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SHMILY
Member



Joined: 2009/12/13
Posts: 203
Northern Idaho

 Re: Zephaniah 1:12 (NASB)

12“It will come about at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And I will punish the men
Who are stagnant in spirit,
Who say in their hearts,
‘The LORD will not do good or evil!’

18"Neither their silver nor their gold
Will be able to deliver them
On the day of the Lord's wrath;
And all the earth will be devoured
In the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make a complete end,
Indeed a terrifying one,
Of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Chapter 2
1Gather yourselves together, yes, gather,
O nation without shame,
2Before the decree takes effect -
The day passes like chaff -
Before the burning anger of the Lord
comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord's anger
comes upon you.
3 Seek the Lord,
All you humble of the earth
Who have carried out His ordinances;
Seek righteousness, seek humility,
Perhaps you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord's anger."

Thoughts:
"so it is today"
"They are self-reliant, self-satisfied"

I want to give a hearty "AMEN!" and yet the Spirit reminds me I am often much more self-reliant and self-satisfied than I ought to be. =(

As I read the beginning of the 2nd chapter I realized not only is the "nation without shame" told to gather ~ perhaps a solemn assembly ~ but so too "all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances" are to seek the Lord and righteousness and humility. I especially need humility when I see the wicked punished!

"The day passes like chaff" ~ don't put it off! Time flies.

--------------
Jesus-is-GOD and enid thank you for commenting too. It makes for a much richer discussion. Thanks again.

This is really good ginnyrose. =)

I love all the insights.
REJOICE! =)

 2011/2/25 23:03Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Zephaniah 2:1 NASB

Zephaniah 2:1 NASB

1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather,
O nation without shame,

COMMENT:

Once again I am in awe how the situation with Judah parallels so closely with the current spiritual crises in the world today.

Shame. Without shame. People today are so shameless. People are so bold in their sin and woe on you if so much as confront it! You are labelled as being either legalistic, unforgiving by professing Christians; intolerant by secular society.

We are commanded by God to forgive sin and so we do. But too many times we forgive the sinner who has no intention of repenting and so we soon learn to accommodate the sin because we love the person so much: God would not send him/her to hell! They are too nice, such wonderful people! And so we become used to the dark and sin flourishes, even among so-called Christian people.

Years ago I talked to a godly lady whose youth was spent in riotous living about having her life story written. She declined, saying it was so shameful! That it is behind her and she does not want to talk about it. This gave me a lot to think about. She was ashamed of her past.

Now, how can we protect shame and still be forgiving?


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2011/2/26 8:39Profile
SHMILY
Member



Joined: 2009/12/13
Posts: 203
Northern Idaho

 Re: Zephaniah 2:1 NASB

I was speaking with a friend today. It had been several months since we had had time to talk.

She was heartsick over a relative. The relative had sinned. Long story short ~ had stood before the church not to confess and repent but to justify what had happened.

Most distressing to my friend was the fact the church stood and applauded 3 times during this!

No, ginny, there is no shame in the nation and very little in the "church".

 2011/2/27 1:19Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re:

Quote:
The relative had sinned. Long story short ~ had stood before the church not to confess and repent but to justify what had happened. Most distressing to my friend was the fact the church stood and applauded 3 times during this! No, ginny, there is no shame in the nation and very little in the "church".



Yes, I have heard of a 'pastor' getting up in front of his flock announcing that he is leaving his wife and family for another woman in the church and the audience applauded! Now if this does not make me hopping mad... if it angers me, wonder how God feels?! His wrath is deserved, don't you think?

Anyhow. If this is normal for the church, one sure cannot expect more from the prevailing society.

Many years ago I read a column written by Eric Hoffer, I think, on 'Shame'. He is secular, but it is so good. In it he lamented the loss of shame in society. Sad when a secular philosopher gets closer to being Biblical in this regard then church people. (I have looked to find the article online, called the newspaper but have not been able to find it anywhere.)

SHMILY, we have two wayward sons. I do not encourage them to attend church services because I believe that it is the most dangerous place an apostate can be on a Sunday morning.


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2011/2/27 7:43Profile









 Re:

How very easy it is for the people of God to become complacent and think that they are not under judgement anymore and so compromise with sin after they fall from their first estate of loving God with the whole heart mind and soul. This book is the warning to such that He will bring His judgement in the Day of the Lord, not a day for those who are lost in their sins and have never known Him, there is no judgement needed there, nothing to weigh up, they are lost for now and eternity. The judgement of God is preserved for His people who have come into His kingdom and who have not gone on to perfection, perfection that is of fellowship with God. If a man does not progress to perfection, and closse his ears to warnings thinking that he is safe because he once came to the Lord for forgiveness, and now he serves in the church and reads his Bible and prays, so what is there to be worried about? He thinks the warnings are for all of those outside and pats himself on the back that he is not like other men.

