After 28 Lessons from the Book of Zephaniah, let’s turn our attention from a Prophet to a King! A less known King, perhaps. His Name is Manasseh. And he never ruled Israel, per se. Just the little two-tribe Kingdom of Judah, the “Southern Kingdom” she’s called. In other words, after the nation divided, split, after the reigns of Saul and David and Solomon.

Now, this is not Manasseh the son of Joseph, the Grandson of Jacob, who is perhaps much better known than even our King. This is Manasseh the (royal) Son of godly King Hezekiah.

Yet sadly, this Lad did not live up to his Father’s expectations. Manasseh became very wicked … and ruled many years as well. The longest administration in Judah’s history, a total of 55 years! (In reality the longest reign of any King in all of the history of God’s people the Jews.)

What we know of King Manasseh basically comes from one of two Old Testament chapters. Either 2nd Kings 21 or 2nd Chronicles 33. And no two histories of a single man ever presented a more different emphasis on a human being’s life!

We shall enjoy the variation, and magnify the Grace of God in so doing.

So today I merely give you the initial verse about Manasseh. “And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.” 2nd Chronicles 32:33

Let’s pray the Lord will lead us into “truth” and “wisdom” as we study this man’s biography.

Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

Many of the Psalms do this, begin on a spiritually “low” note and end on a “high” one, sometimes very “high!” Psalm 13 is a prime example.

But we’ve found the past few weeks that the Prophet Zephaniah, his Book, does that as well! And today we’ve arrived at his “ultimate” peak.

God is addressing His people, the Israelites. “Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.” Zephaniah 3:19-20

To “undo” someone, what’s that? The Hebrew is interesting. It’s “asah,” often translated “to do” (1,333 times) and “to make” (653 more times). But here the context calls for its opposite meaning. God will “do” judgment on those who have “afflicted” Judah! Isaiah 28:21 calls such “judgment” God’s “strange act.” (The English verb “undo” is only found twice in the whole Bible!)

Our Text next presents two verbs of great encouragement. God “will save” her who “halteth” (with the Hebrew simply meaning “to limp”). God will be her Deliverer, her Saviour!

And God will also “gather” her who has been “driven out.” The “gather” verb means “to call to assembly!” Scattered Israel will be outcast no more!

Our two-verse “duo” now continues with separate clauses of “reversal of image.”

First … “I (still God) will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.” Speaking about Israel.

And then …  “I  will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth.” Speaking to Israel!

All reproach is gone!

Likely, many (former enemies) will apologize to Israel for their hatred to the children of Abraham. But by the time these verses are fulfilled … the children of God!

“Captivity” is gone, forever!

In other words, “freedom” in our Lord!

What a great “set” of promises God has given Judah/Israel in the last paragraph of Zephaniah.

Worth reprinting, I think: “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. For then will I turn to the people 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. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. 1ing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.” Zephaniah 3:8-20, still awaiting final realization.

Glory days ahead, for all God’s people … including the Israelites!

Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Today’s verse has given me more “pause” than any in the whole Book of Zephaniah, I think.

And we’re only three verses from concluding our journey!

Here it is. “I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.” Zephaniah 3:18

The “I” in our Sentence is the Lord, of that we can be sure.

But some of the Israelites, the more godly I would suspect, are here “sorrowful.” Or “burdened.” Or feel like they are carrying a great load, a “reproach.”

These three words are nearly synonyms, meaning (in order as listed above) “grieved, something heavy needing to be lifted,” and “shamed, rebuked, scorned.”

But the key question is … “Why?”

What’s the cause of their consternation?

Something about the “solemn assemblies.” These are either the Feast Days (national Holy Days God gave Israel) or days of coming together for repentance or prayer.

We today would almost say “Revivals!”

The Hebrew for “solemn assembly” is “moed,” a word used 223 times in the Bible meaning “congregation” (150 times) and “feasts” (23 more times), feasts unto the Lord. As described in Leviticus 23, for example.

