The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad (Zephaniah 1:12).
The very first verse
tells us Zephaniah ministered to Judah during the reign of Josiah, its last
good king. Reading between the lines, we know it was in his early years because
the prophet depicts a nation very unlike Judah subsequent to Josiah’s reforms
(2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 34,35) [3].
Zephaniah describes
a Judah in which the poor are oppressed by the rich; where people worship the
false gods of other nations; where day in and day out business goes on as
usual. No one is nervous about the possibility of divine action; no one is
worried that God might show up and do something about it. The prevailing
attitude is: God doesn’t care; he won’t get involved.
Lots of really smart
people make the same argument. Just
because they make it sound smart doesn’t make it correct.
The prophet tells
another story. He says God is watching, and God does care. I will bring distress on the
people . . . because they have sinned against the Lord (NIV 1984, 1:17). This pronouncement, though,
is accompanied by promise of gathering and rescue (3:15,19-20). The distress
appears to be exile under the Babylonians and rescue is those exiles coming
home.
Yet again, judgment gives way to blessing. [He] will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).
Have you ever
thought, God might see, but he won’t do anything about it?
TODAY’S MEDITATION
How can you be a person of
honor, mercy, and integrity, no matter who’s looking?
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