But this is complaceny and the worst thing is that a man can be blind to his position and it is because the conscience is so easily quietened so that the pricks that come from God are eventually silenced as there are so many others who do not want to hear the pricks from others and rush in to say `don`t worry we are covered by the Blood` but any who have ears will let those pricks speak. Peace peace where there is no peace. Any believer who continues sinning and is not fully sanctified by the Lord is under this judgement and the Lord will show mercy and patience for a time but there will come a day - The Day of the Lord for them, when His patience runs out and He will remove His protective hand and allow the person to reap what he has sown in taking the Lord for granted and for thinking that He can be deceived. Christ died to take away our sin and any continuation with it puts Him back on the cross and to shame when His power is already available to His children to walk in holiness and purity of heart, with eternal power to keep him in the temple of the Lord in constant communion and prayer without cessation, obeying God 100% all of the time. Nothing less is acceptable and when the Day of the Lord comes for each one, there will be no excuse when we have the book of Zephaniah in our Bibles.

 2011/2/27 9:48
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Zephaniah 2:3 (NASB)

Zephaniah 2:3 (NASB)

3 Seek the LORD,
All you humble of the earth
Who have carried out His ordinances;
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will be hidden
In the day of the LORD’S anger.

COMMENT:

Who is called to seek the LORD? The humble.

What characterizes the humble? They are obedient (carried out his ordinances), they seek righteousness, seek humility.

How can one be obedient to His ordinances? What are they? Does obedience not entail a teachable spirit? To be willing to obey when it does not make sense?

As I consider humility I had to wonder what does it look like in life? Is a humble person not one who is submissive to authority? one who is teachable? Is it not one who recognizes his/her own limitations and will work to learn?

How does one work to 'seek righteousness?' Does it not happen when we take to heart the lessons learned by being taught by a Master teacher? Does it not happen when these lessons characterizes our lifestyle?

As long as we think we know it all, we are not teachable. We will argue, debate, work to discredit those who disagree with us. This one cannot do with God and win. All will be losers when this is one's mindset.

"Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’S anger."
Does this promise pertain to moderns? I think so. I want to be protected by his wings and as the world's turmoil work to rattle our well-being, it behooves us the more to find shelter there.

Seek righteousness, seek humility: an excellent motto for today and the future.


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2011/2/28 10:05Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re:

Quote:
Christ died to take away our sin and any continuation with it puts Him back on the cross and to shame when His power is already available to His children to walk in holiness and purity of heart, with eternal power to keep him in the temple of the Lord in constant communion and prayer without cessation, obeying God 100% all of the time. Nothing less is acceptable and when the Day of the Lord comes for each one, there will be no excuse when we have the book of Zephaniah in our Bibles.



Excellent point, Brenda.


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2011/2/28 10:08Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: Inspiration From the Book of Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:4-7 NASB

For Gaza will be abandoned
And Ashkelon a desolation;
Ashdod will be driven out at noon
And Ekron will be uprooted.

5Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the LORD is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
And I will destroy you
So that there will be no inhabitant.

6So the seacoast will be pastures,
With caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.

7And the coast will be
For the remnant of the house of Judah,
They will pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the LORD their God will care for them
And restore their fortune.

COMMENT:

For some interesting reason - the which I find difficult to fully grasp - I find this so comforting! God is going to rid the countryside of His enemies and then giving it to his people! The humble ones, the righteous ones.

I do not know what practical application this has for us today but it does remind me of Psalm 23:5: "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;"

How does God prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies? Is it not when we experience his blessings in the presence of those who wish us harm? We experience pressure to capitulate to sinful culture but God in his mercy provides for us so graciously in contrast to the ungodly culture around us. These people may mock us, scorn us, but they sure want the blessings God has given to us...


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2011/3/1 9:14Profile
SHMILY
Member



Joined: 2009/12/13
Posts: 203
Northern Idaho

 Re: Zephaniah 2:4-7 NASB

v.5 "Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast...I will destroy you so that there will be no inhabitant."


I am reminded of the times the Lord told the children of Israel to completely destroy the various 'ites' and they only partially complied. Often we wonder, "Why didn't they do what God said?" Maybe even when we were younger and more rash we thought, "I would have!"


And yet ...Of the four cities named in verse 4, three are currently in Israel ~ Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron. Gaza obviously is not.

Gaza. We see pictures of the inhabitants of Gaza on the news. No matter our politics, they are real people with real lives, loves, pains, fears. Faces put to the word "inhabitants". Could we completely destroy them?

From verse 7
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the LORD their God will care for them

I believe it was last summer that the rockets/missiles Hamas fires into Israel from the Gaza strip reached Ashkelon. How they needed the security shown in this verse.

Such is the Lord's love for His people. He will destroy the inhabitants of Gaza.

I agree with your thoughts ginny. It is a comfort.


 2011/3/1 22:22Profile
SHMILY
Member



Joined: 2009/12/13
Posts: 203
Northern Idaho

 Re: Zephaniah 2:8-11 NASB

8“I have heard the taunting of Moab
And the revilings of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have taunted My people
And become arrogant against their territory.


9“Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts,
The God of Israel,
“Surely Moab will be like Sodom
And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah—
A place possessed by nettles and salt pits,
And a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of My people will plunder them
And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

10This they will have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the LORD of hosts. 11The LORD will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.

"I have heard.." Our God listens.

"...they have taunted My people
And become arrogant against their territory.
....they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the LORD of hosts"

Today there are those nations that do not believe Israel has a right to exist. They try to provoke them. They are "arrogant" against the people and the land.

But also in many countries just following the Lord can cost a believer their business, their home, even their life. In those places too the sons of darkness are 'arrogant' against them.

Our God hears. "The LORD will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth"

There is comfort in knowing God hears and will answer in His time.



 2011/3/2 23:55Profile





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