Burunche’s Blog

A Call to Repentance

“In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.

“Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? Yet surely My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?“ So they returned and said: ‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

Vision of the Horses

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”

The Lord Will Comfort Zion

Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?” And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words. So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I am zealous for Jerusalem
and for Zion with great zeal. I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; for I was a little angry,
and they helped—but with evil intent.”

 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; the Lord will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”

Vision of the Horns

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns. And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” So he answered me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. And I said, “What are these coming to do?” So he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Zechariah’s time is one of upheaval and uncertainty. At the command of King Cyrus, some exiles have returned from Babylon and are slowly rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. But as Haggai has pointed out, these people appear more interested in building luxurious houses for themselves than in completing the temple. At the same time, there are shortages of resources and manpower and crop failures due to the failure of the people to worship God. Although the people of Judah went into exile, the demons they were serving never left Judah. Now those same demons are waiting, hoping to trap a new generation of Jews in unspeakable pagan rituals. This is why God is reminding His people, “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.”

Now God is proclaiming that the earth is at rest and that He is going to favor Jerusalem. ‘Therefore thus says the Lord: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; the Lord will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”

What’s the significance of the four horns in the last verses? Horns are symbols of military power and authority. What four countries are represented here? Perhaps those represented are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. No matter which countries are represented, the important thing is that God promises to destroy powers that come up against His chosen people.  

APPLICATION: Demons are territorial and they don’t leave a place simply because a revival has taken place. Several years ago, in another town in which we worked, there was a series of tragedies in one specific location. One elderly man suffered a broken neck in an accident, a school girl bled to death after an illegal abortion, and a school child was hit and killed by a motorcycle. A local church stood near the site of these tragedies. When we prayed, God gave us a vision of a huge fetish tree with little demons swarming all over it. When we inquired, we learned that there had been a huge fetish tree on the property before the church was built. It’s possible that’s why the missionaries were able to get the land for the church; nobody else wanted it!

God is warning those who have returned to Jerusalem from Persia that they need to worship Him and nobody else, refusing to make the same mistakes that resulted in their fathers going into exile. God promises to restore Jerusalem and to make her “spread out through prosperity.” In time, those promises have been fulfilled.

What must we do to claim the promises of God for our own? We need to worship the One True Living God. We need to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God who has shed His blood for us and who has died and risen again. Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. We confess that we are sinners and that only You can deliver us from our sins. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for us. We accept Jesus as our Savior and we thank You for that sacrifice. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

This information on the Book of Zechariah comes from Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living website.

“Who wrote the book? Grandson of the priest Iddo, Zechariah prophesied to the people of Judah after they returned from their seventy years of exile in Babylon (Zechariah 1:1; Nehemiah 12:1, 4, 16). Zechariah’s grandfather returned from Babylon, his young grandson in tow, with the first group of Israelites allowed back, in 538 BC under the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia. Because of his family lineage, Zechariah was a priest in addition to a prophet. He, therefore, would have had an intimate familiarity with the worship practices of the Jews, even if he had never served in a completed temple. As a “young man” at the time of his first prophecies (Zechariah 2:4), his life more than likely extended into the reign of Xerxes I (485–465 BC), the king best known in the Bible for making Esther the queen of Persia (Esther 1:1).¹

Where are we? Zechariah, a young man, especially when compared to his contemporary Haggai, came alongside the older prophet to deliver messages from the Lord to the Jewish remnant recently returned from Babylon. While Haggai’s overall message had more of a cautionary tone to it (pointing out the Jews’ sin and self-focus), Zechariah emphasized a tone of encouragement to the struggling Israelites trying to rebuild their temple.

Zechariah’s dated visions and messages in chapters 1–8 all take place in the same general time period as Haggai’s, beginning in October–November 520 BC with a call for the people of Judah to repent (Zechariah 1:1). He then received eight visions on the restless night of February 15, 519 BC (1:7), followed by four messages that he preached on December 7, 518 BC (7:1). Though his final messages in chapters 9–14 go undated, the mention of Greece in 9:13 suggests the prophecies came much later in his life, presumably sometime in the 480s BC, before Ezra (458 BC) and Nehemiah (444 BC) arrived to again revitalize the Jewish people.

