October 7, 2025 • 40 mins
The morning opens over ancient Jerusalem, and a hard book softens in our hands. We start with the weight of judgment and end with something far more surprising: God singing. Walking through Zephaniah 3, we sit beside the spring of Gihon and watch the prophetic horizon widen—from a city under critique to a world being renewed, from scattered nations to a unified chorus, from fear and shame to rest and delight. The shift isn’t cosmetic; it’s the core of the message. Justice clears the ground so love can take root.
As we read the text aloud, the contours come into focus: leaders who devour and deceive, a people who refuse correction, and a holy God who still rises each dawn to render right judgment. Then comes the pivot that redefines everything: the Lord your God in your midst rejoices over you with gladness, quiets you with His love, and exults over you with singing. We explore what it means for the Almighty to delight in His people, why humility becomes the doorway to safety, and how a remnant that tells the truth becomes a community where fear loosens its grip. Along the way, we meet ordinary neighbors—children reciting the Shema, a carpenter shaping a door, a weary merchant learning contentment—each a small sign of the restoration Zephaniah foresees.
The vision stretches beyond Jerusalem. Languages are cleansed, nations gather, creation itself hums with joy, and the gates stand open because the enemy is no more. We talk about judgment as refining fire, hope as practiced faith, and renewal that reaches into systems and souls. If you’ve ever wondered how to hold the reality of wrath with the promise of love, or how ancient prophecy speaks to modern fracture, this journey offers solid ground and a song to carry. Join us, share it with someone who needs courage, and if the message blesses you, subscribe, leave a review, and consider supporting our work so more people can hear the Word that heals.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(04:22):
Today, we witness thecompletion of Zephaniah's
(05:49):
prophetic vision as the sunrises one final time over
ancient Jerusalem.
The echoes of divine wrathstill reverberate in our souls,
but now they harmonize withmelodies of restoration that
will make our hearts soar.
(06:09):
We have walked through thevalley of judgment and climbed
the mountain of mercy.
Now we stand at the summitwhere hope dawns eternal and
God's ultimate purposes arerevealed in all their
breathtaking beauty.
Close your eyes and join us onelast time in the City of David,
(06:34):
where this royal prophet willshare the most stunning
revelation of all.
That beyond the refining fireof judgment lies a future so
glorious, so filled with divinejoy and restored relationship
that it transforms ourunderstanding of God's very
(06:55):
nature.
Come, let us witness ittogether.
Let us witness how the story ofwrath becomes a song of love,
how the day of the Lord becomesthe dawn of eternal blessing.
Come, sit with me one finaltime as the sun rises over the
(07:25):
City of David.
Three days have passed sincethe Lord first spoke to me of
the great day of judgment.
Three nights.
I have wrestled with visionsthat have shaken me to the very
core of my being.
But this morning, ah, thismorning, it brings something
(07:51):
different.
Something that makes my heartleap within me like a young
heart upon the mountains.
We are here at the spring ofGihon, where King David once was
anointed, where the waters haveflowed pure and clear since the
days when Abraham walked thesehills.
(08:11):
The limestone rocks around usare still cool with the night's
dew.
And the air carries the sweetfragrance of almond blossoms
mixed with the earthy scent ofwet stone.
But there is something else inthe air this morning.
Something I can only describeas the very breath of hope
(08:35):
itself.
Do you hear that?
The sound of children at play,their voices ringing like silver
bells across the valley.
Little Sarah chasing herbrother Micah through the olive
groves.
Young Benjamin helping hisfather tend the sheep.
(08:56):
Baby Ruth taking her firsttentative steps in her mother's
courtyard.
They know nothing of thevisions that have consumed my
thoughts.
Nothing of the terrible day ofthe Lord that approaches like a
storm on the horizon.
Yet, in their innocent joy, Icatch a glimpse of something the
(09:19):
Almighty has shown me.
A future so glorious it makesmy soul sing.
There is Jeremiah the Potter,already at work in the early
morning light, his skilled handsshaping clay into vessels of
beauty and purpose.
The wheel turns steadily underhis guidance, and I am reminded
(09:43):
of how the Lord shapes nationsand peoples.
How he takes the broken clay ofhuman rebellion and reforms it
into something useful, somethingbeautiful, something that
brings glory to his name.
Jerusalem is stirring to lifearound us, friend.
(10:05):
The merchants are opening theirshops, the bakers are pulling
fresh loaves from their ovens,the women are drawing water from
the wells.
It appears to be just anotherordinary day in the life of
God's chosen city.
But I know better.
I have seen beyond the veil ofthe present into the purposes of
(10:26):
the eternal one.
And what I have witnessed fillsme with such joy that I can
barely contain it within thismortal frame.
Look there.
Do you see that dove ascendinginto the morning sky?
Its wings catch the goldenlight of the rising sun, and for
(10:47):
a moment it seems to glow likea messenger from heaven itself.
It reminds me of the spirit ofthe Lord that descended upon me
three nights ago.
Not with a terrible weight ofjudgment as before, but with a
gentleness that spoke ofrestoration, of healing, of love
beyond human comprehension.
(11:10):
Let me tell you what happened,dear friends.
After I had spoken the words ofthe second chapter, after I had
proclaimed the judgments uponthe nations and the call to seek
the Lord while he might befound, I thought surely my task
was complete.
