The Day of the Lord
Date 22 01 23 Text Zephaniah 1:7-18 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church
We've begun to look at the little book of Zephaniah. Last week we looked at 1:1-6. We noted first that the book's author is Zephaniah. We know little about him but he may been descended from good King Hezekiah. He prophesied during the 30 year reign of Josiah, Judah's last good king. He became king when he was eight and there was revival during his time, though we don't know whether Zephaniah preached before or after it or in both periods.
We then considered the universal judgment on the earth and the judgment on Judah that anticipates it, both of which Zephaniah announces. He speaks of a premature judgment on Judah that anticipates the final judgment and how the final judgment will affect the professed people of God.
With both judgements we asked four questions.
1 Who is going to bring it about? God himself.
2 What will be its chief characteristic? First the idea of sweeping away is repeated. Just as when someone takes a brush and sweeps the rubbish up so God will come one day and sweep away all unrighteousness. It's a great clean up. The other image is of God stretching out his hand against his people. Picture him and his outstretched arm – strong to save yes but it can also destroy when turned against someone.
3 Against who will God act? First of all everything. Narrowing down, he says (4) I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. We underlined the fact that a mere profession of faith saves no-one. God's wrath will not only affect idolaters but all who engage in what we call syncretism, worshipping God and idols. Of course, you don't have to be an idolater to know God's judgment, it is enough to turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him. Such people are apostates.
4 How ought we to react to such facts? It is a warning. The judgment is coming. Are you ready? Are you living as a person ought to be who belongs to the Lord? Is your profession of faith matched by a life of living to God's praise? It must be.
In the rest of Chapter 1 Zephaniah continues to describe what he calls (verses 7, 14) the day of the LORD and what again and again is described as a day or a time that is coming.
We can divide what he says into four similar parts. He says
1. The day of the LORD is near when God will punish the powerful and idolatrous
1. A call for silence before God because the day of the LORD is near
When a trial begins they always say “Silence in court”. To be silent is to show respect. Here it says Be silent before the Sovereign LORD. This silence is commanded no doubt not only as a mark of reverence but because we need to think about what is being said here. It is part of wisdom to sometimes stop and be silent. We ought to think very carefully about the fact of the Day of the LORD which will surely come in due time.
Silence is right especially because the day of the LORD is near - for the day of the LORD is near. We have spoken of this. Near does not necessarily mean it is tomorrow or this week. Rather, the point is - it will come sooner than we think. Just when we think it is far off, it will come on us. This is why, although sometimes it seems as though we have all the time in the world. We must be ready.
In an athletics track event the starter says first, before he says go, Ready. The athletes need to prepare themselves to go. What would you think of an athlete who merely sauntered along when he had heard the ready word? I notice how my son, when he wants his sons to go to bed or to go out, if they are playing, will say in five minutes you must stop playing. It gives them a chance to get used to the idea. We need to get ourselves used to the idea that Christ is coming again and then the day of the LORD will begin.
2. That day will be like a sacrifice day and the powerful and influential will be punished
In verses 7 and 8 the image of a sacrifice is used to describe the coming day of judgment. Imagine a day when you know there will be a sacrifice. You are up early, you consecrate yourself, you get ready. This sacrifice day is different to others, however. People have failed to make sacrifices to God and be the living sacrifices he intends us to be but on that day such people will themselves be the sacrifice. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated (set apart) those he has invited. These are probably the executioners – first Nebuchadnezzar and others and then the angels. 8 "On the day of the LORD's sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes. Affluent peoples often like to wear foreign clothes – from Paris, Milan, wherever. The Jews were to dress in a distinctive way not as others did. The leaders then tended to ignore this. Such ways of thinking will be punished on the day of judgment if there is no repentance
3. On that day God will punish the superstitious and idolatrous
Verse 9 is more obvious. God says On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit. Idolatry was everywhere in Israel and here is another clear warning of where it leads. We don't know what the reference to all who avoid stepping on the threshold is but it speaks of the superstition that commonly attaches itself to ignorance and pagan thinking. The fact those who are going to be punished are not just described as people who attend the temple of their gods but as those who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit tells its own story. False religion usually makes the morals of those who practice it worse not better.
