June 9 - Zephaniah 1

June 9 - Zephaniah 1

"The word of the Lord that came" are the same words that open the books of Hosea, Joel and Micah. These leave no doubt about who is behind the prophecies and warnings that are about to be delivered.

This is another prophecy of God's impending wrath compounded with the comfort of His remembrance of the covenant.

Zephaniah wastes no time getting down to business. The power of God's destruction is laid out immediately. There will be nothing left but rubble.

Baal was the Canaanite god of fertility and worship of this god involved terrible sexual acts. In Zephaniah 1:4, he names two types of priests: pagan priests who were outsiders that had come in to lead in idol worship and the idolatrous priests who were Levitical priests given over to worship of Baal. Then, in Zephaniah 1:5, he identifies three different types of worshipers. In Deuteronomy 4:19, God specifically forbade His people to worship the sun, moon and stars, but we find that they are doing just that. The second type of worshipers were those who tried to combine the worship of the Lord with the worship of Molech, the chief god of the Ammonites. The third group were those who simply left the worship of God behind.

But, the Day of the Lord is coming. The Lord is preparing for that day, even though we are not. He will search for the complacent (Zephaniah 1:12). Those who think that the Lord really isn't going to do anything - either good or bad. They will lose everything.

As I read these verses, I see our society so plainly in all of the things that the Lord is speaking through Zephaniah. The worship of nature, those who try to blend worship of the Lord in with all of the other things around them and those who simply have walked away. Then the complacency with which we avoid thinking that He will return with judgment. God's words are never returned empty.

Isaiah 55:11 says, "...so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

God will accomplish his purpose. He will return with judgment against the nations and against those that worship anything other than Him.

Zephaniah 1:14-18 describes the Great Day of the Lord - the day of wrath. There is nothing bleaker than what will be seen on the earth when the Lord releases His wrath.