WEBVTT 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:06.160 It's my uh pleasure to preach the word to you this morning. 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:06.799 I'm Zayn. 00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:15.839 I'm I'm one of the lay pastors here, and uh it's a privilege to open the word of God before you uh though periodically um to do so. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.440 And and we just finished up the letters of John. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:27.760 So this week I'm doing a standalone, and next week Sam, our uh elder in training, uh, will be preaching as well a standalone message. 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:31.120 But um I mentioned this the last time I preached, it was a standalone message. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:33.920 When you have a standalone, it's like, what do you what are you gonna preach from? 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:36.799 And so I figured why not preach on Zephaniah? 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:39.840 Uh, a book that a lot of people probably haven't read. 00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:46.640 To be frank, I hadn't really heard a sermon preached on Zephaniah before uh the Lord kind of pressed it upon me. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:51.359 It kind of kept coming up in different things I was reading, so I was like, okay, let's dive into this. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:54.560 Let's see what this minor prophet has to say. 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:58.880 It's really easy if you're flipping through your Bible to skip over Zephaniah. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:02.560 It's really easy, frankly, to skip over most of the minor prophets. 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:14.319 We call them minor prophets, not because they're minor in the grandeur of the whole scheme of the Bible, but because they are smaller in just length. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:17.280 They come up in a blip and then they are gone. 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:26.640 Most often are not quoted elsewhere in in scripture, but nonetheless, we have them in our Bibles today. 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:32.799 So there's a great wealth of knowledge that we can gain from this book this morning. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:37.280 So when we dive into Zephaniah, I'm gonna do an overview essentially. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:42.400 I'm not just focusing on chapter three, although there's chapter three is is somewhat of a summary. 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:50.959 There's a lot more in chapters one and two to this to discuss, but chapter three is a good uh summary of that, so I wanted to read that before we dive in. 00:01:51.439 --> 00:02:00.799 But my hope this morning is to increase your view of God through his word and better equip you to seek the whole counsel of God. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:04.239 So we have three chapters, 53 verses in total. 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:07.359 This is but a sliver of the whole counsel of God. 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:13.599 It's easy to miss, it's easy to pass over, but there is a wealth of knowledge in it. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:29.919 So my hope is that through reading this prophecy, we will have a greater view of who God is, how he relates to human beings, how he relates to us, and that we would be better equipped to open our Bibles and see the whole council of God. 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:35.280 So as we look at Zephaniah, Zephaniah is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:37.280 We don't know much about him. 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:43.520 However, his genealogy in chapter one is one of the lengthiest of any prophets. 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:45.360 And I believe that's intentional. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:49.360 So if you flip back to chapter one, we read his genealogy. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:52.639 It says, the word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:54.960 So that means he is a prophet. 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:57.360 The word of the Lord came to him. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:04.000 That is recognized throughout scripture as this is a prophecy that the Lord is speaking through Zephaniah. 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:15.840 Came to Zephaniah, son of Cushai, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, son of Ammon, king of Judah. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:22.400 So here we get a little bit of context about what's going on from a biblical historical perspective. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:27.919 When was Zephaniah prophesying to God's people? 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:32.000 Well, we see that it was in the reign of King Josiah. 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:39.039 So if you don't know anything about your church history, let me just back up a little bit because King Hezekiah is mentioned. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:44.319 So King Hezekiah, he reigned from 715 to 686 BC. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:47.599 So at this point, the nation of Israel was split into two. 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:52.159 There was a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom, the northern kingdom of Israel, southern kingdom of Judah. 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:57.759 When Hezekiah is king, I believe the northern nation has already been wiped out. 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:01.360 So King Hezekiah is in the south, and he is a good king. 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:05.280 He's seeking to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:09.520 He was a good king in a long lineage of evil kings. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:15.919 Zephaniah was the great, great grandson of King Hezekiah. 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:22.560 Well, we also learn from King Josiah, his lineage is from King Hezekiah. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:28.319 So King Josiah is the great grandson of King Hezekiah. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:32.240 So genealogy can get get a little a little weird. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:36.959 They have a grandpa, a distant relative, that is the same. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:40.399 So they are distant relatives, Zephaniah and King Josiah. 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:49.439 Zephaniah is proclaiming this prophecy in the midst of King Josiah, what is probably his second cousin twice removed. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:50.560 Yeah. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:54.879 I dove into it, and it still didn't make any sense to me. 00:04:55.120 --> 00:05:00.240 But King Hezekiah, he's he started this reform in the kingdom of Judah. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:04.399 And then there were evil kings after him, King Manasseh and then King Ammon. 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:07.360 And they did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:10.879 So the kingdom of Judah is strayed away. 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:14.720 They're seeking their own desires, they're worshiping other gods. 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:21.040 The temple is still there, but it's ransacked essentially with idol worship. 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:23.600 So the kingdom of Judah has gone astray. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.879 And then King Josiah comes in at eight years old. 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:28.480 He becomes king. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:33.600 And throughout King Josiah's life, there is a reform of sorts. 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:41.439 So he, at some point in time, began to reform the kingdom of Judah. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:45.120 But Zephaniah's prophecy likely comes before that. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:54.879 As we read, it seems like when he is prophesying, the nation has turned their back on God, which we'll see that in chapter one. 00:05:55.279 --> 00:06:05.199 If you want to read about King Hezekiah and King Josiah and how the nation of Judah was going on, it's towards the end of 2 Kings 20 through 23. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:09.759 But Josiah reigned from 640 to 609 BC. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:15.519 And this is important to know the kind of historical perspective of this. 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:23.040 The kingdom of Judah and the temple was ransacked by Babylon in 587 BC. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:38.399 So less than 30 years after King Josiah dies, the Lord brings Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar, to utterly destroy the city of Jerusalem and destroy the kingdom of Judah. 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:42.720 So in this prophecy, there is a coming day of the Lord. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:48.399 And it's important to note this before we dive into it, because there's a coming day of the Lord, but there is a great day of the Lord. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:51.839 So there's an already but not yet kind of theme that's going on. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:07:01.040 Zephaniah is prophesying as saying there's going to be evil destruction that's coming to Judah, to Jerusalem, to the nations, to the world. 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:04.959 And we'll get glimpses of that as history goes on. 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:13.279 But it's important to note that Zephaniah was not in the same kingly lineage as King Josiah. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:22.079 They were distant cousins, but we see from Zephaniah's father, he was the son of Cushai. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:26.639 Now, I uh this is a I'm gonna get on a nerdy kind of soapbox here. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:30.399 It's really fun to study genealogy and look at the little intricate details. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:40.079 Cushi means his father was from Cush, which is modern day Sudan, ancient Ethiopia. 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:49.519 So Zephaniah is intentionally pointing out I'm from the kingly lineage, sort of, but it deviates. 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:55.120 And I'm from this distant age this land that is not Jerusalem. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:58.639 My father was likely black, is what that means. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:03.839 Cushai was an endearing language for my black father. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:10.560 That was the essential language in my portion from Cush, was what his parents would have named him Cushai. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:12.720 They were saying, My portion from Cush. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:19.839 I love the ethnicity of my son, and Zephaniah points this out as an important thing as we read. 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:22.000 He brings up Cush several times. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:30.800 If you do a biblical theology of the city of Cush, you will see it come up several times throughout the Bible. 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:42.080 But this is important to note because right at the beginning of this prophecy, Zephaniah is drawing to our attention this international reconciliation mission of God. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:54.480 Zephaniah is proclaiming, as more than likely a biracial Jew, God is going to the ends of the earth to save a people. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:59.200 He's not reserving it just for the kingdom of Israel. 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:06.399 He has reserved a remnant of people from every tribe, every nation, and every tongue. 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:10.960 Zephaniah is intentionally linking that through this prophecy. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:22.000 So my main point for this morning the day of the Lord is coming, and God's love and his justice will be on full display. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:28.720 The day of the Lord is coming, and God's love and justice will be on full display. 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.200 First, we're going to look at the punishment for sin. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:41.519 There is a punishment for sin that's coming. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:44.879 There is a day of the Lord coming on the people. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:48.080 And secondly, there is a call to repentance. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:52.399 And thirdly, there is a promise of restoration. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:56.000 So that's the three kind of main sections throughout Zephaniah. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:59.919 So first, the punishment for sin is coming. 00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:10.399 We don't have to go very far in this prophecy to see judgment, to see what the punishment is that Zephaniah is bringing to the people from God. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:12.960 He jumps straight into it. 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:15.279 Verse 2 of chapter 1. 