Why is Zechariah so important? The book of Zechariah contains the clearest and the largest number of messianic (about the Messiah) passages among the Minor Prophets. In that respect, it’s possible to think of the book of Zechariah as a kind of miniature book of Isaiah. Zechariah pictures Christ in both His first coming (Zechariah 9:9) and His second coming (9:10–10:12). Jesus will come, according to Zechariah, as Savior, Judge, and ultimately, as the righteous King ruling His people from Jerusalem (14:8–9).

What’s the big idea? Meaning “Yahweh remembers,” Zechariah’s name was appropriate to the purpose of his prophecies.² His book brims over with the hope that God would remember His promises to His people, even after all the time they spent outside the land. The prophet used a simple structure of eight visions (Zechariah 1:1–6:15), four messages (7:1–8:23), and two oracles (9:1–14:21) to anticipate the completion of the temple and, ultimately, the future reign of the Messiah from Jerusalem. Like many of the prophets, Zechariah saw isolated snapshots of the future; therefore, certain events that seem to occur one right after the other in Zechariah’s prophecy actually often have generations or even millennia between them.

For a people newly returned from exile, Zechariah provided specific prophecy about their immediate and distant future—no doubt a great encouragement. Their nation would still be judged for sin (5:1–11), but they would also be cleansed and restored (3:1–10), and God would rebuild His people (1:7–17). Zechariah concluded his book by looking into the distant future, first at the rejection of the Messiah by Israel (9:1–11:17), and then at His eventual reign when Israel will finally be delivered (12:1–14:21).

How do I apply this? Have you struggled with discouragement? Read Zechariah. While the book contains its share of judgments on the people of Judah and beyond, it overflows with hope in the future reign of the Lord over His people. It’s easy to get caught up in the oftentimes depressing events of day-to-day life, to lose our perspective and live as people without hope. The book of Zechariah serves as a correction for that tendency in our lives. We have a hope that is sure. How refreshing!

APPLICATION: Sometimes we think that the promises in Scripture were merely for the people at the time the prophecies were given; yet, God has preserved these promises to this day for a reason. While the Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament, God has never chopped Himself into tiny pieces in such a weird fashion. From the beginning of the world, God has made us for Himself and has continued to give His Word through various prophets and other writers. We make a sad mistake and a major one if we refuse to accept God’s Word as an active part of our lives.

All of us have a sin problem that we cannot solve by ourselves. Romans 3:23 tells us “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” Sin demands a blood sacrifice, something pagan cultures have recognized even as more “advanced” cultures have rejected the idea. God sent His Son Jesus as a perfect sinless man to die for the sins of the whole world. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

One of the themes throughout Zechariah is that Messiah is coming, so hold on! Sometimes we are caught in deplorable situations through no fault of our own. We may be doing our best; however, someone sitting somewhere else is manipulating things for their own selfish ends. Here God is telling us not to worry. God is still on the throne and redemption will come, despite all the efforts of those who choose to work evil. Hold on! Trust God! Your salvation may be nearer than you think!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives, even when things become difficult and we are exhausted. Thank You for Your precious promises, but thank You even more that You keep Your promises and that You can deliver us in ways we cannot even imagine. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

The Coming Glory of God’s House

“In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

The People Are Defiled

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ”Then the priests answered and said, “No.”And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean? “So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.” Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Promised Blessing

‘And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord— since those days, when one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty. I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,’ says the Lord. ‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid—consider it: Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’ ”

Zerubbabel Chosen as a Signet

And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: ‘I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them; the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

When Solomon built the first temple, he had lots of advantages. David, Solomon’s father, had been amassing all kinds of wealth for the building of the temple. David himself wanted to build the temple but God forbade it because David was a warrior. When Solomon built the temple, Hiram, King of Tyre, contributed cedar logs and carpenters. Solomon raised a forced work levy and also imposed high taxes. People rebelled against Solomon’s son Rehoboam because he refused to reduce their taxes. Now Ezra and the returnees from Babylon are building a structure that is far more humble than the one Solomon built. People are probably making fun of it and some of the older people are grieving because this temple doesn’t look anything like Solomon’s.

But God is reminding people that all the silver and gold belong to Him and that He is the One who can send His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit left the temple long before the Babylonian exile; Ezekiel witnessed the departure of the Holy Spirit in a vision. Now God is promising, ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”  Even though the people are defiled, God will bless their efforts and begin to bless crops and trade because work on the temple is going on as He has ordered.

