S3E304 – Zephaniah 1-3: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Transcript Podcast Introduction Today is  Prophecy Friday. We are in the Minor Prophets, and Zephaniah is next in line  I do have an on this date in church history for you. I’m calling today’s episode “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.”   Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash Comments on Zephaniah Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria. It is first mentioned all the way back in Genesis, chapter 10, and then it is not mentioned again until the book of Jonah.  Nineveh was large, both in area and population. Because of its geographic location on the Tigris river, it was a bustling city of trade and commerce, one of the largest and most successful of all ancient cities. But as we know, God was not a part of daily life. And as the capital of the Assyrian empire, they were guilty of great sins against God and His chosen people. As we heard in today’s reading, Zephaniah prophesies the destruction of Nineveh, but if you’ll remember, so did Nahum in several verses.  Around 633 B.C. the Assyrian empire began to decay, as have all empires. In 612 B.C. they were attacked by the Medes and the Babylonians. At its defeat, it was burned to the ground. By 605 B.C. there was nothing left of the once great empire. The Medes and the Babylonians divided the spoils between them. Nineveh is not mentioned again in the Old Testament. We don’t hear of it again until the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Archaeologists have found the remains of Nineveh. Among other things, they found a wall surrounding the city with a circumference of about eight miles. Today all the ruins are covered by dirt. It is good to remember that even a great and powerful nation can be reduced to dust if it fails to honor the one true God. And if that is true of a nation, it is even more so true of an individual. No matter your wealth, no matter your power, no matter your talent, if you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, if He is not your Lord and Savior, you are without hope.  Jesus came to set you free from the things that separate you from God. He is the only way to God. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” Jesus is not *a* way to God. He is *the* way to God. There is only one way. You may have heard that all roads lead to God. Really? That sounds nice, but it isn’t true. And it’s actually a silly statement. Tell you what. Right now, I am inviting you to spend the 4th of July at my house. I would be happy to invite you in with my family. We’re going to have a wonderful time together. The swimming pool will be open, the grill will be hot, the beverages will be cold, and we’ll have a feast. I want you here. I invite you with open arms. Really. Come on over. What’s that? You want to know how to get here? Just take any road. All roads lead to my house. Do you think you’d find my house? Of course not. If you don’t follow the way to my house, you’ll never get here. Same with God. There is one way to God, and Jesus is that way.  Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-3 ERV Support This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT. Transcript Download .txt file. STEVE WEBB – 0:00Right now, I’m inviting you to spend the Fourth of July at my house. INTRO S12E303 – 0:11Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today’s Prophecy Friday. We’re in the Minor Prophets, and we’ll read Zephaniah, all three chapters. I’m calling today’s episode “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”. The show notes page for today’s episode is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e303. And my email address is st***@*************ia.com. Let’s begin. ZEPHANIAH 1 (ERV) – 0:45Zephaniah, chapter 1. (1) This is the message that the Lord gave to Zephaniah. He received this message during the time that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, who was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Hezekiah. (2) The Lord says, “I will destroy everything on earth. (3) I will destroy all the people and all the animals. I will destroy the birds in the air and the fish in the sea. I will destroy the evil people and everything that makes them sin. I will remove all people from the earth.” This is what the Lord said. (4) “I will punish Judah and the people living in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place any signs of Baal worship. No one will remember the priests who serve the idols there. (5) And those who go up on their roofs to worship the stars will be forgotten. They worship me, the Lord, but they also use the name of the false god Milcom to make promises. (6) They have turned away from me, the Lord. They have stopped following me. They no longer ask me, the Lord, for help.” (7) Be silent before the Lord GOD, because the Lord’s day for judging the people is coming soon. The Lord has prepared his sacrifice, and he has told his invited guests to get ready. (8) The Lord said, “On the Lord’s day of sacrifice, I will punish the king’s sons and other leaders. I will punish all the people wearing clothes from other countries. (9) At that time I will punish all the people who jump over the threshold and those who fill their master’s house with lies and violence.” (10) The Lord also said, “At that time people will be calling for help at the Fish Gate in Jerusalem and mourning in the new part of town. They will hear the sound of destruction in the hills around their city. (11) You people living in the lower part of town will cry, because all the traders and rich merchants will be destroyed. (12) “At that time I will take a lamp and search through Jerusalem. I will find all those who are satisfied to live their own way. They say, ‘The Lord does nothing. He does not help, and he does not hurt!’ I will find them, and I will punish them. (13) Then others will take their wealth and destroy their houses. Those who built houses will not live in them, and those who planted vineyards will not drink the wine from the grapes.” (14) The Lord’s special day for judging is coming soon! It is near and coming fast. People will hear very sad sounds on the Lord’s special day of judgment. Even strong soldiers will cry. (15) The Lord will show his anger at that time. It will be a time of terrible troubles and a time of destruction. It will be a time of darkness—a black, cloudy, and stormy day. (16) It will be like a time of war when people hear horns and trumpets in the defense towers and protected cities. (17) The Lord said, “I will make life very hard on the people. They will walk around like the blind who don’t know where they are going. That will happen because they sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be spilled on the ground. Their dead bodies will be like dung on the ground. (18) Their gold and silver will not help them! At that time the Lord will become very upset and angry. The Lord will destroy the whole world! He will completely destroy everyone on earth!” ZEPHANIAH 2 (ERV) – 4:00Zephaniah, chapter 2. (1) Shameless people, change your lives (2) before you become like a dry and dying flower. In the heat of the day, a flower will wilt and die. You will be like that when the Lord shows his terrible anger. So change your lives before the Lord shows his anger against you! (3) All you humble people, come to the Lord! Obey his laws. Learn to do good things. Learn and be humble. Maybe then you will be safe when the Lord shows his anger. (4) No one will be left in Gaza. Ashkelon will be destroyed. By noon, the people will be forced to leave Ashdod. Ekron will be empty. (5) You Cretans living by the sea, this message from the Lord is about you. Canaan, land of the Philistines, you will be destroyed—no one will live there! (6) Your land by the sea will become empty fields for shepherds and their sheep. (7) Then the land will belong to the survivors from Judah. The Lord their God will remember the people from Judah and restore their fortunes. Then they will let their sheep eat the grass in those fields. In the evenings they will lie down in the empty houses of Ashkelon. (8) The Lord says, “I know what the people of Moab and Ammon did. They embarrassed my people. They took their land to make their own countries larger. (9) So, as surely as I am alive, Moab and the people of Ammon will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, and I promise those countries will be completely destroyed forever. Their land will be overgrown with weeds. It will be like the land covered with salt by the Dead Sea. The survivors of my people will take that land and everything left in it.” (10) This will happen to the people of Moab and Ammon because they were so proud and cruel and humiliated the people of the Lord All-Powerful. (11) They will be afraid of the Lord, because he will destroy their gods. Then everyone in all the faraway lands will worship the Lord. (12) People of Ethiopia, this even means you! The Lord’s sword will kill your people. (13) Then the Lord will turn north and punish Assyria. He will destroy Nineveh—that city will be like an empty, dry desert. (14) Only sheep and wild animals will live in those ruins. Owls and crows will sit on the columns that are left standing. Their calls will be heard coming through the windows. Crows will sit on the doorsteps. Black birds will make their homes in those empty houses. (15) Nineveh is so proud now. It is such a happy city. The people think they are safe....