Tag: Zephaniah

Growing Sin

Zephaniah 1-3

Zephaniah 3 1 NIV sgl

The book of Zephaniah is quite short, but it is full of descriptive language. It recounts the vision given to Zephaniah in the time of King Josiah’s reign. This prophecy paints a colorful picture of the price that must be paid for sin.

Sin is not something that we can pretend has never happened. If we deliberately continue living a life filled with sin, it will eventually catch up with us. To maybe understand this a bit better, I was reminded of our physical wear and tear. For those that play sports or enjoy physical activity, you may know that these pastimes can result in injury. The injury may start out as a minor sprain or cut, but we keep going rather than caring for this injury. It is inconvenient to allow something that seems so minor to hold us back from doing what we want. So eventually this minor sprain gets worse or that unattended cut gets infected. Slowly something that was in our grasp to fix becomes a bigger problem.

Sin is also like this. At first, we may stray a bit as a mistake, but then we slowly get lured in. “What difference will it make if I do this one more time”, we may ask ourselves. But slowly the minor problem turns into something bigger as we continue to turn our backs on God. Slowly this sin, whatever it may be, will eat at us. We will have to face the consequences that sin has left in its wake.

Just like in Zephaniah, one day, the LORD will eradicate the sin of this world. It will be good to one day be in a world without sin or pain. And thankfully, God has given us the possibility to be reconciled to him. We do not have to allow sin to rule our life. We can turn to God and he will help us fight temptation. We just must trust in him. In chapter 2 of Zephaniah, God summoned Judah to repent. He did not want these people to be lost to their sin. He wanted them to turn to him, so that they could be sheltered. He gave them a chance as he has given us one. He wants us to take refuge in the shelter he has lovingly offered.

Just as a government wishes for its citizens to abide by the law, the LORD wishes for us to turn to him. However, when those citizens rebel against those guiding principles, they must face the consequences of their actions. We, however, must make the choice to live for him. We must enter that shelter that our heavenly Father provides.

Hannah Deane

 

Today’s Bible passage can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=zephaniah+1-3&version=NIV

Tomorrow we begin the book of Jeremiah (chapters 1-3) as we continue on the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Different Prophet; Same Message

Zephaniah

Zephaniah-3_17

Friday, April 21

The job description of a prophet doesn’t vary much. Speak the words God has given you. Usually these words and utterances are judgement and wrath, Zephaniah follows the same pattern. Something worth mentioning is the name Zephaniah provides in verse one: “Zephaniah son of Cushi”. Cushi in Hebrew has meaning and connotations of African descent. In other words, Zephaniah may have an african heritage and we may have a book written by an African.

Zephaniah is believed to have been proclaimed and written between 630-620 BCE to the residents of Judah concerning Judah’s judgement and her enemies judgement. We have seen a common thread in all the minor prophets we’ve looked at this week: God holds all evil, wickedness, and injustice accountable whether it’s done by his own people or people of foreign nations. God is impartial. Chapter one contains God’s judgement on his own people. Chapter two is judgment pronounced on many of Judah’s enemies and chapter three is a mixture of judgement with the promise of a remnant being left who will love the true God with their heart, mind, soul, and body and God will dwell with them.

The minor prophets, I would say, are the most neglected books in the Bible. Though their historical contexts and their way of life is completely foreign to the modern Christian, the promises and principles communicated by God through prophets are ones that apply to us today. Injustice, oppression, apathy, disobedience, and so on are things we see and deal with in our lives. God speaks to us about these things in the minor prophets.

-Jacob Rohrer

(Photo Credit: https://worshipwithscripture.com/tag/zephaniah-317/ by Kelli Wommack)