Zephaniah 1:1
The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah. - Zephaniah 1:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Let’s start the year 2003 right: by fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ.
But don’t just begin this way–keep your eyes on Him throughout the
year with Today in the Word.
“Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus”
will be the running theme throughout this year of devotionals. Topics
to come include “Images of Christ in Revelation,” the Sermon on the
Mount, and ? Corinthians: The Church of Jesus.” But Christ isn’t found
only in the New Testament, and that’s why we’re beginning the year
with Zephaniah and Zechariah. As we study these prophets’ messages in
their historical contexts, we’ll see that God had been promising a
Savior all along. Long before the manger in Bethlehem, His people were
eagerly awaiting and rejoicing in His coming and His redemption.
Zephaniah, whose name means “the Lord protects” or “the Lord
treasures,” was of royal birth, since the genealogy in verse 1 lists
him as the great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah. He prophesied during
the reign of King Josiah (see 2 Kings 22–23; 2 Chron. 34-35). Josiah
was the last godly king who reigned prior to the conquest and exile of
Judah.
As nobility, Zephaniah probably lived in Jerusalem, moving among and
ministering to powerful people in the king’s court. He worked
contemporaneously with Jeremiah, Nahum, and perhaps Habakkuk.
Based on the genealogy, Zephaniah was probably only in his 20s when he
began to prophesy in about 625 b.c. He started his ministry early in
Josiah’s reign, when the effects of the king’s evil predecessor still
dominated the religious life of Judah. In 621 b.c., priests working to
restore the Temple found a copy of the Law, which sparked a national
revival. In fact, it’s likely that Zephaniah’s preaching also helped
bring about this revival.
(Today
in the Word. Moody Bible Institute. Used by Permission. All rights
reserved)
Zephaniah
1:2-13
Be silent before the Sovereign
Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. - Zephaniah 1:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
One day, Jesus warned His listeners against greed and told this
parable: The lands of a certain rich man produced a fruitful harvest.
He decided to build new and bigger barns to hold his growing wealth,
and felt secure in his prosperity--with so much in the storehouses,
his worries were over. He said to himself, “You have plenty of good
things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be
merry.”
But because of his complacency
and self-centeredness, God’s judgment fell on that man that very
night. Jesus concluded: “This is how it will be with anyone who stores
up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:13-21).
Today’s reading also describes God’s judgment on sin, especially as it
will take place on the Day of the Lord (vv. 2-3, 7). Verses 2–3
overview His judgment at the end of history, and this serves as a
preview to what will happen to Judah in the near future. In the
metaphor in verse 7, Judah is the sacrificial victim, while the
invited guests are the armies of Babylon. God will “consecrate” this
pagan nation to accomplish His plan.
The pictures here promise the total destruction of evil. Not a single
trace of wickedness will be allowed to remain–it will all be swept
away, cut off, and punished. This is definitely a zero tolerance
policy! If it seems harsh, remember that God is utterly holy, yet has
shown remarkable patience through-out history.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As you ponder the perfection of God’s judgment today, seek out
applicable cross-references from other locations in Scripture. Find
and jot down at least five cross-references that boost your
understanding of His holiness, justice, or judgment. What main truths
does the Word of God communicate to us?
(Today
in the Word. Moody Bible Institute. Used by Permission. All rights
reserved)
Zephaniah 1:5
C H Spurgeon
Morning and evening
“I
will cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that
swear by Malcham.”
— Zephaniah 1:5
Such persons thought themselves safe because they were with both
parties: they went with the followers of Jehovah, and bowed at the
same time to Malcham. But duplicity is abominable with God, and
hypocrisy his soul hateth. The idolater who distinctly gives himself
to his false god, has one sin less than he who brings his polluted and
detestable sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while his heart is
with the world and the sins thereof. To hold with the hare and run
with the hounds, is a dastard’s policy. In the common matters of daily
life, a double- minded man is despised, but in religion he is
loathsome to the last degree. The penalty pronounced in the verse
before us is terrible, but it is well deserved; for how should divine
justice spare the sinner, who knows the right, approves it, and
professes to follow it, and all the while loves the evil, and gives it
dominion in his heart?
