Zephaniah 1 – 3

Posted on Aug 7, 2016 in Reading the Bible in 2016 |

Sunday,

The word of the Lord came to Zephaniah during the reign of King Josiah.

So we know from our reading yesterday, that King Josiah offered up many reforms. The northern kingdom had fallen to the hands of the Assyrians and the northern people had been taken into captivity while the southern kingdom (Judah) had – with God’s help, prevented Sennacherib and the Assyrian army from capturing the city of Jerusalem. (Remember how the Assyrians, 185000 of them, were put to death by the angel of the Lord? – 2 Kings 2:35).  They kept the Assyrians from capturing them and made alliances with other surrounding nations. (Against God’s wishes).

So there are still problems that lie ahead for Judah, and Zephaniah comes into the picture. His message pronounces judgment against Judah and Jerusalem. It tells of the “terrible day of the Lord.” Zephaniah is warning the people that trouble is coming, because of their refusal to worship only the Lord. Zephaniah goes into a series of woes against other foreign nations and then he returns to announce punishment against Jerusalem. Tuck away in these pronouncements is a message that God is doing this to purify them and He will leave behind a remnant of those who seek the Lord.

The final pages of Zephaniah definitely leaves the reader with a feeling of hope. Darkness has turned to light. There will be a new day dawning.

Blessings

Pastor Kathy

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