As Westerners these readings in The One Year Bible
seem very removed from real life. We are swiftly approaching Christmas and
gifts and family and the irresistible push to be festive. Then comes that weird
week between the holidays and again we will be festive on New Year's Eve. All
of the words here regarding judgment and disaster are totally out of place….for
a Westerner.
Occasionally in the U.S. there is some major, violent
tragedy where the work of one or a few causes the deaths of many and destroys
friends and families and peace, yet we know that such things are very vile
exceptions to the norm of life. Acts like the 9-11 World Trade Center strike,
or the Boston Marathon bombing, or the Connecticut school shooting are like ugly
statues thrown into a peaceful pond. We are all appalled, surprised and
shocked, but the statues will sink out of sight and the pond waters will be
calm again and the normal life of western society will return. We'll all go
back to shopping, entertainment, eating too much and complaining about the
government.
But what about the world outside of the west? Is the world
really a place of festive lights and joy? Do the words we're reading seem as
foreign to others as they do for us? In Syria, a country mentioned in the
Bible, there have been well over 50,000 deaths in recent years. Most of those
were civilians, dads, moms, kids. Not too many Westerners are crying about
them. Hundreds of thousands are in refugee camps enjoying…, enjoying what? The
conditions in that country are totally third world for most people who are not
in the camps but near the fighting. And that is just Syria. Then there are
things we never hear of or see in China, India, South America, and Africa.
There are tragedies taking place on other continents, in other countries, every
day that never make the news but are not lost to the Lord. He sees it all. Most
of the population on this planet only knows injustice. Most of the people on
this planet will never own or drive a car. Most of the people on this planet
know death and hunger and sickness.
There is a need for justice and for salvation. We might not
understand God's timing, but His Word is very clear. Justice and salvation are
coming. The root of the problem is in each person. We are all carriers of a
spiritual disease that makes us rebel against God. That sickness isn't cured on
a national level. It is cured on a person-to-person level as we are saved and
share that salvation with another person. That salvation is about our Lord, and
"Oh Joy!" we're back to Christmas and to all the festiveness. But,
the harvest is real and utterly important to our neighbors and the billions who
have no clue; because before it gets better, there is a judgment and every
person must stand before that Christmas baby, that sacrificed and risen Savior.
He will either be their Savior, or their Judge. The gospel is the message of
the Savior who saves us from that coming judgment.
Zephaniah 1-3
Because of the limited information God has given us, a
cursory reading only gives us a one-dimensional view of the great men of the
Bible. In Zephaniah we get a view of the hard road that King Josiah walked. It
was already told him that the sins of his grandfather, King Manasseh, would
fall upon Judah and Jerusalem. Yet, driven by his passion for God and his love
for his people, he bravely fought to save his people. He fought with all the
power God gave him to hold back the night.
Somewhere in those 31 years there came a dark night when I
think Josiah realized that it wasn't working. He knew nothing of the effect
this revival had had on the parents of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
He could only see his family and those close to him, and their disinterest must
have made him heartsick.
So how do you encourage such a brave and weary warrior? God
sent His Word through Zephaniah. There are aspects of the coming storm that
would have renewed Josiah's sense of urgency, but woven into this prophecy,
Josiah received a picture of millennial glory. Josiah wasn't working just for
his generation, and certainly not just for his children. He was working for the
coming King, the Messiah, the One who was mighty to save, who would lead Judah
and Jerusalem into eternal glory and offer salvation to the nations.
To see where
Zephaniah fits, look at the chart, “Kings of Judah and Israel and the Preexilic
Prophets.”
Zephaniah 1
Vs. 1-7 Notice that the scope of this is both universal, to
all the earth, and local, to Judah. Apparently, although Josiah had removed the
monuments of the idols, some people's hearts still sought these gods. This is
evidenced by the fact that after Josiah's death, few of the leaders, including
his three sons, sought God.
V. 1 It is very likely that Zephaniah was a great-great
grandson of King Hezekiah. This means he was a part of the royal family.
Hezekiah probably had lots of sons, but we only heard about the son who took
the throne, Manasseh.
V. 7 The day of the
Lord is mentioned or referred to more in this book, in these three short
chapters, than in any other book of the Bible. You get some insight into how
God knew He could revive Josiah's heart and passion. The near day of judgment
is telescoped to reflect some of that final rolling out of judgment on all of
mankind. What renews your heart and passion for following Jesus in the harvest?
