Zephaniah

Intro

I am honored to be asked back to preach the word of the living God to you all again.

For those of you who do not know me I am Aidan Clevenger, I am a 21 year old seminary student who has been called by God into vocational ministry. I am also married to my wonderful wife Kathryn for all of about two months now, and with that I married into being a grandson of Russ and Kathy Martin.

I had the pleasure of bringing God’s word to you all in December of last year.

I was sure that this would be a one and done thing but I guess you are glutens for a rambling young man who just loves to look at the word of God. And so I was asked back to fill the Pulpit for this Sunday.

With all that being said I want us to turn our bibles to the book of Zephaniah chapter 1.

Take off

I want you to think back to a time in your life that things were spinning out of control or at least it seemed that way.

I bet that you can see how God orchestrated all of that to refine your faith or convict you or make you more reliant on him.

There have been plenty of those times in my own life and I can’t help but look back on those situations and still see Gods Great Sovereignty.

South Florida example

In Zephaniah we see how god Shows so many sides of his character but all lead to God’s perfect sovereignty and Providence.

As we are about to look at Zephaniah we must remember that this is a prophetic book and contains a duality of prophesy.

This means that it was not only intended to prophesie about the Babylonian seige of jerusalem but also the coming day of the lord at the end times.

Read Zephaniah 1:1 “1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.”

Stop lets unpack this the first thing we see is “The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah”

so this is not Zephaniah just calling it how he sees it . This is the divign Holy and inerrant word of God just being spoke through Zephaniah.

Also weird thing Zephaniah is the only prophet that gives as much of a leniage as he does. most prophets pnly said who their dads were because that was like their last name in todays cultre and one other profet mentioned his grand father but Zephaniah went back Four generations

Why

He went back the Hezekiah which was a king of Judah. So what he is saying is I might come from this important kingly family this is not me talking this is Gods word coming though me.

He also tells us that this was in the day of king Josiah which helps give us a time line which would be 30-40 years before the Babylonian seige on jerusalem and subsequent exile.

Read Zephaniah 1:2-7

Zephaniah 1:2–7 CSB

2 I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth— this is the Lord’s declaration. 3 I will sweep away people and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth. This is the Lord’s declaration. 4 I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the residents of Jerusalem. I will cut off every vestige of Baal from this place, the names of the pagan priests along with the priests; 5 those who bow in worship on the rooftops to the stars in the sky; those who bow and pledge loyalty to the Lord but also pledge loyalty to Milcom; 6 and those who turn back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him. 7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is near.

In this passage God is throwing out all of these harsh realities of how He will Punish sin.

This is important to stop and think about because we live in a post Christian culture that will try to take God’s attributes and make them singular.

For example we will here people harp God is love and while that is true, and the best way to define love is “God”

Thats right a one word definition for love is God. but people will us God is love as a way to guilt people into quote “accept them for who they are because we should love like God”

Or they will take God’s grace and say that they won’t change or come out of their sin because God is gracious and will forgive them.

Harsh reality

The truth is that we can not take God’s attributes in singularity we have to take them in plurality

So God’s rath must walk with mercy

judgment with grace

omnipotence with omnipresence

Omnipotence with omnibenevolence

and His Love with His standard for our lives.

Back to the passage

We see all throughout these first seven verses That God will punish sin and destroy the people of Judah and jerusalem Because of the standerd that God held for his people was not being upheld.

The standard that God longs for is not the sacrafices being offered and the feast being observed but a heart that truly wanted to honor God.

And we see that tis is the case because of verse 5.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

5 those who bow in worship on the rooftops

to the stars in the sky;

those who bow and pledge loyalty to the LORD

but also pledge loyalty to Milcom

He was tired of His people Bowing and pledging loyalty to him but still worshiping and pledging loyalty to other God’s

Moving on

But as we move on to the last little bit of chapter one we see the Duality of prophesy very clearly.

So lets read the rest of this chapter picking up in the second part of verse 7

Read Zephaniah 1:7-18

Zephaniah 1:7–18 CSB

Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated his guests. 8 On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice I will punish the officials, the king’s sons, and all who are dressed in foreign clothing. 9 On that day I will punish all who skip over the threshold, who fill their master’s house with violence and deceit. 10 On that day— this is the Lord’s declaration— there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second District, and a loud crashing from the hills. 11 Wail, you residents of the Hollow, for all the merchants will be silenced; all those loaded with silver will be cut off. 12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who settle down comfortably, who say to themselves: The Lord will do nothing—good or bad. 13 Their wealth will become plunder and their houses a ruin. They will build houses but never live in them, plant vineyards but never drink their wine. 14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and rapidly approaching. Listen, the day of the Lord— then the warrior’s cry is bitter. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness, 16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. 17 I will bring distress on mankind, and they will walk like the blind because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. 18 Their silver and their gold will be unable to rescue them on the day of the Lord’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of his jealousy, for he will make a complete, yes, a horrifying end of all the inhabitants of the earth.

In this we see the language of the Lord preparing a sacrifice, and Judging by that sacrifice which points us to Christ and the fact that people are going to be Judged by the work of Christ on the cross.

Also it is important to realize that the punishment and judgment that God promises for the people judged by the sacrifice is just as sever and will come to “ a horrifying end of all the inhabitants of the earth.”

But wrath and judgment are not the end of the story if we look at Chapter 2:1-3 you see the God news of God.

read Zephaniah 2:1-3

Zephaniah 2:1–3 CSB

1 Gather yourselves together; gather together, undesirable nation, 2 before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning of the Lord’s anger overtakes you, before the day of the Lord’s anger overtakes you. 3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, who carry out what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the Lord’s anger.

He has grace and will protect if you turn back to him

This goes for then and now

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