My soul, search thyself this morning, and see whether thou art guilty
of double-dealing. Thou professest to be a follower of Jesus—dost thou
truly love him? Is thy heart right with God? Art thou of the family of
old Father Honest, or art thou a relative of Mr. By-ends? A name to
live is of little value if I be indeed dead in trespasses and sins. To
have one foot on the land of truth, and another on the sea of
falsehood, will involve a terrible fall and a total ruin. Christ will
be all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, and hence there is no
room for another god; if, then, he reigns in my heart, there will be
no space for another reigning power. Do I rest alone on Jesus
crucified, and live alone for him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my
heart set upon so doing? If so, blessed be the mighty grace which has
led me to salvation; and if not so, O Lord, pardon my sad offence, and
unite my heart to fear thy name.
Zephaniah 1:12
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer
I will search Jerusalem with
candles. Zephaniah 1:12
The state of things in the
chosen city was scandalous. The people worshipped the host of heaven
on the housetops; the temple-courts were filled with the priests of
idolatry; the court affected foreign dress and manners. Nothing could
prevent the invasion of the Chaldeans as ministers of the Divine
vengeance. These were the terrible guests whom the Almighty had
summoned to the feast; and the feast consisted of the spoils of the
city (Zephaniah 1:7).
No sin of his people can escape
the notice of God. He searches out the secret evils of our hearts with
lighted candles, not for his vision alone, but for ours; that we may
know, and abhor them, and put them from us. There is the candle of
conscience. The spirit of man is as the candle of the Lord. In some
men the candle is present, but not lit: in others it is lit by the
power of the Divine Spirit; and there is something of the incandescent
flame about it then.
There is the candle of outward
events. How often does God allow some incident of which we hear in
social conversation, or read in the newspaper, to cast a sudden and
unexpected light upon some passages in our lives which we have
carefully shrouded in darkness. Right into a hidden closet the
searchlight falls, saying “thou art the man.”
Then there is that candle of his
Holy Word. A text or sermon unkindled by the Spirit of God is like an
unlighted candle. But when God’s Holy Spirit rests on it, interfusing
it with fire, then how mighty is its effect! It searches the heart and
tries the reins; it reveals to man his thought and the real object of
his existence, that he may repent.
Zephaniah
1:14-2:3
Seek the Lord, all you humble of
the land, you who do what he commands. - Zephaniah 2:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
Early in the 20th century, the city of St. Pierre, on the island of
Martinique in the Caribbean, was known as the “Paris of the West
Indies.” But it all came to a crashing halt on the morning of May 8,
1902.
On that morning, a volcano named
Mount Pelée erupted, sending hot ash, toxic gases, and magma down the
mountainside at terrific speeds. Within minutes, the entire city had
been destroyed, and 30,000 people had been killed. St. Pierre has
never been completely rebuilt, and today only a fraction of the
previous population currently lives there.
As deadly a disaster as this volcanic eruption was, it’s nothing
compared to what will happen on the Day of the Lord. In the Old
Testament, the phrase “day of the Lord” is often associated with
divine judgments. In Zephaniah, God’s judgments in both the immediate
and distant futures are linked as parts of His unified plan for
history. “The great day of the Lord is near–near and coming quickly,”
the prophet proclaimed (1:14).
The description of this “day” in today’s reading is poetically
miserable. It will be filled with bitterness, anguish, ruin, and fire.
Why will it occur? Because of sin (1:17). God’s justice and power will
completely purge and purify the land of evil. Since He is the one true
Lord, His “jealousy”–that is, His wrath against those who worship
false gods–is totally legitimate and His punishment appropriate, no
matter how extreme it sounds (1:18).
If the cause of judgment is sin, then the fitting response to
Zephaniah’s warnings is repentance. He exhorted the people to seek the
Lord, humble themselves, and pursue obedience (2:3). To repent means
to turn away from sin toward righteousness. As commentator Matthew
Henry said, Zephaniah’s purpose was “not to frighten them out of their
wits, but to frighten them out of their sins.” And apparently he
succeeded, since Josiah’s reforms delayed the short-term fulfillment
of this prophecy (2 Chron. 34:27-28).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In today’s passage, Zephaniah urged sinners to repent before it was
too late. That same message still applies today! Have you repented of
your sins and asked God to give you the gift of eternal life, found
only in Jesus Christ? This is a choice between life and death. If you
haven’t yet chosen life, listen to the apostle Peter: “Repent, then,
and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of
refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19). You can have the
assurance of everlasting life in the presence of God!
(Today
in the Word. Moody Bible Institute. Used by Permission. All rights
reserved)
Zephaniah
1:14-18
Our Daily Bread
"TIMES OF TROUBLE"
The great day of the Lord is ...a day of trouble and distress.-
Zephaniah 1:14-15
Turmoil continues to seethe in many parts of the former Soviet Union.
