Our rejoicing, God's rejoicing anf the reasons for it

Date 11 02 23 Text Zephaniah 3:14-20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

As you're aware, we've been looking at this little book of Zephaniah for the last few weeks and this week we come to the very final section, the closing verses of Chapter 3, verses 14-20. Like so much in the Old Testament prophets, Zephaniah is full of words of judgment, judgment on the nations and on God's people. For example, in this book we read statements such as these found in Chapter 1

"I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. "I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea - and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble." ... Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near … The great day of the LORD is near - near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath – a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness - a day of trumpet and battle cry …. "I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, … Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath." In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.

As we come towards the end of the book, however, there are words of encouragement and the book ends on a very positive and encouraging note indeed. This begins in 3:9-13, which we looked at last week. Yes, there is a day coming when God will stand up to testify. He will assemble the nations … gather the kingdoms and ... pour out his wrath on them - all his fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of his jealous anger but also in the last days God promises that he will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshippers, God says my scattered people, will bring me offerings. Further, on that day, God's people will not be put to shame for all the wrongs they have done to him, because God will remove from them their arrogant boasters. Never again will they be haughty on God's holy hill. But God says I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the LORD. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid. So, despite everything, despite the fact that a day of wrath is coming, there are days of blessing ahead for God's people and the nations will also worship the true God and know his blessing. These are things that we have begun to see with the coming of Jesus Christ and that continue to unfold in our day.

In the closing verses of the book there is rejoicing at this prospect and a number of promises of blessing. We begin with a call to God's people to rejoice and sing because of salvation. Then come words that speak of God himself rejoicing and singing over his people. Verse 17 is at the centre of this final section - The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Then in the final two verses comes a sevenfold description of the wonderful things that God is going to do for his people in the future. So three main things tonight

1. Hear this call to rejoice and be glad for forgiveness, victory, fellowship and freedom

1. Hear this call to sing, shout, be glad and wholeheartedly rejoice

First there is this call to Daughter Zion, Daughter Jerusalem, Israel to the people of God then, to sing and to shout aloud, to Be glad and rejoice with all your heart! Above all else Christianity is a joyful religion, a singing religion. Joy should mark us as individuals and when we come together, the note of joy ought to be sounded loud and clear. It is one of the reasons we sing – to joyfully praise God. It is one of the reasons, I would suggest, fasting has a limited place in Christianity. Do not forget that our Saviour was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard and that his first miracle was at a wedding where he turned water into wine.

Joy is both a part of the fruit of the Spirit – only the Spirit can give you real joy – and something that we are commanded to do (Rejoice in the Lord!).

Jonathan Edwards says that “God created man for nothing else but happiness. He created him only that He might communicate happiness to him.” The trouble is that we look for it in all the wrong places. “The happiness of the creature” Edwards also says “consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted.” Jerry Bridges reminds us too that “True joy comes only from God and He shares this joy with those who walk in fellowship with Him.”

John MacArthur helpfully says

The more you know God, the better you know him, the more confident you become, the more secure your joy is…Joy is related to your knowledge of God: little knowledge, little joy; much knowledge, much joy. The more you know of God’s glorious truth, of God’s great covenants and promises, of God’s plans, of God’s faithfulness, of God’s power, the more joy you experience in life…Our joy is connected to the goodness of the Lord. And the more you understand his grace and mercy and goodness, the more stable your joy becomes, no matter what circumstances may come.

2. Hear these reasons for such rejoicing – forgiveness, victory, fellowship and freedom

Verse 15 is in the past tense but is again, no doubt, one of these prophetic past tenses. It will certainly happen. The verse speaks of four coming blessings. It says The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. Here are four intertwined reasons for God's people to rejoice, then.

• God has forgiven us. As it is here, he has taken away your punishment. Part of being a believer is knowing that God will not punish you as you deserve but forgives in Christ Jesus.
• God has given us victory over our enemies. In times past, Israel fought Moab and the Philistines. Our chief enemies are the world, the flesh and the devil The promise here is that God will turn back the enemy. They cannot survive in the face of Christ and all he has done by means of his life and death and intercession.
• Then there is the simple but profound promise The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you. The with-ness of God – there is nothing to compare with it. And I will be with you always, to the very end of the age. Nothing can compare with that. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit!
• Finally, we rejoice because we no longer have any need to fear harm. We are safe in Christ. Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God and so all will be well. What reasons we have to rejoice!

So I say to you rejoice and be glad, shout and sing. We have every reason to do so if we are believers – we have been forgiven, our enemies cannot win, God is with us and he has saved us so that we no longer need to fear anyone or anything.

Do you know the name Billy Bray? Billy Bray was a Cornish miner who was converted in 1823 at the age of 29. This happened when he reminded God you have said, “they that ask shall receive, they that seek shall find, and to them that knock the door shall be opened, and I have faith to believe it.” “In an instant”, he wrote, “the Lord made me so happy that I cannot express what I felt. I shouted for joy. I praised God with my whole heart for what he had done for a poor sinner like me, for I could say, the Lord has pardoned all my sins.” He had lived a life of drunkenness and debauchery before his salvation but he became such an outgoing witness and testimony for God that he became known as “God’s glad man.”

One time he was digging potatoes from his garden and felt the devil oppressing him. He was an eccentric and it seemed to him that the devil said, “Billy Bray, God doesn’t love you. If he did, he wouldn’t give you such puny potatoes and so few.”

But Billy Bray didn’t listen to the devil’s temptation, he talked back to him. He said, “I served you long and true, Devil, and no better servant could a master ever have than I was to you. But when I served you, you didn’t give me any potatoes. When I served you, you didn’t give me anything good for my efforts.”

Billy Bray reminded himself that the burden he had serving Christ was lighter than the one he had had serving the devil. The yoke that he wore in partnership with and submission to Jesus was easier than the yoke he wore as one of the devil’s disciples.

He once said, “I would rather be in Hell with Jesus than in Heaven without Jesus. For Hell with Jesus would seem just like Heaven to me and Heaven without Jesus would seem just like Hell to me.”

