Milo

Zechariah

JULY 10

Reading 191

NIGHT VISIONS Zechariah 1–6

“During the night I had a vision—and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. I asked, ‘What are these, my lord?’ ”(Zech. 1:8–9)Much of Zechariah consists of visions which may seem hard to interpret. Yet each vision conveyed an important message to his community, and speaks to us today.

Background

There were only some 50,000 Jews in the tiny province of Judea. They had been permitted to return to their ancient homeland when Cyrus of Persia overthrew the Babylonian Empire. They had been in Judea for nearly 20 years when Zechariah began to minister, and were stirred by religious enthusiasm to complete the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. Despite their small numbers, they had great hopes. One day, according to God’s promises, Jerusalem would be the center of the world, the capital of the Messiah destined to establish a worldwide kingdom of righteousness and peace. Zechariah, in a series of night visions, encouraged this hope. But at the same time he warned the little community that there would be centuries of Gentile domination before that hope was realized. Zechariah, whose name means “the Lord remembers,” is rightly called the “prophet of hope.” No Old Testament prophet spoke more clearly of the coming Messiah, or of His kingdom. Kenneth L. Barker, in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary series, summarizes these twin themes. “Zechariah predicted Christ’s first coming in lowliness (6:12), his humanity (6:12), his rejection and betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (11:12–13), his being struck by the sword of the Lord (13:7), his deity (3:4; 13:7), his priesthood (6:13), his kingship (6:13; 9:9; 14:9, 16), his reign and second coming in glory (14:4), his building of the Lord’s temple (6:12–13), his reign (9:10, 14), and his establishment of enduring peace and prosperity (3:10; 9:9–10). “As for the apocalyptic and eschatological aspect, Zechariah predicted the final siege of Jerusalem (12:1–3; 14:1–2), the initial victory of Israel’s enemies (14:2), the Lord’s defense of Jerusalem (14:3–4), the judgment of the nations (12:9; 14:3), the topographical changes in Israel (14:4–5), the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in the messianic Kingdom Age (14:16–19), and the ultimate holiness of Jerusalem and her people (14:20–21).” Few Old Testament books, despite the obscurity of some of Zechariah’s visions, contain a clearer picture of Christ’s first coming or of events associated with that triumphant return that you and I look forward to today. Thus, for us too, Zechariah is the “prophet of hope.” The power of our sovereign God guarantees a salvation and a restoration destined to come to you and me also through God’s Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Overview

God called Zechariah (1:1–6), and gave him a series of eight visions concerning the restoration of Israel (vv. 7–17), the coming world powers (vv. 18–21), judgment of the nations (2:1–13), the coming Priest-King (3:1–10), present spiritual re- sources (4:1–14), the judgment of the guilty (5:1–4), cleansing from evil (vv. 5–11), God’s final victory (6:1–8), and ultimately concerning Messiah’s rule (vv. 9–15).

Understanding the Text

“Return to Me . . . and I will return to you” Zech. 1:1–4.

