Zephaniah

Zephaniah
God’s use of Zephaniah’s family was generational. He was not afraid to speak the words that God gave him even if it resulted in him being avoided as a bearer of bad news.  God will restore anyone who is willing to hear Him.

Zephaniah’s message had both halves of the bad-news-good-news equation. The day of the Lord was coming and that meant terrible judgment. The Israelites had scorned God’s law, worshiped false gods, and sinned without remorse long enough. Now it was time to repent. They had to turn back to their God or face the consequences.

It was the “turn back to God” part of Zephaniah’s message that offered hope. And to those who listened and responded to his call, the good news wiped out every line of bad. God would restore those who sought Him.

1 The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of  Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. 

² “I will utterly consume everything 
From the face of the land,” 
Says the Lord; 
³ “I will consume man and beast; 
I will consume the birds of the heavens, 
The fish of the sea, 
And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. 
I will cut off man from the face of the land,” 
Says the Lord. 

¹² “And it shall come to pass at that time 
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, 
And punish the men 
Who are settled in complacency, 
Who say in their heart, 
‘The Lord will not do good, 
Nor will He do evil.’ 

2 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, 
O undesirable nation, 
² Before the decree is issued, 
Or the day passes like chaff, 
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, 
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! 
³ Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, 
Who have upheld His justice. 
Seek righteousness, seek humility. 
It may be that you will be hidden 
In the day of the Lord’s anger.