Zephaniah II: Mankind

Zephaniah II

I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; (Zephaniah 1:17 ESV)

Mankind

But who is mankind? 

First, remember that scripture teaches that ALL mankind have sinned, and fallen short of God’s glory.  Not just the ones with different political views, or different family structures, or different cultures, or different nationalities, or different genders.  God says, here, that God will bring distress on ALL mankind.

That is dire news.

Especially in these days of feel-good philosophies and encouraging words.  We expect God to fit in and bring smiles, butterflies, and birthday balloons.

But distress is what we deserve.

God did not stop there.  He DID bring, as He promised, distress to all mankind.  But, following the pattern He displayed throughout history, He allowed and chose a particular person to bear that distress on His beloved mankind’s behalf.

He brought distress on His Son, our Savior.

He brought distress on Jesus, mankind’s representative.  The One who represents God’s people to God.

So… we either receive distress on ourselves, or we embrace Jesus and He takes our distress on our behalf.  It is a pretty simple choice, really.

Zephaniah I: Calling

Zephaniah I

“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord. (Zephaniah 3:9,10 ESV)

Calling

Human rebellion against God at Babel caused mankind to speak in many languages.  As time has marched onward, most cultures believe that THEIR language is the one to which God particularly listens. The one in which God particularly speaks. 

That is why many, even today, believe that the English of King James is the best.  During the Middle Ages, the key language appears to have been Latin.   Many cultures have continued to require that worship and prayer be presented in Dutch, or Spanish, or Klingon.  Ok, maybe not the last one.

But the language God speaks has always been the same.  The language that God hears has always been the same.

If we call on the Lord in any other language, He does not promised to hear. 

That language is the Language of the Holy Spirit.  God’s Word is only heard through that Spirit.  Our prayers only reach God’s ears through that language.

And we cannot learn it at school, with a computer program, or with Spiritual flashcards.

We HAVE it when we are Christians.  God grants it to His people.  He changes our mouths and ears so that we can cry out to Him, and know that He hears us!

Habakkuk II: Revival

Habukkuk II

In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. (Habukkuk 3:2 ESV)

Revival

When it is time for me to lose weight, it starts with me.

When it is time for me to be frugal, it starts with me.

When it is time for me to improve my time management, it starts with me.

But revival does not start with me.  We might think that revival, returning to God, redirecting our lives to Him, is first OUR responsibility, that turns out to be not the case.

Revival starts with God being merciful.

Revival, with church-wide, family-wide, or individually, starts with God being merciful.

Revival starts with God mercifully withholding His wrath, and changing our hearts.

THEN revival results.

May He bring revival in every area it is needed.

Habakkuk I: How to Live

Habukkuk I

Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4 ESV)

How to Live

Anyone who thinks we can impress God has a puffed up soul.  And that soul is not upright. 

Scripture abounds with statements that assure us that all have sinned. 

Birds do not generally swim.  Camels do not dwell on snowy mountains.  Snakes do not eat at kitchen tables.  Nor do humans act righteously.

But we have been given a way to survive.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

It is that faith that enables us to walk with God. It is that faith that enables us to be the children of God.  It is that faith that enables us to obey Him, to belong to Him, and to enjoy Him.

Start with faith.  The rest follows.

Nahum II: Empty Refuge

Nahum II

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him. (Nahum 1:7 ESV)

Empty Refuge

I was once in a teen-age summer vacation war in the woods near our neighborhood.  We fought with bb guns, water-balloons, sticks, and occasionally rocks. 

Tired of losing battles, we built a fort out of old plywood sheets, fallen logs, and a few borrowed 2x4s.  It was an awesome example of defensive engineering, complete with turrets, gates, and a moat, of sorts.

But one day, as battle was commencing, my team decided to rush the enemy.  We poured out of the fort and chased the ‘others’ into the trees.  Wow, did we feel triumphant!

Until we discovered that while we were pursuing, the enemy had snuck into our fort.

And once again, we lost the battle.

For the fort to be useful, we had to be IN it.

For the fort to defend us, we had to be IN it.

For the fort to be a fortress, we had to be IN it.

And for God to be our refuge, our fortress, our defense against His enemies, we have to be IN Him, too.

A nametag of “Christian” is not enough. 

Being near Christianity is not enough.

But He is a fortress to those who have believed.

He is a fortress to those who call out to Him.

He is a fortress to those who are His in thought, word, and deed.

