June 12, 2016 ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON GOD DISPENSES JUSTICE EVERY MORNING MINISTRY INVOCATION O God: We give thanks to You for the manifold blessings to us. You did not have to bless us but You did. We shall remain eternally grateful. Amen. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND Though people might wrong one another, God does no wrong. Though people may not see into the spiritual dimension, each day God dispensed His justice in the city. He would not fail, even though the unrighteous were not ashamed of their behaviors. Eventually, God had to destroy Jerusalem because the vast majority in the city were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. THE APPLIED FULL GOSPEL DISTINCTIVE We believe in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost for all believers and that the Holy Ghost verifies and validates the Believer as part of the Body of Christ. TEXT: Background Scripture Key Verse Lesson Scripture Zephaniah 3:1-8 Zephaniah 3:1 8 (NKJV) The Wickedness of Jerusalem 3 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, 2 3 4 5 To the oppressing city! 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. Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have done violence to the law. The LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, 1
6 7 But the unjust knows no shame. I have cut off nations, Their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, With none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; There is no one, no inhabitant. I said, Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction So that her dwelling would not be cut off, Despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds. A Faithful Remnant 8 Therefore wait for Me, says the LORD, Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations To My assembly of kingdoms, To pour on them My indignation, All My fierce anger; All the earth shall be devoured With the fire of My jealousy. COMMENTARY 3:1 Nahum identified Nineveh as the city of blood (Nahum 3:1). Zephaniah s assessment of Jerusalem was not much different. Jerusalem was a city of oppressors. The opening verse is all encompassing addressing their relationship to God, to self, and to other people. In fact, the messages of the two prophets concerning the cities could be reversed without missing the point of the prophets. Nineveh was a city built on bloodshed, filled with lies and the spoils of warfare against oppressed peoples (Nahum 3:1). On the other hand, Jerusalem, the city where God had chosen to have His Name dwell, was a city filled with oppressors. In different ways, both cities took advantage of the weak. God s judgment would come against Jerusalem as surely as it would against Nineveh. This is made clear by the first word, Woe, tying the announcement of punishment against Judah back to the opening oracle against the foreign nations. Judah is suddenly enveloped in the circle of nations foreign to God. God s elect had been elected to disaster and destruction. Woe can refer to a word of judgment, a funeral lament, or to a cry such as ho or ah which is used to gain attention. In the present context, the idea of judgment seems to fit the situation. There the word woe introduced a message of judgment against the foreign nations. In 3:1 the word introduced a message of 2
judgment against the city of Jerusalem with invective criticism and implied threat The theme of the third chapter as well as the theme for the book as a whole concerns the judgment of God against the city of Jerusalem. For a brief time, the object of the prophet s judgment remained unclear. Zephaniah s words might have referred to a number of cities. By the time of verse 4, the prophet clearly referred to Jerusalem. Prophets, sanctuary, and the law (Zeph 3:4) are obvious references to the city of Jerusalem. The following verse left no doubt. The Lord was within the city, calling the people to righteous living. The people of the city of Jerusalem in Zephaniah s day practiced oppression. They were rebellious, and the city had defiled itself. Judah s sins are almost beyond belief for the people of God. For enemy nations, God concentrated on matters of attitude pride and arrogance. For His people, He concentrated on social injustice and breaking relationships. As rebels, they had disobeyed God, the Hebrew participle referring to rebellion against God in all but five of forty-five appearances in the Hebrew Bible. A rebellious people is a defiled or polluted people. It can refer to social injustice caused by political and religious leaders. Such defilement thus is from any breech of moral or ceremonial law. Zephaniah is certainly joining Lamentations in condemning public officials who have destroyed the poor for their own financial and political benefit. The social justice accusation takes center stage in the charge of oppression For Zephaniah, it is clear from the following verses that the prophet is castigating violent officials, unjust judges, and deceitful prophets. He is also showing the very nature of sin, for the Hebrew order of these words serves to illustrate the way sin works. Sin is rebellion against God that pollutes or defiles the very being of the sinner, who then strikes out by oppressing others. Every generation faces this issue: how can we reform our social order? How can our nation become a better people. Zephaniah implies an answer: true society arises from committed obedience (not rebellion) and from personal holiness (not defilement). Social reformation arises from a return to God and to individual moral integrity. To seek to reform society in the hope that this will produce high standards and good people is to put the cart before the horse; it is converted and godly individuals that make good society. 