Devotional Reading:Hebrews 11:29-39
Background Scripture:Zephaniah 3:9-20
Zephaniah 3:9-14, 20
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.
Key Verse
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. —Zephaniah 3:14
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. List characteristics of “the remnant of Israel.”
2. Describe specific qualities that people who are part of the remnant should demonstrate daily.
3. Suggest a specific way that he or she will demonstrate at least one quality from that list in the coming week.
Introduction
A. Saving the Remnant
Pieces of leftover fabric on bolts of cloth are often called remnants. When I checked the dictionary definition of that word, I found the following: small, fragment, scrap, unsold, unused, trace, and vestige. Some of these words have rather negative connotations or imply that a remnant is something that few people would care to have. Yet those who are skilled in sewing can find such pieces of cloth very useful. My wife used to make puppets with them; the youth in our church then used those puppets to present Bible-themed plays.
The existence of a remnant is a very important concept in God’s redemptive plan. The remnant is made up of those who remain to carry out His plan after His judgment has been administered.
B. Lesson Background
The prophet Isaiah states the crucial nature of the remnant of God’s people: “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: for out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this” (Isaiah 37:31, 32). At the heart of the concept of a remnant lies the grace and mercy of God. He is the one who takes the “leftovers” or “scraps,” people who might be considered of little or no value in the eyes of the world, and uses them to fulfill His grand design.
I. Purified People
(Zephaniah 3:9-14)
Today’s lesson begins immediately after the final verse of last week’s lesson. That study concluded on a note of judgment not only on God’s people but also on all nations. Even so, God promised His favor on “the remnant of the house of Judah” (Zephaniah 2:7). With today’s lesson, the focus shifts to a promise of hope.
A. Unified (vv. 9, 10)
9a. For then will I turn to the people a pure language.
Isaiah, when confronted in a vision with the holiness of the Lord, confessed himself to be “a man of unclean lips” and that he was living “in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). One may consider the unpleasant words James uses in describing the untamable tongue: “It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). How different is the scene presented by Zephaniah: he pictures a people who speak a pure language. That phrase does not refer to proper grammar and syntax, but to holiness in what one says.
9b. That they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.
To call upon the name of the Lord suggests turning to Him for the help that He alone can provide. Numerous passages of Scripture encourage this (compare Psalms 86:5; 145:18; Jeremiah 29:12; 33:3; 1 Peter 1:17; contrast Psalms 14:4; 53:4; 79:6). The prophet Joel links calling on the Lord’s name with deliverance or salvation (Joel 2:32). To call on a deity other than the one true God is idolatry (1 Kings 18:25).
The word people in verse 9a is plural in the Hebrew text, as in “peoples.” Thus Zephaniah pictures individuals from many nations calling on the Lord’s name in order to serve Him with one consent. The prediction conveys unity—those representing a variety of nations and languages engaged in a single purpose of serving the one God.
We may reflect on how this is a reversal of what transpired at the Tower of Babel. Until that arrogant effort, there was “one speech” of “the whole earth.” But God decided to “confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:1, 7), because those building the tower were united against his purpose.
How to Say It
Babylon Bab-uh-lun.
Deuteronomy Due-ter-ahn-uh-me.
Diogenes Die-ah-jin-eez.
Ezra Ez-ruh.
Isaiah Eye-zay-uh.
Jeremiah Jair-uh-my-uh.
Sinope Suh-nawp.
Zephaniah Zef-uh-nye-uh.
What Zephaniah pictures here may be compared with the scene that John witnesses in Revelation 7:9: “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” gathered before the heavenly throne. It may be viewed as a prophetic glimpse of the “new Jerusalem” witnessed by John as “coming down from God out of heaven” (Revelation 21:2). Such a diverse gathering calls to mind God’s intent that His church reach and teach all nations with the gospel of His Son (Matthew 28:18-20).
What Do You Think?
What can you do to promote Christian unity?
