HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1208
ZEP H A N I A H 3
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15
parched like a desert.
The proud city will become a pasture for
flocks and herds,
and all sorts of wild animals will settle
there.
The desert owl and screech owl will roost
on its ruined columns,
their calls echoing through the gaping
windows.
Rubble will block all the doorways,
and the cedar paneling will be exposed
to the weather.
This is the boisterous city,
once so secure.
• Discipline
Z E PH A NIA H 3 :2
The kingdom of self is a dangerous
place to live, for we exclude the God
who made us. In that self-centered
condition, we don’t trust God and don’t
seek him or his wisdom. That’s what
happened to the people of Jerusalem.
Since they relied on themselves so
much, God could not reach them with
normal discipline. Discipline would have
to be harsh in order to get their attention
and turn them around. When we rely too
much on ourselves, we begin to believe
that we don’t need God. A healthy sense
of self-worth and self-sufficiency does
not deny our need for God’s strength
and guidance. We must not become so
self-sufficient that we no longer recognize God’s discipline when it comes.
When we stay sensitive to God, he
won’t have to take drastic measures
to help us.
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“I am the greatest!” it boasted.
“No other city can compare
with me!”
But now, look how it has become
an utter ruin,
a haven for wild animals.
Everyone passing by will laugh
in derision
and shake a defiant fist.
Jerusalem’s Rebellion and Redemption
1 What sorrow awaits rebellious,
polluted Jerusalem,
the city of violence and crime!
2 No one can tell it anything;
it refuses all correction.
It does not trust in the Lord
or draw near to its God.
3 Its leaders are like roaring lions
hunting for their victims.
Its judges are like ravenous wolves at
evening time,
who by dawn have left no trace of
their prey.
4 Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking
their own gain.
Its priests defile the Temple by
disobeying God’s instructions.
5 But the Lord is still there in the city,
and he does no wrong.
Day by day he hands down justice,
and he does not fail.
But the wicked know no shame.
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7
• Intimacy
Z E PH A NIA H 3 :1 7
How do you feel when you sense
someone is angry with you? You may
feel anxious or angry, but you certainly
don’t feel intimate with that person. In
this beautiful passage, God promises
to forgive his people. With his forgiving
love comes a release from fear, guilt, and
accusation. The New Testament says that
“perfect love expels all fear” (1 John 4:18).
God desires not to drive us away in fear
but to draw us near in intimacy. Do you
ever feel afraid of or accused by God?
Ask him to assure you of his steadfast
and forgiving love.
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“I have wiped out many nations,
devastating their fortress walls
and towers.
Their streets are now deserted;
their cities lie in silent ruin.
There are no survivors—
none at all.
I thought, ‘Surely they will have
reverence for me now!
Surely they will listen to my warnings.
Then I won’t need to strike again,
destroying their homes.’
But no, they get up early
to continue their evil deeds.
Therefore, be patient,” says the Lord.
“Soon I will stand and accuse these
evil nations.
For I have decided to gather the kingdoms
of the earth
and pour out my fiercest anger and
fury on them.
All the earth will be devoured
by the fire of my jealousy.
“Then I will purify the speech of all
people,
so that everyone can worship the
Lord together.