Zephaniah 1 2 3 |
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Zephaniah Chapter 2
God calls them to come before Him perhaps in a Solemn Assembly which is a calling to seek the Lord and humble themselves before Him in repentance and change. This is something we all should do occasionally both as a church and as an individual. We need to occasionally spend a special season of time before the Lord, perhaps with fasting also. Many times we may have allowed the wrong things back into our lives that hinder our testimony before the world. Staying before God in prayer and study of the word helps to keep things from creeping in that do not belong in our lives. This would work as individuals as well as whole congregations. A nation not desired is a title that most assuredly refers to Israel. They have never been desired by the other nations of the world at any point in history. That will change after the visible return of Jesus to rule and reign.
This is the desire of God that we seek Him and repent of sin so that He doesn't have to send judgment. God's perfect will is to save and avert judgment. Remember the story of Jonah. God wanted to save Nineveh. Jonah did not want them to be saved. The preaching of Jonah caused Nineveh to repent and the city was spared. Later when this repentance was forgotten, Nineveh returned to their old ways of sin and they were destroyed.
If whole nations repent and seek God, judgment will be stopped but usually only a remnant or few seek righteousness and meekness. As a result of this, they will be hidden from the wrath of God while the rest of the nations perish. This is another hint that those that are faithful like the Philadelphia church mentioned in Revelation chapter 2, will escape the future great tribulation that will try them that dwell upon the earth. Jesus told His disciples at one time to pray that they might be counted worthy to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man (Jesus).
They were going to end up as cottages for shepherds and no longer great cities. Their land was to belong to Israel. After Israel is brought back from captivity, they shall dwell in these cities. God always has a remnant that will turn to Him. Israel shall be saved in the end. Originally all these lands were given to the children of Abraham and through Isaac. The reason God allowed that was because of the great sins of the former nations of Canaan that lived in those parts. The sin had gotten so bad that God had to stop them. God once destroyed the whole world by a flood because the wickedness had gotten too great. If nations would only repent and stop their wickedness, God would never allow another nation to conquer them. This is why I sometimes fear for the United States. The reason the United States still stands is because of the faithful believers that still hold onto the truth of the word of God and refuse to let it go. The church, the nation and the individuals should never forsake holiness. Through Jesus Christ we can live godly lives and be free from sin. We don't have to sin, we can be free. Sin will not inherit the kingdom of God. If we neglect the gift of God that removes our sin, it is to our own peril and also the peril of our nation.
Nations are judged by God if they continue in sin. What is sin? Transgression of the law. The law of God recorded in Deuteronomy, Numbers, Exodus etc. Sin is transgression of the word of God. God did not have prophets write this word for great literary purposes, He had it written to show us what the law says and how we have sinned by transgression of His laws. He then shows us how to be saved from sin through faith in Jesus the Son of God. We often have to discern the part of the law that was done away with through Christ's death and resurrection. An example would be dietary laws although it might be good for health reasons, the Jewish feast days, although they are not wrong to observe them if we know how, the animal sacrifices, (Jesus became the final sacrifice for the sins of all who believe in Him), and laws concerning the priesthood (Jesus is now the high priest over all). As we read the gospels, we see that there is a difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Jesus pointed out many times that He is Lord of the Sabbath and it is not wrong to heal, save a life and do good on the Sabbath day. The moral part of the law is repeated in the New Testament and we are still under that as a believer in Jesus. Yet even in all this before we came to Christ we would have been guilty of breaking God's law at some point in our life.
They gave Israel a hard time and many times persecuted Israel and left their land to try to take what belonged to Israel. Whether it was Israel back in the days of Zephaniah or believers in Jesus Christ in these more modern times, those that rise up against God's people will be judged by God. In fact usually that is the last straw. When the persecution of the faithful in Jesus comes, God brings judgment swiftly to those who cause this persecution unless there is a widespread repentance among those people for their actions.
God has never forsaken Israel and they will be reconciled to God in the latter days. From the signs of the times I see today that started in 1948, I can see these things coming to pass. Some of these prophecies were fulfilled in part but will yet be fulfilled in full at the coming of Jesus a 2nd times.
"Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm", doesn't just mean the preachers but anyone who has received the Holy Spirit and the anointing of God. Touch not anyone who brings the word of God in truth. If one does not know for certain who is anointed, then it is better to pray and trust God to decide their judgment and leave them alone. This means mostly physical harm. Touch not my anointed never means that we fail to expose false doctrine which if left unchecked would destroy innocent souls and cause many to be lost. Not everyone who claims to be anointed is anointed of God. So many have used that verse to justify their right to lord over people under their control and scare people into not opposing their ministries. We are never to follow all that comes along in the name of Jesus. Remember a man named Jim Jones. "Touch not my anointed in this chapter of Zephaniah would mean the nation of Israel". The blessing promised to Abraham still stands, "I will bless those that bless thee, and curse those that cures thee." Notice that the nations of Moab and Ammon do not exist. It has become modern day Jordan.
One day all will worship the true God and all false gods will be exposed as false.
All that terrorized natural Israel or any of God's people today shall be destroyed. Gentiles who come to Christ will inherit the same promises as Israel. Nineveh and Assyria were literally destroyed. That verse is already fulfilled. Any nation that does as those nations did will bear the same judgment in the latter days. Beasts and wildlife do not fill places that are occupied by humans so this shows that these places were empty of people because of the judgment of God and have become inhabited by animals. Pride goes before a fall. The minute a nation or kingdom exalts itself and thinks they are so powerful and above even God or some may think they represent God, they will face judgment. Never should a nation boast of great armies, navies and military might. Their trust must be in the Lord because at His word nations rise and at His word they fall. Blessed be the name of the Lord who is good and judges righteously. We reap what we sow. This applies to individuals as well as whole nations. We shall be saved from wrath if we seek God, find Him and then obey Him. If we neglect these things, we reap what we sow. We need God folks. From the youngest to the oldest, from the weak to the strong, every race, every nation and every individual. We need God. DC
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