Hear this warning and recognise the need to be ready for the day of the LORD.
2. The day of the LORD is near when God will punish the complacent and they will lose all
Zephaniah carries on in verses 10-13 in the same vein. Three more things to note
1. On that day, God will destroy all and they will wail
10, 11 "On that day," declares the LORD, a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, in Jerusalem, probably in the north west and named for the fish market nearby wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills nearby. Wail, you who live in the market district; in the lower part of the city all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be destroyed.
The references don't make much impact on us but imagine I spoke to you of a day when a cry will go up from the Co-op on the corner of Finchley Road and the Cricklewood Lane, wailing from the three high rise flats and a loud crash from Hampstead Heath. Wail, you who live among the shops at the top of the hill, all the food shops will be wiped out, all the other shops destroyed.
What a terrible time is coming for Jerusalem and that disaster points to trouble one day for the whole world. The description of news travelling fast here is vivid and conjures up what a dreadful day it will be for all who have not repented.
2. On that day, God will punish the complacent
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent,who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.' Previously the leaders have been singled out but here in verse 12 it is the complacent who are spoken of. They are like wine left on its dregs. When wine is made, a sediment often forms that if not stirred in will be obvious. If there is no stirring, the dregs or lees will be obvious. So with the complacent they are never stirred up about the day of the Lord. They ought to be. They think to themselves 'The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.' Everything goes on just as it always has. There will be no judgment. How wrong to think like that. What a mistake. At that time God himself will come and search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the complacent. Be ready!
3. On that day, all their wealth will be lost
Rinat Akhmetov – no I've never heard of him either but they say he was Ukraine's richest man. When the Russians invaded his country towards the end of February 2022 his fortune of nearly $14 Billion quickly dropped to less than $6 Billion. No doubt it is even less now. It is an illustration of how useless wealth can be when trouble comes.
13 Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. Though they build houses, they will not live in them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine. There was a tendency then and it is still around today to suppose that your wealth will protect you. If I have some money behind me, some money put away, I'll be okay. But no, the wealth of the rich will be plundered and their houses which gave them such a sense of security will be demolished. Though they build houses, and very handsome they looked no doubt, they will not live in them; similarly though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine.
People today trust in their savings and their homes and their businesses but it is a false faith. Such things cannot protect anyone when God's judgment comes.
3. The day of the LORD is near - a day of wrath, anguish, ruin, gloom and war
In verse 14 we have our second reference to the day of the LORD, The great day of the LORD. A number of things are then said about that great day, things we must carefully note. First though,
1. The day of the LORD will soon be here. As in verse 7 so in verse 14 The great day of the LORD is near - near and coming quickly. The next great thing to happen to this world is that the day of judgment will be here. We must be ready. Even if it does not come in our lifetimes, we still have to die and face God and soon.
2. It will be a day of bitterness for many. Verse 14 goes on The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. The picture now is not of a sacrifice but, as hinted before, an invasion. There is a cry from the victims that is bitter and from the executors a battle cry. What bitter suffering on that day for those who refuse to repent.
3. It will be a day of wrath. 15a That day will be a day of wrath – a day when the unrepentant will know what it is to suffer God's wrath without stint. Already his wrath is being revealed but then it will come in all its unmitigated ferocity.
4. It will be a day of anguish. Zephaniah goes on with a series of four or five pairs that make very clear the kind of day it will be. First a day of distress and anguish. We have spoken already of bitterness – distress and anguish are also appropriate words to describe how it will be for sinners in that day - Trouble, terrible troubles, distress, destruction, sorrow, pressure, torment, great suffering, pain – those are the words the translations use to get the idea across.
5. It will be a day of ruin and gloom. He speaks too of it being a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. To sum up, there will be ruin and darkness. Clouds speak of judgment anyway but these are black clouds – threatening and mysterious. Desolation, destruction, disaster, darkness, despair – these five 'd' words sum it up well.
6. It will be a day of war, 16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. These are again war images designed to impress on the hearers that there will be nowhere to hide and the loss will be great.
The picture cannot be misconstrued then. A great day of trouble is coming. You must be ready.