APPLICATION: When Hudson Taylor first went to China in 1853, he went with a mission board that had numerous problems. Resigning from that board in 1857, Taylor and one friend became independent missionaries with little visible means of support apart from prayer. Taylor later founded the China Inland Mission, which had 1,368 missionaries in 364 stations throughout China by 1934. The China Inland Mission was a faith-based mission, depending on donations that came as a result of fervent prayer. One of Taylor’s favorite sayings was, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

Zerubbabel and the people working with him learned this principle after fumbling around. But God promised Zerubbabel that He had chosen him as a key person and would promote him. Sometimes we might wonder if God has chosen us for any great work. The problem is this: Our concept of greatness and God’s are quite different.

We might be quietly caring for cancer patients, making their last days peaceful, comfortable, and memorable for their families. While we might not think much of our efforts, God might have a different opinion. We may work in very humble positions as janitors or bus drivers; yet, there have been graduating high school classes who have selected the janitor or bus driver to be their graduation speaker because that individual has meant so much to the students. When I was in school, caring school secretaries were an incredible encouragement. Sometimes, seeing the smile on the secretary’s face when I went through the school office was the highlight of my day. And I think of all the ward secretaries, janitors, and security people from the various hospitals at which I have trained – many of these people were my friends and I miss them. I remember being honored by a ward secretary in Memphis, Tennessee; this lady invited me to a family wedding held in a very poor part of Memphis. Such an invitation carried with it a large measure of trust, and I remain humbled when I think about that time.

MAKE NO MISTAKE! EVERY WORK FOR WHICH GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU IS A GREAT WORK! You are just as precious to God as was Zerubbabel! Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, many of us feel totally insignificant and unworthy. We look at ourselves and compare ourselves to others and are ashamed that we have not achieved more. But Lord, You look on hearts and You are not impressed with outward appearances. Help each person who reads this prayer to realize just how precious they are to you as individuals. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Command to Build God’s House

“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ”

Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

The People’s Obedience

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the Lord.” So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.”

The Assyrians have destroyed the Northern Kingdom, carrying off a few prisoners. The Babylonians have conquered Judah and Jerusalem, stripping Solomon’s temple of all its wealth and leaving Jerusalem in ruins. The Judean exiles have settled in Babylon for seventy years, and then a miracle happens: God speaks to a pagan king and he listens.

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:1-4)

The Jews do return to Jerusalem; however, instead of getting going on the temple as quickly as possible, they proceed to build luxurious homes for themselves. These houses are paneled with cedar, something their ancestors might not have been able to afford. Meanwhile, this same bunch of procrastinators are mewling and puking that, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.”  What a bunch of ninnies! It’s left for God to send a guy in his seventies to wake up these spiritual infants.

God begins by asking questions: “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” YOU CANNOT CHEAT GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT! Judging by the way these people are behaving, it would seem many of them really don’t believe in God; they have just taken the opportunity to return to Jerusalem in hopes of becoming richer and more powerful than they have been in Babylon. Surprise! God already knows the thoughts of their miserly hearts and He isn’t putting up with their excuses.

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the Lord.” At least, somebody is listening and obeying.

APPLICATION: The prophet Samuel said it all when he was reproaching King Saul. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23) The law of the Kingdom of God is simple: the measure you give out is the measure you receive. You cannot cheat God or deceive Him, and any attempt to do so will result in your suffering.

It’s mind-blowing that a group of people who have miraculously returned to their homeland would so quickly forget the God who has made this possible. But when self-interest is at the forefront, people have extremely short memories.

We look at the exiles who have returned from Babylon and feel a bit smug. Were WE in these people’s places, we would have behaved far more wisely….or would we? Are we really pursuing God’s perfect Will for our lives, or are we settling for something less and making excuses? If we find ourselves frustrated because our best efforts are failing to yield expected dividends, perhaps we need to stop and analyze whether God has asked us to do something and we have refused, finding all kinds of “good” reasons for our refusal.

One Christian humorist has described the early time in his ministry when he was trying to copy other successful evangelists. When results failed to come, this man asked God what God was doing wrong. God answered him by saying: I’m not doing anything wrong, but you are!” We want to blame God for poor results when we are the source of the problem. May God grant us spiritual insight, honesty, and courage to acknowledge our sins and failings!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel frustrated because our lives are not working the way we have anticipated. Open our eyes to see where we have been cheating You and refusing to follow Your leading. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The following information comes from Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living web site.

