The LORD
through Zephaniah gave a prophecy concerning “the day of the
LORD” when He would prepare “a sacrifice” and invite
“his guests”. Among those “punished” would be
“the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are
clothed with strange apparel”. In chapter one and verse nine of
Zephaniah's prophecy, the LORD added servants to his list of those to
be “punished” where we read:
In the
same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold,
which fill
their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
The
verse begins, “In the same day also
will I punish all those that leap on the threshold,...”
Zephaniah began with the phrase, “In
the same day”
which is one Hebrew word “yowm” and means “day, time, year or
period” “also will I punish”
which is
also one Hebrew word, “paqad”
and means “pay attention to, observe, attend to, seek, look about
for, seek in vain, miss, lack, muster, number, assign, lay upon as a
charge and call up” “all
those that leap” or
“spring” “on the
threshold”
which refers to “servants who rather than leaping over the
threshold in respect, spring from it with their prey or gain to bring
them to their masters”. The idea is the LORD will “punish”
servants who have thought themselves dishonestly gaining for their
masters without anyone knowing, yet the LORD was watching all the
time.
The
verse goes on to say, “...which fill their masters'
houses with violence and deceit.”
Zephaniah went on to add, “which fill”
or “make to be full, abundant, accomplished, ended, complete and
satisfy” “their masters'”
which refers to their “lords, superintendents, proprietors and
captains” “houses” or
“dwelling places, shelters and habitations” “with
violence” which means “wrong,
cruelty and injustice” “and deceit”
or “treachery”. Not only do these servants which are to be
punished “leap” or
spring “on the threshold”
but they “fill their masters' houses”
with cruelty and dishonesty.
As
we meditate upon these words from Zephaniah, let us imagine what it
must have been like to live in the day when neither royalty,
political powers nor servants could not be trusted. It seemed as
though violence and injustice were everywhere, and though they may
have thought themselves unseen in their “deceit”,
the LORD was attentive to their behavior and was to “punish”
them for it. The book of Hebrews in chapter four and verse thirteen
shares an interesting thought concerning the LORD where it reads:
Neither is
there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:
Though
we may think ourselves getting away with “deceitful and violent”
behavior, “the eyes”
of the LORD are upon us. In light of this, let us examine ourselves
and see if there be any “wicked way” within us, and should we
discover it, let us bring it before the LORD Jesus Christ who is able
to cleanse us from every sin and wrong.
Next
time Zephaniah shares how there will be “a noise of a
cry”, so read ahead, and we
shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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