4. The day of the LORD - a day of distress, confusion and pain when wealth will be useless
The final verses add nothing particularly new but serve to underline what has been said – the distress, confusion, suffering and wrath that is to come and the fact that wealth will then be useless. And finally, its suddenness again.
1. It will be a day of distress. Verse 17 begins I will bring such distress on all people …. Distress – one more 'd' word. No-one will escape the distress that is coming.
2. It will be a day of confusion. The main point in verse 17 is that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their sin is the problem and it will leave sinners groping about like the blind so nonplussed and confused will they be by it all.
It reminds me of that famous painting from the First World War called Gassed by John Singer Sargent. It is a large oil painting that depicts the aftermath of a mustard gas attack. A line of wounded soldiers makes its uncertain way to a dressing station. Sargent was commissioned to document the war and visited the Western Front in July 1918. The painting was finished in March 1919 and voted picture of the year by the Royal Academy of Arts that year. It is now in the Imperial War Museum. It well sums up what we are told here about people groping their way along like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the LORD.
3. It will be a day of pain. Suffering is bound to be part of it. Here two particularly gruesome pictures are used.
1 Their blood will be poured out like dust Into the dust would perhaps make more sense but given what we have perhaps the picture is the way dust is thrown out as waste in large quantities – so will it be with their blood.
2 and their entrails like dung is a striking image and speaks of no burial and of being left as carrion for the vultures. As manure is spread on the fields so their remains will be spread everywhere, as it were.
4. It will be a day when wealth will be useless. The point is again made (18) that Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath. In some ways it seems such an obvious thing to say.
Lily Safra, a Brazilian-Monegasque billionaire and socialite amassed considerable wealth through her four marriages. In June 2022 her net worth was estimated at $1.3 Billion. However, in that month she died from cancer. Her money could not save her.
Dietrich Mateschitz was an Austrian billionaire businessman. He was the co-founder and 49% owner of Red Bull. In April 2022, his net worth was estimated at $27.4 Billion. However, in October 2022 he died from cancer. His money could not save him.
John Shaw was a Scottish billionaire businessman. He made his fortune in textiles. He and his wife were said to be worth $2.5 Billion. However, in October 2022 he also died from cancer. His money could not save him.
We all know that when we die money will be useless to us and certainly it will count for nothing come the day of judgment yet how we are tempted to love and cherish it. When will we learn how useless it is?
5. It will be a day when the whole earth will be consumed in the fire of God's jealousy
He goes on In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed. This whole world is going to be consumed, eaten up, destroyed. God is a jealous God, jealous for his Son and for his people. Where they have been despised or ignored he'll bring vengeance and none of the guilty will escape.
6. On that day God will make a sudden end of all who live on earth
And the last phrase … for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth. No-one will escape (except, it is assumed, through Jesus Christ). Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, the end will be here. It will be over. It is like in an exam when the invigilator suddenly says “Pens down”. It is like when a strict mother says to her children “It's time to come in from play”. It's like when the football referee's whistle blows at the end of play, when the boxing referee says 8,9,10 - out. How suddenly it will seem when it comes.
Are you ready?
Are you ready to meet Jesus? Are you where you ought to be?
Will He know you when He sees you Or will He say, "Depart from me?"
Are you ready? (Yes I am, get ready!) Hope you're ready? (ready, are you ready?)
Am I ready? (Are you ready? Get ready!) Am I ready? (ready, are you ready?)
Am I ready? (Are you ready? Get ready!) Am I ready? (ready, are you ready?)
Am I ready to lay down my life for the brethren And to take up my cross?
Have I surrendered to the will of God Or am I still acting like the boss?
Am I ready? (Get ready!) Hope I'm ready? (ready, are you ready?)
When destruction cometh swiftly And there's no time to say a fare-thee-well
Have you decided whether you want to be In Heaven or in Hell?
Are you ready? (Oh yeah! Get ready!) Are you ready? (ready, are you ready?)
Have you got some unfinished business? Is there something holding you back?
Are you thinking for yourself Or are you following the pack?
Are you ready? (Oh yeah! Get ready!) Hope you're ready? (ready, are you ready?)
Are you ready for the judgment? Are you ready for that terrible swift sword?
Are you ready for Armageddon? Are you ready for the day of the Lord?