Unrest, revolt, hunger, unemployment, and severe shortages still
plague most of the land. It prompted a leading Russian journalist to
refer to these days as smut- noye vremya, the "time of trouble."
The Bible uses a similar phrase to describe the events of the
endtimes. They will occur during the prophetic era called "the day of
the Lord" (Isaiah 2:12-22). It will be a time of terrible tribulation,
during which mankind will suffer as never before. There will be
earthquakes, famine, war, and death (Rev. 6).
During this period, the Jews will be singled out. Their persecution
will be so intense that the era is prophetically referred to in
Jeremiah 30:7 as "the time of Jacob's trouble." But that verse ends
with the wonderful promise that the Jews "shall be saved out of it."
That period of intense tribulation will bring them to faith in the
true Messiah.
As followers of Christ, we encounter personal times of trouble. The
apostle Peter wrote, "If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him ...
glorify God" (1 Pet. 4:16). Our personal "times of trouble" are
opportunities for the Lord to show us His provision, protection, and
love. - David C. Egner
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
God's unseen presence comforts me,
I know He's always near;
And when life's storms besiege my soul,
He says, "My child, don't fear." - Dennis J. De Haan
Times of trouble are times for trust.
Zephaniah 2:3
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer
It may be ye shall be hid in the
day of the Lord’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3
The name of this prophet means,
“Whom God hides or protects.” The hidden man invites others to his
hiding-place; and shows how we may be hidden in the day of God’s
anger. It is said that in the center of the wildest cyclone there is a
point of absolute calm: so amid the wildest storms that have swept the
face of the world there have always been some of God’s hidden ones:—
“The secret place, the refuge
from the blast, The glorious Temple, Lamb of God art Thou; Our feet
shall tread the golden courts at last, Our souls have entered now.”
“I cannot deny,” writes
Tersteegen, “the corruptions of the external Church; but I think my
dear friend has more necessary things to attend to. Within! Within!
With God alone!” There is truth here, though not all the truth. We
must have Elijahs as well as Zephaniahs.
Only those may know the hidden
life who fulfill the conditions here described. They must be meek;
they must work his judgment; they must seek righteousness and
meekness. It is the soul that bends before the blast of the terrible
ones; that gives place to wrath, not because of pusillanimity, but
because of the fear of the Lord; that hands over its cause of alarm
and fear to the Most High, which abides in his secret place, and hides
under his shadow.
Let us seek these things, and
then there will be no may-be in our being hidden. We shall certainly
be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger; hidden in the wounds of
Jesus, hidden in his heart, hidden in God with Christ, hidden in the
fiery glory of his intolerable holiness.
Rock of Ages,
cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Zephaniah
2:4-15
Then men will say, “Surely the
righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the
earth.” - Psalm 58:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Day of the Lord will find unbelievers unprepared and insecure,
even if they live in San Jose, California.
Following the World Trade Center
attacks on September 11, 2001, San Jose gained national recognition as
the American city best prepared for terrorist threats, including
nuclear, biological, and chemical assaults. The city has prepared its
emergency personnel, stockpiled antibiotics and other medical
supplies, and trained a thousand ordinary citizens in civil defense.
“National defense is local defense,” said one leader.
On the Day of the Lord, it will be not physical preparedness but
spiritual preparedness that determines life and death. Those who stand
in their own strength will fall.
Today’s reading gives more images of judgment, this time specific
judgments on the Gentile nations surrounding Israel. Their cities will
be abandoned, ruined, uprooted, and destroyed. Once-bustling places
will become open fields or wastelands; they will share the destiny of
Sodom and Gomorrah. As with those two cities, and as we’ve already
seen in Zephaniah, the cause of judgment was sin. All of these nations
were guilty of disrespect for God’s people, aggression toward them,
pride, and idolatry (plus influencing Israel toward idolatry).
Through judgment, God will demonstrate His superiority to all idols,
and will receive His rightful worship (v. 11). One hint that the
worship will be universal is found in the fact that the passage moves
geographically, from west (Philistia) to east (Moab and Ammon) to
south (Cush/Ethiopia) to north (Assyria usually attacked from this
direction). He is the God and Judge of all the earth, not just of one
region or nation!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today, we suggest that you examine your heart for the kind of
self-exalting pride for which Assyria was condemned in Scripture (v.
