Sabbath: The Day of the Lord
Read for This Week’s Study: Zeph. 1:14-18, Joel 2:1-11, Zeph. 2:1-3, Isa. 11:4, Zeph. 3:1-5, Isa. 62:5, Nahum 1-3.
Memory Text: “The Lord will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations” (Zephaniah 2:11, NKJV).
Key Thought: Judgment is coming; but grace and mercy are still available for those who earnestly seek for it.
If the books of the prophets were placed in chronological order, Zephaniah’s would fit between Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Zephaniah’s preaching condemned the hopeless corruption found in Judean society. He pointed to the need for repentance based on the fact that God’s love still was calling His people to humility and faithfulness. His message was twofold: there is a threat of an imminent and universal judgment, which will include even God’s own people; yet there is also a promise that the saved from all nations will join the remnant of Israel in serving God and enjoying His blessings. This week’s study will show that Zephaniah’s message still matters to those who proclaim God’s message of hope to a fallen world.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 1.
Nothing can save us from the judgement of God. We can choose our side, God’s side, or Satan’s side. Zephaniah is trying to make a point to Israel, and to us today. We “worship” our iPhones, iPads, and our computers. We need to stop. God wants our worship. God bless us all!!!!
I am not sure just why we link technology with making a choice between God and Satan’s side. I am a computer scientist and while I spend a lot of time with computers, I would be hard pressed to see them as any more than tools. Just as a carpenter uses saws, hammers and chisels, I use computers to do my work.
Our choice of whether we are on God’s or Satan’s side has something to do with the way we use our tools.
I agree. First people see devil in Ford automobiles and attack them, because they hear brroom and no horse pulling. It is just modern for pius to judge modern technology.
Why is the day of the Lord expressed in such a scary way?shouldn’t we be looking forward to it?
It is of paramount importance to realize how much God wants us to enjoy the unspeakable benefits of serving Him so that when the day of judgement comes we will all be happy our lives were as God anticipated.
We serve a fair and just God who reveals to us nothing but the truth as it is. In as much as the Lord reveals to us in Revelations on how it will be when Christ comes for the second time, with ten thousands and thousands of angels and with all the glory, its only fare that He reveals to us even so how His day shall be, not to frighten us but for us not to be in darkness and to tell and reveal to us the future events which are at hand. The Lord died for us on the cross and still through His prophets God is doing by all means to save us by preparing us for His second coming, He loves us so much that He wants us to be with Him in that place which He went to prepare for us. Indeed we serve a MERCIFUL and LOVING GOD.