Points for Your Discussion
Regarding unity of purpose at the local level
Regarding unity of purpose beyond the local level
Regarding unity of practice
Other
10. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
Zephaniah’s prophetic vision includes pure-language people from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. This location is also known as Cush (example: Isaiah 11:11) and refers to the territory of African Sudan on a modern map, not the area that is modern Ethiopia. Any lands beyond this territory are likely unknown to the ancient Israelites. This is therefore another way of saying that even from the most distant and unfamiliar realms, people who have been dispersed will take part in the worship of the Lord by bringing an offering to Him. The word suppliants is another way of describing these worshippers; they are looking to the Lord to “supply” their needs.
The reference to those who are dispersed brings to mind again what occurred at the Tower of Babel. The Lord “scattered” the people from that place after they had determined not to scatter (Genesis 11:4, 8, 9). In the chapter immediately following that account, God called Abraham and made a covenant with him that included this promise: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (12:3). With that statement, notes Paul in Galatians 3:8, God “preached before[hand] the gospel unto Abraham,” declaring His plan to bless “all nations” as He draws the scattered peoples of the earth back to Him.
The fatherly relationship God desires is seen in the word daughter. The phrases “daughter of Zion” and “daughter of Jerusalem” are used in the Old Testament to picture the fatherly relationship God has with the people therein (see Zephaniah 3:14, below). For dispersed peoples to be labeled this way says something about the special status the Lord bestows on them.
B. Trusting (vv. 11, 12)
11a. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me.
The Hebrew word translated ashamed is in the feminine singular form, indicating that Zephaniah is addressing the city of Jerusalem. (See comments in last week’s lesson on Zephaniah 3:2 concerning the use of the feminine gender to refer to cities.) That city has been the prophet’s primary concern in this chapter since verse 1. Previously he had called attention to those in Jerusalem who knew no shame for their sinful actions (3:5). But when one experiences a sense of shame or guilt for one’s actions, such a person is then in a position to receive the good news of God’s forgiveness. In Christ the shame can be replaced by the joy that accompanies the awareness of that forgiveness.
“Have You No Shame?”
A generation ago, the question above, when voiced, was often successful in changing bad behavior. The same question today would largely fall on deaf ears, as evidenced by all the shameful pictures and videos that people post of themselves on the Internet. Truly “the unjust knoweth no shame” (Zephaniah 3:5; last week’s lesson).
But there is another extreme to this issue of shame, as seen in certain countries and communities where an honor/shame culture predominates. From these we hear reports of “honor killings” in which family members murder one of their own for having brought shame on the family in some way. The murdered family member is often a woman, perhaps killed because she dated or married outside her religion or embraced Western values in some way. Even more shocking, she may be a rape victim who is victimized again (by being killed) to restore “family honor.” How tragic!
The United Nations reports some 5,000 honor killings in the world each year. These occur mostly in Islamic countries, but a small percentage also take place in Western democracies. We have sound biblical reasons for opposing strongly such an extreme view of honor/shame. But when we point fingers, we risk having more fingers—even our own fingers—point right back at our own culture’s seeming inability to feel any shame whatsoever for various behaviors.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem in Zephaniah’s day should have been ashamed of their unfaithfulness, but they were not. They mistakenly assumed God would not judge them in that regard. Western culture should take heed!—C. R. B.
11b. For then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride.
A separation is to take place, similar to that which will occur on Judgment Day as the sheep, separated from the goats, are welcomed to share in the kingdom prepared for them “from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:31-34). One may look back to Zephaniah’s earlier description of those within Jerusalem who stubbornly refuse to obey or trust in the Lord and accept discipline from Him (Zephaniah 3:2). Pride is at the root of such behavior. Lack of humility and misplaced priorities always seem to go hand in hand.
11c. And thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
My holy mountain is another way of referring to Jerusalem (compare Isaiah 66:20; Daniel 9:16; Joel 3:17; Zechariah 8:3). Those who have taken pride in residing where the temple is situated and who see its presence as a guarantee against any kind of divine judgment (Jeremiah 7:1-15) are in for quite a shock. Haughtiness and holiness do not mix. This is why the prophet has already pleaded with the people to “seek meekness” (Zephaniah 2:3).
