September 10, 2025 • 32 mins
Imagine standing on a rooftop in ancient Jerusalem, watching the bustling city below through the eyes of a royal prophet who sees beyond the surface to the spiritual corruption festering within. This is the powerful journey awaiting you in our exploration of Zephaniah 1.
With vivid storytelling that transports you across 26 centuries, we walk alongside Zephaniah—a descendant of King Hezekiah himself—as he receives a vision that would shake nations. The prophet guides us through Jerusalem's streets, showing us the disturbing reality hidden beneath religious appearances: shrines to Baal built into homes, rooftops transformed into altars for star worship, and priests serving both Yahweh and foreign gods with equal devotion.
At the heart of this episode lies the sobering concept of "the Day of the Lord"—a day of reckoning described in haunting terms as "a day of wrath," "a day of distress and anguish," and "a day of darkness and gloom." Zephaniah's unflinching message challenges both his ancient audience and us today with the declaration that "neither silver nor gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath."
What makes this prophecy particularly striking is God's promise to "search Jerusalem with lamps," leaving no secret sin unexposed. This powerful metaphor reveals both the thoroughness of divine judgment and the impossibility of hiding our true spiritual condition from the One who sees all. For the people of Judah—and for us—this serves as both warning and invitation: to bring our hidden places voluntarily into God's light rather than face forced exposure later.
Despite the severity of this message, we discover profound life lessons that speak directly to our modern condition: God sees everything (both our failings and our faithfulness), divine judgment always comes with advance warning, and material prosperity offers no protection against spiritual poverty. These truths challenge us to examine our own lives and ask whether we've settled for external religious compliance without internal transformation.
Experience this immersive journey through one of scripture's most powerful prophetic books, and discover how Zephaniah's ancient message speaks with startling relevance to our lives today. Subscribe now to continue walking through God's Word with us, one chapter at a time.
Music Credit: "What It Feels Like" by Mercy Street
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
In the Field Audio Bible (04:22):
Today, a man named Zephaniah stood at
the crossroads of judgment andhope.
I am Zephaniah, son of Cushai,son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah,
son of Hezekiah, Son of Amariah, Son of Hezekiah, and yes,
(04:51):
friend, that Hezekiah who onceruled as king over Judah.
The blood of David flowsthrough these veins.
The heritage of Solomon'swisdom runs in my family line.
Yet here I stand, not in purplerobes upon a throne, but
clothed in the rough garments ofa prophet, my hands stained not
(05:12):
with royal ink but with thedust of Jerusalem's streets.
Come sit with me here on thisflat rooftop in the upper city
where the wealthy merchants andnobles make their homes.
From this vantage point, we cansee all of Jerusalem spread
(05:33):
before us like a scroll unrolledby the hand of the Almighty.
The afternoon sun beats downupon the limestone walls,
turning them golden white, whileshadows gather in the narrow
alleyways below where the commonpeople go about their daily
(05:53):
business.
Do you smell that, friend?
The mingled aromas that risefrom the city like incense, but
not the sweet incense thatshould ascend from the temple.
No, this is the acrid smell offoreign altars, the pungent
smell of sacrifices offered toBaal and Molech, mixed with the
(06:18):
everyday scents of bread, baking, wool being dyed and leather
being tanned.
It is the smell of a people whohave forgotten their first love
, who have mixed the sacred withthe profane Until they can no
longer distinguish between holyand common.
Listen, Do you hear thosetrumpets from the temple mount?
(06:41):
They should sound clear andpure, calling the people to
worship the God of their fathers, but even the music sounds
corrupted now played by priestswho serve for hire, who have
made the house of prayer into aden of thieves.
The very stones of Solomon'stemple seem to weep for the
(07:05):
glory that has departed.
See that group of men walkingthrough the courtyard below.
Those are the princes of Judah,dressed in their foreign
garments Egyptian linen,assyrian silk, babylonian purple
, assyrian silk, babylonianpurple.
They have adopted not just theclothing of the nations, but
(07:28):
their customs, their gods, theirways of thinking.
They bow and scrape before theambassadors of pagan kings,
while showing contempt for theprophets of the Most High.
And there in the marketplace,watch how the merchants conduct
their business.
They use false weights anddishonest scales.
(07:51):
They oppress the poor and crushthe needy.
Their God is silver.
Their temple is the countinghouse.
Their prayers are calculationsof profit and loss.
They have grown rich while thewidows and orphans grow thin.
And they sleep soundly on bedsof ivory while the righteous cry
(08:14):
out for justice.
But it was not always so,friend.
I remember stories mygrandfather told me of the days
when King Hezekiah ruled withrighteousness, when the temple
was cleansed and the peopleturned their hearts back to the
Lord.