Zechariah, who later became head of a priestly family that returned from Babylon (cf. Neh. 11:4), began his ministry with a lesson from history. God had urged earlier generations to turn to Him and away from their “evil ways and . . . evil practices.” They had refused, and because they rejected the Lord, Israel and Judah had fallen. Zechariah warned his generation: “Do not be like your forefathers.” Note the association of turning to God and turning away from evil ways and evil practices. No one who had turned to the Lord would continue to practice evil. But also note the lesson Zechariah drew from history. Evil ways and practices have consequences. Someone has said that experience is the best teacher. But how much easier for us it is to learn this lesson from the experience of others rather than from our own! “How long will You withhold mercy?” Zech. 1:7–17 Though the first few verses of Zechariah look backward, the rest of the book looks ahead. We may be warned by lessons from the past. But we are motivated by bright prospects for the future. Zechariah’s first vision offers just such a hope. The riders of his vision had just scouted the nations, and found the world at peace. This itself was not good news, for the Gentile world powers had to be overthrown before Messiah’s kingdom could be established. However, the Angel of the Lord told Zechariah that the Lord was “very angry” with the nations. He would overthrow them, and “return to Jerusalem with mercy.” This first vision does not answer the question, “How long?” In essence, the Lord was saying that “when” was not His people’s concern. What He wanted them to know was that He would triumph. You and I are to build our lives on the certainty of God’s ultimate triumph, without being concerned about when. Christ may return in our lifetime. He may not. What gives us hope and motivates us to serve the Lord is not knowing when, but knowing that Christ’s coming will surely take place. In Zechariah 1:18–21 the four horns are world powers that will dominate Jerusalem, as in Daniel 7 and 8. The workman represents historic forces that operate to throw down each in turn, as history marches toward God’s grand conclusion. This vision does deal with the prophet’s question of “when?” It says, “Not soon, but certain!” “I Myself will be a wall of fire around it” Zech. 2:1–13. The third vision was of a man surveying the city of Jerusalem. The angel explained it to Zechariah. God would crush the nations that had plundered His people. The Holy City will need no wall of stone then, for God Himself will be “a wall of fire” that guards a people who are “the apple of His eye.” The prophet was even told of a great movement toward God that would sweep “many nations” into His fold. But Judah and Jerusalem would be His special portion. How amazing. When Zechariah spoke, Judea was a tiny district in one of 120 provinces in the vast Persian Empire. Yet one day Judah and her capital, Jerusalem, were destined to become the center of the world! What gave the exiles hope was not present blessings, for the Holy Land was then a barren and briar-filled waste. What gave the exiles hope was the vision of what the Holy Land would become. We too may find little cause for pride or confidence in our present situation. But when we look ahead, and remember God’s promises, we will overflow with confidence! What gives us hope is the vision of what we will be—as Christ continues His work in us, and when He comes again. “Men symbolic of things to come” Zech. 3:1–10. What must happen before the Holy City can experience the restoration Zechariah’s visions promise? The prophet was given another vision, in which the angel calls the actors “symbolic of things to come.” The vision was complicated, but its major thrust is clear. When Messiah comes, and renews the priesthood by taking up His own priestly ministry, God’s people will at last be secure. There are implications for us too in the symbolism. For any human being to know God’s peace, he or she must be cleansed by God and clothed in His righteousness (vv. 1–5). Then, as we walk in His ways, we will have assured access to the Lord and the power to live holy lives (vv. 6–8). “Seven channels to the light” Zech. 4:1–14. This fifth vision teaches dependence on God’s Spirit, the resource who enables us to live holy lives while we await the Promised One’s appearance. The vision was directed to Zerubbabel, the governor who was also of David’s line. Even though, in that “day of small things,” Judea seemed completely insignificant and powerless, the Lord reminded the governor that progress is made, “Not by might nor by power, but by My spirit” (v. 6). This is one of those Old Testament verses that we would each do well to remember. In all we do, we are to rely not on our own might or power, but on the Spirit of God. If we serve in His strength, nothing that we do for the Lord will be a “small thing.” God will use even the smallest in a great way. “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land” Zech. 5:1–4. The scroll that Zechariah saw was a rolled-up book, on which were written God’s commandments. These are called a curse because violation of the commands brings punishment. How is this a message of hope? Simply in that when the guilty are punished, the innocent in the community are safe. When those who do wrong go unpunished, soon no one is safe! Modern society can only be safe when its laws are rooted in God’s commands, and when those laws are enforced. “It is a measuring basket” Zech. 5:5–11. The earlier visions were explained to Zechariah, or their symbolism was clear. Now we come to visions that are more obscure. What is clear is that in this vision wickedness, personified as a woman, is carried away to Babylon. What a reversal. Earlier the people of Judah had been carried off to Babylon because of their wickedness. Now evil itself is taken away from God’s people and sent to Babylon. We today have a similar choice. We can either hold on to wickedness, and suffer terrible consequences. Or we can let the Lord bind the evil in our hearts, and isolate us from its power. The Holy Spirit can do in our hearts what Zechariah predicted He will one day do for His people, Israel. “The four spirits of heaven” Zech. 6:1–8. In his final vision Zechariah saw war chariots manned by heavenly warriors setting out in every direction. The pronouncement of rest (v. 8) suggests the final victory of God. “The man whose name is the Branch” Zech. 6:9–15. The visions over, Zechariah was told to make a silver and gold crown and to crown Joshua, the high priest, who represented the “Branch,” a common prophetic term for the coming Messiah. The crown is not a normal priest’s headdress, but a royal crown. The impact of this symbolic act is to affirm that the promises God has made to His people will be carried out—but only by the Messiah, who will unite in His own person the offices of Priest and King.