What Do You Think?
Where are Christians most in danger of becoming haughty? How do we address this problem?
Points for Your Discussion
Concerning church affiliation or membership
Concerning an area of service to the Lord
Concerning personal accomplishments
Other
12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
After the haughty are removed, the ones left are the afflicted and poor. Those whom society considers as scraps or rejects will be part of God’s remnant, because they shall trust in the name of the Lord. Such individuals are highlighted by Jesus in the first of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
James has the cure for pride: “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness” (James 4:9). Such an attitude is counter to what modern culture promotes as the path to “fulfillment” or “self-actualization.” Indeed, those who live by the principles of the Scriptures may be despised by the world and considered fools according to its standards. But to humble oneself before the Lord is to possess a wealth that the world cannot take away since the world is not its source.
C. Unafraid (v. 13)
13. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
The first half of this verse is echoed in Revelation 14:5: “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” God has great plans for His remnant! In the place where they will reside, there will be plenty to eat and absolute safety. This means that the oppression that existed before (Zephaniah 3:1) will be no more.
How can such a perfect, ideal state exist? It cannot exist in this broken, sin-cursed world; it can come only by God’s initiative in creating “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). Nothing impure or corrupt will be present in that place, for God will have eliminated the very source of evil: Satan and his cohorts. God will confine them for eternity in “the lake of fire and brimstone” (Revelation 20:10).
No threat of any kind will disrupt the harmony of God’s new creation. The scene calls to mind the picture of God as the shepherd of His people, caring for their every need and protecting them from danger. Perhaps Psalm 23:2 provides the best description: “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”
Christians possess this assurance because Jesus is “the good shepherd” (John 10:11). For now, His presence sustains us through the brokenness that we experience in this world. But someday we will be in His home where the brokenness will be gone “for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
What Do You Think?
How can we keep from letting fear of the world control our attitudes and actions?
Points for Your Discussion
Regarding ungodly influences on family members
Regarding national trends
Regarding financial security
Other
Looking for an Honest Man
Diogenes of Sinope (died 323 BC) was one of the founders of the Cynic school of Greek philosophy. He believed it was more important to live by one’s principles than to proclaim them. His ideas made his hometown citizens uncomfortable, so he migrated to Athens.
Diogenes challenged established customs and values with his questioning attitude. He argued that most people accepted established values unthinkingly when they should be questioning the true nature of the various evils in Greek life and culture. Perhaps the most famous anecdote about Diogenes’s life concerns his walking through the streets of Athens at midday carrying a lighted lantern. His explanation was that he was looking for an honest man!
Although not a person of the Bible, had Diogenes lived in Jerusalem in the days of Zephaniah, he might well have sided with that prophet! As Zephaniah walked the streets of that city, he saw only a remnant that was true to God. Only a remnant lived by the law that God had ordained. In both Old and New Testaments, the biblical writers challenge us to do more than give lip service to truth. Our Lord still looks for honest people whose godly lives confront the evils of a culture that ignores Him. Are you such a one?—C. R. B.
D. Glad (v. 14)
14. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
What is the appropriate response to the promises described thus far? Consider the imperatives in the verse before us: sing, shout, be glad, and rejoice. Such reactions result from a situation that stands in stark contrast with the pictures of judgment found at the beginning of this book. There only the sounds of howling and bitter cries are predicted (Zephaniah 1:10, 11, 14).
What Do You Think?
Who is an example of the kind of joy of which the Scriptures often speak? How does this individual’s example help you discover joy?
Points for Your Discussion
Biblical examples
Personal acquaintances
Christians about whom you’ve read or heard
Other
II. Precious Promises
(Zephaniah 3:20)
Verses 15-19 (not in today’s text) offer additional encouraging words to the remnant. Verse 17 describes the Lord as singing, a beautiful way to picture the joy the Lord himself experiences as He blesses the faithful remnant. The coming day of the Lord will be a day of joy, not only for the remnant but for the Lord as well! The Father will take great delight in blessing His beloved daughter, His faithful people.
A. Gathered by God (v. 20a)
20a. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you.
