Don't Make the LORD Angry

Major Posts from Minor Prophets: Be an Influencer • Sermon • Submitted 10 months ago • Presented 10 months ago • 1:05:09

Zephaniah 1:1–2:3

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Zephaniah, the name itself means “the Lord hides,”

Likely written around 621 B.C.

Josiah began to make major policy changes as he “began to seek the God of David his father” (2 Chr 34:3).

Apparently, this indicates that he renounced the gods of Assyria and rejected completely the syncretistic policies of his grandfather, Manasseh.9

9 G. E. Wright, Biblical Archaeology, rev. ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1962), 176.

Kenneth L. Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 381.

627 B.C. Assyria was beginning to decline as Judah, under Josiah’s reformation and reign, began to find political independence and itself, rise to power.

2 Chron. 34 coincides historically with the time of the writing of Zephaniah.

For the first time since the period of the Judges the people as a whole kept the Passover (2 Kgs 23:21–25).

God will respond to every nation of history in one of two ways, either judgment for its sin, or blessing for its obedience. God must judge unrepentant sin, but desires rather to show blessing to the humble.

God will respond to every person of history in one of two ways, either judgment for their sin, or blessing for their obedience. God must judge unrepentant sin, but desires rather to show blessing to the humble.

Which are you?

Which is our nation?

The Day (that is the period of time) is coming when God will put an end to those who are unrepentant as He show great blessing to the humble.

Knowing that the Day of the LORD is coming, what should we do now?

That is the question that the book of Zephaniah answers for Judah during a time of great doom and destruction. As King Josiah takes the throne, he begins to stand up against the atrocious sinful practices of his predecessors and the people of Judah, and begins to institute a reform of the nation that he is able, at least for his generation, to lead them out of that impending judgement and into a reprieve of God’s wrath towards sin.

You see, although judgment is deserved, God would rather give blessing, to those who are willing to humble themselves to Him.

There is a consequence in an age of dominant sin (Zeph. 1:1-18)

Three things to know in an age of dominant sin:

++The Day of the LORD is unavoidable (Zeph. 1:1-6)

++The Day of the LORD is ready (Zeph. 1:7-13)

++The Day of the LORD is consuming (Zeph. 1:14-18)

Consider what sin is like today: individually, corporately, nationally, globally

Consider the coming day of the LORD

So, if we are living in such a world, knowing that the Day of the LORD is coming, what should we do now, in this present time?

What was Josiah’s response to such a world in his time?

READ:

2 Chron. 34.

There is a right response in an age of dominant sin (Zeph. 2:1-3)

There are two things we are to do in an age of dominant sin.

Two responses in an age of dominant sin:

++Gather together rightly (Zeph. 2:1-2)

++Seek the LORD rightly (Zeph. 2:3)

You see, although judgment is deserved, God would rather give blessing, to those who are willing to humble themselves to Him.

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