Study of Zephaniah
Chapter 3
(Zep 3:1) Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
When we think of pollution, we usually think about the environmental concerns such as air and water pollution. The pollution here does not refer to that. It refers to spiritual filth and pollution. God's concern is always the spiritual. When the spirit is healed and is seeking God, the other things are taken care of also in time. When our hearts are right with God, it affects the way we live, how we treat our neighbors, and it would even affect our environment. That is why the Lord tells us not to be overly concerned by outward things but to major on the necessary things and the other will be added as needed.
Matthew 6:31
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we
drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the
Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of
all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the
morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
(Zep 3:2) She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
Over and over again we see these warnings. How sad to read, "She obeyed not the voice, she received not correction, she trusted not in the Lord."
Since the beginning of creation, men and women have continually turned from God unto things that are vain and worthless. The human race has never fully trusted the Lord except for a few faithful people. We are always reminded of Noah and his sons. Such a few were saved in the Ark while the vast majority perished.
God always sends someone with correction and reproof but again, we refuse and trust not in the Lord.
It breaks my heart to see many in my own country refuse the correction of the Lord. They laugh and try to shut up anyone who preaches against sin. The preachers who tickle the ears do not bother them but any who dare to preach holiness or godliness with correction and reproof is mocked. They make movies to mock preachers.
By reading the bible you can tell clearly what causes God's judgment upon a nation. If God judged Israel, He will judge any nation that do the same things Israel did.
(Zep 3:3) Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Men who rule with cruelty and not fairly are pictured here. Bad leaders destroy a nation. They take bribes, they devour the innocent and persecute those that speak truth.
(Zep 3:4) Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
They either misinterpret the law, use it for material gain, add to it or change it altogether. Some may even ignore it. This is still happening today. Many use the word of God to deceive and draw followers after self instead of after God. Some preach according to what men want to hear and not God's word. We are not to add to or take away from God's word. If any do not want to be deceived, read and study the bible. There are places you can get bibles free. We do not have to be deceived anymore. There are bibles all over the country.
(Zep 3:5) 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.
Today we have people that work to try to remove guilt from people's lives. The time to worry is when we do not feel guilty when we sin. If we can sin and not feel guilty about it, then know of a surety that God has departed from us. Sin should bring guilt until that sin is repented of and one turns away from that sin. After you continually sin and fail to repent, the sin will not seem wrong anymore but it is still sin. The conscience becomes seared after continual refusals to repent. This is why that verse says that the unjust know no shame. They sinned until their conscience became seared. If you ever feel guilty, repent and let God remove the guilt. Don't ignore the guilt if you are still doing the thing causing the guilt.
(Zep 3:6) 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.
(Zep 3:7) 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.
God sent judgment and they still did not recognize that it was the judgment of God. Not all bad that happens is God's judgment but it doesn't hurt to seek God when bad calamities happen and search our hearts just to see if we sinned in some manner. It is never does any harm to ask God if something happened because we sinned and need to change things. However, like in the case of Job, some things may happen because Satan is trying to destroy our testimony before the world. There are trials that happen to those faithful believers in Christ. We need to remember though that there may be another reason why bad happens and things don't turn out right. In all these things we need to seek God for advice and not close our minds to the fact that we just may have allowed some sin in our lives that is hindering our prayers.
If we read history, we can see the rise and fall of nations. What we do not see is God's hand of judgment behind the fall of nations that were once mighty and great.
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Let us seek not to justify ourselves but seek God for His justification. He will cleanse us when we turn from sin and seek Him. So we see sometimes bad happens as a trial to our faith and sometimes it happens because we have let down our guard and allowed some sin in our lives that is hindering the fullness of God to have its way in our lives.
(Zep 3:8) 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.
This is the battle of Armageddon in which all nations will be judge who persecuted Israel and those that follow Jesus Christ.
The faithful will suffer persecution. The bible says that all that is godly shall suffer persecution. When this happens, we are to wait patiently for the Lord's return when vengeance and retribution will be poured out upon the enemies of God. Always remember though that vengeance is the Lords. We are never to lift a hand against any of those who do not believe. Some have tried in past centuries and have only succeeded in hurting the innocent and bringing reproach upon the name of the Lord. God is the only one that is to execute vengeance in the latter days. We must not try to help God in this manner or else we will hurt the wrong people.
This has happened repeatedly.
The
Catholics persecuted the first protestants, the
protestants in the Church of England persecuted the Puritans. The
Calvinists persecuted those that disagreed with them.
Some
of the Puritans persecuted the Baptist and Quakers. Some of the
mainline denominations and some Baptist persecuted the Pentecostals.
You see that it is important for us to let God be the judge in some
cases of doctrinal disputes.
We have to have law and order, police, judges, and those that enforce the law of the land, but in the matter of conscience, we should preach the word and warn but never use force and threats to get people to obey the rules of conscience. The bible is to be obeyed from the heart and in the love of God. It cannot be forced upon anyone by law. Those that did that in the past failed miserably. God will judge those kind of things at His coming. Lets leave that sort of judgment to Him. Nevertheless we still must preach against sin and warn people to repent and allow God's spirit to convict and bring them to repentance. God will do the judging, all we are supposed to do is spread His word. He enforces it. To preach the gospel of repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ is not judging, it is a command of God.
(Zep 3:9) 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.
This will happen during the Millennium and it will happen by the power of God, not men. The trouble comes when men and women read these words and get the idea that they have to bring it to pass by their own strength. This only will happen at the coming of Jesus Christ. We cannot try to bring this about in the natural realm, or we will bring reproach and hurt the cause of Christ.
(Zep 3:10) From beyond
the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my
dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
(Zep 3:11) 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.