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:19.759 I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:22.080 This is the Lord's declaration. 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:24.639 I will sweep away people and animals. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:30.159 I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea and the ruins along with the wicked. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:33.759 I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:36.240 This is the Lord's declaration. 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:41.519 So he's Zephaniah starts out, this message of punishment is coming. 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:44.320 The Lord says, I'm going to sweep away everything. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:49.600 And if you're looking at this intently, you see that this is a decreation order. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:59.360 So the creative order, God made the fish of the sea, he made the birds of the sky, then he made the animals, and then he made man. 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:09.600 Zephaniah is bringing this prophecy, and God is saying to the people, I'm going to decreate my creation because of the wickedness that has been among you. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:17.279 So it starts out this incredible, immense punishment that is coming because of sin. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:21.440 His judgment, God's judgment is all-encompassing. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.799 There is nothing outside of that judgment. 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:28.879 Everything that he says can fit in that category. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:30.399 Every single thing. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:33.440 I will sweep away everything. 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:37.360 God is able to make this proclamation. 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:42.480 He is able to exact this judgment because he is the sovereign ruler. 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:47.519 If he is the creator of all of it, he is the decreator of it as well. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:50.240 He reigns supreme over it all. 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:58.639 Therefore, he is the only one who can rightly judge all of creation from beginning to end. 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:09.919 God stands as the sovereign ruler and supreme judge over all of creation, and he therefore stands as the righteous judge who will bring right justice. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:12.240 So we go on in verse 4. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:25.200 So in verses two and three, there's a widespread scope of this judgment, and then we get a more defined I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the residents of Jerusalem. 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:47.600 I will cut off every vestige of Baal from this place, the names of the pagan priests along with the priests, those who bow and worship on the rooftops to the stars in the sky, those who bow and pledge loyalty to the Lord, but also pledge loyalty to Milcom, and those who turn back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him. 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:49.679 What does he call them to do? 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:53.200 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:54.960 For the day of the Lord is near. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:13:01.519 Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests. 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:04.559 So we get this widespread judgment is coming. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:07.279 This punishment for sin is coming in verses two and three. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.360 And then we get a more pinpoint focus. 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:14.080 What did these people actually do to deserve this judgment? 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:16.559 What are some things that they were doing? 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:19.440 They were building up vestiges of Baal. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:21.519 They were worshiping a false God. 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:27.759 Their pagan priests were along with the priests of Judah. 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:31.120 There was syncretized worship going on. 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:34.080 So they're worshiping Baal, but they're also worshiping God. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:39.840 They're pledging loyalty to the Lord, but also pledging loyalty to Milcom, or that's another word for a king. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:47.200 So you're pledging loyalty to the Lord with one hand, but on the other hand, you're pledging loyalty to the nation. 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:50.799 And the nation was contradicting what the Lord had said. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:14:03.440 God had made a covenant with his people to love him above all things, to honor him above all, to serve him, the living and true God, that there would be no other gods among them. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.159 And the people were rebelling. 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:10.240 They were bowing in worship on the rooftops to the stars in the sky. 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:25.279 And in verse 6, and those who turn their back from following the Lord, who do not do not seek the Lord or inquire of Him, those who were indifferent about God, a modern day atheist. 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:27.840 They don't need anything with God. 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:35.039 They don't believe that God even exists, or if he does exist, a practicing atheist. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.840 Acting as if he has no say in the matter. 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:44.639 God is bringing judgment because of the people's sin. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:48.480 That's why God is declaring this. 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.360 He says it in verse 11. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.080 Wail it wasn't verse 11. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:55.360 I wrote that down wrong. 00:14:55.679 --> 00:15:04.000 Verse 17, I will bring distress on mankind, and they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:07.919 Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:10.559 The people have sinned against God. 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:14.559 Why is God bringing judgment and wrath? 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:16.559 Because the people sinned. 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:19.440 So what what is sin? 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:25.120 The breaking of the covenant that God has made, the commandments that God has given. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:26.799 It's not living up to them. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.000 But I I I love this quote from John Piper. 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:34.080 The first time I heard it was from a Shilin song called All-Consuming Fire. 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.320 If you've not listened to that song, it's a Zagnos. 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:40.879 It's a great song, but it's a there's a quote from Piper in this, and it's from a sermon. 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:42.879 It says, What is sin? 00:15:43.519 --> 00:16:23.519 Sin is the glory of God not honored, the holiness of God not reverenced, the greatness of God not admired, the power of God not praised, the truth of God not sought, the wisdom of God not esteemed, the beauty of God not treasured, the goodness of God not savored, the faithfulness of God not trusted, the promises of God not believed, the commandments of God not obeyed, the justice of God not respected, the wrath of God not feared, the grace of God not cherished, the presence of God not prized, the person of God not loved, that is sin. 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:30.720 So as I read those things, do you feel that conviction coming in? 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:38.559 Do you feel the faithfulness of God not trusted, the promises of God not believed, the commandments of God not obeyed? 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:41.519 That is a sliver of what sin is. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:44.480 Sin is a disobedience to God. 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:51.360 It is not acknowledging that God is the sovereign ruler, the supreme king, and the just judge. 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:56.639 Sin is putting ourselves in the place of God and saying we know what's best. 00:16:56.879 --> 00:16:59.200 We are going to do what we want to do. 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.200 That is what the nation of Judah was doing. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:03.840 That was what the kingdom of Israel had done. 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:11.119 That is what, as Zephaniah goes on, the judgment turns to the world as well. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:16.799 The nations all were turning away from the Lord. 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:19.680 Now it's easy to see God's wrath here. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:23.440 And one, there's there's something I want to point out about God's wrath. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:27.359 So we we spent a lot of time in 1 John where it says God is love. 00:17:27.759 --> 00:17:30.160 Nowhere does it say God is wrath. 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:39.200 So wrath is an expression of right love, of love of his holiness, of love of his righteousness. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:43.119 His wrath is his just punishment. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:47.519 It's a response to his holiness, his righteousness and his love. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:55.440 God is not wrath, he is not angry, he is holy, he is righteous, and he is love. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:56.720 J.I. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:03.920 Packer said, God's wrath is his righteousness reacting against unrighteousness. 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:09.680 God's wrath is his righteousness reacting against unrighteousness. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:11.920 God is a jealous God. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.440 His name is to be proclaimed above all other names. 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:24.640 When that is not the case, God's love turns to God's it expresses itself in God's wrath. 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:27.119 God demands to be loved. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.400 He is a jealous God, jealous of his name. 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:34.960 So when we sin, we are profaning the name of God. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:40.480 Therefore, we deserve God's wrath, because he is holy, he is righteous. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:42.799 That is what we deserve when we sin. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:45.039 Think of it in a plain way. 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:49.200 If y'all know my wife, she is amazing. 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:59.680 If someone came and hit her, like hit her in the face, if I just stood here indifferently, what would that say of my love for her? 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:01.759 You would probably question it, right? 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.960 Because I love her more than anything on this earth. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:10.480 I would have a righteous anger and a wrath come into whoever did that. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:11.359 Right? 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:13.599 God loves. 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:15.920 God is love. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:26.240 And when we profane his name, when we sin against him, when nations turn against him and his commands, God's wrath is the result of that. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:49.359 So in view of this pronouncement of judgment, verse seven, God charges the people to be silent, to have a proper reverence toward God, to realize that they can do absolutely nothing to prevent this wrath, to acknowledge their place and God's place. 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:59.599 So when God announces his punishment and his wrath is coming, the first charge is to be silent. 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:15.680 So turning to our response, that's to the to the nation of Judah then, how do we read this in light of today, in light of God's perfection, his holiness, his power, his love? 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:22.240 In relation to our sinfulness, our first response should be silence. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:28.319 It's not, well, God, but but I did this, or God, but I I did that. 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:38.000 No, in light of God's perfection, his holiness, his righteousness, and his power and his love, we have no chair to stand on. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:41.599 We are to be silent before him. 