2. Know God will rejoice over his people as anxiety and alarm, loneliness and loss recede

As we have noted verse 17 stands at the heart of this passage. There God is referred to as the Mighty Warrior who saves. This phrase is also used for God back in Chapter 1:14 The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. The original mighty warrior in the Bible is Nimrod and the name is used also for Jephthah and Gideon, and in David's time for two leaders of the Thirty mighty men. Both Jeremiah and Zephaniah use it to refer to God. Jeremiah says (20:11) But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. The idea is also in Isaiah 59:17 where it says that God put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

More importantly, in verse 17, we read these words about God - He will take great delight in his people ... in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. So we say

1. Know that God delights, rejoices and sings over his people

In John 15:11 Jesus says to his disciples I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. That he wishes the joy of the disciples to be complete is no surprise but notice that Jesus also wants to have joy in them. That is also one of his concerns. Here, in verse 17, it clearly says that God will take great delight in his people and that in his love he will no longer rebuke them, but will rejoice over them with singing. So it is not only that we rejoice in this New Testament era but God himself also. This is a great mystery in some ways when we consider the impassibility of God, the fact that he is without passions and yet here we see him enjoying great delight and rejoicing with singing. Of course, the point is to contrast God's attitude with his previous one where he rebuked his people and was angry with them. Nevertheless, here is an amazing thought – God rejoicing. We see it in Jesus, as noted. There is also that remarkable verse, Luke 10:21, where we read that At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

Also, in Hebrews 12:2 we learn that it was For the joy set before him that Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God and in more than one place we read of God's joy over sinners repenting. These verses flesh out what is here.

2. Know why God sings over his people – they are free of anxiety, alarm, loneliness and loss

Verses 16-18 point to some of the reasons that God rejoices over his people. It is all to do with what he has done for them and the blessing they know because he has done these things. In verse 16 Zephaniah foresees how On that day they will say to Jerusalem, to God's people,"Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. Don't be afraid or dismayed then. Why? (17) The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. God's people will no longer be alone or lost but God will draw near to them and he will save them from all that stands against them. This is why God will take great delight in his people and in his love … no longer rebuke them, but will rejoice over them with singing. At that time (18) God will remove ... all who mourn over the loss of their appointed festivals, those for whom it was a burden and reproach to be in exile, away from the temple. It is in delivering his people from fear and dismay then that God delights and rejoices. He loves to come near and save his people. How it pleases him to work in salvation like that.

John Piper has written

Can you imagine what it would be like if you could hear God singing? Remember that it was merely a spoken word that brought the universe into existence. What would happen if God lifted up his voice and not only spoke but sang! Perhaps a new heaven and a new earth would be created. … When God spoke at the beginning, the heavens and the earth were created; perhaps at the end, the new heavens and the new earth will be created when God exults over his people with loud singing. When I think of the voice of God singing, I hear the booming of Niagara Falls mingled with the trickle of a mossy mountain stream. I hear the blast of Mt. St. Helens mingled with a kitten's purr. I hear the power of an East Coast hurricane and the barely audible puff of a night snow in the woods. And I hear the unimaginable roar of the sun 865,000 miles thick, 1,300,000 times bigger than the earth, and nothing but fire, 1,000,000 degrees centigrade, on the cooler surface of the corona. But I hear this unimaginable roar mingled with the tender, warm crackling of the living room logs on a cozy winter's night. And when I hear this singing I stand dumbfounded, staggered, speechless that he is singing over me. He is rejoicing over my good with all his heart and with all his soul.

Perhaps we don't think enough of it – God's delight in saving sinners. We ought to think of it more. It would transform our approach to so many things.

3. Praise God for revenge, rescue, redemption, resurrection, regathering, return, restoration

The final two verses (19, 20) both begin At that time That is the prophetic future, the last days when Messiah would come, the days in which it is now our privilege to be living in. In the two verses are a series of promises for that time. Appropriately there are seven promises, although there is some repetition perhaps.

So here are seven things we can expect God to do in this New Testament era.

1. Revenge

I will deal with all who oppressed you. Personal vengeance is not to be pursued but when God, who says It is mine to avenge brings about vengeance then it is right that we should be glad and praise God. Make no mistake he will have vengeance on our enemies. Praise him it is so.

2. Rescue

I will rescue the lame. This is a picture. God's people got themselves into a place where they were lame, as it were, unable to move. But then God took hold of them and rescued them. He is a God who rescues the lame. As Charles Wesley once put it – leap ye lame for joy! Praise God for rescue.

3. Redemption

I will gather the exiles. Yes, Israel was going to be sent into exile but that exile was going to come to an end. God was going to redeem his people out f exile in Babylon. That is what he does - he gathers the exiles safely in.

4. Resurrection

At the end of verse 19 God promises I will give them praise and honour in every land where they have suffered shame. Their shame will be turned to honour. It would be like a resurrection. Tehy would be raised up and honoured again.

5. Regathering

Verse 20 begins At that time I will gather you. God was going to gather his scattered people again and bring them back to the Promised Land where they were going to begin again and where Messiah would be born.

6. Return

Verse 20 goes on at that time I will bring you home. That is a great way of describing salvation – coming home. Perhaps it was in part meditating on this phrase that led Jesus to formulate the parable of the Lost son who went to the far country but eventually came home to his father. It is the story of Israel but it is the story too, in Charles Wesley's words, of

Weary souls, that wander wide from the central point of bliss,

And who he calls on to

Turn to Jesus crucified (and) Fly to those dear wounds of His:

Sink into the purple flood; (he says) Rise into the life of God.

He goes on

Find in Christ the way of peace, Peace unspeakable, unknown;

By His pain He gives you ease, Life by His expiring groan:

Rise, exalted by His fall; Find in Christ your all in all.

7. Restoration

The final words of the book are a promise. I will give you honour and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes, says the LORD. After seventy years of exile God's people were restored to the Promised Land, the land where Messiah would be born. Once again the people of God were honoured and praised. This was especially so with the coming of Christ. We all now it was in Israel he was born and died and rose. All honour then to that land and to the Jews but also to God's people whatever their background because we are those whose fortunes are restored in Christ.

The coming judgement and the prior conversion of many

Date 04 02 23 Text Zephaniah 3:1-13 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

I want us to begin this evening to look at Zephaniah 3. So far we have looked at the first two chapters and so far judgment has very much been the theme.

First, we thought about the universal judgment that is going to come on this earth and then about the judgment of Judah, which anticipates it. Then we considered the fact that this judgment, the Day of the LORD, is near. It won't be long before God will punish the powerful and the idolatrous and the complacent and they will lose everything. A day of wrath, anguish, ruin, gloom and war is fast approaching. We need to be ready.

Then last week we looked at Chapter 2 and we considered the importance of being humble and obedient and humbly seeking God and his righteousness, as we prepare for God's judgment. We then considered the words of judgment pronounced on the proud nations to the west, east, south and north of Israel and the promise of a great reversal and of the restoration of God's people.

In Chapter 3 judgment is once again a main theme – judgment on the nations and on God's people. However, there is also, most interestingly, a wonderful promise that before God judges the nations he will convert them and save them and a remnant among the Jews too.

So we will go as far as verse 13 tonight and say three main things from those verses, 1-13.

