Seek The Lord

Zephaniah is the most likely author for the book. Believed to have been written around the 7th century B.C. during the reign of king Josiah. Zephaniah is the least known of all the twelve minor prophets. He was the one who broke the long period of silence following the famous 8th century prophets like Isaiah, Hosea, Amos and Micah. Zephaniah is the last of the Pre-Exilic prophets, and it said to sum up the previous 8 prophets messages. Many consider Zephaniah to be unoriginal because he quotes words and ideas from his predecessors. His work however is the most elaborate discussion by any of the prophets on the “Day of the LORD”. Each of the three chapters of this book are dominated on that theme. It is worldwide in scope and portrays God’s plans for the day of the LORD’s fulfillment in the final event of history.

The superscription places Zephaniah’s prophecy in the reign of Josiah who was a godly king involved with reforming Judah after the two wicked kings - Manasseh and Amon plunged Judah into idolatry and apostasy. The theme of Zephaniah’s book and his prophecies is “Seek The LORD”

Zephaniah 2:1–2 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.

Zephaniah 2:3 CSB

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.

The name Zephaniah means “Yahweh hides”, “Yahweh has hidden”. Perhaps pointing to God’s protection of His people during the impending difficulties of Zephaniah’s day as well as the during the LORD’s Day Zephaniah prophesies about.

Judgement For Jerusalem

Introduction

What is God going to do? What is God going to do about the wicked, evil, and sin? What you believe about this question determines how you choose to live day in and day out. What God is going to do about wickedness, evil and sin is addressed by Zephaniah. Primarily his prophecy speaks to Judah and Jerusalem but dont get too comfortable because his book has implications for us here this morning as well.

Go back with me if you will to being a teenager in high school - maybe this was you and maybe it wasnt if it wasnt then remember the movies that would portray this. Parents go out of town and they have given you a list of things that you need to be doing while they are away. Clean the house, take out the trash, feed the animals - etc. They also have a list of what you shouldnt be doing - no friends over and absolutely no parties. You think mom and dad will never know and you choose to break the rules and do what you want. You think their is plenty of time and you wont get caught. You know when they will be back - and so it goes. Well then you get the phone call - we are coming home early cant wait to see you. There is simply no more time to prepare and be ready.

This is what it is like with what God is going to do about sin. Most think since He hasnt done anything He wont do anything or cant do anything and so they live how they want. There is a day coming that the LORD has promised - the Day of the LORD and it means judgment for Jerusalem and we better understand it is coming for it for it has implications for us as well.

Zephaniah 1:1–2 CSB

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. 2 I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth— this is the Lord’s declaration.

Zephaniah 1:3 CSB

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.

Zephaniah 1:4–5 CSB

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;

Zephaniah 1:6–7 CSB

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. Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated his guests.

Zephaniah 1:8–10 CSB

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.

Zephaniah 1:11–12 CSB

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.

Zephaniah 1:13–14 CSB

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.

Zephaniah 1:15–16 CSB

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 ram’s horn and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.

Zephaniah 1:17 CSB

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.

Zephaniah 1:18 CSB

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.

Zephaniah 2:1–2 CSB

Zephaniah 2:3 CSB

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.

A Clean Sweep

Zephaniah 1:1–2 CSB

Zephaniah 1:3 CSB

The first words of Zephaniah’s message speak of a clean sweep. God declares He will sweep away everything from the face of the earth. I will sweep away people, animals, birds of the sky, fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked. I will cutoff mankind from the face of the earth. The word sweep is used three times here, and it means to gather and take away to remove and destroy.

This described clean sweep is universal effecting everything in the earth. The phrase “face of the earth” Should bring our attention back to Genesis chapter 6 when God flooded the earth. This is a natural response of a Holy God to the wickedness of humanity. The same in Zephaniah’s day as it was in Noah’s day.

Just like the flood God’s proclaimed judgment is going to cover the whole earth.

This impending judgment on the earth would hit everything; life on land, in the air, and in the sea. Interestingly these four are in reverse order to the creation account of Genesis. This destruction Zephaniah prophesies is a reversal of creation. God is going to be doing an act of winding back the creation. The last part of ruins along with the wicked is a bit confusing. Ruins could be translated stumbling block - related to idols and idolatry. God isnt even going to leave the ruins of the wickedness but entirely and completely sweep it all away with a clean slate. The Lord’s declaration is to give the picture of an all encompassing judgment with complete and total destruction.

Completely Deserved

Zephaniah 1:4–5 CSB

Zephaniah 1:6–7 CSB

Zephaniah 1:8–9 CSB

Zephaniah 1:10–11 CSB

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.

Zephaniah 1:12–13 CSB

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.

Perhaps the idea of judgment being all encompassing with complete destruction seems a bit much to them. God through Zephaniah focuses in on Judah and Jerusalem to show that this Day of God’s judgement is completely deserved. The Northern kingdom by this time has been conquered by Assyria and dispersed because of their idolatry and wickedness especially from the throne. Judah however had its share of bad kings that led the nation into idolatry and wickedness also. Ahab,Manasseh and Amon to name a few. God has given Judah the message already that judgment is coming for them also. While it is quite specific to Judah I think if we allow Him to God will uncover a bit of our own hearts here and see that the problem of sin is the same today.

God declares now that He will stretch out his hand against Judah and all residents of Jerusalem. He will cutoff every vestige of Baal from this place. They had turned from their God to other gods. Verse 4-5 speaks of how they have turned to Baal and Milcom/Molech. Molech being the pagan God demanding child sacrifice. They may not have stopped worshipping God - while they continued to bow and worship they have added other gods. Essentially saying Yahweh is good but not good enough. They wanted to be like other nations, they wanted to be tolerant and so they learned of other gods also. Worshipping false gods, worshipping stars and planets in astrology. They were mixing worship of Yahweh with the worship of other religions and gods and you cannot do that.

You cannot mix Jesus and Buddah, Yahweh and Allah, light and darkness. God calls for whole hearted loyalty and devotion to Him. Who is your God?

Matthew 6:24 CSB

24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

2 Corinthians 6:14–16 (CSB)

14 For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?

God not only pointed out those who turned only to idols and those who mixed worship but also those who refused to worship. Verse 6 speaks of those who turn away from the LORD, do not seek the LORD or inquire of Him, speaking of someone who may not have turned to idolatry but have definitely turned away from the LORD to secularism, humanism, to be their own god. To be religiously indifferent is not to be excused from judgment of the LORD, but rather places you squarely in the crosshairs of His coming judgment.

There is nothing anyone can say against this all they can do is be silent before the LORD knowing they are deserving. God has prepared a sacrifice and he has consecrated his guests. He has prepared the sacrifice of the wicked to appease His wrath and the guests are consecrated set apart as special and for a purpose.

On the day of the sacrifice the LORD speaks of who will be punished

Princes, Officials, royalty - the upper class

those dressed in foreign clothing

those who skip over the threshold

those who fill their masters house with deceit and violence - lower class working class

The lower class was too sinful to heed Zephaniah’s warning - ripping off their masters because they are so rich and we are so poor. The same defense is given today - the little guy justifies his actions because his employer, corporation or government have more than him. It was offensive to God in Zephaniah’s day and it is offensive today to God.

Mechants - the outcry from the fish gate (where the fish market went in and out)

Those loaded with silver will be cutoff

The comfortable/complacent and indifferent who think the LORD is also indifferent or complacent and will do neither good or bad

All they will be able to do in that day is wail and weep for the judgment will be severe. God will search out all with lamps so that none go unpunished. He will remove their wealth, their houses will be ruin, they will build houses but never live in them and plant vineyards but never drink from their fruit - it shall be taken suddenly and without warning.

Explicitly Described

Zephaniah 1:14–15 CSB

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,

Zephaniah 1:16–17 CSB

16 a day of ram’s horn 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.

Zephaniah 1:18 CSB

The most vivid picture in the Bible for the day of the LORD is given here. It is the day of God’s wrath on men because of their wickedness. It is a day of war distress and slaughter.

Zephaniah proclaimed that this day of the LORD was near. This day of the LORD is near and approaching rapidly - each day that goes by brings it closer, not a number of days but a timing set by the LORD of when. No one but the Father in heaven knows when that day is.

This proclaimed day of the LORD is not a good day but a day of terror and utter horror. It is a day of intense judgment and furious indignation of God poured out on a sinful and deserving world. The day is described as a day of

wrath

trouble

distress

destruction

desolation

darkness

gloom

clouds

ram’s horn - call for battle

battle cry against fortified cities and high corner towers - raging warfare

In Revelation 6:12–17, we see how the day of the Lord described here by Zephaniah perfectly parallels the day of the wrath of the Lamb described by John. This is important because there is a group of people noticeably absent from this day - those who trust and are found in the LORD.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 CSB

9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

There are those who teach that believers will go through the Tribulation before being caught up in the Rapture. I believe this is yet another passage of Scripture that undermines this premise because, although Jesus warned us that in this world we would have tribulation as the enemy attacks us constantly (John 16:33), He didn’t say we would go through the Tribulation eschatologically.

The believer endures tribulations now. But the unbeliever (the one who has turned from and rejected God) will go through tribulation when the wrath of the Lamb is poured out upon a world that rejected Him.

The Day of the LORD comes with certainty as the LORD says I WILL bring distress on mankind because they have sinned against the LORD. Men trust in money, other things but nothing will do them any good on that day of God’s judgment. The day of the LORD’s wrath, the 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.

God’s wrath is like a consuming fire. When Jesus comes again, it will come suddenly, like a thief in the night, and everyone has sinned, everyone is under His judgment. The Day of the Lord- a clean sweep, completely deserved, certainly coming.

But Perhaps

Zephaniah 2:1–2 CSB

Zephaniah 2:3 CSB

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.

Certainly deserved and certainly coming day of the LORD - God would be just and good still if it ended there. Our last point to consider is but perhaps. Perhaps you will be concealed - you will be hidden on the day of the LORD’s anger. I dont know about you, but if that is me who is faced with the day coming of the LORDs anger and it is pointed at me, and it is certain, and just and deserved - I am thinking I am toast is there any chance - any hope. There is hope when faced with the day of the LORD’s anger - but the hope is in no one else and nothing else but the LORD Himself. The words Zephaniah spoke are that there is a way to perhaps be hidden and concealed by the LORD Himself that day. How?

First the call is to gather themselves together, and then gather together - as an undesirable nation. This is coming to the realization and agreement of their state - their undesirable and pitiful state. This is the part of coming and turning to the LORD known as confession - confession is admitting and agreeing with God about the truth of our sinfulness.

Second Zephaniah says this confession - this coming together must be before the decree takes effect, before the day passes like chaff. This must happen before the LORD’s anger overtakes you and before the day of the LORD’s anger. When is that day? Dont know - Only God knows - but it is near and it is certain! Before that day is the time to confess. The description and the prophesying of the coming Day of the LORD is a warning - a warning used as an invitation for repenting now. Do not miss the urgency of the day passing like chaff.

Last you must seek the LORD all the humble. Why the humble because it is only the humble to rightly seek the LORD. Those who carry out what He commands, seek righteousness and seek humility. Strive and seek for the things of the LORD - those who seek the LORD can fall upon His mercy and grace. In more than one place, God promises to hide His righteous in the day of great judgment. This is especially relevant to the time of the Great Tribulation, when Jesus warned us

Luke 21:36 NKJV

36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Conclusion

This warning of judgment is not just about the coming Babylonian exile, but about eternal judgment on all sin. And the way that one can be concealed, hidden or sheltered from the day of God’s wrath. That for those who trust in Jesus, that day has already come. Because on the cross, Jesus experienced “A day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry” This was the day when Jesus faced God’s wrath and drank the entire cup of it for those who trust in Him.

This anger, this judgment is unavoidable yes, but a price has to be paid. When we trust in Jesus, we will find it’s already been paid in full - it is finished! God has no more wrath to pour out on us because it’s all been taken by His son at Calvary. Jesus bore the anger of the day of the Lord. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross.

If you’re not a Christian here today, I hope you see how serious this is. There is no way we can avoid God’s judgment on our own. The only chance we have is Jesus. If we don’t accept His sacrifice for us, one day, we will have to face God’s anger ourselves. No matter how good we think we are – the judgment is deserved, and unavoidable. If you have friends who aren’t Christians, we need to warn them! It’s not enough to show God’s love to our friends and family if we don’t tell them about this coming judgment. We need to warn people to run to Jesus and hide with him.

And for us who trust in Jesus, should we take the warning of Zephaniah Well, yes and no. Yes, we don’t need to wail, living in fear that God will punish us for our sins. The punishment has already fallen on Jesus.

But in another sense we do need a healthy fear of God. Maybe it is that our picture of Him is skewed? When we think of God, do we see him as one who will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth, as one whose anger is a consuming fire? Do not take the warning of this the coming judgment lightly, as if we’ve got Jesus as a little “Get out of Jail Free” card. We very much still need to seek righteousness and humility, not because those are the things that save us, but because it’s only in humility and an understanding of how sinful we are that we will flee to Jesus for forgiveness.

We need to come to see how our sin the way God sees sin, understand the reality of the judgment that is coming, and flee to Jesus, shelter under His blood, under His sacrifice, and from then on seek to live righteous, humble lives, turning away from even the slightest hint of sin. Be humbled under the mighty hand of God.

The Day of the Lord – a clean sweep, completely deserved, described and promised destruction. But perhaps, if we seek to come to Jesus, we may be sheltered on the day of His wrath. Let’s pray.

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