let people praise you, let all the nations sing. For earth, in rich abundance, to us her fruit shall bring. The Lord, our God, shall bless us, our God shall blessing send. And all the earth shall fear Him to its remotest end. People of God, we now come to our scripture reading for this morning, Zephaniah chapter 1. Read verses 7 to 13, and at least some of the few Bibles that's found on page 937. Otherwise, it's probably easiest to find Matthew 1. Take a few steps backwards from there. Malachi, Zechariah, Haggai, and then you'll be in Zephaniah in short order. We have heard the general description of God's judgment through decreation. We have read last week, for those who are here, the passage regarding repentance at the center of these words of judgment. And this morning we'll read about the Day of the Lord, the Day of the Lord which will now be the dominant theme through the whole book. This is a single message. We begin reading at verse 7. We'll read verse 13, Zephaniah chapter 1. Let us hear the word of God. Be silent before the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king's sons who all array themselves in foreign attire. On that day, I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold and those who fill their master's house with violence and fraud. On that day, declares the Lord, cry will be heard from the fish gate, a whale from the second quarter, a loud crash from the hills. Whale, oh inhabitants of the mortar, for all the traders are no more, all who weigh out silver are cut off. At that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps and I will punish the men who are complacent those who say in their hearts, the Lord will not do good nor will he do well. Their goods shall be plundered and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them. Though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them. So far the reading of God's holy and fallible word. Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the day of the Lord first mentioned here in Zephaniah in verse 7, the general theme to run through the book, and the day about which we do know more than these first hearers of the word of Zephaniah. Remember, we said there are historical details we might wish we could know with 100% certainty, but we don't always. Well, here we come to something that we know more about than the original hearers in the day of Zephaniah. because many of the prophets speak about the Day of the Lord. And while Amos has already spoken some many decades before this, and the message of Amos should have been remembered, we can not only turn to Amos to read about the Day of the Lord, we can also turn to Zechariah and other prophets as well, and we can also turn to the New Testament. and we can read about what the Apostles say about the Day of the Lord, and we can read what Revelation says about the Day of the Lord, and we know that the Day of the Lord is not only what Amos spoke about, the Day of the Lord is not only, listen nation of Israel, Amos was the prophet to the northern ten tribes, we know that the Day of the Lord is not only Amos saying, listen you people of Israel, you think the Day of the Lord is gonna be something great, but I say it's gonna be a day of judgment for all those who are sinners, including the people of the nation of God, of the northern ten tribes of Israel. And that's the message of Amos. And now we come to Zephaniah, and we very much hear something similar, except directed at the people of Judah, of the southern tribes. For they say, The sacrifice of the Lord will be a great thing. The day of the Lord will be a good thing for us. The Lord will not do good. He will not do ill. We are complacent. What does it matter to us? And Zephaniah says, do you not remember what Amos said to your northern brothers and sisters? Do you not remember that the day of the Lord, for all who sin, for all who do not seek the Lord, for all who do not trust in the Lord, the day of the Lord is the day of severest judgment and of the most severe images of judgment. And we know that the Day of the Lord is not only the Assyrians conquering the Northern Ten Tribes, it is not only the Babylonians who will come and conquer the Southern Two Tribes. We know, as the New Testament makes clear, that the Day of the Lord is also often an image of judgment, even of the final day of the Lord, and that The wailing and destruction of Samaria and the wailing and destruction of Jerusalem are only small pictures of that final day of wrath. So we know more. We know more about the day of the Lord. But the first years and the days of Zephaniah certainly should have known enough. In fact, there's this general pattern in scripture where when judgment is declared against the nations, most often there's some word about repentance that comes before that. If we even think about the broad structure of the Psalms, it has been said there's always a psalm within each book of the psalm that talks about repentance and turning to the Lord before those imprecatory psalms, those psalms like the Psalm of Judgment, which we heard some weeks ago. That's the general pattern. But here, these are the people of God. They should know better. They should already know. And so Zephaniah will come to those words of repentance. He'll remind the people of Judah what it means to seek the Lord, how one may escape this day of judgment. But he begins with the stark image to shock the people mercifully out of their complacency in sin. So even an image of severe judgment is ultimately a merciful image for two primary reasons. First of all, because it's the truth. This is what's going to happen if you don't repent. And second of all, because the message of repentance is certainly still there. The book of Zephaniah