The Glad God
There is war going on in the middle east. Russia is being aggressive. ISIS is infiltrating the U. S. In our own country, the anti-Christian element seems to be growing stronger and stronger. We are being attacked from Hollywood as well as Washington, D. C. and even from the Supreme Court. Political parties don’t seem to be helping much anymore (although there are politicians who are closer to God’s standards for ethics than other politicians and they deserve our support). On the religious front, there are scores of people who are outwardly religious but we know full well that what they are doing is not according to the New Testament pattern for the church of Jesus Christ.
How do we respond? Zephaniah’s message has relevance for 21st American Christians.
In chapter 3, we see what sins God’s own people were committing. At the beginning of chapter 3, God redirects His attention to His own people – those who were carried out of Egypt on the wings of eagles (Exodus 19:4-6) but have since fallen into the trap of false worship. Israel was supposed to have been a “royal priesthood” and a “holy nation.”
But, observe (vs 1) that God says she is “rebellious” and “defiled.” Rather than being “holy,” she is “defiled.” How did she become defiled?
Verse 2: She heeded no voice. That’s why God told her to be silent back in 1:7. Stop talking, religiously, and start listening! She accepted no instruction – from God. She did not trust in the Lord enough to obey His voice. To trust is to obey. If you aren’t obeying, it’s because you aren’t trusting. You are trusting in yourself or trusting in some other man. Judah did not “draw near to her God.” You cannot separate close and persistent obedience to the word of God from drawing near to God. If you want to draw near, you have to trust and then obey. Judah was not doing that.
So, God calls on Judah to “wait” for Him – vs 8. Wait for God to work. Don’t panic. Stick with His word, obey it. Trust God and wait for Him to fulfill His plans. Notice that God has decided a day when He will pour out His indignation and anger on the unbelieving world, through the fire of His zeal.
Dosage should be restricted to that which is prescribed to deal with erectile dysfunction, viagra online uk benign prostatic hyperplasia and pulmonary arterial hypertension. You want to avoid these directories, since they may create a negative association with your buy sildenafil canada site. I identified a radical change in consumer behavior and a dramatic rise in a new motivation that I order cheap levitra coined “The Fear of Missing Out on the dose. Iverson boasts a number of important records during his professional slovak-republic.org viagra no prescription career and appeared in two Super Bowls.
When God’s people accept His instruction / correction (vs 7), then they will have purified lips (vs 9). Please observe here that God doesn’t just have in mind the Jews having purified lips. This promise is for the “peoples.” With purified lips, they will be able to “call on the name of the Lord.” That is, they will be able to come to God in pure worship, once their lives are purified. Then, they can serve God shoulder to shoulder in unity! In fact, this universal aspect of God’s promise is here portrayed through the phrase: “beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.” Notice, these are “worshipers” of God. Once they accepted God’s instruction (vs 7) and were purified (vs 9), then they can worship God (vs 10). They will bring offerings to God; that is, they will worship.
That brings us to a happy passage in Zephaniah when judgment for sin gives way to grace for salvation – verses 14-17 – the “Glad God.” God calls on this faithful remnant to shout for joy! Shout in triumph! Rejoice and exult with all your heart! – vs 14.
Why? Because God has taken away the judgment He had promised against them – vs 15. That refers to the forgiveness of their sins. The word of the Lord was against them but because they accepted His instruction, then He has taken away that judgment. He has cleared away their enemies; the King of Israel – the true King (not Josiah but Jehovah God!) is in their midst and they will have nothing to fear – vs 15.
So, when all this happens, the Jews will tell one another (vs 16): “Do not be afraid.” Do not let your hands fall limp. Why? Because God is in your midst – and He is the victorious warrior! He will exult over you with joy and He will love you with a quiet, peaceable, calming love. He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
So, our days are not very different from Zephaniah’s day. How do we respond? We wait on the Lord. We are silent before God, not depending on our own opinions but listening to His voice. Accept His instruction and find unity in the Word of Christ. One day, when we rise from the dead to an eternal life in heaven, the world will know that we were following the truth. The world will be ashamed and they will be lost. We will receive the crown of glory, renown, and praise from the God of heaven, the only real popularity that counts.
–Paul Holland