Once more we note a contrast between the conclusion and the beginning of this book. The prophet’s opening words relay God’s promise to “consume all things from off the land” in judgment (the verb consume appears three times in Zephaniah 1:2, 3). The prophet now closes his book with God’s promise to gather His faithful people. The “woe” with which chapter 3 begins is gone.
Certainly the return from captivity in Babylon, described in the early chapters of the book of Ezra, will fulfill this promise in part. God had previously given His people such “homecoming” promises (Deuteronomy 30:4; Micah 4:6, 7), but there is a wider, global impact in this chapter, as we have already seen. This impact is further highlighted in the second half of verse 20, next.
B. Praised by People (v. 20b)
20b. For I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.
Zephaniah’s prophetic ministry takes place about 40 years before Jerusalem is destroyed in 586 BC, resulting in the people’s being exiled to Babylon. That captivity will end when Cyrus the Great of Persia decrees that any of God’s people who desire to return from captivity may do so (Ezra 1:1-4). But being released from Babylonian captivity will not mean the Jews are free of foreign domination, as history shows (compare Daniel 2:31-45; 7:1-8:25).
Zephaniah’s words may thus point to a deliverance more significant than one that is only political or national in nature. Just as the prophet speaks of a global day of judgment to come, so also here he may be viewing the future recognition of God’s people on a global scale at the final gathering to take place when Jesus returns. The release from the ultimate captivity of sin will be complete at that time, and God’s people will truly be home—not in an earthly sense, but home with the Father forever.
This promise forms another noteworthy contrast with the somber picture of the “day of the Lord” that is found back in Zephaniah 1:14-16, which was part of the text for lesson 1. There that day is characterized by gloom and doom. God also states, “And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord” (1:17). Now, however, God declares His intention to fulfill His promises of blessing before your eyes. It will be a sight to behold indeed! Jesus’ first coming was also a sight to behold, but not everyone had eyes to see (Matthew 13:13-15; 23:16-19, 24, 26). His second coming, however, will be seen by everyone, even by those who do not want to see it (Revelation 1:7).
What Do You Think?
What are some ways to improve your church’s witness among all people(s) of the earth?
Points for Your Discussion
Steps individuals can take
Steps families can take
Steps the congregation as a whole can take
Other
The phrase saith the Lord is a most encouraging way to conclude Zephaniah’s picture of the joyful future awaiting God’s remnant. We are assured that the prophet’s words are not the product of his own creativity. They do not reflect his personal hopes and wishes for things to turn out right in the end. His words are nothing less than the very words of Almighty God. Zephaniah’s hearers both then and now can rest assured that the Lord will bring His promises to pass in His time.
Conclusion
A. “When Are We Going Home?”
When I was 4 years old, my family moved to a house in the country that has remained “home” to this day. Although I was too young to remember it, my mother tells me that when she began to tuck me in bed on the first night in the new house, I suddenly sat up and asked, “Hey, when are we going home?” Mom assured me that I was home, that the house we were in was where we would be living. I had to adjust my thinking to that new reality.
When a person becomes a Christian, he or she “comes home” to God in a very real sense. Even so, we are not yet fully home with the Lord until Jesus returns. In the meantime, we take care not to get too attached to the present world, which is destined to pass away (2 Peter 3:10-13). If we have not yet adjusted our thinking to this future reality, we must do so! A greater homecoming awaits us, a homecoming that Zephaniah’s concluding words foreshadow.
B. Prayer
Father, it is at times so frustrating to live in a world in such constant turmoil from the curse of sin. We become impatient to be home with You and free from the brokenness of sin, dwelling in a place where all things are made new. We thank You that through Jesus there is a promise of such a place. Help us, we pray, to live patiently and faithfully until the time for our “homecoming.” We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
Homecoming day is not yet, but will be.