is a book of one message. And there is a way of escape. And people of God will see that God will search out everyone, regardless of their earthly status. And we'll look first at this image of darkness, this image of severe judgment. Because what is the turn in the middle of verse eight? Verse 7. Yeah, the day of the Lord is coming. Yeah, the day of the Lord is going to include a sacrifice. What's the turn? I think it's. Quite clear if we read those two verses a few times over, but it's it's still not something we. We really want to even say out loud, is it? What's the turn? Yeah, there is the day that's coming. The Lord has prepared the sacrifice. Who is sacrificed? On that day, I will punish the officials and the king's sons. Do you hear the turn? Those who think that the day of sacrifice will be a day when they can just be complacent and let everything go. They themselves are the sacrifice. If we want to think of the highest images of the love of God, let's not think about what we can describe. We turn to Scripture and see how Scripture describes the love of God. If we want to think about the severest images of judgment, we turn to Scripture and we see how Scripture describes judgment. What a hateful thing. How could we even say this? How can we serve a God who says this? He's preparing his sacrifice and it's those who do not love him who will themselves be the sacrifice. This is consistent from Genesis to Revelation. In Genesis chapter 2, what does the Lord say? He says, on the day that you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die. How is it clearly said in the New Testament? The wages of sin is death. There is a relationship between sin and death. Sin leads to death. There's also a particular relationship between the death of sacrifice and the wrath of God being poured out. And sometimes, like the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 46.9, that image is turned on the foreign nations. And so Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 46.9-10, that the day of the Lord, God hosts a day of vengeance to avenge himself on his foes. The sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of their blood. And in Zephaniah, the same image is applied to the rebellious peoples, not of the foreign nations, but of Judah. And Leviticus tells us that there's a relationship between the blood at the altar and the wrath of God poured out. You see, this is not only a sobering image of judgment, it's also a beautiful reminder of what Christ takes upon Himself for His people. Do you see not only the severity, but also the beauty? The severity, if you do not seek the Lord, you yourself are the sacrifice. The beauty, What is the language of repentance? Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land. And what does the New Testament reveal to us on no uncertain terms? Who bears that sacrifice for his people? It is Jesus Christ. That is the image of scripture. Sin leads to death. And there must be a sacrifice where the wrath of God is poured out. Because that's what sin demands, because God is just. And if you do not turn to God, you are that sacrifice. But if you do turn to God, Jesus Christ himself steps in and becomes that sacrifice for you. Severity? Certainly. Beauty? When we understand what repentance leads to and gives and what Jesus Christ has done? Certainly. No wonder the Word of God has sometimes been called heavy. This is no book of fluff. It is the truth. Look to God indeed with reverent fear. Be silent. What is the sin that is so bad it deserves this punishment? Well, leaders are held to a higher standard. We can think of even the descriptions of the requirements, 1 Timothy 3, the requirements to be a leader in the church. It includes many judgments of character. Leaders are held to a high standard and so the leaders are the first ones addressed. We'll see that the whole city The poor and the rich is searched out, but it's the rich who are addressed first, the leaders, the officials, the king's sons, the princes. Verse 8, the relatives of Zephaniah. What is their sin that is so great? They've arrayed themselves in foreign attire. They put on foreign clothes. What's so bad about that? Remember, people of God, in the Old Testament, in a particular way, even as it still has some application today. But in the Old Testament, in a particular way, the people of God were told to clothe themselves in a different way for two primary reasons. One, to remind themselves of the word of God. They were even put on clothes with particular reminders of the law of God. And to show that there was a distinction between the people of the world and the people of God. But that does not matter to these leaders. they should be the ones who put on this dress first as an example to all the people of God. But instead they use their wealthy position and their status in the courts of God to mingle with the nobility of other nations and to put on that foreign attire, and to identify themselves intentionally with the nations of the world when they should be the first to intentionally be identifying with the nation and people of God. The clothes you wear do make a difference. Even as there's a very particular national application here, there's still application today. There are certainly clothes in our own day which symbolize being of the world, even in a very particular way. Those are clothes which we should intentionally distance ourselves from. And in that day I will punish, verse 9, everyone who leaps over the threshold and those who fill their master's house with violence and fraud. So now we've moved from the noble leaders, from the king's sons, from the officials, the princes, now we've moved to the priests. Because this is the threshold which would be part of God's house and the master's house, the house of God, the temple. Almost certainly, as happens, we can't always put all these details together with absolute certainty, but almost certainly this is a reference to, because it matches, a Philistine temple custom described in 1 Samuel chapter 5. 