Who wrote the book? “The prophet Haggai recorded his four messages to the Jewish people of Jerusalem in 520 BC, eighteen years after their return from exile in Babylon (538 BC). Haggai 2:3 seems to indicate that the prophet had seen Jerusalem before the destruction of the temple and the exile in 586 BC, meaning he was more than seventy years old by the time he delivered his prophecies. From these facts, the picture of Haggai begins to come into focus. He was an older man looking back on the glories of his nation, a prophet imbued with a passionate desire to see his people rise up from the ashes of exile and reclaim their rightful place as God’s light to the nations.

Where are we? Haggai’s prophecy came at a time when the people of Judah were extremely vulnerable. They had been humbled by their exile to Babylon, hopeful in their return to their Promised Land, and then so discouraged by opposition in their rebuilding of the temple that they had quit (Ezra 4:24). Now, sixteen years later, with Haggai blaming their lack of food, clothing, and shelter on their failure to rebuild the temple, the Jews were receptive to his message of rebuilding the Lord’s house.

Unlike most of the other prophets, Haggai explicitly dated his prophecies, down to the day. He gave four separate messages, the first on August 29, 520 BC (Haggai 1:1); the second on October 17, 520 BC (2:1); and the final two on December 18, 520 BC (2:10, 20). These messages encouraged the people of Judah to finish building the temple and to have hope in God for the promise of blessings in the future.

Why is Haggai so important? After thousands of years, the book of Haggai remains largely unique among the books of Old Testament prophets for one key reason: the people of Judah listened! Haggai’s message to rebuild the temple was passionate, simple, and straightforward (Haggai 1:8). No one could mistake whether or not his direction had been followed—the results would be evident for all the people to see. Through the physical act of rebuilding the temple, the people began to indicate a shift in their spiritual lives: from devotion to self toward devotion to God.

What’s the big idea? Haggai had an important message for the Jews who had recently returned from exile. They had forgotten their God, choosing instead to focus on their own interests, so it was time for them to “consider [their] ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7). Nothing was more important for the Jews than to show that the Lord was at the center of their thoughts and actions, so Haggai directed them to finish rebuilding God’s temple.

However, rather than leaving them alone with the task of rebuilding, Haggai continued to preach to the Jews, encouraging them with the hope of future glory in the temple and a victory to come over the enemies of God’s people (2:7–9, 21–22). According to Haggai’s message, if the people would place God at the center of their lives, they would realize the future blessings that God had in store for His people.

How do I apply this? The Jews who emigrated from Babylon to their original homeland of Judah faced intense opposition, both external and internal. Ezra 4:1–5 records the external resistance to the project of rebuilding the temple. The enemies of Judah first attempted to infiltrate the ranks of the builders, and when that didn’t work, they resorted to scare tactics. Haggai, on the other hand, focused on the internal opposition they faced, namely from their own sin. The Jews had thoughtlessly placed their own interests before the Lord’s interests, looking after their own safety and security without giving consideration to the status of the Lord’s house.

Haggai’s encouragement to rebuild the temple in the face of the Jews’ neglect brings to mind the apostle Paul’s exhortation to Christians to build our lives on the foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10–17). Are you building a life that reflects your status as a temple of the Holy Spirit, leaving a legacy that will stand the test of time? Find encouragement for that construction project in the four passionate sermons from this Old Testament prophet.”

APPLICATION: Hey, all you senior citizens out there, listen up! If you think God is through with you, you are sadly mistaken! Here is Haggai, more than seventy years old, prophesying to people far younger than he is and telling them to get going and quit whining. As a doctor, I have always enjoyed my older patients because they frequently have colorful personalities. Recently, I read an interview with a practicing physician in New York City who was more than 100 years old. This man’s advice was simple: don’t retire. His wife, a spring chicken in her nineties, is also still practicing. The late beloved Corrie Ten Boom continued to travel the world into her middle eighties.

As we study Haggai, remember that the man God is using to give these prophecies probably gets up in the morning and listens to his joints cracking as he stands up. At the end of the day, Haggai’s back might give him fits. When Haggai goes to eat, he might have to gum his food because his teeth aren’t very good anymore. Getting older is definitely not for wimps! But Haggai has this going for him: God has given him specific messages and he knows he must deliver them. Hudson Taylor, Founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “Man is eternal until his work is done.” Taylor died in China at the age of 78, still preaching the Gospel to the people whom he loved so dearly. May God help each of us so that we will continue to serve Him faithfully and enthusiastically as long as we live!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we bless Your Name, that You will use anybody of any age who will make themselves available. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Wickedness of Jerusalem

“Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; she has not trusted in the Lord, she has not drawn near to her God. Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone till morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame. “I have cut off nations, their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, with none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; there is no one, no inhabitant. I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, you will receive instruction’—So that her dwelling would not be cut off, despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.