Nahum I: But Who Is Guilty

Nahum I

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. (Nahum 1:3 ESV)

But Who Is Guilty

I am not proud of the way I treated many substitute teachers in middle school.  I knew that did not have real authority so I could disregard them.  One in particular really wanted to be popular.  And so, while he made many threats, he rarely followed through on them.

And so we did what we wanted, knowing nothing bad would happen to us.

Nahum declares that God means His threats.  He will NOT, under any circumstances, by no means ignore guilt.  The consequences of guilt are absolute, sure, and determined.

And guilt for sin means death.  Not maybe death.  Not even probably death.  But absolute death.

But God’s grace and mercy are amazing. 

Yes, He brought punishment for every guilty act.

But for His people, God instead punished Christ.

For those NOT His people, God follows through with the threat on the guilty themselves.

But for His people, God carries out that threat on His Son, our Savior, Christ Jesus.

Amazing….

Micah III: Division of Labor

Micah III

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV)

Division of Labor

God has delegated all authority in His creation to three areas.  The State, the Church, and the Family. 

It seems like no mere coincidence that here, Micah reminds mankind that we have three requirements from God.  Justice, kindness (or mercy) and humility.

What if that gives us some boundaries and emphasis for the three areas of authority?

Perhaps the job of the state is ensure justice.  Perhaps the job of the church is to demonstrate and demand mercy.  Perhaps the job of the family is to teach humility.

I would like to live in a society with those areas being promoted!

It is also interesting that Christ Jesus, the One with ALL of God’s authority also has those three jobs.  HE is responsible for justice, all the way to the cross.  HE is responsible for mercy, all the way to the empty tomb.  He is responsible for humility, all the way to the right hand of God the Father.

Micah II: Ancient

Micah II

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. (Micah 5:2 ESV)

Ancient

I was around nine months old the day I was born.  So were you.

Amazingly, the Messiah… the baby Jesus… was even more than nine months old when He was born in Bethlehem.

“Of Old” carries with it the idea of ancient.  Of Long, long, long ago.  Even eternally old.

Because Jesus was not just a human baby being born.  He was the perfect God-man.  Both human AND divine.

That newborn baby was old!

Because that newborn baby was God Himself.

Micah I: Destroy or Fix

Micah I

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love. (Micah 7:18 ESV)

Destroy or Fix

It was a sad day when my first vehicle was finally towed away to the junk yard.  I had put up with idiosyncrasies, repaired mechanical ailments small and large, ignored public mockery for my jalopy, and made use of duct tape that would have made the inventor shudder.

But I finally could not fix it anymore.

If I could have continued to fix it, I would have.

My affection towards that truck would have kept me driving that old thing even down to today, if I had the power, the knowledge, and the ability.

God loves His people more than I loved my truck.  And He DOES have power.   He DOES have knowledge.  He DOES have the ability.

And He gives our broken lives one BIG fix, instead of dozens of small ones.

He gives us Jesus.

Instead of destroying us… He fixes us.

He delights in forgiving us, because of Jesus.  He delights in justifying us, because of Jesus.  He delights in sanctifying us, because of Jesus.  And He will delight in glorifying us, because of Jesus.

Jonah III: Right but Wrong

Jonah III

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. (Jonah 4:1-3 ESV)

Right but Wrong

Jonah thought that God was gracious and merciful.  And Jonah was right.

Jonah thought that God was all powerful.  And Jonah was right.

Jonah thought that God is good. And Jonah was right.

But Jonah saw those things, and did not like them.  He wanted vengeance and Israel’s ancient enemy destroyed, so Jonah did not want God to forgive.

He wanted God to miss hearing Ninevah’s repentance, so Jonah did not want God to know their repentance.

He wanted God to be harsh instead of good, demanding instead of patient, and hating instead of loving.  He wanted to see his idea of victory with his own eyes, so Jonah did not want God to be good.

We could learn a thing or two from Jonah’s mistakes. 

Rejoice when strange people are saved.  Welcome when ‘others’ come to worship.  Look for God’s way to be done, instead of our way.  Laugh at God’s irony when He saves the unsavable.

Jonah II: Prayer

Jonah II

“But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to You; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”  And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. (Jonah 2:9,10 ESV)

Prayer

Say what you wish about the failures of Jonah… from disobeying God… fleeing to Tarshish… Hiding in the hold of the ship…

Jonah knew how to pray.