15). Do you base your security on your own abilities or success? Do
your words and actions show arrogance? Have you put yourself at the
center of your own universe? Does God have a minimal impact on your
priorities and decisions
(Today
in the Word. Moody Bible Institute. Used by Permission. All rights
reserved)
Zephaniah
3:1-8
The Lord within her is
righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his
justice. - Zephaniah 3:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
Pilgrim William Bradford recounted the story of a sailor on board the
Mayflower: He was “proud and very profane,” and often ridiculed the
colonists about their seasickness. He even went so far as to say he
hoped to bury half of them at sea, then to “make merry with what they
had.” He swore at those who reproved him.
“But it pleased God before they
came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease,
of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first
that was thrown overboard. Thus his curses [fell] on his own head, and
it was an astonishment to all his fellows for they noted it to be the
just hand of God upon him.”
In today’s reading, the justice of God is contrasted to the corruption
of Jerusalem. In Zephaniah, we’ve moved from judgment in general to
judgment on Gentile nations to judgment on Judah. Wickedness is
wickedness wherever and whenever it’s found, and God responds to it in
the same way, no exceptions.
What were Jerusalem’s sins? Oppression, tyranny, rebelliousness toward
God, pride, idolatry, and a general lack of faith. The people didn’t
draw near to their God (vv. 1–2). The leaders in particular were
targeted for condemnation for their role in leading the nation astray
(vv. 3–4).
Given their behavior, did Judah really think they could escape the
same fate as the other sinful nations? The northern kingdom of Israel
had already been taken into captivity by Assyria, and Zephaniah had
proclaimed the doom of their Gentile neighbors. After these historical
and prophetic warnings, one would think that they would be anxious to
repent, but in fact “they were still eager to act corruptly in all
they did” (v. 7).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One way that you can respond to today’s Scripture is by planning a
special worship time for yourself, your family, or your small group.
Let the theme of the hymns and songs you choose be the holiness and
justice of God.
(Today
in the Word. Moody Bible Institute. Used by Permission. All rights
reserved)
Zephaniah
3:9-13
Then will I purify the lips of
the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and
serve him shoulder to shoulder. - Zephaniah 3:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
The perspective of the biblical prophets has often been compared to a
person looking at a distant mountain range. From his perspective, the
majestic peaks soar upward, one after the other in quick succession.
The mountains appear quite close to one another. In fact, though,
there may be plains and valleys between them that aren’t visible from
his perspective.
The prophets spoke of “mountain
peak” events, and from their point of view, these events appeared
quite close to one another. In fact, though, there are intervening
times during which God is continuing to work out more hidden
dimensions of His plan.
One implication of this is that sometimes a prophet foretold events as
if they would happen at nearly the same time. But one part of the
event might have happened a long time ago, while another part is still
future--for example, the First and Second Comings of Christ. These are
interpretive differences that we’ll often find while studying
Zephaniah and Zechariah.
In today’s reading, for example, God promised to purify and redeem His
people, and this prophecy has both near and distant time implications.
In the near future, He would bless a remnant who would return from the
Exile to their homeland. But the entire prophecy wasn’t fulfilled at
that time, and so in part it also refers to the future reign of Christ
over all the world. What did God promise to do? To purify the people
from sin--to completely remove it from Jerusalem. Pride will not be
found in God’s domain, as haughty people will already have been judged
and expelled. The meek will inherit the earth (v. 12; cf. Matt. 5:5).
God will enable His people to worship and serve Him as they ought.
Their righteous actions will reflect His character--they’ll do no
wrong, just as He does no wrong (vv. 5, 13). And since He Himself will
dwell with them, they’ll live in perfect security (cf. Micah 4:1–4).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Only the meek and humble, not the proud, will be allowed to live in
the city of God (vv. 11–12). Humility and faith are inseparable. A
true sense of God and a true sense of self go hand-in-hand.
(Today
in the Word. Moody Bible Institute. Used by Permission. All rights
reserved)
Zephaniah 3:12
C H Spurgeon
Faith's Checkbook
A Trustworthy Name
“I will also leave in the midst
of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name
of the Lord.”—Zephaniah 3:12
WHEN true religion is ready to
die out among the wealthy it finds a home among the poor of this
world, rich in faith. The Lord has even now His faithful remnant. Am I
one of them?
Perhaps it is because men are
afflicted and poor that they learn to trust in the name of the Lord.