A Faithful Remnant

“Therefore wait for Me,” says the Lord, “Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.

“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord,
to serve Him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering. In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds
In which you transgress against Me; for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.”

Joy in God’s Faithfulness

Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

“I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes,” says the Lord.”

God is going to punish Jerusalem! All these years when Jerusalem’s citizens have been pouring libation on their rooftops at night, running off to fertility rites, sacrificing their children to Molech, and pursuing all manner of arcane rituals, God has been watching. The princes, judges, and priests of Jerusalem are the very people who should be promoting righteousness; instead, they are the worst of the lot. When God has sent punishment to try to wake the people up, they have simply become worse.

Fire purifies and God plans to send the fire of His jealousy to consume everything evil. Why should God be jealous? God has given men the earth and all good things to enjoy. God has sent His word and His law, and yet, people are not paying the slightest attention. There is a tale about a spider who was spinning the perfect web. Examining the web, the spider saw one strand that was not symmetrical and decided to cut it. But that was the strand from which the entire web was hanging, and without it, the web collapsed. The citizens of Jerusalem and Judah have turned their backs on the One who can save and deliver them.

““For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord,
to serve Him with one accord.”  “I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.” What has been going on in Jerusalem? Even the speech of its citizens has become corrupted and debased. But God is planning to send His peace and purity.

“Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” God wants to dwell with His people and will surely save and protect those who love Him.

“I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes,” says the Lord.” What can be better than restoration and healing? God is the One who restores and heals.

APPLICATION: Are you grieved by the evil you see around you? So is God! Do you long for restoration, hope, divine healing and peace? God will be that source. “But,” you ask, “why are so many believers around the world suffering and even dying for their faith? Where is God in the midst of that carnage?” Good question. Jesus warned his disciples that “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

One of the paradoxes of being a believer is that we can have joy in the midst of our pain. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 tells us, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” Saint Paul didn’t get to be a saint by lounging around; he was beaten, shipwrecked, and endangered by bandits on the roads. Paul went hungry and thirsty many times and eventually died by having his head chopped off at the whim of a Roman emperor. This scarcely sounds like a recipe for joy, and yet, Paul was profoundly joyful.

In an earlier era, Timex advertised that its watches would “Take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. Believers who trust in God are like those Timex watches. Native Americans believed that each time they conquered an enemy, they gained strength spiritually. Each time we face a major challenge and God brings us through, our faith grows exponentially.

Do you feel hard pressed on every side? Perplexed? Persecuted and forsaken? Struck down? Threatened with destruction? Remember that when you ask, God will still be with you to save you. God wants to rejoice over you with singing and with shouts of joy! What does “shouts of joy mean?” These shouts are the way you shout when your favorite sports team scores points and wins. You would shout this way if something truly wonderful and magnificent happened in your life. Now realize that God is rejoicing over you in that fashion. You don’t have to FEEL that God is rejoicing; He will do it anyway.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are feeling hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted and forsaken, struck down and threatened with destruction. Frankly, we feel trapped by our circumstances! But You have promised that You will be right there with us, singing songs of victory over us and comforting us. Lord, please comfort all who are reading these words and help them to know the depth of Your love. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 A Call to Repentance

“Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable (shameless) nation, Before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Judgment on Nations

For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you; so there shall be no inhabitant.”

The seacoast shall be pastures, with shelters (Underground huts or cisterns, lit. excavations) for shepherds and folds for flocks. The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed their flocks there; in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will intervene (visit) for them, and return their captives.

“I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the people of Ammon, with which they have reproached My people, and made arrogant threats against their borders. Therefore, as I live,” says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah—Overrun with weeds and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

This they shall have for their pride, because they have reproached and made arrogant threats against the people of the Lord of hosts. The Lord will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations.

 “You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword.” And He will stretch out His hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness. The herds shall lie down in her midst, every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be at the threshold; for He will lay bare the cedar work. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt securely, that said in her heart, “I am it, and there is none besides me.”How has she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and shake his fist.