Kid’s Corner
God Will Make the World Right Someday
Zephaniah 3:9-14, 20
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Zephaniah 3:9-14 & 20
(Zephaniah 3:9) “For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
Through Zephaniah and other prophets, God warned His people to repent or suffer devastating consequences. In ways similar to our day, the vast majority in leadership and those ruled by them refused to repent and trust in the true God. But Zephaniah concluded with words of encouragement for those who repented and the faithful who sadly suffered in a godless and unjust nation. No matter how decadent Judah became, some (a remnant) continued to call on the name of the LORD exclusively and worked side-by-side with other believers. God would purify the lives and lips of those people who knew they were imperfect but trusted in God, even as Isaiah saw himself as a sinner, but God cleansed his lips and made him a prophet (see Isaiah 6:1-7).
(Zephaniah 3:10) “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings.
Prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, some righteous Jews had moved to Egypt and elsewhere, but many righteous and the unrighteous Jews fled the city and went to Egypt after Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 BC. Zephaniah prophesied that those who were faithful or their faithful descendants would return to Jerusalem someday and truly worship God with their offerings. This was fulfilled the first time with the Jews return from exile in Babylon and other Jews returned from elsewhere (as the many Jews from many nations who celebrated the Festival of Booths on the Day of Pentecost also illustrates).
(Zephaniah 3:11) “In that day you will feel no shame Because of all your deeds By which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst Your proud, exulting ones, And you will never again be haughty On My holy mountain.
Jerusalem was put to shame when the Babylonians destroyed the city in 587 BC, but their shame would only last during their 70 years of exile. During this time, God removed the boasters who gloried in themselves, and through Nehemiah and others God restored the city. Jerusalem’s sinful history repeated itself before and after Jesus was rejected, and Christians were martyred until the Romans destroyed the city in 70 AD. Even though Jerusalem is a city rebuilt within a restored nation of Israel, we await the Second Coming of Jesus Christ for the perfect fulfillment of God’s word through Zephaniah.
(Zephaniah 3:12) “But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge in the name of the LORD.
After the fall of Jerusalem, Babylon took the surviving religious and political leaders into exile and left the meek and humble who trusted in the LORD in the city. These were a remnant, a small portion of people, who obeyed and worshiped the LORD even though the temple had been destroyed.
(Zephaniah 3:13) “The remnant of Israel will do no wrong And tell no lies, Nor will a deceitful tongue Be found in their mouths; For they will feed and lie down With no one to make them tremble.”
This prophecy will be made completely true after Jesus Christ returns as He promised. It became partially true after Jesus sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to indwell all who will believe in Him. It remains true today, but only partially among all true followers of Jesus Christ. By obeying the Scriptures as the Holy Spirit leads and empowers, believers in Christ are freed from slavery to sin and compulsion to sin; though true believers will sin sometimes until Christ returns. They will find their peace and security in Jesus Christ through all the trials of daily living, evil, and temptations.
(Zephaniah 3:14) Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Zephaniah’s prophecy includes these words of hope for the faithful in the future. When Jesus the Messiah returns and separates the sheep from the wolves (or goats) His followers will sing in Jerusalem (Zion). They will be glad and rejoice with all their heart. Today, the followers of Jesus rejoice in their knowledge of Him and the promises that He made about His return when He will make all things new.
(Zephaniah 3:20) “At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will give you renown and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” Says the LORD.
Many Jews scattered around the world today will continue to come to faith in Jesus the Messiah. When Jesus returns, faithful Christians will be gathered by Christ and believing Jews will be gathered together in Jerusalem, their ancestral home. Believing Gentiles from people groups around the earth will also be gathered there with Christ. God promises that everything believers have lost in this world for their faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him will be restored, and they will be given even more in their lives to come.
God Will Make the World Right Someday
Zephaniah 3:9-14, 20
Sunday, June 19, 2016
“They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid” (Zephaniah 3:13).