I remember the tales of how Goddelivered Jerusalem from the
(08:35):
mighty Assyrian army, how theangel of death passed through
their camp in a single night,leaving 185,000 warriors as
silent as stones.
Yet here we are, barely ageneration later, and the people
have forgotten the miraclestheir fathers witnessed.
(08:57):
They have returned to theirvomit like dogs, embraced again
the idols their fathers rejected, vomit like dogs, embraced
again the idols their fathersrejected.
The reforms of good KingHezekiah have been undone, the
altars to foreign gods rebuilt,the high places restored.
But I must tell you why I havebrought you here, why the Lord
(09:20):
has compelled me to speak.
Three days ago, as I knelt inprayer in my chamber before dawn
, the word of the Lord hascompelled me to speak.
Three days ago, as I knelt inprayer in my chamber before dawn
, the word of the Lord came uponme like a rushing wind, like
fire shut up in my bones.
The vision was so terrifying,terrible, so overwhelming that I
fell upon the floor, my facepressed against the cold stone.
(09:43):
I saw the Lord standing uponthe earth like a mighty warrior,
preparing for battle, his eyesblazing like flames of fire, his
voice like the sound of manywaters, and he spoke oh how he
spoke, with words that made thevery foundations of the earth
(10:04):
tremble.
I will utterly consumeeverything from the face of the
land, he declared, and I feltthe weight of divine wrath
pressing down upon my soul likea mountain.
I will consume man and beast.
I will consume the birds of theheavens and the fish of the sea
(10:26):
and the stumbling blocks, alongwith the wicked.
I will cut off man from theface of the land.
Friend, do you understand whatthis means?
This is not merely the judgmentof a city or a nation.
This is the day of the Lord,the great and terrible day that
(10:49):
all the prophets have spoken ofsince ancient times.
It is the day when God willsettle accounts with a
rebellious world, when he willvindicate His holiness and
demonstrate his justice beforeall creation.
I rose from my prayer thatmorning and walked through these
(11:09):
very streets seeing them withnew eyes, the eyes of divine
judgment.
Every idol shrine became atarget for God's wrath.
Every corrupt official became acandidate for destruction.
Every false priest became fuelfor the fire of his anger.
(11:31):
Look there at that shrine toBaal built right into the wall
of that house.
The family who lives there.
I know them well, old Meshulamand his wife Abigail, with their
three sons who work as scribesin the king's court.
Good people by human standards.
They pay their taxes, they'rekind to their neighbors, they
(11:54):
even attend the temple festivals.
But there, in their privatecourtyard, stands that
abomination, a carved image ofthe storm god with offerings of
grain and wine placed before it.
Each morning I will stretch outmy hand against Judah and
against all the inhabitants ofJerusalem.
(12:16):
The Lord declared in my visionI will cut off every trace of
Baal from this place.
The names of the adulterouspriests, with the pagan priest,
those who worship the host ofheaven on the housetops, those
whose worship and swear oaths bythe Lord but who also swear by
(12:36):
Malcolm.
Do you see those flat rooftopsstretching out before us?
At night they become altars tothe stars.
The people climb up here withtheir incense and their prayers
bowing down to Venus and Mars,to the constellations and the
zodiac.
They think they're beingsophisticated, embracing the
(13:00):
wisdom of the Chaldeans and theEgyptians.
They don't realize they'recommitting spiritual adultery,
breaking the covenant theirfathers made with the living God
.
And the priests, oh the priests,those who should be teaching
the people the differencebetween holy and profane, have
(13:20):
themselves become profane.
They wear the sacred garmentswhile serving false gods.
They speak the ancient prayers,while their hearts are far from
the Lord.
They have polluted thesanctuary and done violence to
the law.
I think of Hilkiah the highpriest, a good man who serves
(13:42):
faithfully in the temple, buteven he is surrounded by
corruption, by men who have madethe house of God into a
marketplace of competingreligions.
The very courts where Abraham'sGod should be worshipped
exclusively has become a bizarreof spiritual compromise.
(14:03):
But it is not just thereligious leaders who have gone
astray.
The princes, the nobles, thewealthy merchants, they have all
turned their backs on the Godof their fathers.
They dress like foreigners,they think like pagans, they act
like those who have never heardthe name of the Lord.
(14:24):
And even now, as I speak thesewords to you, the armies of the
north are stirring.
Babylon grows stronger each day.
Her chariots multiply likelocusts.
Her warriors sharpen theirswords for conquest.
The Lord is preparing hisinstruments of judgment, raising
up the nations that will be therod of his anger against his
(14:46):
unfaithful people.
The great day of the Lord isnear.
It is near and hastens quickly.
The vision showed me.
The noise of the day of theLord is bitter.
