Sermon Tone Analysis

An umpire named Babe Pinelli once called Babe Ruth out on strikes.

When the crowd booed with sharp disapproval at the call, the legendary Ruth turned to the umpire with disdain and said, “Theres 40,000 people here who know that the last pitch was a ball, tomato head.”

Suspecting that the umpire would erupt with anger, the coaches and players braced themselves for Ruth’s ejection.

However, the cool headed Pinelli replied, “Maybe so, Babe, but mine is the only opinion that counts.”

It is a reality when it comes to the judgement of God.

In the end, no matter what the multitudes have said, no matter that popular television talk shows hosts have said, no matter what was said on news tv, no matter what was said on social media, no matter what was said on the big screen, no matter what your fiends and neighbors say, in the end what God said is what’s gonna matter.

God is the one who is gonna judge, His opinion is who’s opinion really matters.

So the question is… Do we know His opinion?

And do we have a good grasp on His revealed character?

This is one of the best things about the minor prophets.

It does a wonderful job of revealing to us vital insights to the character of God.

We might think God does this or that or even thinks this or that, but we find that the minor prophets namely Zephaniah and Habakkuk can be very revealing when it comes to what we think God does or thinks.

Clearly, our Lord is not influenced by affluence or cultural norms or adaptations.

The scriptures do not seek to be politically correct, socially acceptable, pressured by the mob, amendable to socio economic trends, but commited to revealing the Holy will and works of God.

And what is important to see is that more we are offended by the truths of scripture the more clear it should be as to how much of the pattern of the world we are taking on.

If the scriptures say it is righteous, but we think its not fair, then we are becoming more like the world.

If the scriptures say it is right, but we think its wrong, then we are becoming more like the world.

One of the battles we face when dealing with the challenging and difficult message of the minor prophets.

But Let God be true and every man a liar.

Lets take a closer look.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

What Will Happen?

Why Will It Happen?

Salvation Belongs to the Lord

The first thing we will look at today is the vivid description of the terrible day of the Lord.

Second, we will discuss the reasons for the terrible day of the Lord.

And finally, we will rejoice as we find out how we can be saved from the poured out wrath of the day of the Lord.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to be disillusioned into becoming apathetic to the looming judgement of God, it is the power of the Spirit and the truth of the scriptures that will guide us into sober mindedness and see the reality of sin and find hope in the truth of the gospel.

I. What Will Happen?

- The Wrath of God being poured out.

A. The prophets makes it clear once more.

This day and this day of calamity will be the result of the very hand of God.

So again here are some clues to the character of God and what He will and will not do.

B. And now to wake the hearts of many the prophet would call it a terrible day and that the day is near.

Why would this be a wake up call?

Because he is telling them not to look to the current times of the present day.

Many might think … no look at the times, does it look like judgement is coming.

You might not think that it is coming, but I assure you it is.

You may not see the clouds coming in but I am telling you a great storm is coming.

C. When the day comes… the tears you will shed because of the Hand of God will not be ordinary tears, but bitter tears.

And the cry would be such that even the strongest of soldiers will cry out because the enemy that they are fighting is too much for them.

And the prophet under the influence of the Holy Spirit… urges them to wake up.

He does this now by emphasizing characteristics as to why this day is gonna be a terrible one.

D. When our culture tries to say that God is a God of love not wrath.

Zephaniah says that it will be a day of anger and wrath and because the wrath of God will be poured out it will be a time of distress and anguish which signifies a time of emotional disturbance and discomfort.

Now it will be a day of trouble and ruin which in the Hebrew carries the idea of a wilderness.

There will be physical devastation in the land resulting in a wasteland.

There will be no more sustenance and no more comforts in the land.

There will be darkness and gloom, clouds and blackness which are a four fold image of darkness which is understood as clear and utter disaster.

The image is expressed clearly in Amos.

E. When the battle cry sounds, even the strongest and most fortified stronghold will fall when the wrath of God is poured out.

And the reason for this is because God will be coming to fight against His own people in judgement.

And what a frightening thing this is.

It is the opposite of what brought them hope in times of trouble.

F. Arise and wake up.

The Lord Himself is coming against you.

Now the Lord is your enemy.

The Lord is sounding the alarm for a holy War, but it is the Lord who is leading the other army against you.

He will lead the charge against His own people.

II.

Why Will It Happen?

- What is the reason for all of this?

Sin.

A. How could this be?

How could the Lord do such a thing against his people of on humanity for that matter?

How could God lead the charge against his own people and destroy the city in which he caused for his name to dwell and to be honored.

How is it that God will bring distress upon mankind?

How could he do it so much so that they will be like blind men.

They will stumble and grope like blind men.

Just like it is pictured in Isaiah.

B. All of their plans and all of their ideas to get out of the distress.

All their ingenuity to get out of things will not work anymore.

They will have no sense of direction.

They will have no sense of vision.

They will have no sense of awareness.

Every time they think they found a way, they will walk into a wall.

Every time they think they have a breakthrough they will fall into a pit.

Why will God make this happen?

C.

Here is a quick reminder to help us see it...

D. He told the people of God that this is what would happen to them if they… sinned against God.

Dr. John Mackay writes,

They would be overwhelmed by the catastrophe because they have sinned against the Lord.

The heinousness of their conduct derives from the fact that they had strayed from the way that their covenant king had directed them to go in, and so had corrupted their relationship with him.

That was the reason why these horrors had engulfed them.

They had indulged in idolatry; they had treated God as ineffectual and written him off; they had ignored his covenant requirements for their living.

Their punishment and distress was therefore inevitable.

E. And because of their sins the judgement on them would be graphic, horrible, and gruesome.

Now the picture drawn is notable.

Their blood in the Hebrew will be ke a phar… poured out like dust.

Now this could be understood in the sense of quantity… there will be lots of blood.

So much it cant be counted.

F. But in the context of judgement it is more likely to understand ke a phar more in the sense of worthless.

Not as numerous as dust, but as worthless as dust.

Their blood will be poured out as something worthless.

Their very lives will be extinguished as worthless.

G.

In this day, just like dust is trampled under our feet without a moment’s notice or thought, so their blood would be considered.

Oh… it gets even worse.

Not only will their blood be considered worthless, but so will their bodies which is compared here to that of dung.