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:47.519 We are helpless and hopeless in and of ourselves to defend ourselves from the coming wrath of God. 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:50.640 Plain and simple. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:21:02.960 But God, in his kindness, in his love, we get to chapter two of this prophecy. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:14.400 Later on in chapter two, he goes back to proclaiming judgment to the nations, but in the middle of this prophecy, there's a call to repentance. 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:43.119 In verse one through three of chapter two, it says, Gather yourselves together, gather together undesirable nation, but the before the decree takes effect, and the day passes like chaff, before the burning of the Lord's anger overtakes you, before the day of the Lord's anger overtakes you, seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, who carry out what he commands, seek righteousness, seek humility. 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:48.480 Perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the Lord's anger. 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:59.039 So right in the middle of this immense judgment As we as we were singing, you heard the rain just pouring down. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.640 We could have done nothing if we were standing outside to stop the rain from falling. 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:09.200 That's how it would have felt to this nation. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:14.720 This is how it should feel when we hear the pronouncement of sin against a righteous, holy, and just God. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:17.759 We could do nothing to shield ourselves from it. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:22.079 But God offers hope in the midst of this judgment. 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:24.160 Gather yourselves together. 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:30.000 This highlights God's mercy and his compassion, which are also attributes of his love. 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:36.319 So wrath comes from his love, but also mercy and compassion flow from his love. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:46.480 Even though God would have been perfectly just, he would have been in no wrong to not offer this hope. 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:49.519 He is kind and he does. 00:22:50.240 --> 00:23:00.559 He would have been perfectly just in executing that wrath on the nation of Judah, on the nations at large, and on those who have sinned against him. 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:03.119 But he offers hope. 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:10.079 He charges them to gather together to seek the Lord together, to seek righteousness, to seek humility. 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:13.920 Bluntly, he's charging them, keep my commands. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:21.519 He's reminding them of what he's already commanded them to do, which is a gift of grace and kindness. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:24.799 God's kindness should lead us to repentance. 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:30.640 The fact that Zephaniah was proclaiming this word of the Lord was an act of mercy in and of itself. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:34.640 That they were warned that this coming judgment was going to happen. 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:38.480 Every single day that the Lord tarries is a gift of grace. 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:46.799 For the sinner to repent, to gather with the saints of God, to seek the Lord, to seek righteousness, to seek humility. 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:51.039 Why do we why does he call them to do that? 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:56.240 Verse 3, perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the Lord's anger. 00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:59.440 He offered hope when there was no hope, right? 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:06.000 The people were putting their hopes in other gods, in their in their cells, in the stars, in their possessions. 00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:09.519 But God gives an offer of hope. 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:12.240 Turn from your ways and seek me. 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:13.519 Seek the Lord. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:16.079 Seek righteousness, seek humility. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:23.519 All of that is encompassed in loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving others as yourself. 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:24.000 Right? 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:25.839 Isn't that the hope of the gospel? 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:30.559 In that we're when we were dead in our sins, Christ died for us? 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:31.920 We had no hope. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:33.039 There was no hope. 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:40.160 We could offer nothing on the altar to our God to atone for our sin. 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:42.559 We were enemies of God. 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:43.519 Right? 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:47.839 We deserved all of this wrath that God is saying is coming. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:49.599 We deserve all of that. 00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:59.920 But God sought after his children, compelled by his love, and he gathered us to himself. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:04.079 We see that God was the first missionary in the Garden of Eden, right? 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:09.599 When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid themselves, and God goes looking. 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:19.920 He sought them out and he gathered them to himself, and he clothed them, he offered a sacrifice. 00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:23.359 Yes, there was judgment that come that would come. 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:24.960 There were consequences for their actions. 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:33.440 Sin entered the world, and the lineage of sin would be uh come down from them to us throughout all of history. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:43.440 But God was the original initiator of this mercy, He was the initial missionary in the garden. 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:55.279 Therefore, our response today, gather together and seek the Lord in light of this judgment that is coming. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:59.839 So there was an immediate happening of this prophecy. 