There, the mighty men shall cryout.
That day is a day of wrath, aday of trouble and distress, a
(15:06):
day of devastation anddesolation, a day of darkness
and gloominess, a day of cloudsand thick darkness.
I have seen it, friend.
Seen it as clearly as I seeyour face before me now.
The walls of Jerusalem breached, her gates broken down, her
(15:26):
people led away in chains, thetemple stripped of its treasures
, its courts trampled by foreignfeet, its altar fires
extinguished, the palaces of thewealthy reduced to rubble,
their fine garments torn, theirsilver and gold, unable to
deliver them in the day of theLord's wrath.
(15:48):
Yet, even in this vision ofjudgment, even as my heart
breaks for my people and my city, I know that the Lord is
righteous in all his ways.
His anger is not the rage of atyrant but the holy wrath of
perfect justice.
He has been patient beyondmeasure, sending prophet after
(16:11):
prophet, calling his people toreturn to him, but they have
hardened their hearts likePharaoh of old, and now the time
for repentance grows short.
I remember Hezekiah's words,passed down through our family
the Lord is good, a strongholdin the day of trouble, and he
(16:32):
knows those who trust in Him.
Even in judgment, there ismercy for those who seek Him
with all their hearts.
Even in the darkness, there islight for those who walk in His
ways.
See how the people return totheir homes as evening
(16:53):
approaches, carrying theirburdens, leading their children,
making their preparations forthe night.
They go about their routines asif nothing has changed, as if
the very foundations of theirworld are not about to be shaken
.
They are like those in the daysof Noah eating and drinking,
(17:16):
marrying and giving in marriage,right up until the flood came
and swept them all away.
But you, friend, you have satwith me here on this rooftop.
You have listened to the wordof the Lord with an open heart.
You need not be caught unaware.
(17:37):
The day of the Lord is cominglike a thief in the night, but
it need not find you sleeping.
There is still time to seek theLord, still opportunity to
humble yourself before hismighty hand.
The sun is setting now.
Painting the western sky withcolors of fire is setting now.
(18:04):
Painting the western sky withcolors of fire, a reminder of
the consuming flame of God'sholiness.
But see how the first stars arebeginning to appear.
They remind us that even in thedarkest night, the Lord
provides light for those wholook up to Him.
The Lord provides light forthose who look up to Him.
Come then, beloved listener, letus descend together from this
(18:26):
rooftop into the valley of God'sWord.
Let us listen as the Lordspeaks through His servant,
zephaniah, though the messagemay make us tremble and cause us
to cry out for mercy, for inHis wrath he remembers mercy,
and even in judgment he providesa way of escape for those who
(18:47):
call upon His name.
The night wind carries thescent of coming rain, and I hear
in its whisper the voice of theOne who controls both storm and
calm, both judgment andsalvation.
Now let's take a moment toquiet our hearts and listen to
(19:09):
the word itself.
Let these words sink deep intoyour spirit, bringing comfort,
conviction and encouragement,whether you're sitting in a
quiet place or out in the world.
Allow scripture to meet youright where you are.
I hope you have your favoritecup of tea or coffee.
Sit back, relax and let's stepinto the sacred text of the book
(19:34):
of Zephaniah, chapter 1, theword of the Lord that came to
Zephaniah, son of Cushai, son ofGedaliah, son of Amariah, son
(19:56):
of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, sonof Hezekiah, in the days of
King Josiah, son of Ammon ofJudah.
I will utterly sweep awayeverything from the face of the
earth, says the Lord.
I will sweep away humans andanimals.
(20:18):
I will sweep away the birds ofthe earth and the fish of the
sea.
I will make the wicked stumble.
I will cut off humanity fromthe face of the earth, says the
Lord.
I will stretch out my handagainst Judah and against all
the inhabitants of Jerusalem andI will cut off from this place
(20:41):
every remnant of Baal and thename of the adulterous priest.
Those who bow down on the roofsto the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear tothe Lord but also swear by
Milcom, those who have turnedback from following the Lord,
(21:02):
who have not sought the Lord orinquired of him, be silent
before the Lord, god.
For the day of the Lord is athand.
The Lord has prepared asacrifice.
He has consecrated his guests,and on the day of the Lord's
sacrifice, I will punish theofficials and the king's sons
(21:24):
and all who dress themselves inforeign attire.
On that day, I will punish allwho leap over the threshold, who
fill their master's house withviolence and fraud.
On that day, says the Lord, acry will be heard from the fish
gate.
A whale from the second quarterallowed crash from the hills.
(21:47):
The inhabitants of the mortarwail for all.
The traitors have perished.
All who weigh out silver arecut off.
At that time, I will searchJerusalem with lamps and I will
punish the people who restcomplacently on their dregs,
those who say in their heartsthe Lord will not do good, nor
(22:08):
will he do harm.