DEVOTIONAL

Not Soon, but Certain(Zech. 1)

“Can we go to the mall tonight, Mom?” Nine-year-old Sarah desperately wants to get a special folder to keep her school journal in. She only has 15 or 20 folders now, but you know how that goes. It’s the one she doesn’t have that’s special! But what fascinates me is the sense of urgency. “Let’s go find it. Now!” Her mom has promised they’ll look. But not now. Mom works all day, has to cart Sarah to music lessons, and had to go to school open house last night. Yes, they’ll go look for that folder. But Mom won’t make any commitments as to when. Sarah will have to be satisfied with a simple commitment. It may not be soon, but it is certain: They will look for her folder. I understand why Sarah’s not happy with the “not soon, but certain” answer. For a child, everything is urgent. Everything has to be “now”—except of course cleaning up her room, practicing the piano, or doing homework. Still, everything she wants has to be “now.” Zechariah 1 reminds us that God, like a good parent, tells us to be satisfied with “certain.” Even to be satisfied with “not soon, but certain.” The prophet began by reminding his audience of the disasters that struck their forefathers because of disobedience (vv. 2–4). God’s threatened judgment came. Not soon. But certain. Then God gave Zechariah two visions. After seeing the first, the prophet begged God to tell him, “How long will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem?” God didn’t answer at first, though He did make a binding promise. “I will return to Jerusalem with mercy.” God’s commitment to do good to His people is certain (vv. 7–17). But then God gave Zechariah another vision; a vision of a series of world powers that would arise to dominate the Holy City, and would only gradually be worn away. This was God’s answer to Zechariah’s question about when. “Not soon.” Zechariah had to be satisfied with that. God had promised. The promises would be fulfilled. It would not be soon. But it was certain. Sometimes you and I have to live with just this kind of answer to our prayers. “God, I’m hurting.” “God, I need help.” “God, work in my loved one’s life.” “God, meet our needs.” When an answer is delayed, we grow so impatient. Like little Sarah, we want what we think we need now! The next time you feel that kind of pressure, remember God’s message to Zechariah. His word to us is often the same. “Not soon. But certain.” If we focus on the “not soon” we will be agitated and distressed. But if we focus on the “but certain,” we will have peace.

Personal Application

Whatever your circumstance, God’s commitment to do you good is certain and sure.

Quotable

“God in His unspeakable providence has arranged that some received the holy reward of their toils even before they set to work, others while actually working, others again when the work was done, and still others at the time of their death. Let the reader ask himself which one of them was made more humble.”—John Climacus

Zechariah

INTRODUCTION

Zechariah ministered to the little group of Jews who returned to Judah after the Babylonian Captivity. His first prophecy is dated just two months after Haggai’s call to finish rebuilding the Jerusalem temple (520 B.C.). Zechariah too encouraged the temple builders. But he went beyond Haggai in calling for personal spiritual and social renewal. Only continuing commitment to the Lord and to justice would prevent further judgment. Zechariah did predict that Judea would be dominated by Gentile powers for centuries. Yet he foresaw the appearance of the Messiah, who in God’s time will establish a purified Jerusalem as capital of His glorious kingdom.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	Eight Night Visions	Zech. 1–6
II.	True Fasting	Zech. 7–8
III.	Messiah’s Advent/Rejection	Zech. 9–11
IV.	Messiah’s Return and Kingdom	Zech. 12–14

Haggai

JULY 9

Reading 190

PUTTING GOD FIRST Haggai 1–2

“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Hag. 1:4)The fall of Israel to Assyria, and of Judah to Babylon, illustrates what happens when people fail to put God first. The response of the postexilic community to Haggai’s preaching illustrates what happens when people do put God first.

Background

The return.

The Babylonians had taken the Jewish people into Captivity in a series of deportations between 605 and 586B.C It was not until the fall of Babylon and the ascension of Cyrus of Persia in 538B.C that a small contingent of some 50,000 returned to their devastated homeland. During the years of Exile once-fertile fields had become overgrown with weeds and briars, houses had fallen into ruin, while orchards and vineyards had died. The returnees faced a formidable task: they must reclaim the land, plant crops, and rebuild houses, for once-prosperous Judah was now a wild frontier. In the grip of their first enthusiasm, a foundation for a new temple of God had been laid. But soon that enthusiasm was worn away under the pressures of survival. The focus of the community shifted from putting God first to putting their own many needs first. For some 18 years they struggled to reestablish a viable society. But somehow they seemed unable to make progress. Every step forward seemed matched by two back. It was at this point that Haggai was sent by God to speak to the discouraged pioneers, to urge them to once again put God first. Haggai is an encouraging book for believers today. It reminds us that blessings lie ahead for those who put God first.