He that hath no money must try what he can do on trust. He whose own
name is good for nothing in his own esteem, acts wisely to rest in
another name, even that best of names, the name of Jehovah. God will
always have a trusting people, and these will be an afflicted and poor
people. Little as the world thinks of them, their being left in the
midst of a nation is the channel of untold blessings to it. Here we
have the conserving salt which keeps in check the corruption which is
in the world through lust.
Again the question comes home to
each one of us: am I one of them? Am I afflicted by the sin within me
and around me? Am I poor in spirit, poor spiritually in my own
judgment? Do I trust in the Lord? That is the main business. Jesus
reveals the name, the character, the person of God: am I trusting in
Him? If so, I am left in this world for a purpose. Lord, help me to
fulfill it.
Zephaniah
3:13
C H Spurgeon
Faith's Checkbook
A Shepherd Secures Them
“They shall feed and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”—Zephaniah 3:13
YESTERDAY we thought of the
afflicted and poor people whom the Lord left to be a living seed in a
dead world. The prophet says of such that they shall not work iniquity
nor speak lies. So that while they had neither rank nor riches to
guard them, they were also quite unable to use those weapons in which
the wicked place so much reliance: they could neither defend
themselves by sin nor by subtlety.
What then? Would they be
destroyed? By no means! They should both feed and rest, and be not
merely free from danger, but even quiet from fear of evil. Sheep are
very feeble creatures, and wolves are terrible enemies; yet at this
hour, sheep are more numerous than wolves, and the cause of the sheep
is always winning, while the cause of the wolves is always declining.
One day flocks of sheep will cover the plains, and not a wolf will be
left. The fact is that sheep have a shepherd, and this gives them
provender, protection, and peace. “None,” which means not one,
whether in human or diabolical form, “shall make them afraid.” Who
shall terrify the Lord’s flock when He is near? We lie down in green
pastures, for Jesus Himself is food and rest to our souls.
Zephaniah
3:14-20
He will take great delight in
you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with
singing. - Zephaniah 3:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
Ethelda Bleibtrey, the first woman ever to win a gold medal for the
United States in the Olympics, was quite an unlikely hero.
Affected by polio as a child,
Bleibtrey took up swimming to help her overcome the effects of her
illness. By the time women’s swimming was added to the 1920 Olympic
program, she held the world record in the 100-yard backstroke.
Unfortunately, only three events were scheduled, and her specialty
wasn’t one of them. She entered the races anyway--and won three gold
medals! In fact, she won every race in which she swam between 1920 and
1922.
Victory brings gladness and joy. On the Day of the Lord, God’s triumph
will spur praise from His people. Today’s verses are actually the
second and third stanzas of a prophetic oracle begun in yesterday’s
reading. Now that we understand that the Day of the Lord is a day of
redemption (not only wrath or judgment), the natural conclusion to the
book of Zephaniah is praise.
In fact, praise is the primary responsibility of God’s people. When
God does what He has promised for Israel, they are to sing, be glad,
rejoice, and fearlessly trust in Him. The same principle holds true
for us--when God does what He promises, we praise His name and trust
Him to guarantee the future.
In an immediate sense, we see in Scripture how some of these words
were fulfilled when God brought a remnant back from Exile. In a future
sense, we know He’ll still keep these promises to Israel during the
glorious reign of Christ. Since the prophecy and encouragement flows
from God’s character, all believers can rejoice in these words of
hope.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you wish, do additional Bible study today or sometime soon on the
phrase “the day of the Lord.” Where else does it appear in Scripture?
In what contexts? What meanings are associated with this phrase and
what events take place on this day? How might this concept affect your
daily spiritual life?
(Today
in the Word. Moody Bible Institute. Used by Permission. All rights
reserved)
Zephaniah
3:15
C H Spurgeon
Faith's Checkbook
He Routs Our Enemy
“He hath cast out thine
enemy.”—Zephaniah 3:15
WHAT a casting out was that!
Satan has lost his throne in our nature even as he lost his seat in
heaven. Our Lord Jesus has destroyed the enemy’s reigning power over
us. He may worry us, but he cannot claim us as his own. His bonds are
no longer upon our spirits: the Son has made us free, and we are free
indeed.
Still is the arch-enemy the
accuser of the brethren, but even from this position our Lord has
driven him. Our advocate silences our accuser. The Lord rebukes our
enemies and pleads the causes of our soul, so that no harm comes of
all the devil’s revilings.