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:11.119 As I mentioned in 587, King Nebuchadnezzar did rain down God's wrath on the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:15.920 There was an immediate effect, there was an immediate consequence for the sin of the nation. 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:19.519 But there is a coming great day of the Lord. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:25.920 Therefore, gather together and seek the Lord. 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:34.720 Right now, God has given us, Redeemer Church, God has given you a local gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:41.039 He calls us to gather together and to seek the Lord together. 00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:43.039 That's the beauty of the local church. 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:44.720 It's not a solo mission. 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:52.960 God has gathered us, He sought us out, the preeminent grace, God came and rescued you in your deadness. 00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:56.400 As a dead person, you could not cry out for help. 00:26:56.640 --> 00:27:09.039 God chose you, saved you, pulled you out of the miry clay, gave you a stone, a heart of flesh, removing the heart of stone, saved you from the coming wrath, and saved you to a family. 00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:16.000 The global family of God, but the local demonstration of that family of God within the local context of a church. 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:21.119 Redeemer Church, members of Redeemer Church, you have brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:23.839 Do not neglect the gathering. 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:28.000 As we, when we gather, we are seeking the Lord, right? 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:34.319 We're singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with hearts enlightened and loving the Lord. 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:36.240 We're seeking righteousness as we're doing this. 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:37.599 We're seeking the Lord. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:39.599 We're seeking humility. 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:45.440 When we're coming together and we're singing songs, we're praying, we're listening to the word preached. 00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:48.079 We're humbling ourselves before the word of God. 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:52.960 We're trusting that the word of God is going to live and be active in and amongst us. 00:27:53.119 --> 00:27:54.480 That's humbling ourselves. 00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:56.640 We're seeking the righteousness of the Lord. 00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:02.000 Do not neglect the gathering of the local church. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:05.279 And humble yourselves when you do it. 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:14.400 As we, as Cam reminded us in 3 John last week, I don't remember the guy's name, and we pronounced it wrong anyway. 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:18.559 But the guy sought first honor amongst the church. 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:22.559 He was not humbling himself in the gathering. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:27.680 And because of that, he was written in the Bible as a bad example. 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:30.079 Let us not be like that. 00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:33.440 When we gather together, let us seek hospitality. 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:38.480 Let us humble ourselves and seek the Lord together. 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:44.480 One of the ways in which we do that, we regularly have a time of confession in our pastoral prayer. 00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:51.279 We do that because we think it's important that as a church, we confess our sin to God. 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:58.079 And we do that together, individually, but also together as a church. 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:12.319 When we're collectively, as one body, when we gather together, when we are silent before the Lord to confess our sins before Him, we as a church are humbling ourselves before God and saying, God, it is you who can deal with our sins. 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:13.599 It's not us. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:16.720 Left to our own devices, we'll go astray. 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:19.920 We deserve the wrath of God poured out on us. 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:23.839 We confess our sins before you, a righteous, holy, and loving God. 00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:31.359 So we confess our sins knowing that we live in a fallen, sinful world, and sin still crouches at the door. 00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:34.880 We need to regularly confess our sin to God. 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:40.960 We will not be totally free from sin until the great day of the Lord. 00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:47.839 Until the Lord comes in all of his glory and wipes away every tear. 00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:53.119 When he rights every wrong, we will still struggle with sin. 00:29:53.759 --> 00:30:04.559 Therefore, we must continue to confess our sins individually, collectively, as we gather together and we seek the Lord together. 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:14.319 So we move to our third section of Zephaniah, the promise given to those who repent. 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:18.559 So there's a coming punishment, there's the wrath of God to be poured out. 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:28.799 There's a call to repentance, and in that call to repentance, there's a promise given to those who obey the commands of the Lord. 00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:34.160 In chapter three, I'm going to read verses eight through thirteen. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:43.759 Therefore, in light of all of this judgment that is to come, therefore wait for me. 00:30:44.240 --> 00:31:03.119 This is the Lord's declaration, until the day I rise up for plunder, for my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms in order to pour out my indignation on them, all my burning anger, for the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of my jealousy. 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:12.400 For I will then restore pure speech to the peoples, so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with a single purpose. 00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:19.680 From beyond the rivers of Cush, my supplicants, my dispersed people, will bring an offering to me. 