3:2 Zephaniah used a series of four negative phrases to describe how the people of Jerusalem acted wrongly toward God. Jerusalem was a city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled because she (referring to the city and to its inhabitants) refused to accept correction in general and specifically refused to listen to God. 3
The first two phrases contain general references to the obstinacy of Jerusalem. The city did not obey (literally, listen to ) anyone. Of course, Zephaniah meant that the people of Jerusalem did not listen to the Lord, but he expressed it in general terms to emphasize their character. Zephaniah obviously saw the people of Jerusalem as stiff-necked, obstinate, going their own way without regard to God s leading in their lives. Can any nation with such arrogance survive? Zephaniah knew that the answer was no. In addition, the city also refused to accept correction. Here it includes the several instances of affliction and rebuke that God sends into the lives of His own to accomplish their correction and spiritual growth. The prophets constantly called the people to repentance and interpreted the nation s woes as warning and correction from God (Amos 4:6 11), but the people would not receive the discipline of God. Zephaniah s strongest indictment involved the specific act of not trusting God. Such trust and hope in God separates relationship with Yahweh and pagan religions relationships with their gods. How could anyone not find trust and security in God who had experienced God s salvation the way Israel had? Like those in contemporary society, the people of Jerusalem put themselves in the place of God, preferring to trust in their own understanding rather than in God. To show the importance of trusting in the Lord, the prophet placed in the LORD first in the Hebrew sentence. Jerusalem stood condemned because in the LORD she did not trust. No one can live without trust. We all rely on something our friends, perhaps, or our job, our money, our skill, our intelligence, or our appearance. None of these things is worthy of our trust. According to verses 3 4, the people of Judah clearly could not trust their leaders. A look upward was their only hope. Zephaniah used the same grammatical device in the next line. Unto her God comes at the beginning of the sentence to underscore the importance of drawing near to God in obedience, faithfulness, and devotion. Approaching God is not an automatic human response. God is holy, so drawing near may be dangerous. The wicked or godless cannot come near to God. Still, Israel had positive experiences: In time of decision, Israel needed to draw near and inquire of Yahweh. On the surface, the accusation appears ludicrous. Jerusalem was the place where God made his name to dwell. Jerusalem contained the temple with its altars and sacrificial system. At times of religious festival, Jerusalem swelled with people proclaiming their religious adherence. Yet, in Jerusalem, the people called by the Name of the Lord did not draw near to Him. While surrounded with all kinds of religious articles, we do not draw near to the Lord of the religion. 4
3:3 The problems in Jerusalem were not confined to the people at large. Those who should have led the people in righteous living became the worst offenders. They too lived in rebellion against the instruction of the Lord. The point of Zephaniah s singling out the officials and the rulers may have been the widespread perception that the people could trust in them. At a young age, Jeremiah saw the widespread disobedience of the people. Having seen the rebellion of the weak in society, he determined to seek the great in society. He fully expected that they would be obedient to the Lord. With one accord, they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. The officials and rulers, even the prophets and priests (3:4) participated in all that was wrong with the nation. Instead of giving leadership to the people in righteous living, the leaders led in the rebellion against God! The officials and rulers designated the civil authorities in the community, whereas, the following verse described the religious leaders of the covenant people. In Israel, no large break divided the secular from the religious. Civil leaders received authority from God and served as God s leaders. These leaders did not have special privileges. Their work was to do the Lord s work. The right of the king of Israel was to do right. Anything less than dependence on God, broke God s ideal for those leading the people of Israel. Surely, Zephaniah s message continues to speak to a huge need in religious circles the need for leaders who lead in righteousness and provide a positive example of the change for good that the Christ life can give to individuals and to society as a whole. 