As a tempter, the evil spirit
still assails us and insinuates himself into our minds, but thence
also is he cast out as to his former preeminence. He wriggles about
like a serpent, but he cannot rule like a sovereign. He hurls in
blasphemous thoughts when he has opportunity, but what a relief it is
when he is told to be quiet and is made to slink off like a whipped
cur! Lord, do this for any who are at this time worried and wearied by
his barkings. Cast out their enemy, and be thou glorious in their
eyes. Thou hast cast him down; Lord cast him out. Oh, that thou
wouldst banish him from the world!.
Zephaniah
3:17
Our Daily Homily
F B Meyer
The Lord thy God is in the midst
of thee, a Mighty One who will save. (r.v.) Zephaniah 3:17
If this announcement is compared
with the foregoing verse, it becomes apparent that only those may take
its blessed comfort who have made the Lord their King. It is when the
Lord, the King of Israel, is in the midst that we cease to fear the
incursion of evil. Entire surrender and consecration must precede that
deliverance from the power of evil which we all desire in our holiest
hours.
O tempted one, who fearest every
hour because of the fury of the foe, that seems only waiting to
destroy, look no longer upon him, but behold thy glorious Lord. “He
will save.” Dare to repeat those words again and again, as a sweet
refrain. Dare to believe that the battle is not yours, but his. Fear
not; nor let thine hands be slack! Do thy work in the world, and let
God keep thee.
But God will do more than save
the yielded trusting one. He will rejoice over the soul that finds its
all in Himself. Such exquisite satisfaction will fill his glorious
nature, that it shall be as when the heart can no longer contain
itself, and wells over with liquid music. It is much to hear a
nightingale sing; more to hear an angel; more to hear some child of
Adam redeemed from sin sing the new song: but most to hear the great
God break out into song. So a mother sings over her babe. O my God,
may my life give Thee joy; not grief, nor tears, but a song.
But He does not always express
Himself thus. He is sometimes “silent in his love.” At such times He
does not speak or sing, but broods over the soul that has dared to
trust Him. “He will rest in his love.” There are times when the heart
is too full of blessedness to speak—it has learned to abide in the
secret place. An ocean too full to permit of waves!
Zephaniah
3:17
C H Spurgeon
Faith's Checkbook
The Reason for Singing
“The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he
will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”—Zephaniah
3:17
WHAT a word is this! Jehovah God
in the center of His people in all the majesty of His power! This
presence alone suffices to inspire us with peace and hope. Treasures
of boundless might are stored in our Jehovah, and He dwells in His
church; therefore may His people shout for joy.
We not only have His presence,
but He is engaged upon His choice work of salvation. “He will save.”
He is always saving: He takes His name of Jesus from it. Let us not
fear any danger for He is mighty to save.
Nor is this all. He abides
evermore the same; He loves, He finds rest in loving, and He will not
cease to love. His love gives Him joy. He even finds a theme for song
in His beloved. This is exceedingly wonderful. When God wrought
creation He did not sing, but simply said, “It is very good.” But
when He came to redemption, then the sacred Trinity felt a joy to be
expressed in song. Think of it and be astonished! Jehovah Jesus sings
a marriage song over His chosen bride. She is to Him His love, His
joy, His rest, His song. O Lord Jesus, by thine immeasurable love to
us, teach us to love thee, to rejoice in thee, and to sing unto thee
our Life-psalm.
Zephaniah
3:19
C H Spurgeon
Faith's Checkbook
Word to Him Who Halts
“I will save her that halteth.”—Zephaniah
3:19
THERE are plenty of these lame
ones, both male and female. You may meet “her that halteth” twenty
times in an hour. They are in the right road, and exceedingly anxious
to run in it with diligence; but they are lame, and make a sorry walk
of it. On the heavenly road there are many cripples. It may be that
they say in their hearts, what will become of us? Sin will overtake
us. Satan will throw us down. Ready-to-halt is our name and our
nature; the Lord can never make good soldiers of us, nor even nimble
messengers to go on His errands. Well, well! He will save us, and that
is no small thing. He says, “I will save her that halteth.” In
saving us, He will greatly glorify Himself. Everybody will ask how
came this lame woman to run the race and win the crown? And then the
praise will all be given to almighty grace.
Lord, though I halt in faith, in
prayer, in praise, in service, and in patience, save me, I beseech
thee! Only thou canst save such a cripple as I am. Lord, let me not
perish because I am among the hindmost, but gather up by thy grace the
slowest of thy pilgrims, even me. Behold He hath said that it shall be
so. Therefore, like Jacob, prevailing in prayer, I go forward though
my sinew be shrunk.