Vs. 8-13 These are those the Lord will punish in the near
"day." Notice how each of these sections begins with some reference
to that day.
V. 8 Josiah's sons were more interested in dressing like the
Assyrians, Egyptians and Babylonians than in following Yahweh. What has changed
since then? I'll bet they would have had iPhones and been texting their friends
during sermons. We don't know about Josiah's son Jehoahaz, because Pharaoh Neco
took him to Egypt after only two months on the throne; but we know both
Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. Both were worthless men. All three of Josiah's sons
were punished. I'm sure Josiah saw their lack of understanding and love for
God, and I'll bet he felt helpless.
Vs. 9-11 Looks like it is talking about people who live for
stuff.
V. 9 The threshold
thing was superstition from 1 Samuel 5:4-5 and is mentioned in Malachi.
Vs. 12-13 This sounds like people who are complacent about
following the Lord. This is also the attitude that implies, that the things God
says are just not worth getting worked up about. If God is silent, apparently
things are OK. Silence doesn't mean God doesn't care. God won't be complacent
about punishing these people. Comfort can be taken away in a moment.
Vs. 14-18 Notice how God is telling Josiah about a future
day of judgment. We are reading about this in Revelation. I think this gave
Josiah a shocking view of the judgment coming upon all men. God's judgment was
bigger than just Judah and Jerusalem. Josiah might have been discouraged about
standing in the gap for this little country that somehow had a connection to a
bigger purpose, but now Josiah is seeing that the gap he is standing in has
something to do with the salvation of the entire world. This would have
motivated a man like Josiah.
Zephaniah 2
Vs. 1-2 God calls the nation to repent before He unleashes
His wrath.
V. 3 This reminds me of the 144,000 in Revelation. They are
hidden and protected during the Tribulation. Josiah would have understood this
as hope to all who came to the Lord. Every individual mattered.
Vs. 4-15 God is predicting the humbling of the surrounding
nations and the glory of the remnant of the people who seek Him. Notice that
interspersed in all of this is the greatness of God and the hope for those who
seek Him.
Zephaniah 3
Vs. 1-5 This is judgment against Jerusalem. What would you
say is the key verse here? I think this is the verse that gave hope to Josiah.
His reforms had one focus, to get people to put their trust in the Lord and to draw
near to Him. There were some people doing that.
Vs. 6-7 God had humbled the nations, like the Assyrians and
some of the neighboring countries, to show Israel that they should hope in Him.
But, the result was that the people of Judah and Jerusalem didn't take it to
heart.
Vs. 8-10 In that day, God will summon all the nations
together and humble and purify them. This is definitely for the end times.
Vs. 11-13 And at that time God will save a godly remnant of
Judah. Again, this confirms to Josiah that the number will be small, so to keep
on working.
Vs. 14-20 And God will save and exalt Zion. Notice that the
Lord will be the King in their midst. This is what Josiah was working toward.
God will eventually cleanse the remnant, humble the nations and come and reign
in Jerusalem.
V. 16 I'll bet this helped strengthen Josiah's hands too.
V. 17 I hope that Josiah personalized this verse,
"Josiah, the Lord your God is with you. He rejoices over you with gladness and he
will quiet you by his love. He exults over
you with loud singing. I think we can personalize this verse for ourselves
too, because of the victory of Christ.
I'd like to think that Josiah was given strength and courage
by this prophecy. Seeing the end, the glory of Israel, seeing Zion with her
King, the Lord God reigning in her, must have given him hope. Josiah couldn't
lose if he kept following, because God was still in control and the Lord would
win the day.
We need to remember too, that
regardless of our deep weakness and feelings of failing, we are simply called
to follow the Lord we love into this harvest. We reach out to whom we can and
we encourage and guide the believing to follow as disciples, who make
disciples. The work and power are His and He has a unique relationship to those
who hope in Him and follow. Josiah might have felt weak and hopeless in his
work, but as the Lord reminded him and us, Fear
not ...; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a
mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet
you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Jesus is with us
in love and joy, and He is mighty to save.
Revelation 10
Chapter 10 begins a pause in the declaration of judgments
from Jesus. This is not to say that there is no activity on earth or in heaven.
Actually, there is a lot going on in both places. The seals and the trumpets
(there is still one remaining trumpet) of the first 3.5 years have set the
stage for the next 3.5. The events of chapter 11 will happen at the mid-point
of the Tribulation and chapters 12-16 will happen during this final 3.5 years.
Chapter 16 will unleash the final judgments that are very close to the end of
the Tribulation and the second coming of Christ.