3:4 The problems in Jerusalem centered not only around the civil leaders but also around the religious leadership. Zephaniah condemned both groups for shirking their responsibilities. The prophets were arrogant, a word referring to both pride and recklessness, as someone controlled by their passions who would do anything for personal gain. Jeremiah used the term of false prophets who would arrogantly and treacherously pass off their own ideas as God s word. By condemning the prophets for recklessness in speech, Zephaniah accused the prophets of neglecting the charge and call of God in their lives. The very thing they were supposed to do, they failed to do. The prophets were treacherous people who could not be trusted. The word carries with it not only an indication of the lying deceit of Jerusalem s prophets but the implication that such activity stems from a wanton disregard for God and His truth. Without trust, the prophet did not have a message. Zephaniah charged that the prophets could not be trusted to lead the people in the word of the Lord. The priests failed as well in their responsibility to carry out their calling from God. Instead of teaching the people the right way and bestowing reverence and 5
awe before the things of God, they actually profaned the sanctuary and did violence to the instruction of the Lord (cp. Mal 1:7 10; 2:5 8). The priests also failed to teach the law of the Lord, resulting in doing violence to the Law by neglecting its teaching. In the Old Testament, the Torah could mean any of several ideas depending on the context of the passage. The general use of the term refers to the instruction of the Lord, but the word may mean the teaching of the Pentateuch, the Ten Commandments, or to the entire Old Testament. The priests failed in teaching in all these areas. 3:5 In sharp contrast to the civil and religious leaders of the people, the Lord is righteous. He does no wrong, and his righteous acts bring salvation to an oppressed, defiled people when they seek righteousness. Had God given up on the people? Had He simply left them to their own devices without correction or guidance? The Lord was in the midst of Jerusalem. His Presence signaled His desire for the people to repent. Judgment is the strange work of God, who desires to forgive and to restore. God s goodness is constant. The constancy of God is a common theme throughout the Old Testament. Because of the Lord s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lam 3:23). Morning by morning literally reads in the morning, in the morning, emphasizing the constancy of God s righteous presence. Despite the appearance that corruption prevails on every side, the Lord daily manifests His righteous judgments. Even the faithful remnant, suffering under the oppressive tyrannies of a depraved leadership, must acknowledge the daily realities of the Lord s justice. As faithfully as the Lord provided daily manna for His people during their trial period in the wilderness, so in the chaotic last days of Jerusalem the Lord s righteousness was coming to light. God gives His justice each new day. Righteousness is doing those acts which God himself requires because of the relationship with him. Justice takes the righteous acts to the legal sphere, insuring the care for the needy of society. Those who should have been dispensing justice (the rulers) are those who use their position to pick the people clean, leaving nothing to the morning (3:3). The Lord dispenses justice every morning. Justice is a word of such broad meaning and significance in the Old Testament that it is difficult to translate. It can be used to designate almost any aspect of civil or religious government. Because God is righteous, does no wrong, and daily dispenses justice, Israel should be secure. By implementing His word in their justice system, they could be sure every case was settled in righteousness and every person would receive his due. 6
Reality contrasted theory. A righteous, just God faced an unrighteous, selfcentered people. Zephaniah s recitation of the goodness of God should have caused the unrighteous to meditate on their behavior. God had been so good, how could they continue in arrogance before God? They were shameless before the great God who manifested his goodness before them daily. Verses 5 7 appear to revolve around the theme of Israel s knowledge of the goodness of the Lord and their need to turn from their sins. Seeing the righteousness of the Lord should have caused the people to feel the intense sorrow associated with sin. Yet, they went on with their sin. Any rational person would have thought as the Lord did that the people would fear the Lord and accept his correction. By accepting the correction of the Lord, the people could have averted the disaster. Instead of accepting God s chastisement, they persisted in their sin, thus insuring the judgment of God. In pride the wicked of vv. 3 and 4 the officials, rulers, prophets, and priests carried on in their rebellion against God. With 3:5 the plot s conflict is fully presented. Both Judah and her neighbors stand against God, and will therefore be utterly destroyed on the day of Yahweh. A battle line is drawn between the prideful nations and the creator of those nations. One by one the offending nations are named and God s case against them stated. 