Who the heck is Zephaniah?


Zephaniah was a prophet who lived in the time of King Josiah, and Josiah was a child who inherited the throne after his father was assassinated.  

At that time Judah was overrun with wickedness and Josiah attempted to bring about change by rebuilding the temple and throwing out all of the idols.  However, the Israelites didn't listen and continued to worship other gods.  

Now even Josiah, who was considered a good king - wasn't above sin, and in the end, Josiah's pride led him to set his people on a collision course with Babylon.

Zephaniah (a prophet) had seen all of this coming, and kept telling the Israelites that the day of the Lord was near.  He predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, and said an army would rise up - and when it did, temples would be destroyed, leaders would be destroyed, and the city would be destroyed.  He called on people to seek the Lord, and said those who did would be a faithful remnant.

But Zephaniah's prediction of doom didn't stop with Judah.  He claimed that the surrounding nations: the Assyrians, Philistines, Moabites and Ammonites, would all be destroyed as well - because like Judah - they were wicked, and worshipped other gods before the Lord.

In Zephaniah 3:8 he claimed God said he would "assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and pour out my wrath on them - all my fierce anger.  The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger."

That sounds pretty bad...

But then Zephaniah offered a glimmer of hope.  He said God was not sending the fire to destroy the nations, but rather to purify them.  He said that after this happened the remnant of Israel would call on God and serve Him.

I love the words of Zephaniah 3:17 which are the words God would offer to this "remnant", "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

For me, this story is not just one of hope for Judah and the people of Israel thousands of years ago - it is a story of hope for me.

It reminds me that even when I do things, say things, or think things that are not pleasing to God, if I repent - I can be forgiven.  It tells me that God is always with me - and that when I turn back to him, and make Him my God (my TOP priority over all things), that He delights, He rejoices, and His love will provide the "peace" I seek.










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