The dark “night” of Israel’s existence is about to pass! “Morning” is coming! That’s one way the Old Testament Prophets saw their little Country, their Homeland. Even Zephaniah, our subject for the last few weeks, agrees! Days of unprecedented blessing yet await Judah!

This morning our Text is Zephaniah 3:9-10. “For then will I (the Lord) turn to the people (the Jews) a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.”

A people whose language has been corrupted, via too close company with the wicked, will get Divine tutoring on a “pure” language. I suspect a return to her “Mother Tongue,” ancient Hebrew. The adjective used here for “pure” is “barar,” meaning “polished” as well! “Bright!”

But the language is restored for a reason … “that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.” Then God, presumably, loves to hear His children pray!

Notice too in the foregoing clause that the Lord equates “calling” on Him and “serving” Him! If you “pray” to Him, enjoying His Blessings … you should also “serve” him daily! Is the second the result of the first? Or is it “automatic,” if we really PRAY we will invariably really SERVE?

Either way, the two actions are linked.

Then note that the Lord is planning to “recall” His people to the Land! “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.”

This is Revival!

God’s “suppliants,” a word based on the Hebrew term “abundance,” are bringing Him an “offering!” From around the wortd, these being part of the “dispersion.” (Leviticus 26:33 clearly tells us that if Israel disobeys God … He will so “scatter” her, as in this prophecy: “And I will scatter you among the heathen.” An event of history now, “heathen” simply meaning the “gentile nations.”)

Ethiopia in our (King James) Bible is often expressed as the nation “Cush.” Even here in our verse today “Ethiopia” is spelled that way, “Kush.”

Lots of returning “converts,” eager to worship the Lord their God, with “offerings.” And “minchah” means “sacrifice, present, gift, tribute!”

Gift giving is a natural outflow of real love!

These two verses now set the “mood” for much to follow in Zephaniah.

Indeed, God usually saves the BEST for LAST! In the lives of His followers anyway.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

The Lord willing, another Zephaniah Lesson tomorrow morning.

 

I call the event the “Battle of Armageddon.”

John mentions it in the Book of Revelation.

So does Zechariah, centuries prior to John! “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” Zechariah 14:2, with the Lord Himself speaking. The key phrase may be “all nations.”

And my point today, even little ZEPHANIAH predicts this same situation too! With God being the Catalyst. “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” Zephaniah 3:8, our focus verse this morning as we journey all the way through the Book of Zephaniah.

Notice please, God is “determined” to do this! The noun “determination” here is “mishphat,” the normal Old Testament word for “judgment!”

And look what God call all these “nations” (in Hebrew “goy”), the word for “gentiles!” They are His “prey,” or “booty, rewards of war!” The Lord at war!

God is here calling a convocation, using two similar verbs, “to gather” and “to assemble.” Our Lord often loves congregations! In fact, “Church” is such a thing, though for a somewhat different reason.

The verb “to pour” is a strong one, meaning “to gush out, to spill,” copiously, abundantly. (Does blood flowing to the “horses’ bridles” sound familiar?)

Then God uses another set of “parallel” words, “indignation” and “anger.” Well, add “jealousy” to the mix! Now it is trilateral parallelism! In Hebrew these three are (in order) … “zaam” (from a verb meaning “to abhor, to defy, to denounce) and “aph” (the word for “nostril” or “nose,” so mad one breathes heavily) and “quinah” (meaning “zeal” or even “envy” at times). Pretty intense!

Armageddon!

And WHY is God doing this?

The rest of the Book of Zephaniah will show us. As do the other Bible Prophets, several of them. To bring Israel to a place of repentance. To put her under conviction. To bring her to this critical point, using the words of Zechariah again: “For I (God Almighty) will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall ….” Jesus’ literal Second Coming to earth … to interrupt the slaughter, to defend Israel!

Also … “And I (still the Lord of course) will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son ….” This is deep hearted conviction, remorse, godly sorrow!

Then Isaiah explains … “Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born (born again) at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” Many saved!

Yes, Israel will be saved.

And God uses Armageddon to help prepare the hearts of these dear sons of Abraham.

Surely we call can say today (and will certainly say the day these things occur) … “This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:23

I stand amazed!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

If I have ever heard the Lord “reasoning” with people, this Text today is paramount. What I think is happening is this. Our Lord, talking to the people of Judah (through the Prophet Zephaniah) asks them to consider the nations recently brought into judgment (some even having been destroyed) … because of their sins! Then God thinks out loud, “Once my people see how I’ve justly (yet severely) treated other wayward nations … they will ‘shape up’ in a hurry. To spare themselves such devastation.” Then God laments, “Yet you of Judah have kept on sinning and sinning anyway, vigorously so!”

Now here’s the beautiful King James Text, Zephaniah 3:6-7. “I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.”

Wow!