Down in the fish’s belly, He cried out to his only hope.  He knew that salvation ONLY comes from God.

He did not try a Ouija board.  He did not try applied physics.  He did not try biology.  He did not try holding his breath.

He immediately prayed to God.

And got vomited out of the fish.

This is not Jonah’s message alone.  It is the message of Scripture.  Prayer changes things only because God changes things.  Prayer helps only because God helps.  Prayer is effective only because God is effective.

Try praying first.

Jonah I:

Jonah I: Things Do Not Just Happen

And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. (Jonah 1:17 ESV)

Things Do Not Just Happen

My favorite football team had a defensive coach that was considered for many years to be the best in the business.  Mostly, because he was not a reactive coach.  Defense Coaches might be tempted to figure out what the enemy offense was planning, and defend against it.

That makes a certain amount of sense.

But this coach, instead, DID things… and made the offense react to him and his plans.

God is, in a way, like that coach.

While many see God as sitting in heaven reacting to what is happening on earth… helping in times of trouble… responding to tragedies and disasters… fixing what is broken…

Jonah presents a better, albeit a little confusing, picture.

God is at work.  He acts, He does, He moves, He shakes.  He builds.  He redeems.  He loves.

He is not merely a reactor.

He is a doer.

And thus we have hope, peace, and salvation.

Obadiah II: Finding

Obediah II

But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. (Obadiah 1: 17 ESV)

Finding

I once lost a cherished pocket-knife… and found it.  I once lost a friend… and found a way to restoration.   I once lost a good book… and it was returned to me.  I once lost my wallet… and found it.  Ok, I do that a lot.

God’s people had lost their wealth, their temple and it’s beauty, and their land.  Worst of all, the people of God lost their relationship with Jahweh, through their rebellion, stubbornness, and deafness.  But God restores His people to Himself.

But only through Christ Jesus, the Messiah.

We are born lost.  Adam’s sin, our community’s sins, our ancestral sins, and our own sins ensure that we would remain lost.

But God keeps His promise through Obadiah every day, through the Messiah.

The Messiah came to save the lost, yes.  But also to return what we have lost.

Whatever we feel we have lost… in God we can find it.

Obadiah I: Pride

Obadiah I

Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?” Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord. (Obadiah 1:2-4 ESV)

Pride

My pride has been my downfall many times.  I played chess in a championship, sure I would teach the country bumpkins a thing or two.  But after I won my first bout, I fell painfully from my perch.

I believed I knew everything about my old 1964 Chevy Panel Truck… mechanically inside and out.  Until my diagnoses failed, my repairs faltered, and the dear old truck had to be trashed.

I thought I knew all about God’s grace, good theology, Biblical wisdom, and maturity beyond my years.  Until I fell to sin, deeply, painfully, destructively, and humbly.

Pride is at the foundation of every sin.

And the Edomites were proud.  They lived on defensible cliffs.  They bordered key trade routes.  Every national effort they attempted, they found success.

Until God said, “that’s enough.”

Pride leads to a fall.  Pride leads to judgement.  Pride leads to true awareness. 

And hopefully, needfully, salvificly, pride leads to Jesus.

See your pride, and humbly accept God’s answer to it: Jesus.

Amos II: Punishment

Amos II

Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment…”  (Amos 1:3 ESV) 

Punishment

This same statement, for three transgressions and for four, that cause God to not revoke punishment is repeated against Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel.  Does not that sound very severe?   God appears harsh, full of judgment, and absolute in his pronouncement.

And while modern ‘nicey-nice’ understandings of God might wish that God just decided to look the other way, and revoke after all… He did not revoke.

if He had simply revoked, simply forgotten, simply been nice, it would NOT have been a good thing.  He would have not been just.  He would have made His law, His Laws, the Laws of the Universe into nothing.

Perhaps our universe would have fallen apart, and ceased to exist.

instead, He punished JESUS for His people in those groupings.  He did not revoke His pronouncement against aggressive Damascus, against  idolatrous Gaze, against greedy Tyre, against proud Edom, against cruel Moab, against unfaithful Judah, and against rebellious Israel.  Instead, He punished JESUS.

Because of the threefold (symbolic of ‘complete’) atrocities of those people, and then even one more… God punished.  But He punished Jesus instead.

And while we might not be of those nations or races, we are just as guilty.  And because God did it so strongly before, we can rest assured He will do it with us, too!