Some think that the earth and the universe will carry on as it has forever, or at least for a few billion more years. Optimists think that the earth will get better and better, or can be made better and better with the right leaders and policies. Pessimists think that the earth is going from bad to worse and nothing can be done to stop people from declining into an immoral mess. But too many people, including optimists and pessimists, leave God out of their calculations. As revealed in the Bible, God has the final word in the matter. Zephaniah foretold that a great Day of the LORD would come someday, when those who insist on living in rebellion against God and goodness will be removed from the earth. After that Day, those faithful to God who dwell on the earth will do no wrong, tell no lies, and live unafraid. When Jesus the Messiah came the first time, He forgave sinners, cleansed them from sin, and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers. Today, believers can have God’s guidance to live right and His perfect love to help them overcome their fears. Jesus also promised to return after all the conditions for His return have been fulfilled. He will come and make all things right on earth. He will fulfill the prophecies of Zephaniah and others completely. Just as no one does wrong or tells lies in heaven, when Jesus returns and establishes the kingdom of God on earth everyone will love and obey the LORD.
Thinking Further
God Will Make the World Right Someday
Zephaniah 3:9-14, 20
Sunday, June 19, 2016
1. What did the LORD say He would do before the peoples called on His name?
2. How did God say the peoples would serve Him?
3. What kind of people did God say He would remove from Jerusalem?
4. What kind of people did God say He would leave in Jerusalem?
5. When will God fulfill His promise in Zephaniah 3:20?
Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further
1. What did the LORD say He would do before the peoples called on His name?
Purify the lips of the peoples.
2. How did God say the peoples would serve Him?
Shoulder to shoulder — by working together as they served God. Furthermore, they would come and bring Him offerings.
3. What kind of people did God say He would remove from Jerusalem?
Arrogant boasters
4. What kind of people did God say He would leave in Jerusalem?
The meek and humble who will trust in the name of the LORD.
5. When will God fulfill His promise in Zephaniah 3:20?
When Jesus Christ comes again as He promised. We pray and wait for His coming
Word Search
God Will Make the World Right Someday
Zephaniah 3:9-14, 20
Sunday, June 19, 2016
D W T N A G O R R A L G Z T Z
C R V U V M A Y L O R D S P R
D O D N J E J Q F B S L V Q C
E N H C A E P Z P I J U I A K
C O S J S K C R G O R D E P J
E H I R C W A I K P E U C L S
I A S V E I G Z O R E O P K A
T U R M S P D R E J F O M U E
F G E E T A I T I F E U P L F
U H T W S M T H E V W R B L A
L T S I G A P R S C E M S U E
J Y A E C L I H K R U R C N O
C I O S V N V L V H O T S M K
M V B J G R W F B S M W K Z O
F T F S E S H O U L D E R U D
Purify
Lips
People
LORD
Shoulder
Rivers
Praise
Rejoice
Honor
Worshipers
Scattered
Offerings
Arrogant
Boasters
Deceitful
Haughty
Meek
Humble
True and False Test
God Will Make the World Right Someday
Zephaniah 3:9-14 & 20
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.
1. The LORD will purify the lips of the peoples so they can call on the name of the LORD. True or False
2. Zephaniah said that scattered peoples will come and bring the LORD offerings.True or False
3. Someday, God will punish arrogant boasters and make them praise Him in Jerusalem. True or False
4. Zephaniah foretold that someday there will be no place for the meek and humble to live in Jerusalem. True or False
5. Zephaniah selected a very large remnant of Judeans who would trust in the LORD in Jerusalem. True or False
6. Zephaniah looked forward to a day when no one in Jerusalem told lies or did wrong. True or False
7. There will come a day when people will lie down and not be afraid. True or False
8. Zephaniah encouraged Jerusalem and told the people to look forward to a day when they would rejoice with all their heart. True or False
9. The LORD promised He would gather His scattered people and bring them home.True or False
10. Because His people had turned to fortune tellers, God said that their enemies would soon steal all their silver and gold. True or False
Answers to the True and False Test
Zephaniah 3:9-14 & 20
Sunday, June 19, 2016
1. True
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. False
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. False
Closing Prayer
Father, it is at times so frustrating to live in a world in such constant turmoil from the curse of sin. We become impatient to be home with You and free from the brokenness of sin, dwelling in a place where all things are made new. We thank You that through Jesus there is a promise of such a place. Help us, we pray, to live patiently and faithfully until the time for our “homecoming.” We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.