 Consider Zephaniah. Zephaniah is from a royal family, well – connected. Quite likely, Zephaniah has grown up with the sons of the “best people” in Jerusalem. Now Zephaniah is stuck trying to warn and persuade his friends that they must repent or be destroyed. In an earlier day, the Dale Carnegie book How to Win Friends and Influence People was extremely popular. Prophecies such as this one are not going to win Zephaniah any friends! On the other hand, some righteous people remain in Judah, and Zephaniah is encouraging them. “Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Next, Zephaniah turns his attention the nations surrounding Judah: the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Ethiopians and Assyrians. In Zephaniah’s time the coast is heavily populated, and the Philstines have five major cities: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath. Each of these cities is highly developed with beautiful buildings and very active market places; yet, God is promising that their destruction will be so complete that there will be only ruins left. These cities that are the pride of the Philistines will become places where shepherds herd sheep and even dig shelters in the ground because there are no buildings left at all.

“Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah—Overrun with weeds and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them.” Want to see what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? Go look at the Dead Sea and the land around it. At this time, the countries of the Moabites and the Ammonites are lush farming areas; however, God is promising that these lands will become deserts. These lands have never recovered.

The lands ruled by Assyria will suffer a similar fate while the Ethiopians will be conquered. “This is the rejoicing city that dwelt securely, that said in her heart, “I am it, and there is none besides me.”How has she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and shake his fist.” This is God’s judgement on Nineveh.

APPLICATION: The main message of this chapter is simple: Repent while you still have time! Never assume that tomorrow is promised to you. Accidents can happen to anybody. Cancer, heart attacks, strokes – all can overtake us without notice. We were living in New York City in 1983 while I trained in pediatric cancer surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. One night a number of us were gathered in someone’s apartment to watch a special program on television. One friend came in briefly, but left because he had a terrible headache. The next morning our friend’s wife found him collapsed in the bathroom. That headache our friend had been suffering the night before was actually the beginning of a brain hemorrhage. Although the hospital did everything it could for one of its own, this young doctor died at the age of 31. There had been no warning signs whatsoever.

What can you gain from turning your heart to God? Galatians 5 tells us that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self – control. All these things can be yours if you will only turn your heart over to God.

PRAYER: Today’s prayer is borrowed from DailyPrayerGuide.net.

Zephaniah Prophesies Judgment on Judah (Matthew 13:36-43)

“This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: “I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers. (Or and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble) I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests— those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom, (Molech) and those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of Him.”

The Day of the LORD (Amos 5:16-27; Malachi 4:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-13)

Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests. On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel. On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, (in the temple of their gods) who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.

“On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second District, and a loud crashing from the hills. Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off. And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

and punish the men settled in complacency, (thickening on the dregs) who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste.

They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.

The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD.

Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

WOW! For generations, those in Judah and Jerusalem who should have been worshiping God have been playing religious games in the temple and then running off to Asherah fertility rites, child sacrifices to Molech, sewing charms in garments to catch souls, indulging in midnight rituals in graveyards, and all kinds of horrible things. God is patient, but He has given the citizens of Judah every opportunity to repent and they have not. Now God is sending Zephaniah to sound a final warning that destruction is looming.

“I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers.”  “I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests— those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom, (Molech) and those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of Him.”  Hmm! All the time these people were sneaking off to pagan rituals, God has been watching.  How God’s heart must be breaking as He watches men and women whom He has designed for His praise and glory debasing themselves in pursuit of pleasure, wealth, and demonic power.

“Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests. On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel. On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, (in the temple of their gods) who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.”

Why the mention of leaping over the thresholds of the temple? In the time of the prophet Samuel, when the Ark was captured by the Philistines and they hauled it into the temple of Dagon, the statue of Dagon toppled, shattering on the threshold of the temple. Those worshiping Dagon would leap over the threshold rather than touching it because of this. Why the mention of “foreign apparel?” It is likely that worshipers of strange gods are also wearing costumes particular to the cult in which they are involved; meanwhile, God has already given the Israelites specific commands as to the manner in which they should dress. Dressing in ritual costumes is another form of rebellion against the One True Living God.  

“I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.” The Creator of the Universe is very thorough. Not so much as a single detail escapes His attention. All the ill-gotten gains these idol worshipers have amassed will disappear.