I returned to my chamber,exhausted by the weight of
(11:32):
divine revelation, my soul heavywith the burden of speaking
such hard truths to my belovedpeople.
I lay upon my simple bed, notthe ivory couches of the
wealthy, but a humble pallet ofwoven reeds and wool.
And I wept.
(11:53):
Oh, how I wept.
Not just for the comingjudgment, though that grieved me
deeply, but for the heart ofGod Himself.
For in those visions of wrathand destruction, I had glimpsed
something that shattered myunderstanding of the Almighty's
nature.
(12:13):
I had seen his anger.
Yes.
Quite hot and terrible,consuming everything in its path
like fire and dry stubble.
But beneath that anger, deeperthan the fury of perfect
justice, I had perceivedsomething else.
(12:35):
A love so vast, so enduring, sounshakable that it made the
mountains seem like pebbles andthe seas seem like dewdrops.
It was the love of a fatherwhose children have broken his
heart.
The love of a husband whosebride has played the harlot.
The love of a creator whosemasterpiece has been defaced and
(12:59):
corrupted.
And as I lay there in thedarkness, my tears mingling with
the rain that began to fallupon Jerusalem's ancient stones,
the word of the Lord came to meagain.
But this time, oh, this time itcame not as a whirlwind or an
(13:24):
earthquake, but as a still smallvoice that whispered peace to
my troubled soul.
Zephaniah, the voice said, andin that single word I heard all
the tenderness that a fathershows his beloved child.
(13:47):
You have spoken my words ofjudgment faithfully.
You have warned my people ofthe day of wrath that must
surely come.
But now I will show you the endof the matter, the purpose for
which all things work together.
(14:08):
Now I will reveal to you theheart that beats beneath the
thunder, the love that burnsbrighter than the fire of my
anger.
And then the visions beganagain.
Instead of cities and ruins, Isaw cities rebuilt more glorious
(14:35):
than before.
Instead of nations scattered injudgment, I saw peoples
gathered in worship.
Instead of the earth groaningunder the weight of sin, I saw
creation itself singing with joyat the revelation of the sons
of God.
I saw Jerusalem, not as she isnow, with her compromised priest
(14:59):
and corrupt officials, hermixed worship and divided
loyalties, but as she will bewhen the Lord has purified her
like silver in the furnace.
I saw her streets filled notwith the merchants of Babylon
and the ambassadors of Egypt,but with pilgrims from every
(15:20):
nation under heaven, coming toworship the King of Kings in his
holy temple.
And the singing friend?
Oh, the singing.
It was as if the very stones ofthe city had found their voice,
as if the hills and valleyswere joining in a chorus of
(15:40):
praise that rose to the throneof the Most High, like incense
from a golden altar.
I heard languages I had neverheard before, melodies that
seemed to capture the veryessence of joy itself, harmonies
that spoke of unity restored,and peace established forever.
(16:01):
And then I heard it.
The voice of the Lord Himself,not speaking in judgment, but
singing in joy.
The Lord your God in yourmidst, the mighty one, will
save.
He will rejoice over you withgladness, he will quiet you with
his love, he will rejoice overyou with singing.
(16:25):
Can you imagine it?
The creator of the universe, hewho spoke the stars into
existence and set the boundariesof the seas, singing over his
people with joy.
Not the terrible voice thatshakes the foundations of the
earth, but the tender voice of abridegroom rejoicing over his
(16:49):
bride, of a father delighting inhis children, of a king
celebrating the restoration ofhis kingdom.
But perhaps the most amazingpart of the vision was what I
saw concerning the nations.
Remember how in the secondchapter the Lord pronounced
(17:09):
judgment upon the Philistinesand Moabites, upon the
Ethiopians and Assyrians?
I had seen their citiesdestroyed, their peoples
scattered, their pride broughtlow.
Yet now I was witnessingsomething that seemed
impossible.
These same nations, or ratherthe remnant that survived the
(17:33):
judgment, coming to Jerusalem,not as conquerors, but as
worshipers.
But then the vision expandedbeyond Jerusalem, beyond Judah,
beyond even the land of promiseitself.
I saw the knowledge of the Lordcovering the earth like waters
(17:54):
cover the sea.
I witnessed nations that hadnever heard his name bowing
before his throne.
I observed peoples from theends of the earth bring in their
treasures to lay at his feet,not in fear or compulsion, but
in love and gratitude for thesalvation he had provided.
(18:15):
And in the midst of all thisglory, all this restoration and
joy, I saw something that mademe fall to my knees in wonder.
I saw the Lord Himself walkingamong his people, not as the
terrible judge who bringsdestruction, but as the good
shepherd who gathers his flock,as the king who dwells with his
(18:39):
subjects, as the father whoembraces his children.
His face, oh his face, it waslike the sun shining in its
strength, yet so full of loveand tenderness that I could look
upon it without fear.
His eyes blazed with holy fire,yet they were eyes that had
(19:02):
wept over Jerusalem, that hadlooked with compassion upon the
multitudes, that saw not justwhat his people were, but what
they could become by his grace.
And the children?
The children in the vision ranto him without hesitation,
climbed upon his lap withoutfear, listened to his words with
(19:26):
ramped attention.
