Zephaniah 3:1–7 (NKJV) 3:1 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, To the oppressing city! 2 She has not obeyed His voice, She has not received correction; She has not trusted in the Lord, She has not drawn near to her God. 3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are … Continue reading The Anguish of God Over Jerusalem
The Vengeance of the Lord
Zephaniah 2:4–15 (NKJV) Judgment against Judah’s neighbors is the major motif of this section. Philistia on the west, Moab and Ammon on the east, Ethiopia or Egypt on the south, and Assyria to the north will all experience the judgment of Yahweh. Even though Judah’s near neighbors were infringing on her borders, she (Judah) would … Continue reading The Vengeance of the Lord
The Day of the Lord Hastens
Zephaniah 1:13–2:3 (NKJV) 13 Therefore their goods shall become booty, And their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.” Here, Zephaniah completes his list of punishments of Jerusalem and Judah with a declaration that they goods will be taken, their houses laid … Continue reading The Day of the Lord Hastens
The Day of the Lord Comes
Zephaniah 1:7–12 (NKJV) 7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand, For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests. Some speculate that the day of the Lord begins at the Rapture of the Church. Others believe that this begins at … Continue reading The Day of the Lord Comes
Desolation Comes
Zephaniah 1:1–6 (NKJV) 1 The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. Zephaniah opens with a description of his genealogy, placing him as a member of … Continue reading Desolation Comes
Yet I Will Rejoice
Habakkuk 3:9–19 (NKJV) 9 Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah You divided the earth with rivers. 10 The mountains saw You and trembled; The overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice, And lifted its hands on high. 11 The sun and moon stood still … Continue reading Yet I Will Rejoice
In the Midst of the Years
Habakkuk 3:1–8 (NKJV) 3:1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth. 2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. This passage in Habakkuk records the prayer of … Continue reading In the Midst of the Years
The Woes Continue
Habakkuk 2:12–20 (NKJV) 12 “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, Who establishes a city by iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts That the peoples labor to feed the fire, And nations weary themselves in vain? 14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the … Continue reading The Woes Continue
The Daniel Fast
This month, many of my church leaders are embarking on a 21-day journey to draw closer to God that includes the Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast is based on the diet of Daniel and the three Hebrew young men who requested not to eat the king's delicacies in Babylon, but to eat primarily vegetables Their … Continue reading The Daniel Fast
Trust in God, Not Self
Habakkuk 2:5–11 (NKJV) 5 “Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man, And he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell, And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied, He gathers to himself all nations And heaps up for himself all peoples. 6 “Will not all … Continue reading Trust in God, Not Self