekiel 12:21-28). Ezekiel then admonishes false prophets (Ezekiel 13) who proclaim peace and that Judah's exile will be over quickly. Even elders of Israel fall prey to idolatry and Ezekiel admonishes this group as well (Ezekiel 14:1-11). 

Near the end of this morning's reading, my commentary poses a question: "[h]ow many righteous people does it take to save a nation? It has been 1500 years since Abraham asked that same question concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. Surely at this time there are righteous believers among both the captives and their Jerusalem kinsmen who are asking this same question themselves. God’s answer to Ezekiel is that there comes a time when a nation’s sins so completely condemn it that not even a remnant of righteous citizens can stop the destruction inherent in evil. God uses as his illustration of a righteous remnant a trio of faithful believers: Noah, who saw all of mankind (except his own family) destroyed by the great flood; Job, the patient patriarch; and Daniel (possibly the Daniel who is one of the chosen captives serving in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace, who will distinguish himself among God’s exiles even more than he already has)."

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Today's reading regarding God's harsh judgement of Judah recalls to mind John Piper's post Why Was God So Harsh in the Old Testament but More Forgiving in the New? In the post, Piper describes the current times as a window of mercy where we should take advantage of God's mercy before God's judgement and wrath unfolds during the End Times.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God full of love and mercy for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your grace - Your amazing grace.  I sin...daily, failing to love You and others as You love me.  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. 

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Portions of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21

Day 57 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on directives from God through Moses for the punishment of crimes, including murder, assault, kidnapping, rape, and theft.

The giving of the law allows for proportional punishment - with one example taken from Exodus 21: 

"But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." Exodus 21:23-25

Such language is often used as justification to exact justice as they see fit.  Yet we must be clear that God alone is judge and it is He who exacts justice. 

Using Romans 12:19-21 John Piper provides this excellent post regarding God and His anger vs His vengeance and how God's wrath is "never less than a perfect, judicial decree, but is always more than a perfect, judicial decree because it is always full of right and fitting fury."

God is also clear that we as believers should love and pray for our enemies - see also this post from DesiringGod.com. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your justice is perfect and I have felt Your discipline in my life and I am grateful for it.  Thank You Jesus for molding me into more of Your image and for Your patience with me.  I am not deserving of such love and patience.  I know there is much work in me to do.  Please forgive me for my sins of omission and commission - my sins are great and daily.  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 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.