He was not the distant deity ofthe philosophers, not the harsh
taskmaker of human religion,but the loving father who
delights in his children, whoknows each one by name, who has
plans for them that are good andnot evil, to give them a future
(19:48):
and a hope.
The gates of the city stoodwide open, not because there was
no danger, but because therewas no enemy.
The walls were still there, notfor protection from invasion,
but as boundaries of blessing,markers of the territory where
the King of Kings held sway.
(20:09):
And through those gatesstreamed a river of people, the
redeemed from every nation,tribe, and tongue, coming home
to the city of their God.
And then I heard the voiceagain, not my voice or any human
(20:31):
voice, but the voice of theAlmighty Himself, speaking words
that seem to encompass all ofhistory, all of prophecy, all of
hope itself.
Behold, I make all things new.
The former things have passedaway.
There shall be no more death,neither sorrow nor crying,
(20:54):
neither shall there be any morepain, for the former things have
passed away.
When the vision ended, I foundmyself still lying on my simple
bed.
But everything had changed.
The burden of judgment wasstill there.
The day of the Lord must stillcome.
(21:16):
The refining fire must still doits work.
The proud must still be broughtlow and the rebellious
punished.
But now I understood thepurpose behind it all.
The love that motivated eventhe wrath, the restoration that
would follow the destruction.
(21:37):
Now, let's take a moment toquiet our hearts and listen to
the word itself.
Let these words sink deep intoyour spirit, bringing comfort,
conviction, and encouragement.
Whether you're sitting in aquiet place or out in the world,
allow scripture to meet youright where you are.
(22:00):
I hope you have your favoritecup of tea or coffee.
Sit back, relax, and let's stepinto the sacred text of the
Book of Zephaniah 3.
1 Ah, soiled, defiled,oppressing city.
(22:39):
2 It has listened to no voice,it has accepted no correction.
It has not trusted in the Lord.
It has not drawn near to itsGod.
3 The officials within it areroaring lions.
Its judges are evening wolvesthat leave nothing until the
morning.
4 Its prophets are reckless,faithless persons.
(23:02):
Its priests have profaned whatis sacred, they have done
violence to the law.
5 The Lord within its righteous,he does no wrong.
Every morning he renders hisjudgment, each dawn without
fail, but the unjust knows noshame.
(23:23):
6 I have cut off nations, theirbattlements are in ruins, I have
laid waste their streets sothat no one walks in them.
Their cities have been madedesolate without people, without
inhabitants.
7 I said, Surely the city willfear me, it will accept
correction, it will not losesight of all that I have brought
(23:46):
upon it.
But they were the more eager tomake all their deeds corrupt.
8 Therefore, wait for me, saysthe Lord, for the day when I
arise as a witness, for mydecision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms, to pourout upon them my indignation,
all the heat of my anger.
(24:08):
For in the fire of my passionall the earth shall be consumed.
9 At that time I will changethe speech of the peoples to a
pure speech, that all of themmay call on the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers ofEthiopia, my supplements, my
(24:29):
scattered ones, shall bring myoffering.
11 On that day you shall not beput to shame because of all the
deeds by which you have rebelledagainst me, for then I will
remove from your midst yourproud, exalted ones, and you
shall no longer be haughty in myholy mountain.
12 For I will leave you in themidst of you a people humble and
(24:53):
lowly.
They shall seek refuge in thename of the Lord,
13 the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong andutter no lies, nor shall a
deceitful tongue be found intheir mouths.
Then they will pasture and liedown, and no one shall make them
afraid.
14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion,shout, O Israel, rejoice and
(25:17):
exult with all your heart, Odaughter Jerusalem.
15 The Lord has taken away thejudgments against you, he has
turned away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord,is in your midst.
You shall fear disaster nomore.
16 On that day it shall be saidto Jerusalem, Do not fear, O
(25:39):
Zion, do not let your hands growweak.
17 The Lord your God is in yourmidst, a warrior who gives
victory.
He will rejoice over you withgladness, he will renew you in
his love, he will exult over youwith loud singing
18 as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from youso that you will not bear
(26:03):
reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all youroppressors at that time, and I
will save the lame and gatherthe outcast, and I will change
their shame into praise andrenown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring youhome, at that time when I
gather you, for I will make yourenowned and praised among all
(26:26):
the peoples of the earth when Irestore your fortunes before
your eyes, says the Lord.
I came here to this springwhere the waters run pure and
(26:58):
clear, where the light of therising sun paints the ancient
stones with gold, where I couldshare with you, my faithful
friend, the conclusion of thematter, the end toward which all
God's purposes are moving.
But first, let me tell you whatI see around this very morning
(27:21):
that confirms the truth of whatthe Lord has shown me.
Do you see that young womandrawing water at the well?
That is Miriam, daughter of thescribe Hilkiah.
Yesterday she was weepingbecause her birth cross had been
called away to military serviceon the northern border.
(27:43):
But this morning, see how shehums as she works?
There is hope in her eyes,peace in her movements.
It is as if she senses, withoutknowing why, that better days
are coming.
And there is Joseph thecarpenter, already at work on a
(28:04):
new door for the house ofprayer.
His hands are skilled, hisheart is pure, and though he
knows not what the future holds,he builds as one who believes
that what he creates willendure.
In the vision, I saw himcrafting not just doors and
windows, but helping to buildthe very kingdom of God with his
(28:28):
faithful labor.
