QT 05/12/2025 Fri. Zephaniah 1 “The Lord Sweeps Away to Restore” “耶和华扫清腐败，为要复兴重建。”
QT 05/12/2025 Fri. Zephaniah 1 “The Lord Sweeps Away to Restore”
READ http://www.esv.org/zephaniah1
Scripture Focus: “I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. — Zephaniah 1:2 (ESV)
(1) The Shock of God’s Judgment
Zephaniah opens with words that feel heavy—almost unbearable. The LORD declares a sweeping judgment, not just on Judah but on all creation. This isn’t a small correction or a gentle warning; it’s a wake-up call. Why so intense?
Because God’s people had become comfortable with compromise. Because idols had taken root. Because hearts that once knew God drifted into apathy.
“Those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens… those who swear by the LORD and by Milcom” (v. 5).
The people wanted God AND idols—a mix of worship that God cannot accept. Judgment exposes the truth: half-hearted worship is no worship at all.
(2) The Day of the Lord Is Near
Zephaniah repeats this: “The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast.”— v. 14
To the unrepentant, the Day of the Lord is: a day of wrath, distress, ruin, and darkness (vv. 15–16).
But this is not God lashing out. It is God acting to set things right. Judgment is what happens when humanity chooses darkness instead of His light. God will not allow sin to destroy His people forever. He steps in because He loves too deeply to let rebellion go unchecked.
(3) The Security We Have in Christ
Zephaniah 1 exposes the core problem: We cannot save ourselves. But the gospel gives us a name Zephaniah only anticipated: Jesus—our shelter from the coming judgment.
At the cross: God’s wrath against sin was poured out, justice was satisfied, mercy was unleashed. So the Day of the Lord, for believers, becomes not a day of terror but a day of deliverance.
“God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Thess. 5:9
(4) A Call to Examine Our Hearts
Zephaniah forces us to ask: Where have I become spiritually complacent? Have I allowed “small idols” to dilute my devotion — comfort, success, approval, pleasure, control? Do I treat God casually, as though His holiness doesn’t matter?
The people in Zephaniah’s day said in their hearts: “The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.”— v. 12
In other words: they said that “God doesn’t really matter.” This is the lie God confronts.
(5) Hope Glimmers Beyond Judgment
Zephaniah 1 is heavy—but it is not hopeless. Judgment is God’s pathway to renewal. He tears down idols so that He can rebuild hearts that love Him purely. By the end of the book (Zephaniah 3), God becomes: the One who rejoices over His people with singing, the One who restores, the One who gathers, the One who renews. The God who judges is the God who saves.
🙏 Prayer
Father, Search my heart and reveal every form of complacency, compromise, and divided worship. Sweep away what is false, so that my heart may be wholly Yours. Thank You for Jesus, who bore the judgment I deserved and invites me into Your joy. Make me watchful, faithful, and awake as I await the Day of the Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
QT 05/12/2025 星期五. 西番雅书 1 “耶和华扫清腐败，为要复兴重建”
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/zep/1/
经文焦点：“耶和华说：“我必把万物从地上完全除灭。”——西番雅书1:2
(1) 神审判的震撼
西番雅书开篇的话语沉重得令人窒息。耶和华宣告的不仅是对犹大的彻底审判，更是对整个受造界的审判。这绝非微小的纠正或温和的警告，而是震醒世人的警钟。为何如此严厉？
因为神的子民已安于妥协。因为偶像已扎根人心。因为曾经认识神的灵魂已沉沦于冷漠。
“就是那些在房顶上敬拜天上万象的，那些敬拜耶和华，指着他起誓，又指着玛勒公起誓的”（第5节）。
百姓既想要神，又想要偶像——这种混合敬拜是神所不能容忍的。审判揭示了真相：半心半意的敬拜根本不算敬拜。
(2) 主的日子临近
西番雅反复宣告：“耶和华的大日子临近了，临近了，来得非常快速”——第14节
对顽固不化者而言，主的日子是：忿怒、困苦、毁灭与黑暗的日子（第15-16节）。
但这并非神的发怒，而是祂为恢复秩序的作为。当人类选择黑暗而非光明时，审判便随之而来。神绝不容许罪恶永远毁灭祂的子民。祂介入是因为祂的爱太深，不容叛逆肆意妄为。
(3) 我们基督里的保障
西番雅书第一章揭示了核心问题：我们无法自救。但福音赐给我们一个西番雅仅预见的名称：耶稣——我们躲避将临审判的避难所。
在十字架上：神的忿怒倾倒在罪上，公义得以满足，怜悯得以释放。因此对信徒而言，主的日子不再是惊惶之日，而是得救之日。
“因为 神不是定意要我们受刑罚（“刑罚”原文作“忿怒”），而是要我们借着我们的主耶稣基督得着救恩。”——帖撒罗尼迦前书5:9
(4) 省察内心的呼召
西番雅先知逼问我们：我何处陷入属灵的安逸？可曾让“小偶像”稀释我的敬虔——舒适、成功、认可、享乐、掌控？我是否轻慢神，视祂的圣洁如无物？
西番雅时代的百姓心中说：“耶和华既不降福，也不降祸。”——12节
换言之：他们宣称 “上帝无关紧要”。这正是上帝要揭穿的谎言。
(5) 审判之后的希望曙光
《西番雅书》第一章沉重——却非绝望。审判是上帝更新的途径。祂拆毁偶像，为要重建纯然爱祂的心。至书卷终章（西番雅书3章），神成为：以欢唱为民欢欣者，为民复兴者，为民聚集者，为民更新者。施行审判的神，正是施行拯救的神。
🙏 祷告
天父，求祢察验我的心，揭露一切自满、妥协与心怀二意的敬拜。求祢扫除一切虚假，使我的心全然归于祢。感谢祢赐下耶稣，祂承担了我应得的审判，并邀请我进入祢的喜乐。求祢使我在等候主的日子时，保持警醒、忠心、清醒。奉耶稣的名求。阿们。