3:6 What God had done in the past to others should have been a warning and an example to Jerusalem. God s punishment of the nations should have warned the people of Jerusalem of their failure to heed the covenant and of the sure destruction of the city. After all, God had cut off (the same word as used in 1:3) the nations. Now God would cut off the city of Jerusalem as well. The response of the people of Jerusalem should have been profound repentance. After seeing the judgment against the nations, how could Jerusalem not turn to the Lord? From a theological perspective, they obviously thought that God could not destroy the temple and Jerusalem, where he had made his name to dwell. Zephaniah portrayed the destruction of the nations in vivid ways. Any person familiar with warfare in the Ancient Near East knew the significance of the prophet s descriptions. Zephaniah described a city whose defenses had been overrun and its citizens either dead or deported. Though Zephaniah depicted the cities and nations of the gentile world, the description fit what happened to Jerusalem only a few years later. Nebuchadrezzar took the city in such a resounding way that Jerusalem lay uninhabited. Nebuchadrezzar s army overran the strongholds of the city, tore down the walls, and destroyed the temple of the Lord. The word for strongholds is the same word used in 1:16 for corner towers, a reference to the key point in the wall of the city. If the strongholds fell, the remainder of the 7
city would fall as well. Such a vivid description had to impress the people of Jerusalem. Could they not see what lay ahead? 3:7 Jerusalem s problem had been its lack of respect for God and its inability to accept correction (3:2). God demonstrated His power among the nations to bring Israel to fear him. Fear of God could border on sheer terror, but this was not what God wanted. Fearing God was the first of God s list of requirements for his people. Hearing God s law in awesome rituals sought to bring the fear of Yahweh into the hearts of the people. Those who fear God praise and glorify him. To fear God means to hold him in awe, to give to the Lord the honor due him. Fearing God and accepting correction seem to follow one upon the other. Though Jerusalem had the example of the gentile nations, they continued to turn away from God and His leading for the city. The people of Jerusalem lived according to their own plans and planned to live apart from God. Making your own plans and ignoring God is a sure prescription for destruction whether living in the sixth century B.C. or the twenty-first century A.D. 3:8 Judgment does not seem to be hopeful, but in the case of Jerusalem s rebellion, it was. The Lord had punished the nations to get them to repent, but the object lesson failed because the people continued to sin. Since all sinful people were removed in 3:8, the faithful remnant can now serve Yahweh with no hindrance. God apparently spoke to the righteous minority in Jerusalem. Though they faced the uncertainty of judgment which would come upon all the world, the only hope for the righteous lay in the judgment and mercy of God. So, God counseled the righteous to wait on the Lord. God would indeed have His day when he would bring judgment on all the earth. What a picture! Waiting for God s vindication is neither desirable nor easy. Yet, waiting on God is the only choice for those who love Him and seek to live according to His commands. Patience is not natural, either for the wicked or the righteous, but God called on the people to wait on him for their deliverance a deliverance which would come in the form of God s judgment against the nations. Sometimes the only hope comes in judgment. Zephaniah seems determined at this point to stress the enigmatic side of the Lord s ways. Somehow judgment and hope are both true. This was the case in Zephaniah s day. When God poured out His fierce anger against the nations, then He would purify the lips of the peoples that all of them might call on the name of the Lord and serve him. The remnant those meek and humble who trusted in the name of the Lord (3:12 13) would endure the judgment. God would purify those who remained. These would be people whose lives matched their professions of faith. They 8
would speak the truth; no deceit would be found in their mouths. When Jerusalem consisted of this kind of people people who trusted God and obeyed Him the judgment would be worth the pain and trouble. Jerusalem s hope lay in God s work of judgment. God himself would testify against the nations for their wickedness. They, therefore, stood guilty before God the righteous judge. God pledged to assemble the nations and to gather the kingdoms but to gather them for the coming judgment. Not only Judah, but also the nations stood condemned before the Lord. By the fire of God s jealous anger, all the world would be consumed. Rather than being vices, God s jealousy and anger point often to God s being moved to action on behalf of his own. RELATED DISCUSSION TOPICS CLOSING PRAYER My God: I am grateful to have found You and kept You in the forefront of my being. Bless us continually with Your grace and mercy. They represent bountiful blessings for all of us. Amen. 9