Zephaniah 1

Accomplishment Instead

The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.

3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;

5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;

6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

Honestly, at such a time as this it's now appearing what we shall be as before whom we seek or all that simply would but go to him in prayer. Certainly, when speaking of the scribes, the fathers and all who've gone before there is none so nice or wise the Lord. It's done so that there's none who is like our God before him even then. There's none else before whom we would've come and still too no one else would've done. It seems at such a time as this that the days of the fathers comes trotting into the midst and with them come an awful lot of sons. You know, even when your parents haven't sought the Lord and instead have taken it from men, it's nice to know that our God still waits there even then arms outstretched the day long, ready and waiting to receive all of these his children or but them who would simply come to him in prayer. Still though, that's an awful lot of men and some of them have built their house upon the sand and others of them have been as founded on the rock of Christ the Lord and built by him instead. He's the foremost isn't he so that he might receive preimenince. That is to say he's the One we stand before in all our hearts and lives. Consider too how jealous the Lord God is for all his children that the consummation should but come of him instead. He's seen most clearly in the fire upon the altar which burned for him alone and caused the sweet smell and savor to rise before his throne. Thusly portrayed he's the high priest of all our sacrifices made. Then again, he's the sacrifice upon the altar, the one who's brought and the object of all our worship made. It's no surprise at this time truly that the focus isn't on the scribes of Matthew and the fathers you have made. Indeed, all the things of the land came from him and returned there once again. It's probably no wonder that this is the book of the consummation even, that is, or the fullness of what's to come yet again. It's not for nothing that some have called him the God who was and is and is to come. Though how much more should we not just turn and look to him for that's what the hard times come for us to hope unto him. Certainly it's not so that all these others could be sought then again particularly when there's no providing to be seen therein. Seeing that these have but human makers, all these false gods our idols, it stands to reason that they're just like we ourselves are we not there in particular. Certainly that's what Paul would've said of those whose god is their belly and not unto him. Then again it remains a seeing as how David must've known as after the Lord. Though the supply of our Lord is just like himself, unlimited and past finding out. It's his character we should be seeking after and finding him still.

Punishment in Need

7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.

8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

In all this surely some of us would've hoped to see the good of the Lord. The Psalmist David said certainly that he would've fainted had he not believed in the Lord and expected his goodness in the land of the living. So that in the end when our Lord has moved judgmenet throughout the land once again it's only by his mighty power. Last time we'd seen that his power was made free for them living under the shadow of the Almighty and by his mighty hand. Thus can he be trusted to do us good and not evil all the days that we live. Certainly though this is for those who say the Lord will do neither good nor evil though the day of the Lord is at hand. Thus, it's not for nothing that his chidlren cry out to him night and day for vengeance to be found and so too walk in his way. Will he not avenge them speedily that look unto him and plead the cause of his children there once again. When it comes down to the marriage supper of the Lamb that was slain, he's bid his own guests or just compelled them to come in from out of the highways and byways that his house might be filled up with the legions of men and that all might trust unto him there in the end. With his day fast approaching, our Lord's now getting ready to seek after his people. The last few times we'd seen the house in a desperate situation as well as our God had come to this world. He certainly seems like he had to rescue the people from their ownselves and from the great army he had sent there in the midst. Then too he'd had to straighten out the house of the priests. This was done so that them who feared his name might only seek unto him and then would he spare them as a man spares his own son that fears him. And they shall be mine he says when he makes up his jewels. Though now at such a time as this there's a decree gone forth from the house of the Lord. It's to settle the account and rewrite all the wrongs. There's some that haven't feard or trusted as unto him. So too there's none that have obeyed the name of the Lord. Thus, the picture is seen as those who are just like the idols they're buidling. It seems he'll punish all them that aren't dressed just like him. He'll come after the small and great alike who are taken in idolatry and the strange ways instead be they but many. Though surely the people are saying what of no purpose when they follow the Lord. Indeed, it's not so much about social justice but a turning of all things on back to his Son, our Lord and Master, our Father, and Saviour, and Friend. It's his place too there in the end.

Grevious Indeed

13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

It seems at such a time as this that such is the state of those whose God should've been the Lord but instead it was only but as unto all men. The city set on a hill cannot be hid certainly nor can a candle set out as a light for all men. Though when the city sits on a hill waiting and watching so that all men might come in and be just of it instead, there's something else that's been wrong with the image. Seems to some that our God has been forgotten entirely or having left off of his house all along. Though he hasn't designed it that way or intended it to happen surely almost as though it was planned out in some grand plan that God our Maker, Saviour, and Lord would see to completion. At this point, with one book of desolation after another, it's hard to see his goodness and harder still just to trust in the Lord. Indeed, I might even be like those at the first part of the text and forgotten that his goodness even existed. Surely as with David these too would've lost heart and fainted within had they not believed they would've seen the Lord's goodness in the land of the living then too. Our focus you see, does strange things to those that would not believe. How often Hebrews 11 would've said that faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen as of yet. Then there's a listing that follows of all the men who'd hoped to seen the Lord's goodnesss and either been found in the midst or else have been wanting instead and it's not that he's slack concerning his promises, by all means not yet just as he ought. Pause if you will to consider. There's some trouble yes, at the moment, and the forefathers might've seen his day coming but they also endured seeing who lives in particular. While he might be in their midst or not at the time just as with Daniel and his three Hebrew friends, that's hardly the whole gist of the story. Though when your reward is just of the Lord, he might break in at any time to his house then instead and the whole plan becomes one of just to turn the whole world on back to his Son. What if your troubles and trials had an expiration date see, a day of meeting up with the Lord. Certainly for those that fear not his name, it's a day of reckoning to be had in the land. Then there's great trouble and anguish to be seen in the house for these all not his children. There were some false gods from the first that we'd seen that lived in the house in their midst and the Lord had to write the vision and make it plain so that in that day we would not pause and consider. The Lord undoubtedly is good all the time to all of his children. Though to those who've rejected him rather, who've gone astray and turned every one to his own way, well the Lord is the sacrifice for all their iniquity surely but how many of you know that the Lamb that was slain will not stay that way always. He's coming as the Lion of the tribe of Judah on back for his people. Though some would despise his correction, that's only best for the Lord to fit in. See, there's them who would've forgotten the Lord and left off of hearing all his good words. For them, there's a day appointed just of returning back to him then instead. For those of us that know him truly just in simple faith to trust him and so to believe all that he has said, it's a day of consolation is it not that the Lord God is soon returning unto these his people and the sheep of his pasture, as would a husband for the bride he's long forgotten, laid off, and left aside. Oh, that we would only seen the Lord's heart in this matter who's writing the wrongs, settling the score, breaking the bow and the arrow so that his house might be of him then once again. There's a Scripture that starts off very simply with the if my people then it moves onto which are called by my name. The trouble with some of us still is just that we haven't heard the voice of the Lord. As with Adam in the garden so long ago, we're still in the business of wondering what'd he do all that for when the Lord God is the one seeking as though we've gone missing. The picture at this time is of a people who've gotten distracted with all the things that their money can buy and then with all the things they could've built or done with their person. See, all the silver and gold of the land is useless without the Lord on his throne high and lifted up above all in intercession for all of his people. Then too, all the vineyards, houses, goods, and the wine are all entirely useless without their having come to the Lord. Consider if you will he's the God who walks with his people. Yet we're all too busy to even stop to consider. The Lord's doing a new thing in the last days, even now does it spring forth in the land. There's rivers in the desert and stream s in the dry places that otherwise wouldn't have known throughout all of his land. Thus is our God returning for all of his people. He's a jealous God won't you stop to consider. There's none besides him now nor ever has been for our God is a consuming fire. He's the only one who cares so for these all his people that not even the gods of the heathen can break in instead. Best to come before him now and let his fire cleanse out your body and soul. He'll do you no hurt just as the three Hebrew children found who walked with him truly whether in body, soul, or spirit with him eternally. We can trust him back with our bodies and lives can't we and also them too of all of his people for whom he'd suffered, bought with his blood, that his whole church might be fitted without spot, blemish, or wrinkle for his house above.