Overview

On August 29, 520B.C, Haggai urged Judah to finish the temple (1:1–11). The people obeyed God’s voice and set to work (vv. 12–15). On October 17 Haggai promised the completed temple would be filled with glory (2:1–9), and on December 18 Haggai promised that from now on, God would bless (vv. 10–23).

Understanding the Text

“Give careful thought to your ways” Hag. 1:1–11. Haggai’s initial message was blunt and practical. He reminded the community how they had struggled to survive the past 18 years. They had worked constantly, and yet seemed to have made no progress. He also reminded them that they had put aside rebuilding the temple in order to concentrate on meeting their own needs. And Haggai had just three questions for them: Had it worked? Were they really better off than they were before? Had setting God aside helped them get ahead? The answer was no! They “expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.” The fact of the matter was that the prosperity of the postexilic community depended entirely on God. He was the One who controlled the reins; He was the One who could make them prosper. In setting God aside they abandoned the one essential for success. Christians too might well be practical. Never mind for the moment whether it’s right to set God aside for a time to concentrate on getting ahead. Just ask the question, “Will it work?” The answer today, as in Haggai’s time, is no! Our God is a sovereign God, who is able to bless our efforts, or to withhold blessing. If we set God aside, and fail to give Him the priority He deserves, we abandon the one resource essential for our own success. “They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God” Hag. 1:12–14. While the practical argument is compelling, it takes more than argument to cause a person to change his or her priorities. The text says that “the Lord stirred up the spirit” of the leaders and of the people (v. 14). You and I may give others the best of reasons why they should trust the Lord or follow Him. And there are many good and practical reasons. Yet people will only respond if the Lord Himself stirs up their spirits within them. Christian witnessing and Christian counseling both call for more than knowledge and more than skill in presenting good reasons for wise choices. Effective witness and counsel demands prayer that God will take our good reasons and good advice, open the heart of the hearer, and stir him or her up to respond. “Be strong . . . and work” Hag. 2:1–4. As the work commenced it became clear that the new temple would be far less splendid than the first. So the people became discouraged. It hardly seemed worthwhile, when what they were doing fell so far short of what others had done. You and I often fall into this trap. We compare our accomplishments or the tasks we are called to do with those of others. What we’re doing seems so unimportant. So we become discouraged, and let our hands fall to our sides. God’s first response to such an attitude is to give us a simple prescription. He says, “Be strong. . . . Be strong. . . . Be strong. . . . and work” (vv. 3–4). Our calling is not to compare, but to be strong, and work at the task God gives us. “I will fill this house with glory” Hag. 2:5–9. The dimensions of the new temple were far less than those of Solomon’s. The new temple would also lack the expensive adornment of the earlier house of worship. Yet God not only promised to fill the new house with glory, but said that “the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house” (v. 9). The ancient rabbis saw this as a messianic prophecy. The “desired of all nations [who] will come” (v. 7) they held to be the Messiah. The temple would be filled with glory not because of its material trappings but because of His presence. How accurate this insight. Over half a millennium passed. But then Jesus of Nazareth did come, first as a Boy and then as an Adult, to the second temple. Herod had expanded and beautified the original structure. But the temple was glorious, not because of its ostentatious wealth, but because of the enfleshed presence of the God in whose honor it had been built. There is a lesson here for us. What we do may seem unimportant when compared with what some accomplish. Yet as long as what we do is done for Christ, His presence floods the simplest task with glory. “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine” Hag. 2:8. The struggling community in Judah, hardly able to make ends meet, must have been discouraged by its poverty. How could it afford the high costs of construction, to say nothing of the costly equipment required for worship? Here God simply reminded His people, “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine.” The people of Judah were responsible to work. God was responsible to provide. And God did! Ezra 6:8–12 tells us that when local opponents of the Jews complained, they were ordered by the Persian ruler to finance the entire project from tax revenues! We need not know where our resources will come from. But we do need to be sure that what we do is in the will of God. “From this day on I will bless you” Hag. 2:10–19. God promised to bless His obedient people. But He protected the little community, and us, from a common error. Haggai was told to raise a question of ritual purity with the priests. If a defiled person touched a holy object, would he be made holy? The answer was no. In fact, if a defiled person touched a holy object, that object became defiled! God was about to pour out blessings on His people in Judea. They might conclude that it was because they once again worshiped at a temple. The questions and their answers showed that no one would be made holy by going up to the temple. God’s blessing was to be poured out not because of the holiness of the people, but because of the grace of their God. In choosing to put God first, the little community had placed itself on the one path that led to the blessing God was eager to bestow. God’s blessing today is evidence of His grace. We can never earn the good things He gives us. Yet our obedience does bring us to that shore of the river where His blessings flow. “I will shake the heavens and the earth” Hag. 2:20–23. The book concludes with a word to Zerubbabel. This member of the royal family represented the Davidic line. The words mean that while the present generation will be blessed, a future generation will experience the full blessing promised by God. Then, at a future date, One from the house of David, the Messiah, will appear. He will shake the nations and establish the earthly kingdom of God.