Do you hear that?
Those are the children in thehouse of learning, reciting the
words of Moses.
Hear, O Israel, the Lord ourGod, the Lord is one.
You shall love the Lord yourGod with all your heart, with
(28:49):
all your soul, and with all yourstrength.
Their young voices carry on themorning air like incense rising
to heaven.
And I know that some of thesevery children will live to see
the fulfillment of all that Godhas promised.
Even old Bartholomew, themerchant, who has grown wealthy
(29:11):
through honest trade, he seemsdifferent this morning.
Instead of the anxiouscalculation that usually marks
his features, there is acontentment.
A piece that speaks of trust insomething greater than silver
and gold.
In the vision, I saw him usinghis wealth not just for his own
comfort, but as an instrument ofblessing for the poor and
(29:35):
needy.
But now, my friend, I mustshare with you the most
important part of what the Lordrevealed the path from where we
are now to where he is takingus.
For the vision of restorationis glorious indeed, but it does
not come without cost, withoutpurification, without the
(29:57):
refining fire that burns awayall that.
Is false and leaves only whatis true.
The Lord showed me that beforethe singing comes the silence,
before the joy comes the sorrow,before the restoration comes
the judgment.
Jerusalem must first be humbledbefore she can be exalted.
(30:18):
The proud must be brought lowbefore the meek can inherit the
earth.
The false shepherds must beremoved before the good shepherd
can gather his flock.
"Woe to her who is rebelliousand polluted, to the oppressing
city!" These were the words thatcame to me with the force of
(30:42):
thunder, yet spoken with thesorrow of a father's broken
heart.
I saw Jerusalem as she trulyis, not the holy city of our
dreams, but the rebelliousdaughter who has spurned her
father's love, the unfaithfulbride who has played the harlot
with foreign gods.
Her officials are like roaringlions tearing their prey,
(31:06):
carrying nothing for justice ormercy.
Her judges are like eveningwolves that weave nothing for
the morning, devouringeverything in their path.
Her prophets, they are liketreacherous people who have
polluted the sanctuary and doneviolence to the law.
Her priests have made the holycommon and the common holy,
(31:29):
until no one can distinguishbetween sacred and profane.
Yet even in speaking thesewords of condemnation, I hear
the undertone of love, the griefof the Almighty over what his
people have become.
He is like a mother whose childhas gone astray, like a husband
(31:51):
whose wife has broken hisheart, like a king whose
subjects have rebelled againsthis loving rule.
The judgment must come.
Holiness demands it, justicerequires it, but it comes from a
heart that breaks, even as itacts.
I see the people beginning togather now, drawn by some
(32:16):
invisible force to hear what theLord would say through his
servant.
There is old Samuel, thepriest, his face lined with
years of faithful service, yetmarked with sorrow at what he
has witnessed in the temple.
There is young David theshepherd, his eyes bright with
the fire of one who hasencountered the living God in
(32:38):
the wilderness places.
There is Ruth, the widow, herhands calloused from honest
labor, her heart pure despitethe hardships she has endured.
They come not knowing what theywill hear.
These remnant ones who stillseek the Lord in a generation
(32:59):
that has largely forgotten him.
Some come with hope, otherswith fear, still others with
simple curiosity.
But all of them, I sense, arehungry for a word from the Lord,
thirsty for truth in a landthat has been flooded with lies.
(33:20):
And so I must speak to them andto you, dear friend.
The words that the Lord hasgiven me.
Words of judgment, yes, butalso words of hope.
Words of condemnation for theproud and rebellious, but words
of comfort for the humble.
Words that will shake thefoundations of the earth, but
(33:44):
also words that will establish akingdom that cannot be shaken.
I hear them gathering now,these people of mine, these
children of Abraham, Isaac, andJacob.
Some will receive the word withgladness, others will reject it
with scorn, some will humblethemselves and seek the Lord,
(34:04):
others will harden their heartsand continue in rebellion.
But all will hear, and all willbe without excuse when the day
of the Lord finally dawns.
For that day is coming, friend,as surely as the sun rises and
sets, as certain as the seasonschange, as inevitable as the
(34:28):
tide that follows the moon, itis a day that will test every
man's work, that will reveal thesecrets of every heart, that
will separate the righteous fromthe wicked as a shepherd
separates the sheep from thegoats.
But for those who seek theLord, for those who humble
themselves under his mightyhand, for those who trust in his
(34:50):
mercy rather in their ownrighteousness, for them, that
day will not be a day of terror,but a day of triumph, not a day
of destruction, but a day ofdeliverance, not a day of
ending, but a day of beginning.
And now the time has come tospeak the final words that the
(35:11):
Lord has given me, to completethe prophecy that began with
such terrible visions ofjudgment and will end with such
glorious promises ofrestoration.
The people are gathered, themorning light is full upon us,
and the Spirit of the Lord ismoving like a gentle wind across
the waters of this ancientspring.
(35:33):
Take your place among theremnant, among those who still
believe that the Lord is goodand that his mercy endures
forever.
Listen with your heart as wellas with your ears, for these
words are not merely ancienthistory, but living truth that
speaks to every generation,every nation, every soul that
(35:55):
seeks to know the heart of theAlmighty.