These people are heartbroken because … they have not been able to (in our words) go to Church and worship God! Enemy nations have overrun them. God’s judgment has fallen upon them. Their national sins have withheld God’s Blessings!

And a few, a “remnant,” are overwhelmed with hunger and thirst for the things of God!

God notices them in our verse today and is making provision to dispel their sorrow! To lift their burden! To turn away their shame!

Any heart burdened over sin and yearning for God’s Power … will hear from Him … soon!

What will God do on their behalf?

He says: “I will ‘gather’ them!” The Hebrew is “asaph,” meaning “to assemble!

Gods is calling a conclave!

A Meeting!

Christians have always loved getting together as a group and worshiping the Lord.

Seems God’s Heart is in agreement as well!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

IF WE WANT HIM … HE WILL COME!

 

Our Lesson today studies one of the most unusual Texts in the whole Bible. Due to the fact that here … God is “singing!” Not humanity singing, but the Lord Himself!

Here is Zephaniah 3:16-17, in the King James Bible: “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Wow, what a list of blessings!

First of all, God wants to remove the anxieties of His people, “fear not.” Remember how many times Jesus said “Peace be unto you?” God’s Nature is “Peace, peaceful!” Paul once even called Jesus our “Peace!” Ephesians 2:14 … “For He is our peace.”

Then He (the Lord) also wants to encourage, strengthen them, “let not thine hands be slack.” The writer of Hebrews picks up this expression and uses it skillfully. “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:12-13, don’t quit. Stay faithful!

Then in our Text God (still in their “midst,” not having “left them”) reminds Israel of His Strength, of His Might. The Hebrew word here is “gibbor,” meaning “Champion, Chief, Brave!”

Note yet again what happens next: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save.” God as Saviour! And the Hebrew noun standing behind the verb used is essentially “Joshua” or “Jesus!” Spelled “yasha” or “yeshuah” in Hebrew.

God is going to some day “save” Israel! Paul again in Romans 11:26. “And so ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”

Next come three glorious things the God of Salvation will do over His newly redeemed people: “He will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Look at the total “joy” expressed here, three different Hebrew words, 2 verbs and a noun! Here they are: “sus” (to leap for joy) and “simchah” (gladness, gaiety, mirth) and “giyl” (to twirl round and round, literally).

The clause “He will rest in His love,” paints a word picture. He will make Love a Habit, God just loving and loving and loving and loving! No more judgment! No more chastening! Implying (which we shall see tomorrow) no more sin!

I must put the pieces of our Text back together now and let you read it in its entirety. What a Day this will be! “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

As these Lesson on Zephaniah began, I observed that the Book begins with “judgment,” and ends with “blessing!” Indeed it does. As today’s Text attests:

“Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.” Zephaniah 3:14-15

Wow!

What a change of “mood!”

Gladness now.

And joy.

Punishment, judgment is gone.

The enemy is no more.

And God has “moved in” to dispel any further “evil.”

Notice this also. The people are being addressed now as “Israel,” the whole Nation of Jews! Earlier in Zephaniah she was merely “Judah,” a small fraction of all the total population. Reunification has happened!

The verb “sing” is a command, an imperative. It means to loudly express joy, music!

“Shout” is here a synonym, a “battle cry” of victory!

Then two more “matching” verbs are used, “be glad” and “rejoice.” Meaning respectively, “to shine with delight” and “to triumph.”

“Taken away” means “turned aside.” Proof God can either “deflect” or “invite” circumstances into our lives! To “cast out” means “to turn away,” again synonyms.

I think Zephaniah has just become a poet! (One of the chief characteristics of Hebrew poetry is “matching” thought patterns. Parallelism, it’s called.)

“Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.”

For God to be “in the midst” (in Hebrew “qereb”) is astounding. The word means the “innermost” part.

Not “to see evil” means no more catastrophes await! No more secret attacks! It could also carry the idea that her “sins” are gone! I am sure repentance has occurred, on Israel’s part.

Both verses today “reek” of Grace!

And we have only begun!

Don’t miss tomorrow’s Lesson, more good things are on the way.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell