October 14th, 2024
by Tom Cabaniss
by Tom Cabaniss
Zephaniah is a small book in the Bible. It is located near the end of the Old Testament. Because of the book’s size, only three chapters and fifty-three verses long, it is called one of the Bible’s minor prophets. The prophet’s audience was Judah and the surrounding nations. It is a short book with a stern message—judgment. The searching judgments of God make up the prophet’s focus and message. Remember, Old Testament prophets never freelanced or came up with their own message. They said only what the Lord had revealed to them to say. Nothing more and nothing less. They spoke the Lord’s Word and added no ideas or opinions of their own. They did not shirk from that role even when the message was stark and unpopular. They wanted the Lord’s approval rather than the applause of others. Staying true to God’s Word mattered more than scratching ears that were itching or soothing egos.
Almost immediately, Zephaniah captures our attention with a sweeping indictment in two of his first three verses. It is a stunning, sweeping message of judgment that God directed him to deliver. He declared, “’I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea—and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.’ ‘When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth,’ declares the Lord” (Zephaniah 1:2-3).
Now we have to be careful not to project this specific and particular judgment onto our time and place. This message, the prophecy of Zephaniah, was written to the people of Judah and the immediately surrounding people and nations at that time in history. There is not a direct line of correlation or connection to our community, context or nation in 2024. But there are some lessons we can learn and some applications that we can make from these verses that speak to us here and now.
First, the earth is not the end of all things. This life is not all there is. Eternity awaits us. The Lord has a different reality and existence for His people. We are living now in view of eternity. And we should always live in view of eternity. When we face trials, battles and frustrations, we have to remind ourselves that there is more and better to come. The momentary troubles we face in this world are temporary and earthly. They are neither eternal nor heavenly. Better times will come.
Second, we learn that the Lord is the final judge of all things. He will bring history to the right ending and express judgment on everything. As Christians who have trusted in Jesus alone and His death and cross as the full and final payment for our sins, we are grateful that we do not have to face the judgment of God. But for those who have rejected Christ and the gospel, there is a judgment that awaits. That judgment will be perfectly executed by the only righteous one—the Lord Jesus Himself.
Third, there is a new creation coming. This new creation is beyond anything that we could even conceive or imagine. While the present creation is groaning and stained by the fall and sin, there is a perfect creation coming. God will make right all that is wrong. Knowing this means we can trust God to set right any faults, afflictions, attacks or injuries we may face at the hands of others. God will make everything right and His purposes will prevail at the end.
Fourth, we place our final hopes and trust in the Lord. It can be easy to lose sight of God’s providence and sovereignty. But He really is in charge and in control. He knows the story that He is writing for history and where we are in that story. If life gets to be dizzy or in disarray, come back to the reality of who is writing history. Place your hopes in the One who knows where the finish line is. Repeatedly, God tried to get the people of Judah and Israel to trust Him and to look to Him more than the surrounding nations and pagan ways. Yet, judgment often came because God’s own people would not trust Him enough to get them to the finish line. May we confidently trust God to guide us and to direct our daily steps. Have a great Monday!
Almost immediately, Zephaniah captures our attention with a sweeping indictment in two of his first three verses. It is a stunning, sweeping message of judgment that God directed him to deliver. He declared, “’I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea—and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.’ ‘When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth,’ declares the Lord” (Zephaniah 1:2-3).
Now we have to be careful not to project this specific and particular judgment onto our time and place. This message, the prophecy of Zephaniah, was written to the people of Judah and the immediately surrounding people and nations at that time in history. There is not a direct line of correlation or connection to our community, context or nation in 2024. But there are some lessons we can learn and some applications that we can make from these verses that speak to us here and now.
First, the earth is not the end of all things. This life is not all there is. Eternity awaits us. The Lord has a different reality and existence for His people. We are living now in view of eternity. And we should always live in view of eternity. When we face trials, battles and frustrations, we have to remind ourselves that there is more and better to come. The momentary troubles we face in this world are temporary and earthly. They are neither eternal nor heavenly. Better times will come.
Second, we learn that the Lord is the final judge of all things. He will bring history to the right ending and express judgment on everything. As Christians who have trusted in Jesus alone and His death and cross as the full and final payment for our sins, we are grateful that we do not have to face the judgment of God. But for those who have rejected Christ and the gospel, there is a judgment that awaits. That judgment will be perfectly executed by the only righteous one—the Lord Jesus Himself.
Third, there is a new creation coming. This new creation is beyond anything that we could even conceive or imagine. While the present creation is groaning and stained by the fall and sin, there is a perfect creation coming. God will make right all that is wrong. Knowing this means we can trust God to set right any faults, afflictions, attacks or injuries we may face at the hands of others. God will make everything right and His purposes will prevail at the end.