Not just because He is nice.  But because of Jesus, and Jesus alone.  Through Jesus, and Jesus alone.  By Jesus, and Jesus alone.  In Jesus, and Jesus alone.

Amos I: Blessings

Amos I

Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper

and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; (Amos 9:13 ESV)

Blessings

This is an incredible promise.  God says, through Amos, that a time is coming when the person ploughing the land in preparation of planting will somehow be plowing AFTER the harvesters!  No, it is not time travel… but rather, the land will be THAT fertile that the planting overtakes the harvesting! 

It would be like investing in a company, and receiving dividends before your investment check clears.

It would be like winning a football game before the initial coin toss.

It would be like playing Monopoly with your grandchildren before your own children were born.

The point is that God’s promised blessings are so absolute that we can count on them before our first steps of life.  The point is that God’s promised blessings are so extreme that we will be overwhelmed by them beyond our mathematical ability to calculate them. The point is that God’s promised blessings are more amazing than any other amazing thing you have ever been amazed at… amazingly!

His blessings are amazing.

Joel III: THe Church Victorious

Joel III

But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. (Joel 3:20 ESV)

The Church Victorious

Forever is a long time.  And the only way that promise could be true is if Judah, and Jerusalem mean something different than a patch of ground in the Middle East. 

While folk HAVE lived in what used to be called Judah all along, this promise is clearly meant for God’s people.  And God’s people have not owned Judah, or even Jerusalem, for many of the years between Joel and today.

Even if the promise DOES refer primarily to that physical land, the return of a physical nation, “Israel” after World War II does not really keep that promise.  Because if the nation ‘returned,’ or was ‘re-established’, that means it was absent for a time.  And that would break the promise.

Instead, we get to know that Judah and Jerusalem refer to something better!

The people of God… Christians!  The Church!  Christ and His Bride!

And THAT Judah and Jerusalem have indeed been inhabited from Joel’s time to today.  Because the Church has survived, thrived, and expanded.

And this promise of God through Joel shows that the church will NOT die out.  Even if it seems like it.  Even if we fear it.

Forever is a long time.

Joel II: Diversity

Joel II

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. (Joel 2:28 ESV)

Diversity

Is there a difference between Star Trek and Star Wars? Obviously, yes. But both are sci-fi franchises that cost too much to partake of.

Is there a difference between a Wendy’s Hamburger, and a burger from Big Larry’s?  Of course there is.  But both are beefy, risky health-wise, and delicious.

Is there a difference between a Republican and a Democrat? Certainly.  But both want our votes;, both believe in a bigger government than I do; and both are dangerously flawed human organizations.

Is there a difference, according to Joel (and later, Paul), between  men and women?  Jews and Greeks? Young and old? Rich and poor? Experts and amateurs?  Yes, of course… but NOT before the Lord. 

He sends His Spirit on ALL His people, regardless of our divisions and separations.  And it is HIS Spirit that matters.

Keep the differences in perspective.  A very small perspective.

Joel I: Internal

Joel I

Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12,13 ESV)

Internal

Many things are defined and determined internally rather than externally.  An “American” is not one, today, based simply on voting records, allegiances uttered at sporting events, or even our address.  It is an internal thing first.

Good health is not sure based simply on external symptoms like body temperature, skin tone, or sleep pattern.  We can have good vital statistics but internally be in danger of health disaster.

A house does not make a good home because it has sealed windows, excellent paint, or reliable shingles.  A house is a good home because of what is inside:  love or conflict, peace or fear, unity or anger.

And God’s Kingdom is internally determined, much more than externally observed.  God demands and enables us to have humble hearts, loving devotion to Him, and submission to His Words, His Word, and His work.

Internal matters.

Hosea II: Religion

Hosea II

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6 ESV)

Religion

We remove inactive club members from our groups, when members do not DO club things.  A yacht club member who does not ever sail is not really a member of the yacht club.  A member of your football team who never practices or plays is not really on the team.  A stamp collector who owns no stamps, does not like stamps, and does not know anything about philatelists should not be thought of as a stamp collector.

Surprisingly, it is not doing religious things that God seeks in His people.  We are not His because do religious things.  For the Israelites, offering sacrifices and burnt offerings.  For us it might be church attendance, following the Golden Rule, or praying regularly.

Those things are not bad things.  But they are not what makes us God’s people.

It is knowing God, and loving God… both of which can only happen when we know and love Christ Jesus.

It is not religion that saves… it is Jesus.