Because the
people of Judah and Jerusalem abandoned the LORD and his ways,
Zephaniah was given the task of prophesying over them “punishment”
and “judgment”. Zephaniah wrote that not only would many of them
lose their lives, but also their “goods
shall become a booty”, “their houses a desolation” and
they would “build houses, but not
inhabit them” and
“shall
plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof”.
In chapter one and verse fourteen of his prophesy, Zephaniah
continued as he wrote concerning “the
great day of the LORD”
being “near” where
we read:
The
great day of the LORD is
near, it is near,
and hastes greatly, even
the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there
bitterly.
The verse begins, “The
great day of the LORD is
near, it is
near, and hastes greatly, even
the voice of the day of the LORD:” Zephaniah
began with the words, “The great”
or “large in number, intensity and magnitude”
“day”
which means “time, year or period” “of
the LORD”
which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah” the “existing One” and
“the proper name of the one true God” “is
near” or
“allied, approaching, at hand, nigh, short and more ready”.
Zephaniah repeated the word “qarowb”
in
Hebrew for emphasis as he proclaimed again “it
is near”,
and went on to share how quickly it would arrive as he wrote “and
hastes greatly”
or “hurries, speeds and is swift exceedingly much” “even
the voice”
which means “sound, noise and lightness” “of
the day of the LORD” or
“the time period of Jehovah the existing One”. No doubt Zephaniah
was commissioned to warn of the imminent judgment of the LORD that
was to fall upon them.
The
verse goes on to say, “the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.”
Zephaniah continued by sharing the result of “the great day
of the LORD” being “near” as he wrote, “the
mighty man” which refers to “a strong, valiant and brave man”
“shall cry” or “roar, make a shrill or clear sound,
whoop and cry out” “there bitterly” which means “in
anger, as chafed with discontented and great heaviness”. We can
almost imagine even the bravest of men expressing their grief and
anguish when the destruction of people, places and things which were
once important and vital to Judah and it's people were destined to be
completely demolished at the judgment of the LORD.
When
we meditate upon Zephaniah's words, it may help us to picture
ourselves as being the people of Judah. How would we react if people
we knew, houses we occupied, workplaces we enjoyed and sites we
visited were suddenly destroyed? Let us remember that the “judgment”
of God had not fallen upon them at this point. This was the prophesy
stating that such things would be. “The great day of the LORD”
was “near” them, and they did not know it. Their lives
went on as normal, and they even believed that the LORD was aloof,
uncaring and not even concerned about they way they lived. Jesus
warned of His imminent return and the subsequent destruction which
would follow, and though He spoke of these things nearly two thousand
years ago, the promise is still true. At any moment, life on earth
could change dramatically, and should Jesus return for His church as
He promised, our question should be, “will we be ready for Him when
He comes”? “The great day of the LORD is near”, and may
all who read these words take note and prepare.
Next
time Zephaniah shares how“the great day of the LORD”
will be one of “wrath,
trouble and distress”, 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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