"I am angry with my people!" God’s message to Zephaniah

-

The book of Zephaniah plunges us into the depths of God's righteous anger. The idolatrous rebellion of His people, the complacent disregard for their sin had stirred God’s anger toward Judah. It is here, in this crucible of righteous anger that God pours out His heart to Prophet Zephaniah, beginning with these solemn words:

 ‘I will utterly consume all things from off the land. I will consume man and beast: I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks of the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land.’

 

As we journey through the first chapter of Zephaniah, we witness the anger of God towards a people who had turned their hearts away from Him. The same God who had miraculously delivered them from the clutches of their enemies, lavished them with blessings, and showered them with unconditional love and protection. In spite of all this, Judah had turned away from God. He says of them;

‘They claim to follow the LORD, but then they worship Milcom, also.’

It is in this moment that God declares judgement upon Judah in what He called the day of the LORD. A day when His anger would be poured out. Of that day He declared;

‘Your silver and gold will not save you on that day of the LORD’s anger. For the whole land will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy.’

 



Yet, in the midst of this, God's anger does not extinguish His mercy. Even as He pronounces judgment, His heart remains open, His arm is still stretched out in salvation as we shall see in the next message.


For us who are privileged to be in the covenant of Grace, looking upon the display of God’s righteous anger pushes us to honor with even deeper reverence the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. We reverence more deeply the perfect sacrifice that absorbed God's wrath on our behalf, making us worthy of His Presence! Hallelujah!


Next message in this series; ‘I will save my people,’  God’s final message to Zephaniah

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 11, 2025 at 5:49 PM

    Worthy is the Lamb! Hallelujah!
    May our hearts be fully unto God, our honor and reverence all poured unto Him. He alone is God.
    Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM


    .........For us who are privileged to be in the covenant of Grace, looking upon the display of God’s righteous anger pushes us to honor with even deeper reverence the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. We reverence more deeply the perfect sacrifice that absorbed God's wrath on our behalf, making us worthy of His Presence! Hallelujah!


    Amen. Glory to God. Amen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nuggets of God's WisdomJanuary 15, 2025 at 3:49 PM

      Glory to God! Thank you so much for reading the Nuggets!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Malachi; a message on God's Love

-
Image
One of the most painful human experiences is loving someone with every fiber of your being, only to be met with indifference or rejection. Imagine pouring your heart and soul into someone, giving them the best of your time and resources, and yet being consistently ignored or dismissed. While it's impossible to fully compare human emotions to God's, we can catch a glimpse of His heartache in the message to Prophet Malachi. Here, we witness God's profound hurt and sorrow, borne from loving His people  perfectly and completely, only to be ignored and disregarded in return. ‘I have always loved you yet you say, how have you loved us?’ These are the first, heartfelt words of the message given to Prophet Malachi: a passionate declaration from the Almighty. It's a vulnerable expression of God's heart, akin to a Lover yearning for the affection of His beloved. God is crying out to the people He adores, and yet have ignored Him. And hereafter, in a profound act...
Read more

Habakkuk's frustration

-
Image
In a world plagued by corruption, injustice, violence and lawlessness, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. This sense of despair is often perpetuated by mainstream news and social media feeds, which frequently highlight the darkest aspects of our society. Witnessing selfish individuals go unpunished can evoke deep heartache. The erosion of moral standards under the guise of activism can leave us feeling helpless. If you've grappled with these emotions, you're not alone.   The Prophet Habakkuk faced similar challenges in his time. As he looked upon the destruction, violence, and perversion of justice in Judah, he couldn't help but wonder: "O Lord, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear! Even cry out unto you of violence, and you will not save?" Just like you, dear reader, Habakkuk felt deeply frustrated. He was weary of the rampant injustice and corruption that was happening in Judah. What did he do first? He brought his concerns before the Lord. The Bo...
Read more

Habakkuk, write down the vision

-
Image
In today's digital age, we instinctively reach for our cameras to capture life's astonishing moments, preserving them for posterity. In ancient times, writing served as the primary means of recording and preserving memories. After Habakkuk poured out his heart to God, asking 'why,' the Lord responded with a profound instruction: ‘Write down the vision, and make it plain upon tables, so he may run that reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay’ God then reveals His plan to Habakkuk, foretelling the impending judgement that awaits the Babylonians. With unmistakable clarity, God declares; ‘What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption!’ ‘What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust your own creation – a god that can’t even talk!’ Habakkuk...
Read more