For this is the conclusion ofthe matter, the end toward which
all of God's purposes move, theglorious climax of the symphony
of redemption that began in theGarden of Eden and will find
its fulfillment in the newJerusalem that comes down from
(36:15):
God out of heaven, prepared as abride adorned for her husband.
Let us listen together as theLord speaks his final word
through his servant Zephaniah.
Words of judgment and mercy, ofwrath and love, of ending and
beginning, of the day that willdawn when the sun of
(36:37):
righteousness rises with healingin his wings . . .
Thank you for joining me todayas we journey through the Book
of Zephaniah 3.
I pray that you carry thesereflections with you into your
day, into your week, and thatyou find strength in knowing God
(36:58):
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 it with someone who mightneed it.
And be sure to join me nexttime as we continue walking
through the scriptures,learning, growing, and staying
(37:19):
faithful 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
Bible One Chapter at a Time.
Today, we witness thecompletion of Zephaniah's
(05:49):
prophetic vision as the sunrises one final time over
ancient Jerusalem.
The echoes of divine wrathstill reverberate in our souls,
but now they harmonize withmelodies of restoration that
will make our hearts soar.
(06:09):
We have walked through thevalley of judgment and climbed
the mountain of mercy.
Now we stand at the summitwhere hope dawns eternal and
God's ultimate purposes arerevealed in all their
breathtaking beauty.
Close your eyes and join us onelast time in the City of David,
(06:34):
where this royal prophet willshare the most stunning
revelation of all.
That beyond the refining fireof judgment lies a future so
glorious, so filled with divinejoy and restored relationship
that it transforms ourunderstanding of God's very
(06:55):
nature.
Come, let us witness ittogether.
Let us witness how the story ofwrath becomes a song of love,
how the day of the Lord becomesthe dawn of eternal blessing.
Come, sit with me one finaltime as the sun rises over the
(07:25):
City of David.
Three days have passed sincethe Lord first spoke to me of
the great day of judgment.
Three nights.
I have wrestled with visionsthat have shaken me to the very
core of my being.
But this morning, ah, thismorning, it brings something
(07:51):
different.
Something that makes my heartleap within me like a young
heart upon the mountains.
We are here at the spring ofGihon, where King David once was
anointed, where the waters haveflowed pure and clear since the
days when Abraham walked thesehills.
(08:11):
The limestone rocks around usare still cool with the night's
dew.
And the air carries the sweetfragrance of almond blossoms
mixed with the earthy scent ofwet stone.
But there is something else inthe air this morning.
Something I can only describeas the very breath of hope
(08:35):
itself.
Do you hear that?
The sound of children at play,their voices ringing like silver
bells across the valley.
Little Sarah chasing herbrother Micah through the olive
groves.
Young Benjamin helping hisfather tend the sheep.
(08:56):
Baby Ruth taking her firsttentative steps in her mother's
courtyard.
They know nothing of thevisions that have consumed my
thoughts.
Nothing of the terrible day ofthe Lord that approaches like a
storm on the horizon.
Yet, in their innocent joy, Icatch a glimpse of something the
(09:19):
Almighty has shown me.
A future so glorious it makesmy soul sing.
There is Jeremiah the Potter,already at work in the early
morning light, his skilled handsshaping clay into vessels of
beauty and purpose.
The wheel turns steadily underhis guidance, and I am reminded
(09:43):
of how the Lord shapes nationsand peoples.
How he takes the broken clay ofhuman rebellion and reforms it
into something useful, somethingbeautiful, something that
brings glory to his name.
Jerusalem is stirring to lifearound us, friend.
(10:05):
The merchants are opening theirshops, the bakers are pulling
fresh loaves from their ovens,the women are drawing water from
the wells.
It appears to be just anotherordinary day in the life of
God's chosen city.
But I know better.
I have seen beyond the veil ofthe present into the purposes of
(10:26):
the eternal one.
And what I have witnessed fillsme with such joy that I can
barely contain it within thismortal frame.
Look there.
Do you see that dove ascendinginto the morning sky?
Its wings catch the goldenlight of the rising sun, and for
(10:47):
a moment it seems to glow likea messenger from heaven itself.
It reminds me of the spirit ofthe Lord that descended upon me
three nights ago.
Not with a terrible weight ofjudgment as before, but with a
gentleness that spoke ofrestoration, of healing, of love
beyond human comprehension.
(11:10):
Let me tell you what happened,dear friends.
After I had spoken the words ofthe second chapter, after I had
proclaimed the judgments uponthe nations and the call to seek
the Lord while he might befound, I thought surely my task
was complete.
I returned to my chamber,exhausted by the weight of
(11:32):
divine revelation, my soul heavywith the burden of speaking
such hard truths to my belovedpeople.
I lay upon my simple bed, notthe ivory couches of the
wealthy, but a humble pallet ofwoven reeds and wool.
And I wept.
(11:53):
Oh, how I wept.
Not just for the comingjudgment, though that grieved me
deeply, but for the heart ofGod Himself.
For in those visions of wrathand destruction, I had glimpsed
something that shattered myunderstanding of the Almighty's
nature.
(12:13):
I had seen his anger.
Yes.
Quite hot and terrible,consuming everything in its path
like fire and dry stubble.
But beneath that anger, deeperthan the fury of perfect
justice, I had perceivedsomething else.
(12:35):
A love so vast, so enduring, sounshakable that it made the
mountains seem like pebbles andthe seas seem like dewdrops.
It was the love of a fatherwhose children have broken his
heart.
The love of a husband whosebride has played the harlot.
The love of a creator whosemasterpiece has been defaced and
(12:59):
corrupted.
And as I lay there in thedarkness, my tears mingling with
the rain that began to fallupon Jerusalem's ancient stones,
the word of the Lord came to meagain.
But this time, oh, this time itcame not as a whirlwind or an
(13:24):
earthquake, but as a still smallvoice that whispered peace to
my troubled soul.
Zephaniah, the voice said, andin that single word I heard all
the tenderness that a fathershows his beloved child.
(13:47):
You have spoken my words ofjudgment faithfully.
You have warned my people ofthe day of wrath that must
surely come.
But now I will show you the endof the matter, the purpose for
which all things work together.
(14:08):
Now I will reveal to you theheart that beats beneath the
thunder, the love that burnsbrighter than the fire of my
anger.
And then the visions beganagain.
Instead of cities and ruins, Isaw cities rebuilt more glorious
(14:35):
than before.
Instead of nations scattered injudgment, I saw peoples
gathered in worship.
Instead of the earth groaningunder the weight of sin, I saw
creation itself singing with joyat the revelation of the sons
of God.
I saw Jerusalem, not as she isnow, with her compromised priest
(14:59):
and corrupt officials, hermixed worship and divided
loyalties, but as she will bewhen the Lord has purified her
like silver in the furnace.
I saw her streets filled notwith the merchants of Babylon
and the ambassadors of Egypt,but with pilgrims from every
(15:20):
nation under heaven, coming toworship the King of Kings in his
holy temple.
And the singing friend?
Oh, the singing.
It was as if the very stones ofthe city had found their voice,
as if the hills and valleyswere joining in a chorus of
(15:40):
praise that rose to the throneof the Most High, like incense
from a golden altar.
I heard languages I had neverheard before, melodies that
seemed to capture the veryessence of joy itself, harmonies
that spoke of unity restored,and peace established forever.
(16:01):
And then I heard it.
The voice of the Lord Himself,not speaking in judgment, but
singing in joy.
The Lord your God in yourmidst, the mighty one, will
save.
He will rejoice over you withgladness, he will quiet you with
his love, he will rejoice overyou with singing.
(16:25):
Can you imagine it?
The creator of the universe, hewho spoke the stars into
existence and set the boundariesof the seas, singing over his
people with joy.
Not the terrible voice thatshakes the foundations of the
earth, but the tender voice of abridegroom rejoicing over his
(16:49):
bride, of a father delighting inhis children, of a king
celebrating the restoration ofhis kingdom.
But perhaps the most amazingpart of the vision was what I
saw concerning the nations.
Remember how in the secondchapter the Lord pronounced
(17:09):
judgment upon the Philistinesand Moabites, upon the
Ethiopians and Assyrians?
I had seen their citiesdestroyed, their peoples
scattered, their pride broughtlow.
Yet now I was witnessingsomething that seemed
impossible.
These same nations, or ratherthe remnant that survived the
(17:33):
judgment, coming to Jerusalem,not as conquerors, but as
worshipers.
But then the vision expandedbeyond Jerusalem, beyond Judah,
beyond even the land of promiseitself.
I saw the knowledge of the Lordcovering the earth like waters
(17:54):
cover the sea.
I witnessed nations that hadnever heard his name bowing
before his throne.
I observed peoples from theends of the earth bring in their
treasures to lay at his feet,not in fear or compulsion, but
in love and gratitude for thesalvation he had provided.
(18:15):
And in the midst of all thisglory, all this restoration and
joy, I saw something that mademe fall to my knees in wonder.
I saw the Lord Himself walkingamong his people, not as the
terrible judge who bringsdestruction, but as the good
shepherd who gathers his flock,as the king who dwells with his
(18:39):
subjects, as the father whoembraces his children.
His face, oh his face, it waslike the sun shining in its
strength, yet so full of loveand tenderness that I could look
upon it without fear.
His eyes blazed with holy fire,yet they were eyes that had
(19:02):
wept over Jerusalem, that hadlooked with compassion upon the
multitudes, that saw not justwhat his people were, but what
they could become by his grace.
And the children?
The children in the vision ranto him without hesitation,
climbed upon his lap withoutfear, listened to his words with
(19:26):
ramped attention.
He was not the distant deity ofthe philosophers, not the harsh
taskmaker of human religion,but the loving father who
delights in his children, whoknows each one by name, who has
plans for them that are good andnot evil, to give them a future
(19:48):
and a hope.
The gates of the city stoodwide open, not because there was
no danger, but because therewas no enemy.
The walls were still there, notfor protection from invasion,
but as boundaries of blessing,markers of the territory where
the King of Kings held sway.
(20:09):
And through those gatesstreamed a river of people, the
redeemed from every nation,tribe, and tongue, coming home
to the city of their God.
And then I heard the voiceagain, not my voice or any human
(20:31):
voice, but the voice of theAlmighty Himself, speaking words
that seem to encompass all ofhistory, all of prophecy, all of
hope itself.
Behold, I make all things new.
The former things have passedaway.
There shall be no more death,neither sorrow nor crying,
(20:54):
neither shall there be any morepain, for the former things have
passed away.