1 Samuel chapter 5 beginning at verse 4. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen downward on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. Can't step on the threshold, you gotta jump over it. Don't step on a crack or you'll break your back. Can't step on it, that's Dagon's place. jump over the threshold? How does, how, how do the priests of Israel bring this custom, a custom that the Philistines started when God miraculously cut down their idol and he was laying over the threshold, how, how have the priests of, of Israel incorporated this custom? We remember verses 4 and verse 5 the priests, the foreign priests, have mixed along with the priests of Israel. That's the implication at the end of verse 4. Two different words for priest. And they swear by the Lord, the end of verse 5, and yet they swear by Milcom. They have two masters. They're not afraid to mix any foreign custom in to the true house of the Lord. Even Even this foolish custom of the Philistines that dates all the way back to a miraculous display of the power of God, how is this possible? Well, it's always very tempting to include the customs and practices of the world, but God has called us to worship Him in one way and in one way alone. To worship Him in spirit and in truth. So people of God, let's now consider the places of the judgment that are tied to that day of judgment. We actually have more geographical detail in verses 10 and 11 regarding the city itself than if we turn to 2 Kings 25, and we've read the account of the Babylonians destroying Judah and Jerusalem. There's more city details in these two verses than in that chapter-long account. Surely the prophets know even the details of what will happen to the city of Jerusalem. Cry will be heard from the fish gate. What's the fish gate? That's the northern most gate. Where does Babylonia come from? They come from the north. What is the most vulnerable side of the city? It's the northern side. Geographically, it's the most vulnerable side of the city. What will be the first gate destroyed? The fish gate. And then there's a whale in the second quarter. That's where the army of Babylon would have been next. This isn't just a judgment against the leaders and the priests of the land. This is a judgment against all in the second quarter. The city will be destroyed and there will be a loud crash in the hills. And then there will be a whale from the inhabitants of the mortar for all the traders. That's the merchant section of the city. We're moving from the north now more towards the middle and the southern part of the city. And the merchants, now we are told again of the upper crust of society and even their particular sins because what do these merchants do? They weigh out silver. One commentator, this passage is noted, foreign commentator Alec Motyer, he's noted that there's wealth itself is not evil in scripture, but there's three basic questions that scripture asks about wealth. How did you get it? How do you use it? And what's your attitude towards it? It's that third question that's addressed here, isn't it? Because they weigh out the silver. they're trusting in how much silver they have. That's the clear implication. It's a short version of the parable of the rich fool, which we could read at more length in Luke 12. What does Jesus say about the rich fool? Luke 12, verse 13. Some in the crowd said to him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But he said to him, Man, who made me a judge, your arbiter over you? And he said to them, Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. And he told them a parable saying, the land of a rich man produced plentifully. And he thought to himself, what shall I do? For I have nowhere to store my crops. And he said, I will do this. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones in there. I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, fool, this night your soul is required of you and the things you have prepared. Whose will they be? so is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." That's the kind of thing we have going on here in the mortar section. The word traitors there being a play on words. It comes from the same root as the word Canaanites. In other words, you have become, by trusting in the weight of your silver, you have become traitors. You have become Canaanites in my eyes. You are no longer the people of Judah. You are cut off. And then, notice this, people of God. Notice the contrast between verse 7, be silent before the Lord God, and the wailing and the crying and the crashing of the day of the destruction of Jerusalem in verses 10 and 11. All will be made silent before the Lord, either the silence that follows death and judgment, there won't be the rattling of money in the merchant's quarter anymore, they're all going to be hauled off, or the silence of reverent repentance. There's two kinds of silence. It's because all darkness will be found out. And that's the image, our third point, the discovery of darkness. At that time, I will search. It's the intensive form of the verb here. Some have translated it. I will busy myself searching through Jerusalem with lamps. No corner will be overlooked. From the wealthiest of society down to the poorest corner of Jerusalem, God will search. And what does His lamp find? What does the search lamp of God find? It will find those who are complacent. Those who say in their hearts, the end of verse 12, that the Lord will