Their wealth shall be plunderedand their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses, theyshall not inhabit them.
Though they plant vineyards,they shall not drink wine from
them.
The great day of the Lord isnear, near and hastening fast.
The sound of the day of theLord is bitter.
(22:30):
The warrior cries aloud there.
That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation.
A day of ruin and devastation,a day of darkness and gloom, a
day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and
battle cry against the fortifiedcities and against the lofty
(22:53):
battlements.
I will bring such distress uponpeople that they shall walk
like the blind because they havesinned against the Lord.
Their blood shall be poured outlike dust and their flesh like
dung.
Neither their silver nor theirgold will be able to save them
(23:14):
On the day of the Lord's wrath.
In the fire of his passion, thewhole earth shall be consumed.
For a fool, a terrible end hewill make of all the inhabitants
of the earth.
(23:44):
The Word has been spoken,beloved friend, and now we sit
together as the shadows lengthenacross Jerusalem's ancient
stones.
The sun hangs low in thewestern sky, casting long
fingers of golden light throughthe narrow streets below, while
the first evening stars begin topierce the darkening canopy
(24:07):
above us.
Look how the city settles intoits evening rhythm, unaware that
the very foundations of theirworld have just been shaken by
the voice of the Almighty.
The merchants secure theirshops, the children are called
in from their play, the womenlight their oil lamps against
(24:28):
the gathering darkness.
Life continues its ancientpattern, even as the decree of
divine judgment echoes throughthe quarters of eternity.
I feel the weight of what wehave discussed together, friend.
We have stood in the presenceof the Most High God as he
pronounced His sentence upon arebellious world.
(24:50):
We have heard Him declare Hisintention to consume everything
from the face of the earth manand beast, the birds of the
heavens and the fish of the sea.
We have witnessed the terriblemajesty of divine wrath
unleashed against a creationthat has forgotten its creator.
But do not think that thesewords were spoken in haste or in
(25:15):
anger, like the rage of a humanking whose pride has been
wounded.
No, this is the measuredresponse of perfect holiness to
persistent rebellion, theinevitable consequence of a
universe where moral law is asfixed as the law of gravity,
where moral law is as fixed asthe law of gravity.
The Lord has been patient beyondmeasure, sending prophet after
(25:38):
prophet, calling his people backto himself with tender mercies
and loving kindnesses.
But there comes a moment evenwhen the divine patience reaches
its limit.
Down in the valley, old Benaiahplays his evening song to
(26:00):
settle his flock for the night.
The sheep know his voice, trusthis guidance, follow where he
leads them to safety.
If only God's people had suchwisdom.
If only they recognized thevoice of their true shepherd and
followed him to green pasturesand still waters and still of
wondering after strange gods andforeign shepherds.
(26:22):
We have walked together throughthe streets of Jerusalem, you
and I, and we have seen theevidence of spiritual adultery
on every corner the shrines ofBaal built into the very walls
of houses, the altars to foreigngods erected on rooftops, the
priests who serve both the Lordand Milcom with equal devotion.
(26:45):
We have witnessed a people whohave tried to serve two masters
and have ended up servingneither faithfully.
I think of my kinsman Josiah,our youngest king, who has tried
so hard to bring reform to ourland.
He has torn down the highplaces, broken the images,
(27:06):
burned the bones of falsepriests upon their altars.
Yet even his reforms cannotreach into the secret chambers
of men's hearts, cannot root outthe idolatry that grows there
like a cancer.
External compliance is not thesame as internal transformation.
(27:27):
Now, beloved friend, let meshare with you the life lessons
that the Lord has burned into mysoul through this prophecy,
truths that must shape how youlive each day in this fallen
world.
First, understand that God seeseverything.
At that time I will searchJerusalem with lamps and punish
(27:47):
the men who are settled incomplacency.
The Lord's searchlightpenetrates every dark corner,
every hidden chamber, everysecret thought.
This should both humble andcomfort you.
Humble because it means yoursecret sins are not secret.
Comfort, because it means yourhidden acts of righteousness are
(28:08):
also seen and remembered.
Second, remember that God'sjudgment is always preceded by
warning.
The day of the Lord doesn't comewithout announcement.
God sends prophets, createscircumstances, provides
opportunities for repentance.
His desire is not to condemnbut to redeem.
(28:29):
Finally understand thatmaterial prosperity cannot
protect you from spiritualpoverty.
Neither their silver nor theirgold shall be able to deliver
them.
In the day of the Lord's wrath,the wealthy of Jerusalem
(28:51):
discovered that money cannot buysalvation, that gold cannot
purchase peace with God.
The day of the Lord is indeedcoming, beloved friend, not just
the historical judgment thatfell upon Jerusalem, but the
great and final day when Christreturns to judge the living and
the dead.
But for those who have soughtthe Lord while he may be found,
(29:16):
who have called upon his namewhile he is near, that day will
not be a day of wrath but a dayof vindication.
Not a day of destruction but aday of deliverance.
Thank you for joining me todayas we journey through the book
of Zephaniah, chapter 1.
(29:36):
I pray that you carry thesereflections with you into your
day, into your week, and thatyou find strength in knowing God
is with you in every trial,every temptation and every step
of obedience.
If this time in God's word hasencouraged you, take a moment to
share with someone who mightneed it, and be sure to join me
(29:59):
next time as we continue walkingthrough the scriptures,
learning, growing and stayingfaithful in the field of life.
Until next time, may you findpeace in the quiet trust in
God's call and rest in Hisunchanging love.
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Today, a man named Zephaniah stood at
the crossroads of judgment andhope.
I am Zephaniah, son of Cushai,son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah,
son of Hezekiah, Son of Amariah, Son of Hezekiah, and yes,
(04:51):
friend, that Hezekiah who onceruled as king over Judah.
The blood of David flowsthrough these veins.
The heritage of Solomon'swisdom runs in my family line.
Yet here I stand, not in purplerobes upon a throne, but
clothed in the rough garments ofa prophet, my hands stained not
(05:12):
with royal ink but with thedust of Jerusalem's streets.
Come sit with me here on thisflat rooftop in the upper city
where the wealthy merchants andnobles make their homes.
From this vantage point, we cansee all of Jerusalem spread
(05:33):
before us like a scroll unrolledby the hand of the Almighty.
The afternoon sun beats downupon the limestone walls,
turning them golden white, whileshadows gather in the narrow
alleyways below where the commonpeople go about their daily
(05:53):
business.
Do you smell that, friend?
The mingled aromas that risefrom the city like incense, but
not the sweet incense thatshould ascend from the temple.
No, this is the acrid smell offoreign altars, the pungent
smell of sacrifices offered toBaal and Molech, mixed with the
(06:18):
everyday scents of bread, baking, wool being dyed and leather
being tanned.
It is the smell of a people whohave forgotten their first love
, who have mixed the sacred withthe profane Until they can no
longer distinguish between holyand common.
Listen, Do you hear thosetrumpets from the temple mount?
(06:41):
They should sound clear andpure, calling the people to
worship the God of their fathers, but even the music sounds
corrupted now played by priestswho serve for hire, who have
made the house of prayer into aden of thieves.
The very stones of Solomon'stemple seem to weep for the
(07:05):
glory that has departed.
See that group of men walkingthrough the courtyard below.
Those are the princes of Judah,dressed in their foreign
garments Egyptian linen,assyrian silk, babylonian purple
, assyrian silk, babylonianpurple.
They have adopted not just theclothing of the nations, but
(07:28):
their customs, their gods, theirways of thinking.
They bow and scrape before theambassadors of pagan kings,
while showing contempt for theprophets of the Most High.
And there in the marketplace,watch how the merchants conduct
their business.
They use false weights anddishonest scales.
(07:51):
They oppress the poor and crushthe needy.
Their God is silver.
Their temple is the countinghouse.
Their prayers are calculationsof profit and loss.
They have grown rich while thewidows and orphans grow thin.
And they sleep soundly on bedsof ivory while the righteous cry
(08:14):
out for justice.
But it was not always so,friend.
I remember stories mygrandfather told me of the days
when King Hezekiah ruled withrighteousness, when the temple
was cleansed and the peopleturned their hearts back to the
Lord.
I remember the tales of how Goddelivered Jerusalem from the
(08:35):
mighty Assyrian army, how theangel of death passed through
their camp in a single night,leaving 185,000 warriors as
silent as stones.
Yet here we are, barely ageneration later, and the people
have forgotten the miraclestheir fathers witnessed.
(08:57):
They have returned to theirvomit like dogs, embraced again
the idols their fathers rejected, vomit like dogs, embraced
again the idols their fathersrejected.
The reforms of good KingHezekiah have been undone, the
altars to foreign gods rebuilt,the high places restored.
But I must tell you why I havebrought you here, why the Lord
(09:20):
has compelled me to speak.
Three days ago, as I knelt inprayer in my chamber before dawn
, the word of the Lord hascompelled me to speak.
Three days ago, as I knelt inprayer in my chamber before dawn
, the word of the Lord came uponme like a rushing wind, like
fire shut up in my bones.
The vision was so terrifying,terrible, so overwhelming that I
fell upon the floor, my facepressed against the cold stone.
(09:43):
I saw the Lord standing uponthe earth like a mighty warrior,
preparing for battle, his eyesblazing like flames of fire, his
voice like the sound of manywaters, and he spoke oh how he
spoke, with words that made thevery foundations of the earth
(10:04):
tremble.
I will utterly consumeeverything from the face of the
land, he declared, and I feltthe weight of divine wrath
pressing down upon my soul likea mountain.
I will consume man and beast.
I will consume the birds of theheavens and the fish of the sea
(10:26):
and the stumbling blocks, alongwith the wicked.
I will cut off man from theface of the land.
Friend, do you understand whatthis means?
This is not merely the judgmentof a city or a nation.
This is the day of the Lord,the great and terrible day that
(10:49):
all the prophets have spoken ofsince ancient times.
It is the day when God willsettle accounts with a
rebellious world, when he willvindicate His holiness and
demonstrate his justice beforeall creation.
I rose from my prayer thatmorning and walked through these
(11:09):
very streets seeing them withnew eyes, the eyes of divine
judgment.
Every idol shrine became atarget for God's wrath.
Every corrupt official became acandidate for destruction.
Every false priest became fuelfor the fire of his anger.
(11:31):
Look there at that shrine toBaal built right into the wall
of that house.
The family who lives there.
I know them well, old Meshulamand his wife Abigail, with their
three sons who work as scribesin the king's court.
Good people by human standards.
They pay their taxes, they'rekind to their neighbors, they
(11:54):
even attend the temple festivals.
But there, in their privatecourtyard, stands that
abomination, a carved image ofthe storm god with offerings of
grain and wine placed before it.
Each morning I will stretch outmy hand against Judah and
against all the inhabitants ofJerusalem.
(12:16):
The Lord declared in my visionI will cut off every trace of
Baal from this place.
The names of the adulterouspriests, with the pagan priest,
those who worship the host ofheaven on the housetops, those
whose worship and swear oaths bythe Lord but who also swear by
(12:36):
Malcolm.
Do you see those flat rooftopsstretching out before us?
At night they become altars tothe stars.
The people climb up here withtheir incense and their prayers
bowing down to Venus and Mars,to the constellations and the
zodiac.
They think they're beingsophisticated, embracing the
(13:00):
wisdom of the Chaldeans and theEgyptians.
They don't realize they'recommitting spiritual adultery,
breaking the covenant theirfathers made with the living God
.
And the priests, oh the priests,those who should be teaching
the people the differencebetween holy and profane, have
(13:20):
themselves become profane.
They wear the sacred garmentswhile serving false gods.
They speak the ancient prayers,while their hearts are far from
the Lord.
They have polluted thesanctuary and done violence to
the law.
I think of Hilkiah the highpriest, a good man who serves
(13:42):
faithfully in the temple, buteven he is surrounded by
corruption, by men who have madethe house of God into a
marketplace of competingreligions.
The very courts where Abraham'sGod should be worshipped
exclusively has become a bizarreof spiritual compromise.
(14:03):
But it is not just thereligious leaders who have gone
astray.
The princes, the nobles, thewealthy merchants, they have all
turned their backs on the Godof their fathers.
They dress like foreigners,they think like pagans, they act
like those who have never heardthe name of the Lord.
(14:24):
And even now, as I speak thesewords to you, the armies of the
north are stirring.
Babylon grows stronger each day.
Her chariots multiply likelocusts.
Her warriors sharpen theirswords for conquest.
The Lord is preparing hisinstruments of judgment, raising
up the nations that will be therod of his anger against his
(14:46):
unfaithful people.
The great day of the Lord isnear.
It is near and hastens quickly.
The vision showed me.
The noise of the day of theLord is bitter.
There, the mighty men shall cryout.
That day is a day of wrath, aday of trouble and distress, a
(15:06):
day of devastation anddesolation, a day of darkness
and gloominess, a day of cloudsand thick darkness.
I have seen it, friend.
Seen it as clearly as I seeyour face before me now.
The walls of Jerusalem breached, her gates broken down, her
(15:26):
people led away in chains, thetemple stripped of its treasures
, its courts trampled by foreignfeet, its altar fires
extinguished, the palaces of thewealthy reduced to rubble,
their fine garments torn, theirsilver and gold, unable to
deliver them in the day of theLord's wrath.
(15:48):
Yet, even in this vision ofjudgment, even as my heart
breaks for my people and my city, I know that the Lord is
righteous in all his ways.
His anger is not the rage of atyrant but the holy wrath of
perfect justice.
He has been patient beyondmeasure, sending prophet after
(16:11):
prophet, calling his people toreturn to him, but they have
hardened their hearts likePharaoh of old, and now the time
for repentance grows short.
I remember Hezekiah's words,passed down through our family
the Lord is good, a strongholdin the day of trouble, and he
(16:32):
knows those who trust in Him.
Even in judgment, there ismercy for those who seek Him
with all their hearts.
Even in the darkness, there islight for those who walk in His
ways.
See how the people return totheir homes as evening
(16:53):
approaches, carrying theirburdens, leading their children,
making their preparations forthe night.
They go about their routines asif nothing has changed, as if
the very foundations of theirworld are not about to be shaken
.
They are like those in the daysof Noah eating and drinking,
(17:16):
marrying and giving in marriage,right up until the flood came
and swept them all away.
But you, friend, you have satwith me here on this rooftop.
You have listened to the wordof the Lord with an open heart.
You need not be caught unaware.
(17:37):
The day of the Lord is cominglike a thief in the night, but
it need not find you sleeping.
There is still time to seek theLord, still opportunity to
humble yourself before hismighty hand.
The sun is setting now.
Painting the western sky withcolors of fire is setting now.
(18:04):
Painting the western sky withcolors of fire, a reminder of
the consuming flame of God'sholiness.
But see how the first stars arebeginning to appear.
They remind us that even in thedarkest night, the Lord
provides light for those wholook up to Him.
The Lord provides light forthose who look up to Him.
Come then, beloved listener, letus descend together from this
(18:26):
rooftop into the valley of God'sWord.
Let us listen as the Lordspeaks through His servant,
zephaniah, though the messagemay make us tremble and cause us
to cry out for mercy, for inHis wrath he remembers mercy,
and even in judgment he providesa way of escape for those who
(18:47):
call upon His name.
The night wind carries thescent of coming rain, and I hear
in its whisper the voice of theOne who controls both storm and
calm, both judgment andsalvation.
Now let's take a moment toquiet our hearts and listen to
(19:09):
the word itself.
Let these words sink deep intoyour spirit, bringing comfort,
conviction and encouragement,whether you're sitting in a
quiet place or out in the world.
Allow scripture to meet youright where you are.
I hope you have your favoritecup of tea or coffee.
Sit back, relax and let's stepinto the sacred text of the book
(19:34):
of Zephaniah, chapter 1, theword of the Lord that came to
Zephaniah, son of Cushai, son ofGedaliah, son of Amariah, son
(19:56):
of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, sonof Hezekiah, in the days of
King Josiah, son of Ammon ofJudah.
I will utterly sweep awayeverything from the face of the
earth, says the Lord.
I will sweep away humans andanimals.
(20:18):
I will sweep away the birds ofthe earth and the fish of the
sea.
I will make the wicked stumble.
I will cut off humanity fromthe face of the earth, says the
Lord.
I will stretch out my handagainst Judah and against all
the inhabitants of Jerusalem andI will cut off from this place
(20:41):
every remnant of Baal and thename of the adulterous priest.
Those who bow down on the roofsto the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear tothe Lord but also swear by
Milcom, those who have turnedback from following the Lord,
(21:02):
who have not sought the Lord orinquired of him, be silent
before the Lord, god.
For the day of the Lord is athand.
The Lord has prepared asacrifice.
He has consecrated his guests,and on the day of the Lord's
sacrifice, I will punish theofficials and the king's sons
(21:24):
and all who dress themselves inforeign attire.
On that day, I will punish allwho leap over the threshold, who
fill their master's house withviolence and fraud.
On that day, says the Lord, acry will be heard from the fish
gate.
A whale from the second quarterallowed crash from the hills.
(21:47):
The inhabitants of the mortarwail for all.
The traitors have perished.
All who weigh out silver arecut off.
At that time, I will searchJerusalem with lamps and I will
punish the people who restcomplacently on their dregs,
those who say in their heartsthe Lord will not do good, nor
(22:08):
will he do harm.
Their wealth shall be plunderedand their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses, theyshall not inhabit them.
Though they plant vineyards,they shall not drink wine from
them.
The great day of the Lord isnear, near and hastening fast.
The sound of the day of theLord is bitter.
(22:30):
The warrior cries aloud there.
That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation.
A day of ruin and devastation,a day of darkness and gloom, a
day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and
battle cry against the fortifiedcities and against the lofty
(22:53):
battlements.
I will bring such distress uponpeople that they shall walk
like the blind because they havesinned against the Lord.
Their blood shall be poured outlike dust and their flesh like
dung.
Neither their silver nor theirgold will be able to save them
(23:14):
On the day of the Lord's wrath.
In the fire of his passion, thewhole earth shall be consumed.
For a fool, a terrible end hewill make of all the inhabitants
of the earth.
(23:44):
The Word has been spoken,beloved friend, and now we sit
together as the shadows lengthenacross Jerusalem's ancient
stones.