DEVOTIONAL

After Putting God First (Hag. 2)

Haggai 1 invites us to look at the empty spaces in our lives, the disappointments and frustrations, and ask if this is what we want our lives to be. He then urges us to stop living selfishly, and put God first. The little Jewish community in Judea in Haggai’s day did just this—and decided to change their priorities. From then on, they would put the Lord first. I suppose if this were all there were to this little book, it would be well worth reading. But actually, there’s much more. Haggai 2 goes on to show us how life changes when we do put the Lord first in our lives. What do we see there? First, we find significance in even little things. The rebuilt temple seemed small when compared to Solomon’s spectacular structure. But then the Lord said, “I am with you,” and we know that when we have put Him first, what we do is important indeed. In fact, we have the assurance that there is far more glory in the littlest thing we do for the Lord than in anything we have ever done before (vv. 1–9). Second, we find repeated evidence of blessings we do not deserve. We discover that in putting God first, we have put ourselves in the center of that channel through which grace constantly flows. There are material blessings, yes. But even more important, there is the knowledge that we are pleasing God, and fulfilling ourselves. And in this we find peace.

Personal Application

The only way to get ahead is to put God before us.

Quotable

“Do not wait to do a great thing. The opportunity may never come. But since little things are constantly claiming your attention, do them for a great motive—for the glory of God, and to do good to others.”—F.B. Meyer

Haggai

INTRODUCTION

Haggai was the first of the postexilic prophets. When a company of Jews returned from Babylon in 538 B.C., they laid the foundations of a new temple. But for the next 18 years members of the community concentrated on building their own houses, leaving the house of the Lord unfinished. Haggai urged the people to put God first, and finish the temple. The people responded to Haggai, winning God’s promise, “From this day on I will bless you.” The project was resumed in 520 B.C., and the temple was finished in 515 B.C.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	The Call to Build	Hag. 1
II.	The Glory of the New Temple	Hag. 2:1–9
III.	Blessings for Judah	Hag. 2:10–23

Zephaniah

JULY 8

Reading 189

GREAT DAY COMING Zephaniah 1–3

“The great Day of the Lord is near—near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the Day of the Lord will be bitter” (Zeph. 1:14).I magine history as a speeding train and the prophets as conductors, calling out the next station. Zephaniah’s cry would be, “Last stop! We’re coming into Judgment. Everybody off!”

Background

The age of Josiah.

Josiah was Judah’s last godly king. He took the throne following a half century of apostasy under Manasseh and Amon, and soon determined to lead his people back to the Lord. He attempted to purge the land of idolatry and reinstituted temple worship. Yet both Habakkuk and Zephaniah, who ministered in Josiah’s time, viewed the reformation as superficial at best. Habakkuk portrayed the corruption of the legal system and society itself (Hab. 1:1–4), while Zephaniah cited evidence that Assyrian and Canaanite religions maintained a hold on the people (Zeph. 1:4–5). Prophets and priests were false to their calling (3:4), and political leaders still resorted to violence and perpetrated injustices (vv. 2–3). There were in Josiah’s reforms outward indications of a return to God, but the lifestyle of the people gave no evidence of repentance or return. It is against this background that Zephaniah cried out concerning the Day of the Lord, and emphasized its judgment aspects. The onrushing Day of the Lord “will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness” (1:15). For God’s sinful people there can now be no escape. Near the end of Josiah’s reign the ancient world experienced great political upheaval. As Assyria engaged in a death struggle with a suddenly emergent Babylon, Judah won brief independence. Josiah became involved in trying to tip the balance of power between these two and Egypt, and was killed in battle in 609B.C Within a few years Judah was reduced to a subject state in the Babylonian Empire. Within three decades the Babylonians denuded the land of Judah of its people, and left Jerusalem, with its once beautiful temple, a heap of ruins. When we read Zephaniah we find no unexpected revelation. All that Zephaniah said, earlier prophets had proclaimed over and over again. What we do sense, however, is a tone of finality. God had given His people opportunity after opportunity. Now, it was too late. Judgment was “near and coming quickly” (v. 14). How desperately we need to respond to every word of divine warning. If we fail to respond, one day it will surely be too late.