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:32.720 On that day you will not be put to shame because of everything you have done in rebelling against me, for then I will remove from among you your jubilant, arrogant people, and you will never again be haughty on my holy mountain. 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:38.880 I will leave a meek and humble people among you, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord. 00:31:39.119 --> 00:31:42.799 The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or tell lies. 00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:51.200 A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths, they will pasture and lie down with nothing to make them afraid. 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:57.119 God pleads to those who have repented, who have trusted in him. 00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:04.559 He pleads, wait for me, because all that I have said will come to be. 00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:06.079 Wait from me. 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:09.599 That means relying on him, trusting in him. 00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:18.880 Stop trusting in yourself, stop trusting in those other gods, trusting in your possessions, stop trusting in whatever it may be. 00:32:19.519 --> 00:32:25.519 Trust in me, wait for me, for he says, I will save a remnant. 00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:29.920 This promise, I love Zephaniah. 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:33.519 Zephaniah keeps kind of linking back to Genesis. 00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:50.400 In this, in verse 9 specifically, we see almost a reversal of the Tower of Babel, the Tower of Babylon from Genesis, where all of the people came together and they built this tower because they wanted to be like God. 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:52.400 They wanted to be greater than God. 00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:54.880 They wanted to build a tower to the heavens. 00:32:56.559 --> 00:32:57.440 And I love it. 00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:01.200 It says God came down to see their tower. 00:33:02.640 --> 00:33:08.880 They thought they were great in their own eyes, but God still had to come down and see what they were doing. 00:33:09.039 --> 00:33:12.799 And as a result of their sin, he spread them out. 00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:16.160 He confused their language, he dispersed the people. 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:27.440 Also, side note, Cush, Father Nimrod, Nimrod, was the founder of Babylon. 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:29.920 Through that lineage, Babylon came. 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:36.240 So again, Zephaniah is linking this Cush, this dispersion of people, right? 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:39.839 And God is saying, I'm gonna reverse that. 00:33:40.079 --> 00:33:43.440 On the great day of the Lord, I'm gonna reverse that dispersed people. 00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:44.880 I'm gonna draw them in. 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:46.319 I'm gonna gather them together. 00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:50.880 My dispersed people from the distant lands, from every tribe, nation, and tongue. 00:33:50.960 --> 00:33:52.720 I'm gonna draw them in. 00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:54.720 Wait for me because I'm gonna do it. 00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:55.599 Wait for me. 00:33:55.839 --> 00:33:59.119 Trust me, I'm going to reverse what I did in Genesis 11. 00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:01.279 I confuse their language. 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:03.119 I disperse my people. 00:34:04.480 --> 00:34:05.839 But I'm going to draw them in. 00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:09.440 I'm going to give them pure speech on the great day of the Lord. 00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:17.920 Says, for I will restore pure speech to the peoples, so that they may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with a single purpose. 00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:23.440 He charges them to wait, be patient. 00:34:23.920 --> 00:34:25.679 I'm going to do this. 00:34:25.840 --> 00:34:28.079 I'm going to right every wrong. 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:43.519 I'm going to restore my people who have been dispersed, my remnant, whom I have redeemed, who I have drawn out from every tribe, nation, and tongue. 00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:51.360 From beyond the rivers of Cush, my supplicants, my dispersed people will bring an offering to me. 00:34:52.320 --> 00:35:01.679 We read further in verse 14 through 20, Sing for joy, daughter Zion, shout loudly, Israel, be glad and celebrate with all your heart, daughter Jerusalem. 00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:03.920 The Lord has removed your punishment. 00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:05.679 He has turned back your enemy. 00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:08.239 The king of Israel, the Lord, is among you. 00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:10.639 You need no longer fear harm. 00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:17.199 On that day will be said to Jerusalem, Do not fear Zion, do not let your hands grow weak. 00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:21.039 The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. 00:35:21.280 --> 00:35:23.760 He will rejoice over you with gladness. 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:26.239 He will be quiet in his love. 00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:28.800 He will delight in you with singing. 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:32.639 I will gather those who have been driven from the appointed festivals. 00:35:32.800 --> 00:35:35.760 They will be a tribute from you and a reproach on her. 00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:39.039 Yes, at that time I will deal with all who oppress you. 00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:41.760 I will save the lame and gather the outcasts. 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:46.559 I will make those who were disgraced throughout the earth receive praise and fame. 00:35:46.800 --> 00:35:48.960 At that time I will bring you back. 00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:51.599 Yes, at that time I will gather you. 00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:55.599 I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth. 00:35:55.840 --> 00:36:01.760 When I restore your fortunes before your eyes, the Lord has spoken. 00:36:02.159 --> 00:36:11.199 So in light of this promise that is coming, to wait, the people are charged to sing. 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:12.639 Why? 00:36:13.760 --> 00:36:17.039