"ZEPHANIAH"

>>>There are always going to be two types of people in the world: those with God and those without Him.

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE:THOSE WITH GOD AND THOSE WITHOUT GOD.

>>>We are moving towards God or away from Him.

>>>Message is the Book of Zephaniah.

>>>Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah before and/or during his (good) reforms in Judah.

Zephaniah 1:2–6 ““I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord. “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord. “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom, those who have turned back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.””

>>>God starts with a vow to wipe away everything on earth, echoing Gen 6.

>>>God then turns His sights on the wickedness of Judah.

>>>Judah was disloyal to God and the covenant He made with them.

>>>The people do not “seek the LORD” or “inquire of Him”.

*“Seek” is “not encountering”. The people are not having any encounters with God.

*“Inquire” is similar to seek but “with care”.

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.”

>>>The people are called to hush in God’s presence-now that it is the presence of wrath/judgment.

>>>The phrase “day of the Lord” is used again (Babylonian invasion? Future?)

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PEOPLE WITHOUT GOD

Zephaniah 1:12 “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.’”

>>>God will prove Himself to those who are complacent.

*“complacent” means “comfortable” or “thick like wine”. People who are complacent are content with where they are in their lives.

*Complacent people have no fear of God. They do not see Him active in their lives/lives of others.

>>>These complacent people resemble modern day agnostics-those who don’t live like there’s a God regardless if He exists.

COMPLACENT

>>>If God did not exist, would your life be different? Is God affecting the way you live?

*This question also can be for Christians.

Zephaniah 1:13 “Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.””

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.”

>>>There will be a day when those complacent in their sin/ignorant of God will face Him.

*Whatever worldly possessions they pursued will not save them.

*This can be both immediate AND in a future time.

>>>Next five verses describe hopelessness of the siege of Babylon.

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.”

>>>Though God was judging Judah for idolatry, there were still those who followed Him.

>>>This group of people were exhorted to “seek” God, righteousness, and humility

*Both uses of “seek” are like Amos. First use “encounter”. The rest are used as “to desire”.

*He wanted the humble to continue walking with Him.

Zephaniah 2:15 “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.”

>>>The rest of the city contrasts the previous group. Whereas the first group was told to keep following God and avoid judgment, this group of people were full of pride and would incur judgment.

PRIDEFUL

>>>The mark of every nation, even God’s people, who are walking away from Him will find themselves in pride.

Zephaniah 3:6–8 ““I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant. I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. “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.”

>>>God says He gave His people enough disasters to cause them to turn to Him, yet they became even more bent on corruption and evil.

>>>The only other option God has is to pour out His wrath on them.

PUNISHED

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PEOPLE WITH GOD

Zephaniah 3:9 ““For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord.”

>>>God will give people a way to be changed.

CHANGED

>>>This change will allow them to call on God and serve Him.

Zephaniah 3:12–13 “But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.””

>>>Those who humbly followed God will be preserved as a remnant who the LORD will perfect.

>>>This could be during/after the exile but also for all history and the future.

PRESERVED

>>>God will always preserve His faithful people.

*Sometimes discipline is the way to preservation.

Zephaniah 3:15 “The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.”

>>>God not only takes away the judgment of His people but also any enemy or fearful thing that can harm them.

SAVED

Zephaniah 3:17 “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.”

>>>God will forever be in the midst of His people wherever they go.

>>>This verse shows the joy GOD has with His people-nothing about His people with Him.

*He has joy over you being there.

*His love will bring you peace.

*He will celebrate you with His singing.

CHERISHED

>>>The prophecy of Jeremiah ends with the LORD cherishing His people who were ever faithful to Him.