Artwork by Daniel Venturo
Zephaniah 1:12-18
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill' (v. 12).
God calls people “complacent” who say, “The LORD will not do good, nor will He do ill.” They believe that God exists, but they don’t believe that He’s actually involved in people’s lives. Deep down inside, though, this is just a cover-up for what they know to be true—that they are accountable to a holy God for their sin.
If you’re like me, however, and find it hard to understand the prophets, get this one thing—God takes sin seriously. Here in Zephaniah, the prophet assures the complacent people of Jerusalem that God will not let any sin go unnoticed (v. 12). The great day of His wrath is coming (vv. 14-15), when He judges all mankind for their sin. It happened when the Babylonians carried away the idolatrous Judeans, and it will happen again when the earth is consumed by the fire of God’s wrath. The souls around you—the person who checks out your groceries, the person in the car next to you at the intersection, the coworker, the neighbor—they are going to face God’s wrath unless they obey the Gospel!
Don’t take your own sin lightly. Don’t take others’ sin lightly. Remember what it cost the Savior to pay for your sin. Claim it and proclaim it.
Lord, thank You for saving me from your wrath. Help me to love people enough to tell them about Jesus, because He took your wrath for us and saves us from Hell.
References: Ps. 51; Rom. 2:14-16; II Thess. 1:6-8; Hebrews 2:15: Rev. 16:1, 17-19