This is a prophesy of the re-gathering of Israel in the latter days no more to be dispersed upon the earth. Pride and haughtiness are the opposite of what pleases God. Israel will repent and God will cleanse them of all sin.
James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
(Zep 3:12) I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
Those that are poor and have nothing are usually the ones that trust in the Lord more than the ones that have plenty.
(Zep 3:13) 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.
We see here the traits of the faithful who follow the Lord.
1. They do
not sin or walk in unrighteousness.
2. Do not lie
3. Do not use a deceitful tongue
4. Do not fear but trust in God
God will always have a remnant or a people that trusts in Him. Even throughout history there has always been a few that still held onto the word of God. The majority follow the world. This has always been the case. If you are prone to follow the crowd, watch out, you could be wrong.
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the
gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and
many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is
the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
(Zep 3:14) Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Singing and
worshiping in spirit and in truth comes when we walk in the will of God. There
is a day coming when the nation of Israel will sing and shout because of the
knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
People wonder why some people shout and praise God in their worship services.
We have reason to shout. God has shown us filthy Gentiles His way of salvation.
He has washed away our sins and we were adopted into the same vine as the
children of the promise, Israel. There are Messianic believing Jews that
are already popping up all over the world.
(Zep
3:15) 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.
(Zep
3:16) In that day it shall be said
to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands
be slack.
(Zep
3:17) 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.
God's will is for us to walk in love and in joy. This joy comes when we believe in His way of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ and are baptized in the Spirit. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit brings a refreshing, peace and continual joy. This was rejected by the nation of Israel at the beginning but we see clearly that bible prophesy both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament shows us the restoration of the nation of Israel. Israel returns not only to their physical land but they will turn to God. Some Jews have already returned to God but the nation as a whole has not yet recognized Jesus Christ as their savior from sins. These prophesies along with those given to Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Zechariah, and others show us that Israel shall be saved and re-gathered form all nations.
(Zep 3:18) I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
We should always sorrow and mourn for sin and pray for cleansing. Joy should be delayed until this process takes place. We should never rejoice if we have not turned from sin. Joy comes after we are free from sin and are trusting in Jesus Christ for our salvation. This tells us that during the great tribulation , Israel after much suffering from nations that hate them and the anti-christ or beast, they will repent and be cleansed from sin. They will rejoice and be glad after mourning over their sin. Here is other prophecies concerning the mourning over sins.
Joel 2:11 And the LORD shall utter
his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that
executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who
can abide it?
Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your
heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your
God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and
repenteth him of the evil.
Joe 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind
him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Joe 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Zechariah 12:10 And I 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, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in
bitterness for his firstborn.
Zec 12:11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the
mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
Zec 12:12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house
of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart,
and their wives apart;
Zec 12:13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the
family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
Zec 12:14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives
apart.
(Zep
3:19) 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.
(Zep
3:20) 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.
God's judgment will be poured out upon all that afflicted and persecuted
Israel. Here is the promise of God to Israel. This is not the church
and Israel should not be confused with the church. The final time of Jacob's
trouble will be to bring Israel back to God and to bring judgment upon those
that harmed Israel and the adopted Israel which is all who believe and kept the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
Daniel describes that future event here: Daniel's people are Israel not the
church.
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy
holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to
seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall
be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again,
and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end
of the war desolations are determined.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the
midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and
for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Notice here that repentance from sin is the part that has to come before salvation and righteousness. There is no peace without repentance and cleansing from sin. Jimmy Carter, George Bush, and all other peace makers are wasting their time. I love them for their efforts but it is a waste of time. There is no peace until we repent of sin and turn to Jesus Christ.
69 weeks or 69 groups of seven years have already past. After the Messiah was cut off or crucified, the church age began and also the time of the Gentiles. After the church leaves or the church age ends, God's attention returns to Israel and the clock starts to begin again. The last week or period of seven years is the great tribulation where the nation of Israel returns to God and the judgment falls upon the persecutors of Israel. Be careful, presidents of the United States, how you deal with Israel. Please do not pressure them to trade land for peace. It will not bring peace but judgment to our own land.
True believers will be gathered together at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ including all Israel which are to be saved. Since the tribulation deals primarily with Israel and the church age ends at the beginning of the tribulation, I would assume that the faithful in Christ Jesus has to be taken out of the world before it starts because as long as a strong believing church is on the earth, the anti-christ is hindered from being revealed or in coming to take control. Many believe the church is taken out after the first 3 1/2 years and then some believe the church will go through the tribulation. Notice though that the church is not mentioned after Revelation 3 and is not seen again until the very end. It may be represented by the 12 elders seen in heaven. Some believe the number that cannot be numbered who were killed during the tribulation period is the church that was martyred for the cause of Christ. If that is the case where are the ones raptured who were alive when the dead in Christ rises first? Paul speaks of those that are alive and will be changed at the coming of the Lord. The tribulation saints are all martyrs. I will not argue these points but I just believe the anti-christ cannot be revealed or allowed to come until the church is gone. I hope and pray that is the right interpretation but if not, we do not know the day nor the hour and we need to be ready in either case.
There is no reason why any person reading this message cannot be part of the family of God. There is no reason for any of us to be a slave to sin. Jesus came to give eternal life. Jesus will return for all who have turned from sin and accepted Him as savior. Jesus is returning to a glorious church without spot or wrinkle. He made a way for all mankind to be free from sin and be born again. He loves everyone and wants everyone of us to be saved. It is the will of God for you to inherit eternal life. He does not want you to die and spend eternity in hell. Believe on Jesus Christ today. Read what He has to say to you in the bible. Do not delay. Be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ without further delay.