When the vision ended, I foundmyself still lying on my simple
bed.
But everything had changed.
The burden of judgment wasstill there.
The day of the Lord must stillcome.
(21:16):
The refining fire must still doits work.
The proud must still be broughtlow and the rebellious
punished.
But now I understood thepurpose behind it all.
The love that motivated eventhe wrath, the restoration that
would follow the destruction.
(21:37):
Now, let's take a moment toquiet our hearts and listen to
the word itself.
Let these words sink deep intoyour spirit, bringing comfort,
conviction, and encouragement.
Whether you're sitting in aquiet place or out in the world,
allow scripture to meet youright where you are.
(22:00):
I hope you have your favoritecup of tea or coffee.
Sit back, relax, and let's stepinto the sacred text of the
Book of Zephaniah 3.
1 Ah, soiled, defiled,oppressing city.
(22:39):
2 It has listened to no voice,it has accepted no correction.
It has not trusted in the Lord.
It has not drawn near to itsGod.
3 The officials within it areroaring lions.
Its judges are evening wolvesthat leave nothing until the
morning.
4 Its prophets are reckless,faithless persons.
(23:02):
Its priests have profaned whatis sacred, they have done
violence to the law.
5 The Lord within its righteous,he does no wrong.
Every morning he renders hisjudgment, each dawn without
fail, but the unjust knows noshame.
(23:23):
6 I have cut off nations, theirbattlements are in ruins, I have
laid waste their streets sothat no one walks in them.
Their cities have been madedesolate without people, without
inhabitants.
7 I said, Surely the city willfear me, it will accept
correction, it will not losesight of all that I have brought
(23:46):
upon it.
But they were the more eager tomake all their deeds corrupt.
8 Therefore, wait for me, saysthe Lord, for the day when I
arise as a witness, for mydecision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms, to pourout upon them my indignation,
all the heat of my anger.
(24:08):
For in the fire of my passionall the earth shall be consumed.
9 At that time I will changethe speech of the peoples to a
pure speech, that all of themmay call on the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers ofEthiopia, my supplements, my
(24:29):
scattered ones, shall bring myoffering.
11 On that day you shall not beput to shame because of all the
deeds by which you have rebelledagainst me, for then I will
remove from your midst yourproud, exalted ones, and you
shall no longer be haughty in myholy mountain.
12 For I will leave you in themidst of you a people humble and
(24:53):
lowly.
They shall seek refuge in thename of the Lord,
13 the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong andutter no lies, nor shall a
deceitful tongue be found intheir mouths.
Then they will pasture and liedown, and no one shall make them
afraid.
14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion,shout, O Israel, rejoice and
(25:17):
exult with all your heart, Odaughter Jerusalem.
15 The Lord has taken away thejudgments against you, he has
turned away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord,is in your midst.
You shall fear disaster nomore.
16 On that day it shall be saidto Jerusalem, Do not fear, O
(25:39):
Zion, do not let your hands growweak.
17 The Lord your God is in yourmidst, a warrior who gives
victory.
He will rejoice over you withgladness, he will renew you in
his love, he will exult over youwith loud singing
18 as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from youso that you will not bear
(26:03):
reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all youroppressors at that time, and I
will save the lame and gatherthe outcast, and I will change
their shame into praise andrenown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring youhome, at that time when I
gather you, for I will make yourenowned and praised among all
(26:26):
the peoples of the earth when Irestore your fortunes before
your eyes, says the Lord.
I came here to this springwhere the waters run pure and
(26:58):
clear, where the light of therising sun paints the ancient
stones with gold, where I couldshare with you, my faithful
friend, the conclusion of thematter, the end toward which all
God's purposes are moving.
But first, let me tell you whatI see around this very morning
(27:21):
that confirms the truth of whatthe Lord has shown me.
Do you see that young womandrawing water at the well?
That is Miriam, daughter of thescribe Hilkiah.
Yesterday she was weepingbecause her birth cross had been
called away to military serviceon the northern border.
(27:43):
But this morning, see how shehums as she works?
There is hope in her eyes,peace in her movements.
It is as if she senses, withoutknowing why, that better days
are coming.
And there is Joseph thecarpenter, already at work on a
(28:04):
new door for the house ofprayer.
His hands are skilled, hisheart is pure, and though he
knows not what the future holds,he builds as one who believes
that what he creates willendure.
In the vision, I saw himcrafting not just doors and
windows, but helping to buildthe very kingdom of God with his
(28:28):
faithful labor.
Do you hear that?
Those are the children in thehouse of learning, reciting the
words of Moses.
Hear, O Israel, the Lord ourGod, the Lord is one.
You shall love the Lord yourGod with all your heart, with
(28:49):
all your soul, and with all yourstrength.
Their young voices carry on themorning air like incense rising
to heaven.
And I know that some of thesevery children will live to see
the fulfillment of all that Godhas promised.
Even old Bartholomew, themerchant, who has grown wealthy
(29:11):
through honest trade, he seemsdifferent this morning.
Instead of the anxiouscalculation that usually marks
his features, there is acontentment.
A piece that speaks of trust insomething greater than silver
and gold.
In the vision, I saw him usinghis wealth not just for his own
comfort, but as an instrument ofblessing for the poor and
(29:35):
needy.