This little 2 verse Unit is astounding!

What an admonition to “learn” from history!

Look at God’s “list,” the things He has done to the numerous peoples (plural because of their different ethnic backgrounds) who have rebelled against His Righteousness. “I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.”

Let’s “number” the actions:

1. “Cut off” (in Hebrew “karath”) meaning “to destroy!”
2. “Towers made desolate” meaning their “lookouts” and “military strongholds” have been “laid waste.”
3. “Streets” also “made waste,” this time using “charab,” meaning “dried up, caused to decay!”
4. “None pass by,” visitors are no more, populations of course dwindling as well!
5. “Cities destroyed” (in Hebrew tzsadah”) meaning “hunted down and killed!”
6. Then, finally, “no inhabitant” at all, total annihilation of the people. Perhaps they have all died, or maybe have been deported, but no one lives in their respective homelands any longer!

The List is thorough!

Surely, God believes, Judah will take note!

History does tell a “story!”

The Text continues, God still being the Speaker:  I said, Surely thou (Judah) wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.”

Let’s make a “list” again:

1. God is sure Judah will now “fear” Him, worship Him, obey Him.
2. She will “receive instruction,” or “accept My chastening.”
3. But Judah did not properly respond to the Lord. She in fact continued “to corrupt” her doings! Meaning “to spoil,” or even “to pervert!”

The Lord is left no choice!

He must judge even His Own people. He is no “Respecter of Persons” we all know.

This, so far, may be my favorite Passage from Zephaniah!

Let me ask you to read it (both verses) one more time: “I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.”

The Bible, what a Book!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Are you readers getting “tired” of judgment?

So far, with little variation, that’s been the theme of Zephaniah, the Holy and Righteous Standard of Almighty God and how mankind has violated such Purity.

But today, in Zephaniah 3:5, we get a glimpse of Something Beautiful, Someone Pristine.

Yes, the Prophet talks about our great God.

“The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”

God is present!

Even in Judah, everywhere else too!

The initial adjective “just” that describes LORD means “straight, lawful, correct.”

“In the midst” means “among.”

That God does no iniquity is a “given.” The noun “iniquity” suggesting that the Lord will “never act wrongfully.” He will never deviate from His Truth!

The “light” mentioned here reminds me of the Old Testament Glory of God, the Shekinah Glory (Cloud) and all its (His)Luminosity!

Every morning God reveals His Righteousness! Think of Jeremiah’s words in Lamentations 3:22-23. “It is of the LORD’S MERCIES that we are not consumed, because HIS COMPASSIONS fail not. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING: great is thy faithfulness.”

Wow!

God judges (according to this Text) every day, every sunrise! His judgment is apparently not just a future event! His Grace reigns daily, Romans 5:21. But so is His judgment proactive! (I would love to preach this neglected thought some day!)

Then one more clause about God, “He faileth not.” Indeed! Here the verb “faileth” translates “adar” in Hebrew, meaning “to lack” anything. God never comes up short! And this little verb is only used 11 times in all the Bible! It’s beautiful!

But, all the foregoing being accurate and true … humanity still disappoints. “But the unjust knoweth no shame.” He is never sorry or regretful for his doings! No repentance. No humility. No thought of ever being wrong. Not yet, anyway.

A great God.

A sinful creation.

Yes, judgment must come.

Or repentance.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

An old Preacher used to say, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” The Book of Proverbs essentially agrees. For example: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29:2

Zephaniah today illustrates that principle. One reason God is judging Judah so harshly is due to her inferior (sinful) leaders. “Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.” Zephaniah 3:3-4

The list is far ranging, including the Jewish “princes” (her royalty, her future kings), “judges,” and “prophets” (preachers), plus her “priests.”

Secular and sacred, we would say today.

God, in today’s Text, lists the “charges,” too!

Instead of ruling in kindness and grace, the younger members of the king’s family (the “princes”) have become tyrants, fear inducing monarchs! Like “roaring lions,” ready to devour even their own people!

And the “judges” now are open to “bribes,” padding their own pockets, fleecing the people … as if they were a pack of hungry wolves! “What’s in it for ME?” … that kind of selfish attitude among the judiciary.

Her “prophets” are no longer serious about the things of God, either. “Light and treacherous” it’s said of them. Living in open sin, and not ashamed (the meaning of the word “light” here). And “deceitful” (the Hebrew definition for “treacherous”) to the core, preaching one thing but not believing an iota of it!

And finally her “priests,” men who were charged with the responsibility of “teaching” God’s Word to the Israelites … have become impure and no longer reverence the Law they were called to uphold.

So, God is about to judge the entire Nation.

Psalm 9:17 is still in the Bible! “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Oh, that our world would heed these words. As America approaches the time she will elect a new President, we might should re-read these Passages from Zephaniah!

God means what he says.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell