Project 119: Zephaniah 1
| Project 119
This week's devotions are written by MBBC Student Ministry Intern Allison McSwain.
Reading Zephaniah 1, I am reminded of a passage in Hebrews that doesn’t always sit well with us.
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him.
For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.” (Hebrews 12:5-7, ESV)
The Israelites in Judah were definitely in need of some discipline during the time of Zephaniah’s ministry. He prophesied during the reign of the southern king, Josiah (640-609 B.C.). While Josiah is considered one of the “good” Judean kings and issued many spiritual reforms, his people were just too devoted to the worship of other gods. It was because of Judah’s sin that judgment was coming to Jerusalem, and the prophecy of this judgment is recorded in Zephaniah.
Many of these verses are difficult for our hearts to read—
"I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.” (Zephaniah 1:17, ESV)
Yet we must remember that God disciplines those He loves. As the author of Hebrews writes, God disciplines His children for a good purpose. Like a loving father who wants the best for his son, our Heavenly Father steers us in the right direction with His sovereign justice.
No one gets excited about discipline. Tell any toddler to go into time out and you’ll see what I mean. However, the author of Hebrews makes a profound point: “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11, ESV) Our perfect and holy God cannot look on sin, and when the Israelites sinned, discipline came for the purpose of producing righteousness.
Oh Lord, refine us in Your fire. May we endure hardship and discipline remembering that it is because you love us You allow us to undergo such trials. Make us holy as You are holy, Oh God. We thank you for grace, as we cannot be holy on our own.
Zephaniah 1 (ESV):
1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
The Coming Judgment on Judah
2 “I will utterly sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
3 “I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the heavens
and the fish of the sea,
and the rubble with the wicked.
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal
and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
5 those who bow down on the roofs
to the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear to the LORD
and yet swear by Milcom,
6 those who have turned back from following the LORD,
who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him.”
The Day of the LORD Is Near
7 Be silent before the Lord GOD!
For the day of the LORD is near;
the LORD has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
8 And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice—
“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
9 On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’s house
with violence and fraud.
10 “On that day,” declares the LORD,
“a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
For all the traders are no more;
all who weigh out silver are cut off.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
those who say in their hearts,
‘The LORD will not do good,
nor will he do ill.’
13 Their goods shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.”
14 The great day of the LORD is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter;
the mighty man cries aloud there.
15 A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
17 I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the LORD;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
shall be able to deliver them
on the day of the wrath of the LORD.
In the fire of his jealousy,
all the earth shall be consumed;
for a full and sudden end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.