The sun hangs low in thewestern sky, casting long
fingers of golden light throughthe narrow streets below, while
the first evening stars begin topierce the darkening canopy
(24:07):
above us.
Look how the city settles intoits evening rhythm, unaware that
the very foundations of theirworld have just been shaken by
the voice of the Almighty.
The merchants secure theirshops, the children are called
in from their play, the womenlight their oil lamps against
(24:28):
the gathering darkness.
Life continues its ancientpattern, even as the decree of
divine judgment echoes throughthe quarters of eternity.
I feel the weight of what wehave discussed together, friend.
We have stood in the presenceof the Most High God as he
pronounced His sentence upon arebellious world.
(24:50):
We have heard Him declare Hisintention to consume everything
from the face of the earth manand beast, the birds of the
heavens and the fish of the sea.
We have witnessed the terriblemajesty of divine wrath
unleashed against a creationthat has forgotten its creator.
But do not think that thesewords were spoken in haste or in
(25:15):
anger, like the rage of a humanking whose pride has been
wounded.
No, this is the measuredresponse of perfect holiness to
persistent rebellion, theinevitable consequence of a
universe where moral law is asfixed as the law of gravity,
where moral law is as fixed asthe law of gravity.
The Lord has been patient beyondmeasure, sending prophet after
(25:38):
prophet, calling his people backto himself with tender mercies
and loving kindnesses.
But there comes a moment evenwhen the divine patience reaches
its limit.
Down in the valley, old Benaiahplays his evening song to
(26:00):
settle his flock for the night.
The sheep know his voice, trusthis guidance, follow where he
leads them to safety.
If only God's people had suchwisdom.
If only they recognized thevoice of their true shepherd and
followed him to green pasturesand still waters and still of
wondering after strange gods andforeign shepherds.
(26:22):
We have walked together throughthe streets of Jerusalem, you
and I, and we have seen theevidence of spiritual adultery
on every corner the shrines ofBaal built into the very walls
of houses, the altars to foreigngods erected on rooftops, the
priests who serve both the Lordand Milcom with equal devotion.
(26:45):
We have witnessed a people whohave tried to serve two masters
and have ended up servingneither faithfully.
I think of my kinsman Josiah,our youngest king, who has tried
so hard to bring reform to ourland.
He has torn down the highplaces, broken the images,
(27:06):
burned the bones of falsepriests upon their altars.
Yet even his reforms cannotreach into the secret chambers
of men's hearts, cannot root outthe idolatry that grows there
like a cancer.
External compliance is not thesame as internal transformation.
(27:27):
Now, beloved friend, let meshare with you the life lessons
that the Lord has burned into mysoul through this prophecy,
truths that must shape how youlive each day in this fallen
world.
First, understand that God seeseverything.
At that time I will searchJerusalem with lamps and punish
(27:47):
the men who are settled incomplacency.
The Lord's searchlightpenetrates every dark corner,
every hidden chamber, everysecret thought.
This should both humble andcomfort you.
Humble because it means yoursecret sins are not secret.
Comfort, because it means yourhidden acts of righteousness are
(28:08):
also seen and remembered.
Second, remember that God'sjudgment is always preceded by
warning.
The day of the Lord doesn't comewithout announcement.
God sends prophets, createscircumstances, provides
opportunities for repentance.
His desire is not to condemnbut to redeem.
(28:29):
Finally understand thatmaterial prosperity cannot
protect you from spiritualpoverty.
Neither their silver nor theirgold shall be able to deliver
them.
In the day of the Lord's wrath,the wealthy of Jerusalem
(28:51):
discovered that money cannot buysalvation, that gold cannot
purchase peace with God.
The day of the Lord is indeedcoming, beloved friend, not just
the historical judgment thatfell upon Jerusalem, but the
great and final day when Christreturns to judge the living and
the dead.
But for those who have soughtthe Lord while he may be found,
(29:16):
who have called upon his namewhile he is near, that day will
not be a day of wrath but a dayof vindication.
Not a day of destruction but aday of deliverance.
Thank you for joining me todayas we journey through the book
of Zephaniah, chapter 1.
(29:36):
I pray that you carry thesereflections with you into your
day, into your week, and thatyou find strength in knowing God
is with you in every trial,every temptation and every step
of obedience.
If this time in God's word hasencouraged you, take a moment to
share with someone who mightneed it, and be sure to join me
(29:59):
next time as we continue walkingthrough the scriptures,
learning, growing and stayingfaithful in the field of life.
Until next time, may you findpeace in the quiet trust in
God's call and rest in Hisunchanging love.
This is In the Field AudioBible, where we listen to the
(30:21):
Bible one chapter at a time.
You know, just by listeningright now you're already part of
this incredible mission that weare on together.
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