Overview

Zephaniah predicted the “Day of the Lord,” a dark day of judgment, due against Judah (1:1–2:3), Gentile nations (vv. 4–15), and against Jerusalem (3:1–8). Yet beyond the judgment lies a day of joy, in which God’s scattered people will return and be restored to relationship with Him (vv. 9–20).

Understanding the Text

“Zephaniah” Zeph. 1:1.

The prophet’s name probably means “watchman for the Lord.” But what is interesting is that Zephaniah provided more genealogical information about himself than any other Old Testament prophet. He traced his ancestry back four generations, to “Hezekiah.” Most commentators believe that this is King Hezekiah, the last godly king prior to Josiah. Some see here simply Zephaniah’s attempt to link himself with Judah’s royal family. But the genealogy suggests something even more important. It reminds us that two whole generations, over 50 years, passed by during which Judah lacked godly leadership. The royal family faltered in its commitment to the Lord, and as a result the whole land turned eagerly to idolatry and sin. You and I can no more afford to neglect the nurture of our children than could the kings of Judah. God may well bring a future generation back to Him, as He brought back Hezekiah’s great grandsons, Josiah and Zephaniah. But how great the tragedy if son and grandson are lost. “Those who turn back from following the Lord” Zeph. 1:2–13. These verses announce sweeping judgment, and express the reasons for God’s anger. They also do more. They help us understand the futility of man’s search for “freedom.” The people of Judah turned back from following the Lord. They thought obedience to Him was too restrictive. But what did they actually obtain? They refused to worship the one true God, and found themselves worshiping a confusing host of pagan deities: Canaanite baals, the Assyrian “starry host,” the Phoenician Molech. Some even added the Lord to this roster of gods, as if He were on a par with idols (vv. 4–5). The people of Judah still were bound by man’s deep need for relationship with the supernatural. They refused to obey God, and in seeking freedom adopted “foreign clothes” (v. 8). As today, the clothing one chose then indicated basic attitudes or orientations. The choice of foreign clothing suggests a rejection of Jewish identity and an effort to identify with Egyptian or Babylonian peoples (cf. Num. 15:38; Deut. 22:11–12). They were “free,” but in their pursuit of freedom they lost their true selves. They refused to obey God, and demanding freedom fell prey to superstition, such as the practice of refusing to step on the threshold of a house of pagan worship (Zeph. 1:8; cf. 1 Sam. 5:5). They refused to obey God, and created a society in which each person was selfish, where violence and deceit were the norm (Zeph. 1:9). They refused to obey God, and in asserting their freedom they lost all sense of spiritual reality, so that however great their need they never thought to seek the Lord, or ask Him what way they should go. People today seem to have that same insistent desire for “freedom.” God’s ways seem restrictive, and so they “turn back from following the Lord.” But always when human beings demand such freedom, they find themselves caught in a monstrous web. They become trapped, falling victim to counterfeit religions both humanistic and supernaturalistic, to superstition, to confusion, loss of identity, and finally loss of all touch with reality. They live in a world of illusion, not only lost, but subject to the wrath of the God who warns, “On that day I will punish” (vv. 8–13). How glad we are to surrender such an illusory “freedom,” and to choose to follow the Lord. We who follow Him gladly are free indeed. “The great Day of the Lord” Zeph. 1:14–18. The “Day of the Lord” is a phrase used by Old Testament prophets to indicate events associated with God’s direct involvement in human affairs to carry out some phase of His plan for humankind. While the “Day of the Lord” is most often an eschatological term used when describing history’s end, any act of God can be identified with that day. Thus there is “the” eschatological Day of the Lord, and also “a” non-eschatological Day of the Lord. What is important to note is that “a” Day of the Lord merits that identification because it bears marked likeness to “the” Day of the Lord. This is what Zephaniah predicted here. “A” Day of the Lord was rushing down on Judah which, like “the” Day of the Lord, would be a day of wrath, distress, anguish, trouble, and ruin. The horrors of the imminent Babylonian invasion can be compared only to the horrors of the great day of divine judgment that will mark history’s end. This is an important reminder. God’s final judgment day seems far off to most people. But for those who, like Judah, persist in sin, there is often “a” judgment day, as well as “the” judgment day! God is no less hostile to sin today than He was in our prophet’s time. A Day of the Lord may be no farther from us than it was from Judah. “You humble of the land” Zeph. 2:1–3. Zephaniah’s warning concluded with an invitation. Before the time appointed for judgment comes, we can find shelter in the Lord. All it requires is humility. What is humility? It is an attitude in stark contrast to that of those who demand the right to live their own lives. The humble gladly submit to God. The humble express their submission by seeking the Lord, and by doing what He commands. The humble are eager not for wealth, but for righteousness; not for high position, but to bow low before the Lord. There is shelter for the humble, even when the storm breaks around us. There is hope for the humble. There is no hope for those who demand to be “free.” “I will destroy you” Zeph. 2:4–15. The coming Day of the Lord would not only devastate Judah but also the pagan peoples who have been hostile to the Lord. Afterward the remnant of God’s own will at last be secure. Zephaniah said of their land, “It will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; there they will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will care for them; He will restore their fortunes” (v. 7). “I have decided to assemble the nations” Zeph. 3:1–8. Now Zephaniah focused on Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah and its very heart. What he saw, despite the renewed activity on the temple mount which rose above Jerusalem’s homes and businesses, was a city of oppressors, “rebellious and defiled” (vv. 1–5). The city had failed to respond to God’s correction, and now must be punished. God is never impressed by appearances. His concern today as in Zephaniah’s time is with the heart.

