Zephaniah 1
Today's Passage: Zephaniah 1
Chapter one of Zephaniah is a dark and sobering prophecy against the nation of Judah. King Josiah was trying to make real changes for God’s people - bringing them back to the Law, but idolatry had been too engrained in their hearts. Their lives and cultures were built around worshiping other gods.
So Zephaniah gives this grave prophecy. He uses poetic language to show God’s unraveling of his people through military means.
“I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the LORD”
How do we make sense of this chapter? We must first ask what is the big picture of this passage. God takes sin seriously whether it’s worshiping other gods, pride, passivity, or disobedience. Just like the Day of the Lord referenced in Zeph 1, one day God will pour out his wrath on sin. Romans 6:23 tells us that the consequence of sin is death and separation from God…but “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Zephaniah chapter 1 should cause us to examine our lives to ensure that we are walking with the Lord. It should remind us that we deserved God’s full, holy wrath, but what we received was his forgiveness and life through Jesus. Before we believed in Jesus, we were no different from Judah. We chased after sin and worshiped the gods of self, money, lust, and pride. But we were given the free gift of God. Zephaniah 1 should cause our hearts to overflow with gratitude and worship to our God and Savior.
Family Discussion
Before you followed Jesus - what false gods did you worship?
How is your life different now?
Is there anything God is calling you to turn from today?
Written By: Joe Weaver
Chapter one of Zephaniah is a dark and sobering prophecy against the nation of Judah. King Josiah was trying to make real changes for God’s people - bringing them back to the Law, but idolatry had been too engrained in their hearts. Their lives and cultures were built around worshiping other gods.
So Zephaniah gives this grave prophecy. He uses poetic language to show God’s unraveling of his people through military means.
“I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the LORD”
How do we make sense of this chapter? We must first ask what is the big picture of this passage. God takes sin seriously whether it’s worshiping other gods, pride, passivity, or disobedience. Just like the Day of the Lord referenced in Zeph 1, one day God will pour out his wrath on sin. Romans 6:23 tells us that the consequence of sin is death and separation from God…but “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Zephaniah chapter 1 should cause us to examine our lives to ensure that we are walking with the Lord. It should remind us that we deserved God’s full, holy wrath, but what we received was his forgiveness and life through Jesus. Before we believed in Jesus, we were no different from Judah. We chased after sin and worshiped the gods of self, money, lust, and pride. But we were given the free gift of God. Zephaniah 1 should cause our hearts to overflow with gratitude and worship to our God and Savior.
Family Discussion
Before you followed Jesus - what false gods did you worship?
How is your life different now?
Is there anything God is calling you to turn from today?
Written By: Joe Weaver
1 Comment
I saw too much of myself in the complacency of verse 12 (in other translations: "stagnant in spirit" or "settled down comfortably" or "satisfied to live their own way"). Too often I might obey literally while simultaneously chafing at the discomfort of the path to which He's called me. And yet if He calls us to walk a certain path, then that path is obviously the very best one to walk! "O for grace to trust Him more!"