1. Consider how deserved is God's judgment on his people and run from all such sins

In the first eight verses the theme is still very much that of judgment. In verses 1-5, it is made clear why God's people deserve judgment. We do well to consider what is said here and ask ourselves if we are guilty of any of the sins that are highlighted.

1. Consider the sins that characterised God's professed people and turn from them

1 Oppression, rebellion and defilement

The chapter begins Woe to the city of oppressors. Jerusalem was supposed to be the city of peace but it was full at this time of people who oppressed others. They crushed them, they took advantage of them. London today is full of the same sort of thing. It should not be. Jerusalem was also rebellious. There were many rebels there, people who threw off the shackles. This is the opposite problem to oppression, again common in London, where, far from being oppressed, many people reject any kind of authority. and defiled! The people were unclean, polluted, not just ceremonially but morally. They were soiled and sullied, impure, dirty. Again, a common state of affairs in our day. We must run from all such sins

2 Disobedience

Verse 2 begins She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. There was an unwillingness to do right as it is laid down in God's law and an unwillingness to change in order to do good. We see this everywhere today. “Why should I change?” they say and press on in their disobedience. They will not accept God's word.

3 Lack of faith

And this is the worst of it 2b She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God. For all the religion there was in Jerusalem, there was no trust in the LORD, in the true God, no drawing near to him. They would turn anywhere else rather than turn to the Lord. By nature, we all turn from God, we run from him. Now that is how it was in Jerusalem – anything to avoid drawing near to Almighty God.

Spurgeon illustrated faith well when he said in a sermon

Your condition is like that of a child in a burning house, who, having escaped to the edge of the window, hung on by the windowsill. The flames were pouring out of the window underneath, and the poor lad would soon be burned, or falling would be dashed to pieces. He therefore held on with the clutch of death. He did not dare to relax his grasp until a strong man stood underneath, and said, “Boy! Drop! Drop! I’ll catch you.” Now, it was no saving faith for the boy to believe that the man was strong - that was a good help toward faith - but he might have known that and yet have perished. It was faith when the boy let go and dropped down into his big friend’s arms.

There are you, sinner, clinging to your sins or to your good works. The Saviour cries, “Drop! Drop into my arms!” It is not doing, it is leaving off doing. It is not working, it is trusting in that work which Jesus has already done. Trust! That is the word—simple, solid, hearty, earnest trust. Trust and it will not take an hour to save you, the moment you trust you are saved.

So what about us? Are we oppressors, rebellious, impure, disobedient, lacking in faith? Where is the spirit of service to others, submission to God and obedience to him, the spirit of purity and faith? Without these, surely we deserve God's judgment.

2. Note the sins of the rulers, prophets and priests and turn from them

In verses 3 and 4 Zephaniah turns his attention to the leaders of society. He begins with the court, the king and his courtiers. He also speaks of the prophets and the priests of his day. What he has to say about them is not good. Those who should have been taking the lead in obedience and faith were in fact doing the very opposite.

3 Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. They were using their authority to abuse others. They threw their weight about and were driven by greed. We see it in our own day – not only in the state but in families and in churches too. It is often those with power who are in the wrong. It ought not to be the case.

Then in verse 4 he says Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law. It was the calling of the prophets to speak up when the court was corrupt and point out its failings but the prophets (apart from Zephaniah) were unprincipled and treacherous and did nothing to speak up against the corruption that was all around. As for the priests in the temple, they served only to profane the sanctuary and far from teaching and upholding God's law, they did the very opposite.

And so today, we see not only wickedness in high places but a failure to speak out against it and those who should be upholding truth and purity doing nothing to protect it.

3. Consider the righteousness of God and how it contrasts with the failure of his people

In verse 5 we are reminded that nevertheless The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. That is not where the problem lies. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet and this is where the problem lies the unrighteous know no shame. They should be ashamed of their corrupt and sinful ways but they are not. They fail to blush.

How ashamed we should be of our sins. We must turn from them.

2. Hear this call to wait patiently for God's judgment on the nations

As we have seen before, God's judgment begins with his own people but will extend to all the earth. And so we say

1. Expect God to judge the nations

6 “I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty.” The past tense is used – perhaps because attention is being drawn to what God has done to various nations in the past but I think it is more likely that this is what is called the prophetic past tense – future judgment is so certain that it is spoken of in terms of already having happened. Note those d words again – destroyed, demolished, deserted - I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. Be in no doubt this destruction is coming. How devastating it will be for all who do not repent.

2. Do not suppose that the professed people of God will escape God's judgment

It is tempting to comfort oneself by saying that judgment will fall only on unbelievers. But if we are tempted to think like that we need to recall that there will be judgment on God's people, also. Look at verse 7 Of Jerusalem I thought, 'Surely you will fear me and accept correction!' Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. Surely knowing God's attitude to the nations his own people would automatically fear God and be corrected. But no, not so. Yet there is no escape for anyone simply because they say they belong to God's people. There has to be a reality to that profession. Where is the fear of God? Where is the willingness to be corrected? Where is a forsaking of corruption? Without these judgment is bound to come and to find its mark.

3. Wait for the LORD and the day when he will judge the whole world

Verse 8 then is a call for patience. “Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day I will stand up to testify. Sometimes we are tempted to wonder if the judgment will ever come. Be in no doubt, it will. God says plainly I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and what will he do when they are gathered? And to pour out my wrath on them - all my fierce anger. Yes, be in no doubt, at times God has dealt with the nations most powerfully and a day is coming when indeed The whole world will be consumed by the fire of God's jealous anger. As 2 Peter 3:10 has it But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

One writer speaks of waiting like this. He says

It isn’t easy to wait. It demands persistence when common sense says “give up.” It says “believe” when there is no present evidence to back it up. Faith is forged in delay. Character is forged in delay. The forge is the gap between the promise and the fulfilment. As gold is purified and shaped in the white-hot heat of a forge, so we and our faith are purified and shaped in waiting.

3. Realise that before the great judgment God will convert the nations and the Jews

Finally, in verses 9-13 there is a tremendous word of hope regarding the nations and the Jews. Not all of them, it is true, but many indeed. Two things

1. Realise that before that time God will cause many Gentiles to call on his name and serve him

9, 10 Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshippers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. It is put in Old Testament terms but the promise is that God will purify the lips of Gentiles and cause them to call on the name of the LORD and to serve God shoulder to shoulder with his people. They will become his worshippers and bring him offerings, these scattered people beyond Cush and wherever.

We have begun to see that with waves of Christians in the Middle East, in Europe and in Africa and now in China. People are calling on the LORD's name in their own tongue. They are worshipping God in place after place. Pray that there will be more and more who do that.

2. Realise that God's people will be humbled and revived

Now in the midst of reaching out to Gentiles, it is important that we do not forget the Jews. In a similar way, when we reach out to unbelievers, we must remember those who are growing up with these things too. 11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, God says because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. In many cases God will remove the proud from his people, the unbelieving. Let's expect that. Further,

12, 13 But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the LORD. There will be a humble and meer remnant who believe. What will they be like? The very opposite of the unbelieving and disobedient spoken of before. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. Further They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid. This is the laying down in green pastures and being led beside quiet waters spoken of in Psalm 23. It is possible because God's people have a shepherd, Jesus Christ. He cares for them and because of him, they need never fear.

More on the judgement of God

Date 29 01 23 Text Zephaniah 2 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

I don't know about you but if I'm reading a book, I like to be quite strict and not look at the end of the story. Others are not strict at all and are quite happy to sneak a look at the end and see how it is all going to work out. Now with this book of Zephaniah that we are looking at I have decided that you probably need some encouragement to press on to the end and so I am going to give you a hint of what is at the end.

We have looked at Chapter 1 and this week I want us to look at Chapter 2 but, as we will see, although there are one or two encouraging things here; there is no real let up in the theme of judgment. There are different emphases true but still it is mostly judgment all the way. The theme is still the LORD's fierce anger … the day of the LORD's wrath ... the day of the LORD's anger … Woe to you ... "I will destroy you, and none will be left." … The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. … What a ruin she has become ….

But let me assure you of where all this is heading. In Chapter 3:14-20 it is all very different. There at the end of the book we read - Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." etc, etc.

So that is where we are heading but first we have four prophecies, mostly full of woe – the first is spoken against God's own people, the rest against their neighbours. Four things then

1. Be ready for judgment, humble and obedient ones; seek God, righteousness and humility

Three things here

1. Realise what is coming

In verse 2 we read about a future time when the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, it is the day when the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you … the day of the LORD's wrath that is going to come upon you.

We have seen this in Chapter 1 but here it is again – a day of judgment is coming, a day of the LORD's fierce anger … the day of the LORD's wrath. Because of sin, there will be judgement and it is important that we know that this day is coming. Before it comes there will be times of judgment for individuals and one day there will be a universal judgment for all.

DEWS is the name of a European Union project designed to give an early warning of tsunamis and other geological problems such as erupting volcanoes and landslides. The name stands for Distant Early Warning System. The project is based on the idea that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Clearly, the sooner we know that a disaster is ahead then the better; the greater the likelihood of being able to avoid it. Warnings like this are in the Bible to urge us to be prepared, to be ready.

2. What to do about it

The chapter begins Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation. Sinful Israel is addressed first. In verse 3 they are told Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility …. So by and large the nation acts shamefully but there is a remnant who are humble and who are obedient and the appeal goes out to them to come together and to seek three related things

• Seek God. Always in Scripture we are urged to seek the Lord.
• Seek righteousness. Anyone who is genuinely seeking God will be seeking righteousness – true goodness, the right way. Jesus says that blessing comes to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
• Seek humility. The people in mind here are humble people but part of true humility is that you see the need to be more humble. It is what the Bible calls growing in grace.

3. Why to act that way

The reason is perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger. It is not put very strongly but there is the hint of salvation for those who do as is recommended. Of course, we can say more boldly today that if a person genuinely seeks the Lord and relies on Jesus Christ then that person will indeed be protected from all harm on the day of the LORD's anger but then it was a little more tentative.

In November 1938, UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain put Sir John Anderson in charge of Air Raid Precautions. Anderson was a scientist turned politician who led the Ministry of Home Security, responsible for civil defence, air raid wardens, rescue squads, fire services, the Women’s Voluntary Service and what came to be known as Anderson shelters.

Anderson commissioned engineer William Patterson to design a small and cheap shelter that could be erected in people’s gardens. The first one was erected in a garden in Islington, 25 February 1939 and, between then and the outbreak of war in September, around 1.5 million were distributed to people in areas expected to be bombed and so in need of protection. During the war a further 2.1 million were erected. Anderson shelters were issued free to many households; others were charged £7.

Easily erected, the shelters were made from six curved sheets bolted together at the top, with steel plates at either end, and measuring 1.95m by 1.35m, the shelter could accommodate four adults and two children. Shelters were half buried in the ground with earth heaped on top. When the bombs dropped it was frightening but you were safe. God will keep safe all who trust in him on that day.

2. Hear this judgment on those in the west and the promise of restoration for God's people

From Israel, Zephaniah turns his attention to those living west and east and south and north of them, as the prophets often do. First, west:

For much of the Old Testament period the great enemy of God's people is the Philistines, who are spoken of in verses 4-7. The Philistines appear to have come from the west, perhaps Crete or another island and settled in Canaan around the same time as the Hebrews. They chiefly occupied the western part of the country. They had five main cities and four are mentioned here – Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron. Gath is the only one missing. Different words are used for the different cities but they are all negative words (4) - Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted. There is some wordplay going on here. It is not possible to reproduce it properly in English but it is something like “Gaza will be Godforsaken and Ashkelon abolished. At midday Ashdod will be abandoned and Ekron extirpated.” Abandonment, ruin, emptying and uprooting – that is what lies in store for those who oppose the people of God.

Picture such people as being set adrift like a boat, being ruined like a building being demolished with a wrecking ball, thrown out like an upturned rubbish bin on the back of a refuse lorry and like weeds being pulled up by the roots.

Verses 5 and 6 sum up Woe to you who live by the sea, you Kerethite people; another way of referring to the Philistines the word of the LORD is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines. He says, "I will destroy you, and none will be left." The land by the sea will become pastures having wells for shepherds and pens for flocks. Each of the cities will go. These urban centres that were once so splendid and magnificent will be removed and become fit only for pasturing sheep.

The final comment in verse 7 contains a hint of hope for God's people. That land will belong to the remnant of the people of Judah; there they will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The LORD their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes. Where Philistines once roamed, God's people will rule. There they will pasture their sheep. Their sheep will lay down at night in the ruins of Ashkelon. There the LORD will take care of his people. The promise is that their fortunes will be restored.

How that should encourage us. Yes God is coming in judgment but those who survive, his remnant, will be blessed. Be thankful it is so,

3. Hear this judgment on those proud mockers in the east and the promise of reversal

Having looked west the prophet next looks east and to the adjacent nations of Moab and Ammon on the other side of the Dead Sea. God speaks and he says (8) “I have heard the insults of Moab and the taunts of the Ammonites, who insulted my people and made threats against their land.” God is always aware when his people are being persecuted. He remains alert. It affects him too.

Those who persecute believers can expect to be judged in due time. It goes on (9) “Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah - a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever.” You remember what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. The allusion to Sodom and Gomorrah and the judgment brought on them long ago is appropriate as not only is this all in the same area but Moab and Ammon were the fruit of the incestuous liaison between Lot and his daughters remember.

