February 5 Daily Discovery
February 5 Daily Discovery
Read Zephaniah Chapter 1
Hold Your Peace at God's Presence
7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
Zeph. 1:7
Zephaniah is preaching at a time in Judah when the nation has completely turned away from God. They were not honoring Him in their lives and they had also perverted the worship of God and profaned His Holy Place.
The Day of the Lord
Zephaniah refers to the day of the LORD more frequently than ANY of the other prophets (21 times). The day of the LORD refers "generically" to any day of period of time that God is demonstrating His authority over any people via His judgment or punishment. It also includes the blessing of God that follows repentance.
Divine judgement is the first step, and when there is response of repentance as the second step. it will be followed by divine blessing as the third step.
Sometimes the "day of the LORD" referred to starts nearly immediately, sometimes, it is a reference to a "soon" and pending judgement. Then, the day of the LORD always culminates in a world-wide, final judgement from God that will be followed by a restoration of all things to God.
Silence Falls
11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
~ 1 Sam. 3:11
19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.
~ Habakkuk 1:19 - 2:5
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
~ Rev. 8:1
God told Samuel, "I'm going to do something that is so arresting that everyone that hears about it - their ears will tingle.
Habakkuk warned about God's pending judgement and said "let all of the earth keep silence before Him".
Then, in Revelation we are told that when the seventh seal was opened, that there was SILENCE in heaven for about half an hour.
When the day of the LORD comes, there is an awe that falls upon people.
God's Sacrifice
This sacrifice that God is making is His righteous judgements upon the nation of Judah, the nations nearby and the whole world.
In the sacrificial system of the first covenant, many offerings, where animals were properly dispatched and roasted, were shared with guests that came along with the person making the sacrifice.
God uses this imagery, too. He says, "I'm making a great sacrifice and I've invited my guests."
God's Judgement
God was going to consume EVERYTHING. Man and beast, all of the animals, the fish and all of the people, too.
God was going to judge those that worshipped false gods, Jerusalem and Judah. He was going to judge people that had turned back from God and those who had never sought the LORD, too.
Redemption will not come from man.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
~ Zeph. 1:18
20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.
~ Zeph. 3:20
The last chapter of the book tells of their future rescue as well, which will come from God.
God will turn the captivity back.
If God is chastising you, it is because He wants you back with Him.
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