APPLICATION: This is a very disturbing chapter. Today, a flood tide of evil appears to be advancing throughout the earth. Human trafficking and slavery, political corruption, corruption of justice, endangerment of the most vulnerable – the list is endless. Looking around us, we might wonder when God will become fed up with the evil that surrounds us. In the last several years, all manner of business empires have arisen, only to collapse. The internet has brought instant fame to many, but it has equally brought ruin and shame to others.

Why is God so angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem? These people have had the opportunity to continue to worship in the temple; however, they are only going through the motions, saving most of their resources for worshiping demons instead. Study the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 33 and you will see that even at that time, God already knows what will happen. It is not God’s will for people to be destroyed; many people choose their own destruction. There are innocent victims of evil because evil people exercise their God-given rights of free will to commit crimes. But many others are in the same situation as the people to whom Zephaniah is speaking.

What should be our response to these warnings? We need to search our hearts and worship God alone. Jesus told his disciples that nobody can serve two masters, and we will either serve God or we will serve Satan by serving something else. Today, while we have the chance, let us choose to serve God!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to completely serve You. Show us those things that we have put in Your place and let us throw out our idols. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

This information comes from a combination of Wikipedia and Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living website. The name Zephaniah means “Yahweh has hidden/protected,” or “Yahweh hides.”

Swindoll continues, “In Zephaniah 1:1, the author introduces himself as “Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.” Among the prophets, this is a unique introduction with its long list of fathers back to Zephaniah’s great-great grandfather, Hezekiah. So why stop with Hezekiah? Most likely, the prophet wanted to highlight his royal lineage as a descendant of one of Judah’s good kings. The reference to “this place” in Zephaniah 1:4 indicates that he prophesied in Jerusalem, while his many references to temple worship display a strong familiarity with Israel’s religious culture. All these factors paint the picture of a man who was at the center of Judah’s political and religious world, a man whose close proximity to those in power would have given his shocking message an even greater impact.

The book tells us that Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah, the king of Judah from 640 to 609 BC (Zephaniah 1:1). We can begin to pinpoint exactly when Zephaniah prophesied by accounting for a few details in the text. First, in 2:13 the prophet predicted the fall of Nineveh, an event which occurred in 612 BC. Further, Zephaniah made frequent quotations from the Law (for example, compare 1:13 to Deuteronomy 28:30, 39), a document that remained lost in Judah for much of Josiah’s reign. Therefore, Zephaniah more than likely prophesied in the latter part of Josiah’s rule, after the king discovered the scrolls of the Law in 622 BC (2 Chronicles 34:3–7).

This all means that Zephaniah grew up under the reign of Josiah’s predecessors: Josiah’s grandfather, the evil king Manasseh, and Manasseh’s son, the young and evil Amon. As a young man, the prophet-to-be would have been surrounded by the trappings of idolatry, child sacrifice, and unjust killings—strong influences on a young mind (2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chronicles 33:1–10). But Zephaniah grew into a man of God, able to stand before the people and proclaim God’s message of judgment and hope to a people that had gone astray.

Why is Zephaniah so important? This book mentions the day of the Lord more than does any other book in the Old Testament, clarifying the picture of Judah’s fall to Babylon and the eventual judgment and restoration of all humanity in the future. In this case, it refers primarily to God’s impending time of judgment on the nation of Judah. Zephaniah saw in the day of the Lord the destruction of his country, his neighbors, and eventually the whole earth (Zephaniah 1:2, 4; 2:10). Zephaniah wrote that the day of the Lord was near (1:14), that it would be a time of wrath (1:15), that it would come as judgment on sin (1:17), and that ultimately it would result in the blessing of God’s presence among His people (3:17).

What’s the big idea? Like the writings of many of the prophets, the book of Zephaniah follows a pattern of judgment on all people for their sin followed by the restoration of God’s chosen people. Zephaniah’s primary target for God’s message of judgment, the nation of Judah, had fallen into grievous sin under the reign of their king, Manasseh. Zephaniah’s prophecy shouted out for godliness and purity in a nation sinful to its core. The people of Judah had long since turned their backs on God, not only in their personal lives but also in their worship. This reflected the depth of their sin and the deep need for God’s people to be purged on their path to restoration.”

APPLICATION: Feel as if your culture has suddenly turned on you? Don’t recognize your culture anymore? Welcome to Zephaniah’s world! Zephaniah has been born to a royal family and presumably to a family that still worships the God of Israel. But Zephaniah is growing up during a time of incredible evil when Kings Manasseh and Amon are dragging the nation of Judah down an increasingly slippery slope of unspeakable evil. Zephaniah is another prophet called to witness to a profligate people who have already turned their backs on God and are pursuing wealth and power through idols. The last thing most of Zephaniah’s audience want is a call to righteousness.