In the rest of verse 9 we read God's words “The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.” Once again this theme of a reversal, a turning of the tables, is here. Referring to Moab and Ammon verses 10 and 11 say This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty. The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands. In Moab and Ammon they worshipped idols but all that is coming to an end as we mentioned preaching from Chapter 1. The end has begun. We see it all around us but there will be a final destruction of all the gods of the earth at the last. Zephaniah saw a day that is now here in part when Distant nations will bow down to the true God, all of them in their own lands. And so again – judgment for all who refuse to repent but glory to God.

4. Hear this judgment on those in south and north once so proud and the promise of reversal

As for the south, verse 12 is very brief, "You Cushites, too, will be slain by my sword." This is a reference to those who lived south of Egypt with whom Israel had limited interaction. They were going to suffer God's judgment, however, when Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians rose to power. Nebuchadnezzar would overthrow the Egyptians and the Cushites who tried to help them. Interestingly, Zephaniah refer to the Cushites' defeat by the Babylonians as my sword. When a nation falls, it is God who allows it.

The final point of the compass was north and this time, the Assyrians. These, of course, were the people who carried off the Israelites into exile and made it so difficult for Judah. Their time will come, however, it is clear.

13 He will stretch out his hand a phrase we had n Chapter 1 against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert. Another run of ds then - destroyed, desolate and desiccated. Again we have this picture of an urban setting so destroyed that it is fit only for sheep to graze. 14 Flocks and herds will lie down there, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. You can almost hear them hooting. Their hooting will echo through the windows, rubble will fill the doorways, the beams of cedar will be exposed. The place is now a ruin, as indeed happened to Assyria. Verse 15 alludes to her pride This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, "I am the one! And there is none besides me." That is true of many cities in this world no doubt. New York, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, Berlin, London. How proud each one. But listen to the final words of the chapter What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts! All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists. Again what a reversal, what a turning of the tables.

How important that we take this all in and do not make the mistake of living only for today. No, we need to be ready for the day of God's wrath whenever it may come.

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?

Are you ready for the judgement day?

Date 15 01 23 Text Zephaniah 1:1-6 Place CHilds Hill Baptist Church

As I'm sure you know, if you pick up a Christian Bible it is in two unequal parts - Old Testament and New Testaments. The last 12 books of the Old Testament are what we call the Minor Prophets. They are called this because the Old Testament writing prophets who wrote them wrote shorter books than the major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel). The word doesn't mean minor in the sense of unimportant but of size. The longest of the minor prophets are Hosea and Zechariah (only 14 short chapters each). Obadiah has only one chapter and Haggai two. Because the books are only short it was possible to write all twelve on one big scroll – hence The Twelve.

Over the years we have looked at most if not all of these books but there are some that perhaps we have not looked at or have not looked at for a very long time. I would like to turn our attention this evening to one of them, to the Book of Zephaniah. It was probably written some time in the seventh century, certainly before 587 BC and the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians.

One reason why people shy away from the minor prophets is that they are full of words of judgement. Zephaniah begins, after the briefest of introductions, "I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. People are often slow to look at the subject of judgment. However, I am assuming that all of you here tonight are believers and so there is no reason for you to be afraid of the judgment. On the other hand, it is good to look at the subject in case we are mistaken about supposing we are going to heaven and in order to remind ourselves of what is going to happen to all those around us who refuse to repent.

So this week we'll look just at the opening verses of the book, Chapter 1:1-6. I want to say three things to you.

1. Who is the author of this prophecy and when did he prophesy?

The opening verse of the book reminds us that this is The word of the LORD. It is The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, who was the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, presumably the great and good king. If so, Zephaniah was of royal blood. He may have left one generation out in his genealogy, otherwise Hezekiah was his great great grandfather. We know almost nothing else about Zephaniah.

He prophesied, he says, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah to whom Zephaniah must have been related in some way. Amon was assassinated around 641 BC. Josiah, in contrast to his father and grandfather (Manasseh) was one of the good kings of Judah. He began reigning when he was 8 years old and reigned for the next 30 years. In the twelfth year of his reign, there was a great revival and so the question arises as to when Zephaniah's prophecies were given. If they come from the period before the revival, perhaps they were one of the instruments that God used to bring revival about. If it was in the latter half of Josiah's reign that Zephaniah prophesied then presumably it was because it was not long before people began to fall away again, despite the reformation that had come about. The prophecies could have been given in both parts of the reign, of course.

This is the period when the power of Assyria was beginning to wane and the Babylonians were on the rise. It is the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar who eventually carried Judah off into exile.

So some lessons to begin with

1. Be thankful that we have here the word of the Lord. God speaks and he speaks in the Bible, including in this book of Zephaniah.

2. Recognise that throughout the Bible God speaks through human beings, including Zephaniah. As is often the case, we do not know much about the human writer but we know he was a real human being and that he was used by God in his generation to convey his word. God revealed secrets to his servants the prophets and we have those words today. The same Holy Spirit who spoke through Zephaniah then will illumine those words so that we understand them today.

3. Remember that plain, honest preaching is always needed, whether times are good or bad. We need to hear the Word of God.

2. Hear this word about the universal judgment that is going to come on this earth

In verses 2 and 3 Zephaniah plunges straight into the prophecy proper. First, God announces what he is going to do, the judgment he is going to bring about on this earth. Just as he once judged this earth by means of a worldwide flood so he will bring other judgments including a final judgment on all. Four questions

1. Who is going to bring about this judgment?

Verse 2 "I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. It is the LORD himself, the true and living God of Israel. It says that at the beginning of verse 2 and again at the end of verse 3. This is God speaking, this is indeed the word of the LORD and that is why we must sit up and listen. He is the God with whom we have to do.

2. What will be its chief characteristic?

You notice the repeated idea of sweeping away. It begins "I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. Then there is some itemisation "I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea - and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble." If there is any doubt about what such sweeping away by God entails, the phrase "When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth," declares the LORD makes it clear.

Just as when someone takes a brush and sweeps the rubbish up across the floor so God will come one day and he will sweep away all unrighteousness. It's a great clean up.

When I was a child, my mother would have a big clean up in the house, which was fine but sometimes there were things that I treasured that she would throw away because they were cluttering up the house. It is something like that when God is at work.

In doing what he says he will do God will destroy the whole earth including the unrighteous, consigning them to hell. The New Testament speaks of this (2 Peter 3:10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

3. What will be swept away?

In verse 3 Zephaniah enumerates who will be swept away. It is like Genesis 1 in reverse. There we read of the creation of man and before that of the beasts and before that the birds and the fish. Here he says I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea …. All of creation is going to be swept away when this great day of judgment comes. He adds - and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble. On the fourth day God made the sun, moon and stars, which people have made idols of. But they also will be destroyed.

