Book of Zephaniah

Zeph 1 Etana
Assyrian copy of the cuneiform tablet telling the legend of Etana. The Myth of Etana is the story of the Sumerian ante-diluvian King of Kish who ascends to heaven on an eagle to request the Plant of Birth from the gods so that he might have a son.

Some time ago, a popular book entitled The Self-Destructive Habits of Good Companies made the rounds in leadership circles.

It warned about complacency – the sense of security deriving from the belief that our past success will continue indefinitely.

The prophet Zephaniah wrote a similar book to the nation of Judah about the risk of spiritual complacency. He warmed.

“And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil” (Zeph 1:12).

In Zephaniah’s day, complacency, had settled over Jerusalem like an invisible fog. People in the once-devout City of David had convinced themselves that the Lord would not intervene, regardless of how they acted. Yet only a generation later, disaster overtook them.

Zephaniah is called the Prophet of the Day of the Lord.  He announced the coming of the day of the Lord against Judah, predicted judgments on five other nations, then consoled God’s people with a promise of a future restoration in Jerusalem.

His central theme is this imminent day of reckoning for Judah and the nations. But his prophetic warnings also point to a

future day of judgment for the entire complacent world.

Always guard against complacency. Ask God to show you where your security truly lies and to move you into the only true shelter in the world – a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zeph 2 The City of David
The City of David in Jerusalem This is where King David captured this fortress of a Canaanite tribe, the Jebusites, 1000 years before Christ. On this slender spur, about 12 acres in area, David established his capital and pitched a tent to house the Ark of the Covenant.

Key Thought:

The Day of the Lord will come with a whirlwind of inevitable destruction on the complacent and ungodly, but will also bring the fulfillment of the ages to God’s people.

Key Verse:

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph 3:17).

Key Action:

Rejoice in the love of a God who rejoices over you in song.

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