But now, my friend, I mustshare with you the most
important part of what the Lordrevealed the path from where we
are now to where he is takingus.
For the vision of restorationis glorious indeed, but it does
not come without cost, withoutpurification, without the
(29:57):
refining fire that burns awayall that.
Is false and leaves only whatis true.
The Lord showed me that beforethe singing comes the silence,
before the joy comes the sorrow,before the restoration comes
the judgment.
Jerusalem must first be humbledbefore she can be exalted.
(30:18):
The proud must be brought lowbefore the meek can inherit the
earth.
The false shepherds must beremoved before the good shepherd
can gather his flock.
"Woe to her who is rebelliousand polluted, to the oppressing
city!" These were the words thatcame to me with the force of
(30:42):
thunder, yet spoken with thesorrow of a father's broken
heart.
I saw Jerusalem as she trulyis, not the holy city of our
dreams, but the rebelliousdaughter who has spurned her
father's love, the unfaithfulbride who has played the harlot
with foreign gods.
Her officials are like roaringlions tearing their prey,
(31:06):
carrying nothing for justice ormercy.
Her judges are like eveningwolves that weave nothing for
the morning, devouringeverything in their path.
Her prophets, they are liketreacherous people who have
polluted the sanctuary and doneviolence to the law.
Her priests have made the holycommon and the common holy,
(31:29):
until no one can distinguishbetween sacred and profane.
Yet even in speaking thesewords of condemnation, I hear
the undertone of love, the griefof the Almighty over what his
people have become.
He is like a mother whose childhas gone astray, like a husband
(31:51):
whose wife has broken hisheart, like a king whose
subjects have rebelled againsthis loving rule.
The judgment must come.
Holiness demands it, justicerequires it, but it comes from a
heart that breaks, even as itacts.
I see the people beginning togather now, drawn by some
(32:16):
invisible force to hear what theLord would say through his
servant.
There is old Samuel, thepriest, his face lined with
years of faithful service, yetmarked with sorrow at what he
has witnessed in the temple.
There is young David theshepherd, his eyes bright with
the fire of one who hasencountered the living God in
(32:38):
the wilderness places.
There is Ruth, the widow, herhands calloused from honest
labor, her heart pure despitethe hardships she has endured.
They come not knowing what theywill hear.
These remnant ones who stillseek the Lord in a generation
(32:59):
that has largely forgotten him.
Some come with hope, otherswith fear, still others with
simple curiosity.
But all of them, I sense, arehungry for a word from the Lord,
thirsty for truth in a landthat has been flooded with lies.
(33:20):
And so I must speak to them andto you, dear friend.
The words that the Lord hasgiven me.
Words of judgment, yes, butalso words of hope.
Words of condemnation for theproud and rebellious, but words
of comfort for the humble.
Words that will shake thefoundations of the earth, but
(33:44):
also words that will establish akingdom that cannot be shaken.
I hear them gathering now,these people of mine, these
children of Abraham, Isaac, andJacob.
Some will receive the word withgladness, others will reject it
with scorn, some will humblethemselves and seek the Lord,
(34:04):
others will harden their heartsand continue in rebellion.
But all will hear, and all willbe without excuse when the day
of the Lord finally dawns.
For that day is coming, friend,as surely as the sun rises and
sets, as certain as the seasonschange, as inevitable as the
(34:28):
tide that follows the moon, itis a day that will test every
man's work, that will reveal thesecrets of every heart, that
will separate the righteous fromthe wicked as a shepherd
separates the sheep from thegoats.
But for those who seek theLord, for those who humble
themselves under his mightyhand, for those who trust in his
(34:50):
mercy rather in their ownrighteousness, for them, that
day will not be a day of terror,but a day of triumph, not a day
of destruction, but a day ofdeliverance, not a day of
ending, but a day of beginning.
And now the time has come tospeak the final words that the
(35:11):
Lord has given me, to completethe prophecy that began with
such terrible visions ofjudgment and will end with such
glorious promises ofrestoration.
The people are gathered, themorning light is full upon us,
and the Spirit of the Lord ismoving like a gentle wind across
the waters of this ancientspring.
(35:33):
Take your place among theremnant, among those who still
believe that the Lord is goodand that his mercy endures
forever.
Listen with your heart as wellas with your ears, for these
words are not merely ancienthistory, but living truth that
speaks to every generation,every nation, every soul that
(35:55):
seeks to know the heart of theAlmighty.
For this is the conclusion ofthe matter, the end toward which
all of God's purposes move, theglorious climax of the symphony
of redemption that began in theGarden of Eden and will find
its fulfillment in the newJerusalem that comes down from
(36:15):
God out of heaven, prepared as abride adorned for her husband.
Let us listen together as theLord speaks his final word
through his servant Zephaniah.
Words of judgment and mercy, ofwrath and love, of ending and
beginning, of the day that willdawn when the sun of
(36:37):
righteousness rises with healingin his wings . . .
Thank you for joining me todayas we journey through the Book
of Zephaniah 3.
I pray that you carry thesereflections with you into your
day, into your week, and thatyou find strength in knowing God
(36:58):
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 it with someone who mightneed it.
And be sure to join me nexttime as we continue walking
through the scriptures,learning, growing, and staying
(37:19):
faithful 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
Bible One Chapter at a Time.
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