These idols that cause the wicked to stumble really are stumbling blocks. They get in the way of true worship and cause people to fall into sin. When someone trips over something in the street we say he has hit a stumbling block. That literal thing is a picture of the way idols get in the way and cause people to fall. But they will not last.

It all reminds us of Jesus's own words in Matthew 13:40, 41 As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

The whole thing may sound negative but in fact it is very positive for this will mean the end of idolatry and all the wickedness associated with it when God judges all the earth. This drive against idols has already begun but it will be completed when Jesus comes again.

4. How ought we to react to such a fact?

It is very clear that a great judgment is going to come on this earth and we need to be ready for it. If we are given to idol worship then what hope is there for us? We need to put our faith rather in Jesus Christ before it is too late. As Peter says (2 Peter 3:11-13) Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

We know there is going to be a judgment – our consciences tell us so and even if we do not know the Ten Commandments we have an innate sense of right and wrong and of God's justice. Paul says of unbelievers at the end of Romans 1 that they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, yet sadly they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

3. Hear this word about the judgment of Judah which anticipates it

The last thing in verse 4 is this - "When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth," declares the LORD …. It is really the beginning of the next sentence - When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth, declares the LORD I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem etc so we will take it as part of verse 5 and we will look at it along with the final two verses. We ask the same four questions.

1. Who is going to bring about this judgment?

Through into verses 4-6, it is still God who is speaking, it is still the LORD. He is the one who is going to destroy all mankind on the face of the earth and who in particular will stretch out his hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. When judgement comes it is God who is behind it.

2. What will be its chief characteristic?

This time God speaks about stretching out his hand against certain people - stretching out his hand no doubt to grab and to punish. Certainly the word to destroy is here again - I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests ….

Picture God then and his outstretched arm – an arm that os strong to save but that can also destroy when it is turned against a person.

Zephaniah is speaking both of a premature judgment on Judah that anticipates the final judgment and how the final judgment will affect the professed people of God.

In 2 Kings 23:4-8 we read about how The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem - those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts. He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the LORD, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah. Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate.

What Zephaniah speaks of here is what had happened or would happen, but there is more to come – a compete overthrow of idolatry lay ahead. We have seen how since the coming of Christ idolatry has been in reverse everywhere. The final phase of that will soon be here with the judgement.

3. Against who will God's hand be stretch out?

Here things narrow down. 4 I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem God says. This time it is not just all the earth but specifically the professed people of God. It reminds us of what Peter says reflecting on the way Christians suffer in this life, in 1 Peter 4:17, 18, For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" Jeremiah 25:29 is similar. God says to the nations this time See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword on all who live on the earth, declares the LORD Almighty.

All are judged. As Jesus puts it in one place (Luke 12:47, 48) The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Privileges bring responsibilities. All will be judged but professing believers first and most severely.

He goes into some detail itemising this time every remnant of Baal worship ... the idolatrous priests - those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear by Molek, those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.

This allows us to draw some more distinct conclusions about the judgment and who in particular will suffer at that time.

1 Firstly, we must underline the fact that a mere profession of faith will save no-one. That will not ever be enough for anyone.

2 God says I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests - those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host. Baal worship and other idolatries were everywhere in Jerusalem at this time. The people would go up onto the flat roofs of their houses from where they could see the stars and planets and they would bow down and worship them. All idol worshippers and those who worship the starry host God says will all be destroyed in this judgment. The very names of the idolatrous priests will be destroyed. Just as no-one remembered the names of the builders of the Tower of Babel, despite all their efforts, so the names of these idolatrous priests are forgotten and will not be brought to mind again.

3 This will include those who engage in what we call syncretism. Those who bow down and swear by the LORD and yet who at the same time also swear by Molek, the detestable god of the Ammonites. These too will be destroyed.

4 You do not have to be an idolater to know God's judgment, it is enough that you are one of those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him. Such people are what we call apostates.

It is clear then that this worldwide judgment includes those who profess to belong to God's people and indeed begins with them. Merely to have the name that you belong to God is not enough. There needs to be more.

4. How ought we to react to such a fact?

Again 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.

Do you know the phrase nominal Christian or Sunday Christian? The authors of Operation World suggest that there are 1.2 billion of these nominal or non-practising Christians alive today. The evangelical Lausanne Movement defines a nominal Christian as "a person who has not responded in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and Lord" … [he] "may be a practising or non-practising church member. He may give intellectual assent to basic Christian doctrines and claim to be a Christian. He may be faithful in attending liturgical rites and worship services, and be an active member involved in church affairs." Jesus tells us that on the day of judgement (Matthew 7:21-23) Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' What a sobering statement.

Beginning and maintaining a covenant relationship of love

Text Song of Songs 8:5-14 Date 18/09/22 Place Childs Hill Baptist

We come this week to the last section of Song of Solomon. Again, I want to consider what we learn about the love story between King Solomon and his beloved Shulamite and their covenant relationship of love, both in light of what it teaches on the horizontal level and what it teaches on the vertical level, ie what it teaches about human love and marriage and what it teaches about the relationship between Christ and his church, the people of God. Previously we’ve had sometimes quite lengthy speeches fairly easy to identify, mainly from the Bride and her Lover. Here we have a series of speeches in rapid succession from various speakers. These are not always so easy to assign. Probably the NIV is right in identifying six different speeches – three from the woman, two from the Friends in verses 5a and 8, 9 and one from the Lover in verse 13. How ever we divide things we get the impression of a coming together and a certain concluding togetherness. The passage raises four useful questions for us.

1. How should a covenant relationship of love continue?

We begin with the chorus, by means of a question, drawing attention to the Beloved walking along, on the arm of her Lover, coming up out of the wilderness. 5a Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved? Back in 3:6 we had a similar reference when the marriage procession was described. Here the question is asked again and this time we see that still, at this more mature period in their marriage, the Bride is leaning on her husband. She puts all her weight on him. This is a powerful picture firstly of marriage itself but also of the relationship between Christ and his church. There are three things to note in particular.

1. They are together 2. They are leaving the wilderness behind 3. The Beloved leans on her Lover

This is how a marriage should be. We are not saying that husbands and wives need to be physically in one anther’s company 24 hours a day but they do need to spend time together and to be together in other respects too. Always a marriage should be going forward and where there are barren patches, dry and fruitless times, then they must be left behind by the grace of God. The normal pattern is that the woman should lean on the man, not the other way round. Although in one sense it works both ways, he should be a source of strength to his wife. She is to be treated (as the New Testament exhorts) as the weaker vessel. Ideally, the way forward in marriage is to leave the wilderness behind, to stay together and for the wife to lean more than ever on her husband in Christ. Problems come in marriage when there is no progress, when there is no togetherness or when the husband fails to shoulder his responsibilities as he ought to.