Vs. 1-7 This mighty angel is declaring a hidden, but very
solemn, situation that will be fulfilled. The mention of the rainbow should make us think about God's
promise to Noah never to fully destroy all of mankind as He did in the flood.
The loud voice gives this mystery a special measure of importance. There will
be ominous consequences. Apparently what will take place will almost bring the
deaths of everyone on the planet. Jesus Himself said, And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be
saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matt.
24:22)
One question here is what the mystery was that John was not
supposed to write down. It was something announced or mentioned by the prophets
that will be fulfilled. Obviously this mystery isn't the incarnation or death
and resurrection of Christ, or even the existence of the church.
Vs. 8-10 John is told to eat this small scroll. That the
scroll tasted sweet is similar to what we saw in Ezekiel 3:3, but that didn't
make Ezekiel sick. Daniel was made sick when he saw his visions. Daniel became
preoccupied with the visions of the little horn, because it was able to make
war with the saints of God and prevail. This would be a good time to look at
Daniel 7:18-27 and particularly Daniel 8:24-27. Notice that in Daniel 8:26,
Daniel is told to seal up the vision just as John was. Notice that Daniel
became sick at the content of this vision.
I think that what is being announced here is that God is
about to give the Jews and anyone who believes in Him (possibly with the
exception of the 144,000) into the hand of the antichrist. The world stage has
been set. The 144,000 have scattered throughout the earth, and many have come
to Christ, and they too have been sharing. The world is wrecked, but the
antichrist is rebuilding and creating order. He had made a treaty of peace with
Israel, but in spite of that, the two witnesses have been a public threat to him.
They have been untouchable. People in the world understand that God is behind
what has happened, and now their hearts are beginning to be revealed both in
hate toward these witnesses, and also toward God and anyone who names His name.
Time wise, the first 3.5 years are coming to an end. The
army of the north spoken of in Ezekiel is coming toward Jerusalem. It appears
that the disaster that will happen to this army encamped near the Dead Sea will
come from those witnesses. The antichrist will approach Jerusalem with his
army, and armed with satanic power; and he will kill the witnesses. He will
take his place in the temple and desecrate it, and all the believing Jews in
Jerusalem will flee to the hills around the Dead Sea. Satan will be thrown out
of heaven and we'll read about Satan's pursuit of the Jews who will be saved in
the desert. The antichrist will then reveal spiritual power. The persecution of
Christians and believing Jews will encompass most of the last 3.5 years of the
Tribulation.
God
will defeat Satan through weakness. His own sheep will conquer Satan, …by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Rev.
12:11) These disgusting, weak humans will wreck Satan. This I think is the mystery.
God will give His people into the enemy's hand and it will destroy that enemy.
The more Satan rages, the more he loses, and mankind judges itself by how it
treats Jesus' disciples.
Look
at what God said through Paul in Romans 8:35-39, Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being
killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am
sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor
things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
V. 11 So, John is told that in spite of this, the Word still
needs to go out to all the people of the earth. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole
world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matt.
24:14)
Psalm 138
What an interesting psalm for today. We go from a
discouraged Josiah, to a great movement in the Tribulation that will prove
God's wisdom and strength through His suffering saints, to David, praising God
in the midst of his troubles.
Vs. 1-2 Doesn't it strike you that David thanked God not
only for His love, but because God had exalted His name and His Word? When
David was in trouble and close to God's Word, he was invincible.
V. 3 What a great testimony of hope to us.
Vs. 4-5 David speaks of all the kings of the earth. This is
future and it will be true in the Millennium. Even here, David saw beyond his
life to the salvation of all peoples.
V. 6 This is what God said through Zephaniah, that the lowly
who seek Him are regarded before God.
Vs. 7-8 David was still living a troubled life, but he knew
God's presence and preservation. He knew God had a purpose for him and he knew
God's steadfast love. Is it worth
facing hardship to know the reality of God's steadfast love and to know His
presence? I think it is and it is built into following Christ in the harvest. I
think it is one of those "rewards" you only get a certain way, and
following Him in the harvest is the way.
Proverbs 30:11-14
There is something for everyone here. There are kinds of
"people" or "sins." How would you describe or title them?
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One
Year Bible, click on this link http://oneyearbibleonline.com/weekly-one-year-readings/?version=47&startmmdd=0101. This version is set to the ESV but you can reset this to a different
version or different language.I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download these to use on your computer or to print.
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