Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20090927.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Zephaniah: God's Message To The Spiritually Complacent
Part I: God's Warning To His Spiritually Complacent People
(Zephaniah 1:1-2:3)
  1. Introduction
    1. One of the greatest threats to one's welfare is an attitude of complacency about sin. It not only blinds a person to the awfulness of sin, but it leaves him vulnerable to punishment by a perfectly righteous God.
    2. The prophet Zephaniah faced such complacency not only in Judah of his day, but in the nations around Judah that influenced her to sin, and God led him to address it with great application for us (as follows):
  2. God's Warning To His Spiritually Complacent People, Zephaniah 1:1-2:3.
    1. The prophet Zephaniah ministered in an era of spiritual complacency in Judah:
      1. Zephaniah served God during the reign of king Josiah (640-609 B. C.; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 598) who repented and instituted reforms when the long-lost copy of the Law had been found in the temple and it had been read before him, 2 Kings 22:1-23:25; Zephaniah 1:1.
      2. However, the great evil of Judah's past kings, Manasseh and Amon, left Josiah's reforms producing only a surface repentance in the people, Ibid., p. 1301, "Introduction To The Book Of Zephaniah."
      3. From various details in Zephaniah's prophecy, historians conclude he wrote it after these reforms were instituted and Judah's surface repentance had begun to be visible, Bible Know. Com., O. T. , p. 1523.
    2. Thus, Zephaniah pronounced divine judgment on Judah for her spiritual complacency, Zephaniah 1:1-18:
      1. First, God pronounced judgment on Judah for her continued idolatry, Zephaniah 1:2-5a:
        1. Zephaniah announced God's coming destruction of the animal life forms that the people of Judah idolatrously worshipped along with the idolaters who worshipped them, Zephaniah 1:2-3.
        2. He then pronounced destruction on the idols of Baal that still remained despite Josiah's reforms along with the destruction of the Chemarim, the false Baal priests, Zeph. 1:4; Ibid., Ryie, ftn. to 1:4.
        3. Zephaniah pronounced the destruction of star worshipers in Judah, Zephaniah 1:5a.
      2. Second, God pronounced judgment on those who mixed idol worship with His true worship in pagan syncretism, a common form of idolatry in Third World countries today, Zephaniah 1:5b.
      3. Third, God pronounced judgment on those who departed from Him for false religions, Zeph. 1:6-8:
        1. Zephaniah pronounced God's judgment on those who turned back from having made a pretense under Josiah's reforms of turning to the Lord, those who had not truly turned to God, Zeph. 1:6-7.
        2. God's prophet also pronounced judgment on the king's sons who had chosen to wear pagan apparel, a sign of apostasy since "the Jews' clothing with its blue ribbon had spiritual significance (cf. Num. 15:38-39)," Zephaniah 1:8; Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Zephaniah 1:8.
      4. God pronounced judgment on those who rushed "into peoples' houses to steal, avoiding the threshold in order to avoid provoking the gods who supposedly guarded the house," Ibid., ftn. to Zephaniah 1:9.
      5. Zephaniah pronounced judgment on those who had "settled on their lees," an allusion to the settled sediment in wine that here pictures complacency, Zeph. 1:10-12. These folk coarsely claimed "(t)he Lord will do nothing, either good or bad!" when it came to addressing their sins, Zephaniah 1:12 NIV.
      6. God thus declared widespread destruction for Judah at the hands of Gentile invaders, Zeph. 1:13-18.
    3. Having given this warning to complacent Judah, Zephaniah called the nation to repent, Zephaniah 2:1-3:
      1. Zephaniah called the nation of Judah that had no sense of shame for its extensive sinfulness to gather together for national repentance before God's severe punishment arrived, Zephaniah 2:1-2 NIV.
      2. He called the meek who revered and heeded the Lord to maintain their true repentance, Zeph. 2:3a.
      3. He called them to seek (a) the Lord, (b) righteousness and (c) humility, Zephaniah 2:3a,b.
      4. For seeking the Lord in true repentance, God would shelter them from His wrath, Zephaniah 2:3c.
Lesson: Zephaniah called the nation of Judah that was guilty of idolatry, syncretism, false repentance, apostasy, greed and materialism topped off with complacency about such sins to repent by seeking God and His righteousness in deep humility to escape God's impending judgment!

Application: May we never become complacent about our spiritual standing before God, but humbly seek His righteousness, Word and help to avoid His discipline and gain His blessing!