As Zephaniah
prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem, he declared the LORD's
words of judgment against them. They had forsaken the LORD “Jehovah”
and worshipped “the host of heaven upon the
housetops”, and though some of them
“worship” and
“swear by the LORD”
they also “swear by Malcham”
who was “Molech” the god of pleasure. In chapter one and verse
six of his prophesy, Zephaniah continued by explaining how the people
“are turned back from”,
“not sought” “nor inquired” of the LORD where we read:
And them
that are turned back from the LORD;
The
verse begins, “And them that are turned back from the LORD;”
Zephaniah continued with the word, “And” which is a
conjunction word meaning “in addition, also and likewise” “them
that are turned back” which is one Hebrew word “cuwg” and
means “to move, go or turn back or away, backslide or prove
recreant to” “from” or “after the following part,
behind and hinder” “the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah
or Jehovah” who is “the existing One” and “the proper name of
the one true God”. Zephaniah indited these apostate people for
their backsliding from their relationship with the LORD God.
The verse continues, “and those
that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired for him.” Zephaniah
continued “and those that have not sought”
which is one Hebrew word, “bagash” that means “to seek,
require, desire, exact and request” “the
LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or
Jehovah” who is “the existing One” and “the proper name of
the one true God” “nor inquired for him”
or “resorted to, sought with care, frequented or required of
Jehovah”. The idea was the people had forsaken the LORD God, and
they were not seeking Him in prayers nor supplicating or inquiring
of Him concerning their lives.
It
is interesting to note that part of the reason that judgment was to
fall upon these people was their backsliding from the LORD. Rather
than seeking and asking Him for guidance, direction and counsel for
their lives, they sought other gods instead. The implication is they
once followed the LORD and his ways, but they had forsaken Him and
were following false gods who could give them no true direction at
all. While we meditate upon Zephaniah's words, let us examine our own
lives to see if there are any areas in which we have turned our backs
upon the LORD and sought the counsel of others instead. If we find
that we have turned our back to Him, let us move toward Him once
again and ask the LORD Jesus to remind us to keep Him with us at all
times.
Next
time Zephaniah gives the LORD's instruction to “hold”
their “peace” and
warns of “the day of the LORD”,
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment