10/30

Zephaniah 3:5

⁵The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.

The LORD listed the sins of the city of Jerusalem. They would not listen, accept correction, or draw near to God. Her officials were described as lions, her judges as wolves, and her prophets as fickle, treacherous men. Her priests profaned what was holy and did violence to the Scriptures. Does any of that sound familiar?

Yet, the LORD within her is righteous. Many will blame all that we see on the LORD, when much of the sorrow is the result of the acts of evil men. Their actions do not reflect on God. He is never unjust. Every morning He shows forth His justice. Look at the consequences of man's sin and you will see a bit of His justice. What a person sows, he or she will also reap. Each dawn God does not fail. He is always there for us. He is keeping a record. The wicked may seem like they are getting away with murder, but God has their day of reckoning already set.

The unjust knows no shame. They do not receive the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They boast about what they think they get away with, but those words will condemn them on Judgement Day. God warned them that a little correction would not turn them back to God. Judgement had to be severe. The prophecy then jumps to the final confrontation between good and evil, the Battle of Armageddon. In that day, the heart of the wicked will be just as hardened toward God.

Consider: Once again we see the first indictments as the refusal to: listen, accept correction, or draw near to God. Let us never be guilty of neglecting these, for they are the beginning of backsliding into all manner of evil, both for individuals and for nations.