God’s Disappointment
Opening Prayer
Lord, cause our behavior never to be mistaken for that of the world.
Read ZEPHANIAH 3:1–13
Woe to the city of oppressors,
rebellious and defiled!
2 She obeys no one,
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
she does not draw near to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her rulers are evening wolves,
who leave nothing for the morning.
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.
5 The Lord within her is righteous;
he does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,
yet the unrighteous know no shame.
Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant
6 “I have destroyed nations;
their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;
they are deserted and empty.
7 Of Jerusalem I thought,
‘Surely you will fear me
and accept correction!’
Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed,
nor all my punishments come upon her.
But they were still eager
to act corruptly in all they did.
8 Therefore wait for me,”
declares the Lord,
“for the day I will stand up to testify.
I have decided to assemble the nations,
to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath on them—
all my fierce anger.
The whole world will be consumed
by the fire of my jealous anger.
Restoration of Israel’s Remnant
9 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.
12 But I will leave within you
the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust in the name of the Lord.
13 They will do no wrong;
they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
and no one will make them afraid.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Thank God for the “meek and humble” (12) people you have known and for their example. Ask God to help you to show those qualities in your own life.
Hearing other people being dressed down is so much easier (and more comfortable!) than being corrected ourselves. When Zephaniah addresses Jerusalem he doesn’t immediately name the city (1–5; Zeph. 2:13), so his hearers may be thinking he is still addressing Nineveh. He speaks of a city that is arrogant and distant from God (2), where the problems start with the officials, rulers, prophets and priests (3,4). Despite that God reveals his righteousness and justice daily, the people of this city are shameless (5). No surprises there—that’s Nineveh for you. However, in verses 6 and 7 it becomes clear that God is speaking of his own people. Yes, he has judged and destroyed other nations (6) but he expects better of Jerusalem (7). Yet they were no better, to say the least.
We too easily see other people’s faults but not our own (Matt. 7:3). They were “still eager to act corruptly”—literally they “rose up early to sin” (7)! It seems that there is only one thing for God to do. Zephaniah declares that God will usher the nations into his courtroom for a sentencing hearing. God longs for the love and faithfulness of his people, yet they have turned away. He describes his anger as “jealous” (8). If they will not accept his correction, that anger will destroy the whole world.
The mood then shifts to one of hope—God will act for the good of Jerusalem. He will purify their lips and tongues (9,13). Words originate so many of the world’s (and the church’s) problems (Jas. 3:1–12). He will also deal with off-color attitudes. The arrogant and boastful will be removed, leaving the meek and humble (11,12). Instead of radiating the arrogance of the past, they will trust in the Lord’s name (12).
Apply
Consider your own faults before those of others. Ask God to give you a meek and humble heart to serve him.
Closing prayer
Lord, You are so gracious. You show mercy and loving-kindness even to the most undeserving among us.
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