not do good, nor will He do ill. And what does it say at the beginning of verse 12? Those who are complacent will be punished. What's the philosophy? It's a philosophy of practical atheism. God exists, but he doesn't do anything, at least not if I'm a person of Jerusalem. If I'm a person of the house of Judah, It's this kind of philosophy that, yeah, God exists. I might even worship him in my own way, but his will doesn't really matter. His law doesn't really matter. His justice will not really be executed, at least not on me. Do we not live in a day and an age where there is Still in many cities in the United States, a church on every corner, or at least a church in every city, how many churches and how many of us in our own hearts are tempted to say, God will not really do good or ill. God will not really sacrifice those who disbelieve Him, will He? Or God didn't really humble Himself to the point of death on a cross because that was what was necessary to save us. That wasn't necessary. We can save ourselves in various forms or another. and this attitude of God exists, but he's not really going to do anything, it naturally leads to materialism, doesn't it? Because if God exists, but he's not really going to do anything, then why serve him? And if you're not going to serve God, then yeah, eat, drink, and be merry as long as you can. I mean, if God doesn't exist, that's the natural conclusion, isn't it? I'm gonna accumulate, count as much silver as I can. Their goods will be plundered, verse 13, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them. Though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them. You have a great, great thriving business, great vineyard that everybody likes, it's gonna go away. Or maybe you enjoy the luxury that comes from those vineyards. Not gonna have one more drink of wine. The darkness will search, will be searched. There's a parallel passage. which reminds us again that there is a way of escape, there is a way of light. There is a contrast between light and darkness, and it is a real contrast. 1 John 1, beginning at verse 5, and if you do turn to 1 John, we'll read one more passage from Revelation also, which is just a few pages over from 1 John. These are not the easiest passages to look at, are they? Unless we remember the cleansing power and love of Jesus Christ. 1 John 1, beginning at verse 5. This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaimed to you. that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. Then we might add from the image of Zephaniah 1, if you walk in darkness, the light will find you out. Verse 7, but If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. But, Revelation chapter 6, without Christ, Whether you are a king of the earth or a great one, there is no way of escape. Revelation 6, beginning at verse 15. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. Do you hear the parallel between this and Zephaniah 1? Starting with the leaders, They have a higher responsibility, they have a higher standard, but it's not just the leaders, it's everyone, slave and free. They're gonna try to hide themselves. They're gonna look for the darkest corner. Verse 16, calling to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb for the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand. When they realize the wrath that's coming, they're gonna try so hard to hide themselves, to leave and collapse the cave in on themselves, but the search lamp of God will find all. It does not matter what the earthly status of man is. And we can also say God will search you out regardless of your earthly status. It does not matter how powerful, how well positioned religiously, or even how poor. God will find the darkness and the wages of sin is death. But for those in Christ, He bore that sacrifice for you. You see how understanding some of the lowest, we might say in that sense, darkest images of judgment helps us to understand how low Christ went and how high and beautiful our Savior is. great severity, but when we understand this is what Christ took upon himself, understanding the great severity only helps us to better understand the mercy and the beauty of our Savior and motivates us to also take out the lamplight and to find the darkness and to speak about Him who is light. Seek the Lord while there is yet time. There is a way of escape. You may not yet be yourself sacrificed if you look on Him who took the sacrifice for you. Amen. Let us pray. Lord God Almighty, In your word, we have not only the perfect law and perfect wisdom, but we also have the severest images of judgment, not even the easiest to read. But make us looking to Jesus to read them in the light of what he has done for us. and then to rejoice and to appreciate the beauty of our Savior. In His name we pray, Amen. People of God, our song of application comes from the Psalms. Psalm 16a. Sing 1, 2, 4 and 5. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of 16a. You are my refuge true. I say you are my Lord, I have no good apart from you. The saints throughout the earth, in men as mighty There gives supply of her blood, and those I fell on me. O Lord, you are to me like the open portioned store, the lot that you assign to me. I love you. To see the tombs decay, life's path we've been known. Oh, joy about the store is found with you at your right hand, our pleasures evermore. People of God, it is now time for our tithes and our freewill offerings. This morning, that's for the Costa Rica Mission, particularly for Reverend Bill Green. Following that, we'll stand for God's benediction and our doxology, 567. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. People of God, if you would stand. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. you