Certainly, when we come to the relationship between Christ and his church that is the situation. We must always lean on him. He is the one who supports us and leads us out of the wilderness and on to heaven as together we share his easy yoke. It is a question to ponder Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved? It is the Lord Jesus Christ and his church, the people of God heading for home in the company of its one Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Is Christ leading you out of the wilderness? Are you with him? Are you leaning evermore heavily on him? That's the way forward for a Christian. This is how we must go forward as individuals and as a church.

2. What will enable a covenant relationship of love to continue?

So here is our basic principle for going on in a covenant relationship of love but what can we learn here about what we need to do to go on? We can say three things in particular.

1. Remember how it began

The woman then speaks next or is it the man? Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother conceived you, there she who was in labour gave you birth. It is probably the case that one of them is recalling their first meeting. One is sleeping under an apple tree when he or she is awakened by the other. Bearing in mind the spiritual application which we believe is appropriate to this portion of Scripture it is tempting to assume that it is the Lover who speaks. It is appropriate to think of her as being asleep – exhausted perhaps but certainly dead to his charms. Then he comes to her and awakes her and she was, as it were, conceived and born. That was the beginning of life. If you are a Christian you may not be exactly sure when you were converted but you can at least remember the first time you were really sure that you were or when you first awoke to your spiritual situation. Such a memory is precious and ought to be recalled. There you were dead to God and to life in Christ but then the Lord came and awoke you. He gently raised you up and you were born again.

However, it is probably more likely that it is the woman who is speaking. She has referred to him before as an apple tree and it may be that she is speaking of him by using this term. Otherwise, she has in mind simply a fruit tree and all that evokes of romance. Spiritually speaking, she is recalling, as she has before, the coming of Christ into this world and her discovery of him by the grace of God. It is good when we remember, as best we can, how it all began. How excited we were to discover Christ, asleep as it were. How eager we were to awake him and receive his blessings. That is how it should go on.

There is an application to marriage too. There is probably no such thing as love at first sight but there is certainly attraction at first sight and many couples can talk about how they first met and the feelings they had even then for one another. Some, of course, knew one another for many years before there was any serious thought of marriage. Every couple has its story. You children you might like to ask mam and dad their story if you don’t know it. I’m sure that it is generally a good thing to keep in mind how it all began. Marriages can hit difficult times and sometimes the best antidote to troubles is just to remind yourself of what attracted you to your husband or wife in the first place. Of course, some marriages get off to a shaky start and it’s better in some ways not to dwell on how it all began, although God turns situations around remarkably at times even in seemingly hopeless situations and it is to such turning points that attention must be directed.

2. Nurture it with the right desires

In verses 6 and 7 it is generally agreed that it is certainly the Bride speaking. She sums up the whole theme of the Song and brings it to a climax, Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one's house for love, it would be utterly scorned. So here we have an earnest request to the Lover prompted by a realisation of the nature of true love.

We look at the earnest request first. Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm she prays. In ancient times seals were used by important people, especially kings, as a quick and easy yet unique means of identifying their authorship and ownership. By means of a ring or a pattern engraved on a pendant or bracelet, a seal could be impressed in wax marking ownership. There is also some evidence that lovers would exchange seals. Her prayer then is that she might belong uniquely to her Lover, that she might be his alone. She seeks such assurance.

In marriage it is important that there is such assurance. Not only must the relationship be an exclusive one in terms of there not being a closer relationship with anyone else but there must be a willingness not to let anything else so dominate that the husband or wife is put into second place. To desire assurances that this is the situation is right and good. Similarly, this is an appropriate prayer for us to address to Christ Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. We want every assurance that we really are his. The greater our assurance, the more certain it is, the better. Let’s seek it earnestly.

3. Understand the nature of true love

She makes this request because she truly loves him. She describes her love for him using several images to express how strong it was. Some take it to rather to be a description of his love to her. Perhaps we are wisest to see it as a description of true love that will manifest itself in similar ways wherever it occurs.

Its strength - as great as death. Think of the power of death. Slowly but surely it picks us off one by one. None of us can escape it, none of us can escape it. Love is as strong as that. For love is as strong as death. We see it supremely in Christ and his love for his own. He even went to the point of dying on the cross in order to save his own. Because he first loved us, as believers, we ought to love him too with a strong and enduring love. In marriage husbands have the model of Christ’s love for his church and wives that of what the church ought to show to Christ.

Its intensity – as unyielding as the grave. Its jealousy unyielding as the grave. True love is as determined as the grave itself. Nothing can overthrow it or defeat it. It will win out. We tend to think of jealousy as a bad thing and, of course, in fallen sinful man it can go out of control but jealousy itself is right and proper. True love brooks no rivals. God is a jealous God and he will have no rivals for his people’s affections. In response we ought to be jealous for his honour also. All this should be reflected in marriage. Woe to that person who tries to interfere with the marriage of another and arouse their jealousy. We do not condone murder but it is true that some people have lost their lives in such a move.

Its passion - as unquenchable as blazing fire. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love. Fire is another powerful force. You have seen film of forest fires in America and other countries. Despite their best efforts fire fighters cannot hold the flames back. You have seen, perhaps at close quarters what devastation fire can cause. That’s what true love is like. Do what you may to dampen it down, to quench it or quell it, yet still it thrives. It blazes and flames. Even when you think it has died right down, the embers can be fanned into flame again and the blaze is raised once more. The phrase mighty flame is literally ‘Flame of the LORD’. God is love. He has a passionate, unstoppable love for his own. Again this ought to be part of marriage. We sometimes speak of keeping the flames of passion stoked – we must.

Its unquenchableness - as immovable as a rock. Perhaps the phrase Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot sweep it away is moving to a different picture. You know the power of water to alter the landscape. When floods come or the sea is high whole chunks of land can be removed and carried off. True love is not like that. It withstands such onslaughts and like a rock in a storm it remains unmoved despite all that may be thrown at it. Here is another picture then of the true love seen in Christ that ought to be reflected in our love to him and the love that binds man and wife together in marriage.

Its preciousness – it is beyond price. If one were to give all the wealth of one's house for love, it would be utterly scorned. It is part of the nature of true love that it cannot be bought. Sometimes people can be bought off. They want something badly but if you get your price right they can be bought off. True love is not like that. If you say to a true lover ‘Listen, I will give you £100 pounds, £1, 000, £10,000 if you will give up your love’ not only would the true lover refuse you – he would look at you with scorn. ‘Do you understand the first thing of what real love is all about?’ Money can’t buy me love. This explains why a wife will stay with her husband even though he is poor. It explains why neither bribery nor persecution can persuade the true believer to deny his Lord.

