5th December 2024

The Header scripture quotation from Zephaniah pictures the Lord’s love being expressed in the same way that any loving parent among us would be with their young child. We would rejoice in them, quiet their crying with a loving embrace, and sing to them. These comforting words appear close to the end of the book of Zephaniah, where the prophet is quoting God, who goes on to speak to the nation of Judah, saying, “…I will deal with all who afflict you…” (v.19). 

This is in sharp contrast to much of Zephaniah’s message in the preceding verses where God  condemns the idolatry and complacency Judah has fallen into and pronounces judgement against them. He speaks of a complete destruction of Jerusalem and complains: 

“I will stretch out My hand against Judah…I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests…Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, But who also swear by Milcom; Those who have turned back from following the Lord, And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him.” (Zephaniah 1:4-6).

Zephaniah’s brief writing contains seven references to the ‘Day of the Lord’ – and it is described as a time of punishment and judgement against a people who claim they are following their God but have poisoned that worship by adopting practices from the pagan countries around them. Christ called out similar behaviour in the religious leaders of his day who relied on the rituals surrounding their ‘godliness’ but had forgotten the ‘weightier matters of the law’ (Matthew 23:23). They were not worshipping God, and Jesus was unafraid to tell them. In Matthew 23 he berates these leaders for their hypocrisy, their love of being worshipped, their long but meaningless prayers, and he warns them of coming judgement: “…How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33).

Along with Zephaniah, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem. But Zephaniah spoke of God preparing a sacrifice: “…For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
He has invited [Lit.consecrated] His guests.” (Zephaniah 1:7). The Babylonians destroyed Zephaniah’s Jerusalem. The Romans destroyed the Jerusalem that Jesus lamented over, echoing the words from Zephaniah: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” (Matthew 23:37). But there is a sacrifice: it is prophesied in Zephaniah and the reality is recounted in the gospels as Jesus Christ offers himself as atonement for those who repent. The book of Zephaniah can be seen as a call to repentance, a call to accept that sacrifice: ‘Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.’ (Zephaniah 2:3 ESV).

Local congregation:
GCI Market Harborough
9 The Point
Rockingham Road
Market Harborough 
LE16 7QU

Meeting time:
Sunday 4.00 pm

Local congregational contact:
Sinead Henderson 
Email: sinead.henderson@gracecom.church

Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church