Many of us can sympathize with Zephaniah. We may find ourselves in morally slippery situations in school or at work. Is it cheating if we use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to write term papers? Do we report wrong – doing, knowing we might suffer as a result, or even lose our positions? Do we speak out against injustice, even when we might find ourselves investigated by government organizations? These days it is unfortunately easy to find oneself caught between God’s requirements and the demands of culture. As we study Zephaniah, let’s remember that we are not alone; others have faced the same challenges we are now facing. The same God who gave Zephaniah the necessary strength to persevere and deliver these messages is also the God who will keep us and guide us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives, even when it is difficult. Guide us into Your ways of righteousness, knowing that Your ways will bring us peace in the midst of cultural storms. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Habakkuk’s Prayer

“This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth: O LORD, I have heard the report of You; I stand in awe, O LORD, of Your deeds. Revive them in these years; make them known in these years. In Your wrath, remember mercy! God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.

Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)

His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth. His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden. Plague went before Him, and fever followed in His steps. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress; the curtains of Midian were trembling. Were You angry at the rivers, O LORD? Was Your wrath against the streams? Did You rage against the sea when You rode on Your horses, on Your chariots of salvation? You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows.

Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)

You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw You and quaked; torrents of water swept by. The deep roared with its voice and lifted its hands on high. Sun and moon stood still in their places at the flash of Your flying arrows, at the brightness of Your shining spear. You marched across the earth with fury; You threshed the nations in wrath. You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked and stripped him from head to toe.

Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)

With his own spear You pierced his head, when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though ready to secretly devour the weak. You trampled the sea with Your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Decay entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Yet I must wait patiently for the day of distress to come upon the people who invade us.

Habakkuk Rejoices

Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights!” (For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments)

Habakkuk has complained to God about His lack of action and has received God’s answer. Now Habakkuk is doing something that all of us should do when we are in distress: he is reminding himself of the power and glory of God and all the wonders God has done for the Israelites in the past. Much of this prayer harks  back to the prayer of Moses in Deuteronomy 33. “I stand in awe, O LORD, of Your deeds. Revive them in these years; make them known in these years. In Your wrath, remember mercy! God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.”

Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)  Question: How many of us are willing to pause, let alone CALMLY THINK on anything?

“His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth. His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden. Plague went before Him, and fever followed in His steps. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting.”  Anybody who doubts God’s power should try something simple: look at the sun at noon. Remember that our sun is one of the smaller stars in the sky, and yet it’s too bright for us to look at directly. We don’t normally think of God as employing plagues and fevers to accomplish His will, but in Egypt God sent plagues and fevers on the Egyptians to convince them they needed to get the Israelites out of their country before their country was completely destroyed. God knows the exact measure of everything on the earth; He can easily startle the nations. And even if God simply shrugs, mountains and hills will crumble, rivers will pierce the earth, the sun and moon stand still, and nations are destroyed.

Finally, after meditating on the glory and majesty of God, Habakkuk reaches a final conclusion: “Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights!”

APPLICATION: At the beginning, I dedicated this Bible study to the late Dr. Tom Elkins. Dr. Thomas E. Elkins was an outstanding Obstetrician/Gynecologist who taught at several major medical schools while also serving as a missionary in various parts of West Africa. As a member of the faculty at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Elkins was considered an international authority on pelvic reconstruction surgery. It was Dr. Elkins who quoted the last several verses of Habakkuk 3 to me at a time when my husband and I were facing a crisis in our missionary careers. Dr. Elkins told me that he had been given those verses by a veteran missionary surgeon at a mission hospital in Nigeria when he was a medical student. Now I am sharing this encouragement with all of you.

Many times, we assume that God can only bless us when everything is going smoothly and when we have plenty of resources. But Habakkuk was watching the Babylonians mercilessly crush surrounding nations. Will we only trust God when everything is going fine, or will we trust Him even when crops are failing and famine is looming? Do we only love God for what He can give, or do we love Him for Himself? The promise for us is that if we will rejoice in the God of our salvation, God the Lord WILL be our strength, and He WILL make us sure – footed and establish our ways, even on treacherous mountain paths.

PRAYER:Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to praise You, even when things look bleak, In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.