DEVOTIONAL

O Say Can You See (Zeph. 3)

I’ve always been fascinated by the story. A British fleet stood off Baltimore, bombarding the fort that guarded its harbor. All through the night the guns roared. Through the clouds of acrid smoke explosions could be seen over the fort, as hollow powder-filled balls called bombs burst in the air. The darkness shrouded the stone walls of the fort, but the cacophony of sounds—the shrill whistling of shells, the booming of the cannon, the hollow thump of hit after hit—convinced every shipboard witness that the fort must fall, and Baltimore would be taken. And then, as dawn’s first light drove back the shadows, the witnesses saw an astounding sight. The fort still stood! And there, flying proudly above her ramparts, was the American flag. Hurrying down below one witness seized a pen and dashed off lines that every citizen has heard a thousand times. “O say can you see,” wrote Francis Scott Key, a prisoner that night on the British flagship, “through the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming.” The fort, and the flag, had survived. What a picture of the scene we see in Zephaniah 3. The city of Jerusalem was under siege, being punished for her many sins (vv. 1–7). The Lord Himself was the assailing force, pouring out His wrath, striking the city in His fierce anger. The devastation seemed enough to consume the entire world in an awesome conflagration (v. 8). And then, in the rest of the chapter, we make an amazing discovery. As that dreadful night of judgment comes to an end, and day dawns, we realize there are survivors! We see God’s scattered people, purified, return to worship their God (vv. 9–10). We realize that the arrogance that characterized Jerusalem had been burned away, and the city now held only the meek and humble, who would do no wrong (vv. 11–13). And we hear a voice raised in song, tentative at first, but soon swelling in a glad chorus of joy as the people of the city realize that God, mighty to save, is with them, and will quiet them with His love (vv. 14–18). And suddenly we see the city itself begin to glow, as God gives His now holy people the honor and praise they thought that they had forfeited forever by their sin (vv. 19–20). Just so we need to remind ourselves. When you or I suffer under the discipline of God, everything seems so dark. We feel crushed, unable to go on. Yet if we were only to look beyond, to tomorrow, we would catch a glimpse of the sight seen by Key, and by Zephaniah too. O say can you see, just beyond the horizon of your dark today, the dawn of what God intends for you? Purified and restored, humbled enough to accept God’s love, you too will be quieted with His love, and be given praise and honor in a peaceful land.

Personal Application

Look beyond your present circumstances, and fix your eyes on the good God will surely do you.

Quotable

“I bear my willing witness that I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than to anything else in my Lord’s workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see most.”—Charles H. Spurgeon