Reading: Zephaniah and Haggai
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger (Zeph. 2:1-3).
If someone asked you to name an Old Testament prophet, chances are good that Zephaniah would not be the first name to roll off your lips. This tiny book of prophecy, only three chapters long, is tucked away between the books of Habakkuk and Hag- gai and is the fourth from the last book of the Old Testament. This minor prophet doesn’t even get the distinction of standing on his own in our daily readings, instead being paired with the book of Haggai. Yet the message being shared here is of vital importance to anyone trying to navigate the world today.
God called Zephaniah to testify to a nation in crisis. Judah was emerging from the darkness of 57 years of wicked rule. The young and untried Josiah had just ascended to the throne of David, and the tone of his leadership had yet to be established. The inhabitants of Judah were in a period of uneasy waiting, mired in the sins of their fathers and looking towards their earthly king to determine where they should go from there. Zephaniah offered a clear warning; waiting on the consensus of the nation to lead them back to the ways of God was foolhardy at best and could be disastrous. God’s anger had been awakened, and His judgment was coming. It was time for each individual to look into their heart and find the courage to kneel before God. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness. Salvation would be found in no other way.
We live in a world headed for judgment. When Christ returns, all the governments of man will be rendered inert. There will be no debates, elections, or treaties. The opinions of the masses will have no power at all; societal norms will at last give way to God’s truth. Only those who have recognized their Savior and humbled themselves before Him, availing themselves of His saving grace, will be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. Not those who have claimed to serve him by usurping His name and recreating Him in their image, nor those who have hung back, waiting for the tide of public opinion to give them the goahead to follow Him. No one who has abused His name for selfish gain or the exploitation of others will feel the touch of His grace. It is urgent, therefore, that all who seek the Lord do so with an open, humble heart ready to receive.
Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon (Is. 55:6-7). And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man(Luke 21:34-36).
Thought for Today: All masks will fall away when Christ returns, rendering their usage meaningless from the beginning.
Christ Revealed: As King of Israel, even the Lord (Zeph. 3:15; compare John 1:49).
Word Studies: Zephaniah 1:4 Chemarims = the idolatrous priests in charge; 1:9 leap on the threshold = rush into houses to confiscate the property by extortion and deceit; 2:15 carelessly = securely, with no equal; Haggai 2:7 desire of all nations = the One desired by all people, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Pray for StaffRyan McCrary • Government Official: Rep. Ed Case (HI), Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL), Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY), Rep. Andrew Garbarino (NY) • Country: Christmas Island (1,530) Southeast Asia • Major Languages: English, Chinese, Malay • Religious Freedom • 36% Buddhist; 25% Muslim; 18% Christian; 21% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Rejoice that He has promised to sustain us at all times (Ps. 55:22).