“Judgment”

 Scripture:   Zephaniah 1

Today, we consider a fourth aspect of God’s nature – that of His right and plan of judgment.  This prophet lived and served during the time of Josiah, the king of Judah who initiated a great revival in the nation, and while renovating the temple, found the long-lost Book of Law (2 Kings 22:8-13).  The entire Book, with every word, was read to the people from the steps of the Temple.  (2 Kings 23:1-3)  When the king first heard the words that had been written centuries before, he feared, that because of the sinful way that the people had been living, the LORD’s wrath would be poured out upon the nation right then and there.

 And Zephaniah’s ministry reenforced the king’s edicts to return to faithful lives, which may seem strange as we venture into the text for today, as he is reminding the people of what will come if they should ever return to those old, ungodly days.  He describes what those days of judgment will entail for the nation, as well as all nations, of the entire earth.

 These words are a good reminder for us, too, as the judgment of God will be complete and thorough, and no one is going to escape – except, that is, those who have lived Godly and Christ-like lives.  Let’s consider the power of God’s ending of our days on earth.

 Read Zephaniah 1:1-3a

 The phrases “I will sweep away …” are reminiscent of the great flood.  It implies total destruction, an end to everything we know.  Some folks question the need for God to destroy the animals, the birds and the fish – after all, what sin did they commit!  The truth is that many of that day saw their flocks, their horses, their herds as signs of their power, wealth, and authority, and God, as He did in the flood as well as in the destruction of Pharoah’s army at the Red Sea, destroyed all of the indicators of human power and self-esteem – including horses, chariots, servants, and warriors.  Not one aspect of the entire army of Pharoah survived.

 And today is no different than the days of the flood or of Israel’s exodus out of Egypt.  People still see their worldly possessions as signs of their importance on this earth.  And one day, not only will those who oppose the LORD be destroyed, but so will their symbols of strength and comfort and personal greatness.

 But as we know, there will be exceptions to the sentence.  In Micah 2:12-13, we read:

¹² “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel.  I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.¹³ The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out.  Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.”

 Everyone will be subject to the judgment, and those who follow the LORD will not be constrained, but will be led by the One who frees them and clears their way out of destruction.

 Read Zephaniah 1:3b-6

 In this passage, we read of three conditions that the people are involved in, all of which stand in direct opposition to God’s ordinances. 

1) Those who worship the gods of Canaan instead of Yahweh, which stands in direct violation to the command “You will have no other Gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

2) There were those who tried to straddle the fence by showing allegiance to both the god’s of earth as well as the God of Heaven.  “¹⁴ Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:13-14)

3) Those who believe that they can take God or leave Him – these are people who are indifferent to the God who has always cared deeply for them, and they just can’t understand why they should be consistently faithful to the God who has always been faithful to them. (Psalm 12:1-3)

 These are the ones who will be found guilty on the Day of Judgment.

 Read Zephaniah 1:7-13

 The prophet sees the Day of the LORD as a day of holy sacrifice, as well as a day of sacrificial punishment!  We read “He has consecrated those who He has invited.”  This consecration will be for those who have accepted the LORD Jehovah’s invitation to come to Him, just as we see in Christ’s parable of the Wedding Feast. At the conclusion of the parable, Jesus tells us “Many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:1-14)

But on the other hand, we must also consider the fate of those who are “clad in foreign clothes.”  This refers to those who show allegiance to the ways of other nations, and who take those ways for their own.  They have shunned the one true God, in favor of the ways of earth.  And verse 9 condemns the false worship of those foreign nations, whose ways always seem to creep into true and faithful worship of the LORD.  It appears that somethings never change – we still have this one plaguing the church of today.

 As the passage continues, we see further explanation and proof that everything will be disrupted at the time of judgment.  Commerce will cease, and people will cry out for relief.  Remember Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23, in which He tells us “²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”  We have had an entire lifetime to put our life right - but have we?

 The LORD will shine His light of truth throughout the world, beginning in Jerusalem, seeking the truth of everyone’s life.  Again, those who are self-righteous in their faith, who think that God won’t really pass judgment on the world, will one day discover that they are sadly mistaken!  They will lose everything that they have ever valued, including their life.

 Read Zephaniah 1:14-18

 The “Great Day of the LORD” will be evidenced by the pouring out of God’s wrath on every bit of evil that has ever led even one person away from faith in Almighty God.  Everything associated with this world will be destroyed, and there is nothing in this world that can stop it.

Hear these words from Revelation 21:1-5 – “¹ Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

 

Everything that has ever existed has been judged either worthy or unworthy - humanity, animals, birds, fish, wealth, authority, power, dry land and the oceans – it will all be replaced with God’s Newness! 

 

This is what the prophet Zephaniah is warning the people about.  First, that there will be a day of reckoning, in which everyone will be held accountable for how they either accepted or rejected the word of the LORD, and second, that now is the time to make changes in this life, that we might begin showing honor to the way and word of God.  These were words that were given to Israel of old, but they are just as important for our lives today, and those lives of tomorrow, and for all days until all might choose to be in line with God’s heart – Period!

 

May it be so in our lives.  Amen.