‘All you need is love’ was John Lennon’s famous phrase. Poetically speaking he was right, of course. However, we must understand what love is all about. Until we do chanting the phrase ‘All you need is love’ is like chanting a mere mantra. It means no more than abracadabra or rhubarb, rhubarb.

3. How should a covenant relationship of love be begun?

At this point the chorus comes in again with words in the form of a question and an answer that at first sight seem rather strange and misplaced. 8, 9 We have a little sister they would say in those days, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for? If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar. This leads us on to the subject of how a covenant relationship of love begins. There are two things to note.

1. Understand the responsibility of others

1 See the need to be discerning. The friends seem to be recalling something that the Bride had often told them about. She would quote the words of her brothers when she was younger. They, it seems, were responsible for bringing her up, she presumably being an orphan. We have a little sister they would say in those days, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for? Even though she was still young at the time the brothers were aware of their responsibility to find a husband for her. Cultures differ, of course, and perhaps if we were responsible for bringing up a little girl (or a boy for that matter) we might be slow to think that it was our responsibility to arrange a marriage for her. However, surely it is part of the responsibility of whoever is bringing a child up to see that they are properly prepared for marriage. We may not go to the extent of arranging a marriage as in some cultures but there is a responsibility to bring up children to be marriageable in the best sense, to delicately and appropriately teach them the facts of life (as they are usually called), to help them as best we can to meet the right sort of prospective husband or wife, etc. It may be the Lord’s will that the child we are bringing up should remain single but we don’t know that and should assume that it is most likely that they will one day marry.

Of course, there is, if anything, an even greater responsibility to see that children under our care come to trust in the Lord Jesus – that they are married to him, as it were. This responsibility extends beyond our own children to any we know who like children are ignorant and vulnerable and likely to go astray. While they are still young we must be thinking of how we can lead people to Christ.

2 See the need to act. It seems that there was some discussion among the brothers about how they should deal with this particular matter and we may want to debate things like what we tell children when and what steps we take to help them in this area, however the idea of simply leaving it to work itself out is surely wrong. One thing they were clear on was this If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar. In other words, if she tends to be shy and chaste, modest and restrained in her dealings with boys then we can encourage her to show herself off to best advantage and all will be well. If, on the other hand, she proves to have a tendency to be promiscuous, if she is a bit of flirt then we will have to take steps to protect her from being taken advantage of. Girls differ in their personalities and it is incumbent on parents or guardians to get to know the children they are responsible for so that they can steer them in the right direction. ‘Dad, I’ve been invited to Jason’s party and it doesn’t finish until midnight’; ‘Mum, can I go to the ball?’; ‘Is it okay for me to go and do some studying at Darren’s house?’ I think those who are bringing up young girls will want to answer such questions in different ways depending not only on how old the child is but her personality.

Again, the same thing applies in the spiritual realm. For various reasons some are more drawn to other religions and philosophies than others. We are all different and we all struggle with different sins. Where we have responsibility towards others we therefore take great care that no-one should be led astray. For example, what books we recommend to people.

2. Face your own growing responsibility in this matter

The sort of response one would seek from a mature young girl is the one in verse 10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. In other words, even though I am now fast becoming a mature young woman, I am determined to be chaste and virtuous. I am a virgin and I intend to remain so until the day I marry. It is not that I am not interested in boys. Rather it is that I’m determined to wait until I marry until I become intimate with a man. By this means a young woman can win the heart of a Lover such as the one described here - Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment. It could be one bringing or one receiving contentment. Literally it is Thus I the Shulamite have become in the eyes of Sholomo like one receiving/bringing Shalom. Who will want you if you are ready to go off with more or less anyone who comes along? People are looking for constancy and commitment. True love is marked by such an attitude. It is a great pity when young women get it into their heads that the way to win love and favour is by being willing to sleep with a boy before marriage. The temptation presents itself in various forms all the way from the temptation to promiscuously sleep around with just about everyone through to the temptation to give in to your fiancé and sleep with him before your wedding night. Such a sin is always a mistake. The way to give a man contentment is to be willing to wait.

In verses 11, 12 she uses a different figure to express her attitude. In verse 11 she says Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon; he let out his vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for its fruit a thousand shekels {c25 lbs/11.5 k} of silver. Then in verse 12 she speaks of herself as a vineyard But my own vineyard is mine to give. Back in 1:6 she spoke of her brothers making her take care of their vineyards causing her to neglect her won, that is herself. Perhaps they are the tenants referred to here. Certainly Solomon probably owned many vineyards. However, he did not own her. Nevertheless, she is willing to give the fruit of her vineyard (her affections, time, energy) all to him - the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon. She adds and two hundred {c5lbs/2.3k} are for those who tend its fruit. She is not suggesting that no-one else can get a look in. She'll give each member of her family (those who brought her up) their due, but Solomon is first in her life.

So, as far as marriage is concerned young people ought to be chaste, waiting for the time when, in the Lord’s will, they find the man or woman they will marry. You have a vineyard, as it were, that is yours to give. Don’t give it away until the right time. Keep it until it is time to marry. Similarly, don’t throw your life away on empty human philosophy. Give the income from your vineyard to the owner of the vineyard not to anyone else. Be devoted to him.

4. How should a covenant relationship of love end?

In verse 13 Solomon responds warmly to her words as he speaks for the last time You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice! Many love to hear the voice of this sweet girl but he especially. Again and again from every direction you hear it noted how important in the marriage relationship communication is. When couples stop speaking, and especially when they stop listening, trouble is ahead. Here is a good motto for all husbands – listen to your wife! Say to her regularly let me hear your voice. On a higher plane this is how Jesus speaks to believers. Let me hear your voice. He loves for us to come to him in prayer. Remember that. He has placed us in gardens of delight (a picture of the church), he has given us friends to attend us (brothers and sisters in Christ) but he wants to hear our voice in prayer.

She in turn then responds to him by repeating the phrase (14) Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains. It is very like 2:17. The ending then is not quite what we may have expected – not the two of them together in a warm embrace but the husband listening for the wife’s voice and she calling to her husband to come away with her. It seems that he is not there at present but she is full of anticipation about their next encounter. She is looking forward to being with him forever.

This is very realistic then. Marriage is inevitably a series of meetings and partings. Eventually, there is the parting of death. Marriage is ‘Till death us do part’. However, in Christ even then there is a reunion to look forward to – a reunion of brotherly and sisterly togetherness forever in heaven. The Christian life too is a series of drawings near to God until that day when Christ comes again in glory. Then we will be with him forever and forever and there will be no parting.

In a love which cannot cease I am his and he is mine forever.