Fourth, we place our final hopes and trust in the Lord. It can be easy to lose sight of God’s providence and sovereignty. But He really is in charge and in control. He knows the story that He is writing for history and where we are in that story. If life gets to be dizzy or in disarray, come back to the reality of who is writing history. Place your hopes in the One who knows where the finish line is. Repeatedly, God tried to get the people of Judah and Israel to trust Him and to look to Him more than the surrounding nations and pagan ways. Yet, judgment often came because God’s own people would not trust Him enough to get them to the finish line. May we confidently trust God to guide us and to direct our daily steps. Have a great Monday!
Recent
Archive
2024
January
February
March
April
May
September
October
November
2023
January
Monday, January 2, 2023Tuesday, January 3, 2023Wednesday, January 4, 2023Thursday, January 5, 2023Monday, January 9, 2023Tuesday, January 10, 2023Wednesday, January 11, 2023Thursday, January 12, 2023Monday, January 16, 2023Tuesday, January 17, 2023Wednesday, January 18, 2023Thursday, January 19, 2023Monday, January 23, 2023Tuesday, January 24, 2023Wednesday, January 25, 2023Thursday, January 26, 2023Monday, January 30, 2023Tuesday, January 31, 2023
February
Wednesday, February 1, 2023Thursday, February 2, 2023Monday, February 6, 2023Tuesday, February 7, 2023Wednesday, February 8, 2023Thursday, February 9, 2023Monday, February 13, 2023Tuesday, February 14, 2023Wednesday, February 15, 2023Thursday, February 16, 2023Monday, February 20, 2023Tuesday, February 21, 2023Wednesday, February 22, 2023Thursday, February 23, 2023Monday, February 27, 2023Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Categories
Tags
Acts
Bible
Communion
Cross
God's will
God\'s will
God
Gospels
Holy Spirit
Holy Week
Jesus
Joseph
Lent
Peter
Reformation
Satan
accountability
action
advent
all saints
allegory
anger
anxiety
apologetics
atonement
awareness
awe
backsliding
baptism
beginning
beloved
betrayal
bitterness
blessing
born again
burden
burnout
calling
care
change
character
chistmas
choices
christian living
christmas
church history
church
circumcision
comfort
commitment
community
compassion
complacency
confession
confidence
consequences
contentment
control
conversation
cost
courage
creation
death
debt
deception
decisions
deliverance
denial
dependence
depth
desire
despair
determination
devotion
direction
discernment
discipleship
discouragement
dishonesty
disobedience
distractions
doctrine
doubt
dreams
eagerness
emotion
encouragement
end times
endurance
equality
eternal life
eternity
evangelism
evil
example
facing battles
faithful living
faithfulness
faith
family
fatigue
fear
fellowship
focus
follow
foreshadowing
forgiveness
foundation
freedom
friends
fruit of the Spirit
future
generosity
gifts
giving
glory
goodness
gospel
grace
grateful
gratitude
greed
grit
growth
guidance
guilt
halloween
happiness
healing
heart
heaven
help
history
holiday
holiness
home
honesty
hope
humble
humility
identity
impossible
incarnation
inspiration
instruction
integrity
intentional
jealousy
journey
joy
judgment
justice
justification
kindness
kingdom
knowing God
lament
law
leadership
lead
lies
life
listening
love
martin luther
maturity
measure
memorial
memories
mentoring
mercy
messiah
minor prophets
miracles
missions
mission
mistakes
motives
mountaintops
mourning
music
nation
nativity
nature
new year
new
next generation
obedience
obstacles
offering
omniscience
opportunity
opposition
overcoming
parenting
passion
path
patience
peace
pentecost
persecution
perseverence
perspective
plan
poetry
power
praise
prayer
preparation
presence
pressure
pride
priorities
process
prodigal
progress
promise
prophecy
protection
provision
psalm
purpose
rebellion
reconcile
redemption
refuge
rejoice
relationship
remember
remembrance
renewal
renown
repentance
resentment
resolution
restoration
rest
resurrection
return
revenge
revival
righteousness
risk
sacrifice
sadness
salt
salvation
sanctification
scripture
second coming
seeking God
self-control
serenity
sermon
service
shame
sharing
silence
sincerity
sin
solitude
sorrow
sovereignty
spiritual disciplines
standard
star
stewardship
storms
strength
struggle
stubbornness
stuck
submission
success
suffering
surrender
talents
talking
temple
temptation
ten commandments
testimony
testing
thankfulness
thankful
thanksgiving
theology
time
tithes
tough times
traditions
transfiguration
trials
trinity
troubles
trust
truth
veterans
victory
vision
waiting
warning
weakness
wisdom
wise men
witness
wonder
work
worship
No Comments