The prophet Zephaniah warned of the coming judgment against Jerusalem. It would be good for us to consider the reasons why judgment was coming. We can be punished, just as they were, for the same failings. So how did Jerusalem fail?
“She heeded no voice, she accepted no instruction. She did not trust in the Lord, she did not draw near to her God” (Zephaniah 3:2).
Zephaniah gave four reasons why the people of Jerusalem were going to be punished. Let us consider each of these.
They did not obey (heed) – Obedience is essential for salvation. Jesus is “to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). Many people argue against the necessity of obedience. Instead, they say we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). This is certainly true, but there are certain works we are to do (Ephesians 2:10). In the New Testament, saving faith is described as an active or working faith. James wrote, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (James 2:17). If we are going to follow Christ, we must do more than just claim to have faith (James 2:19, 24). We must obey (Matthew 7:21-23).
They rejected correction (instruction) – With the exception of Jesus, no one who has reached an accountable age has lived a life free of sin (Romans 3:23). Christians are to strive for perfection (Matthew 5:48), but we still sin from time to time (Hebrews 3:12-13). Because of this, we must learn to be able to accept correction (Proverbs 3:11-12). If we cannot (or will not) accept correction, we will inevitably go off into sin. The proverb writer said, “Cease listening, my son, to discipline, and you will stray from the words of knowledge” (Proverbs 19:27). We should not make excuses or come up with reasons not to listen. If we are in sin, we must accept correction so we can get back on the right path.
They did not trust in the Lord – We must put our complete trust in God. The wise man said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). We trust in God because He is the almighty Creator who sustains this world (Revelation 4:8, 11; Colossians 1:17). He knows what we need (Matthew 6:8) and we know that His way is best (Isaiah 55:8-9). So instead of leaning on our own understanding, we must recognize that His word is right no matter what others say (Romans 3:4). His way is right no matter what others do (Proverbs 14:12). And the reward that He has promised is certain and worth striving for no matter what we must endure in this life (Hebrews 6:19; Philippians 3:10-11). We must put our trust in God and believe in what He has said.
They did not draw near to God – We can “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). There are different ways in which we draw near to God. We have already noticed a couple of ways (obedience and trusting in Him). But we also draw near when we approach Him in prayer. We are told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and make our requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6). It is important that we draw near to God in these different ways. James said, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Conclusion
We should carefully consider these four reasons for failure on the part of the people of Jerusalem. While it is true that we are under a different law than they were (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:8, 13), God’s expectations with regard to our attitude and obedience are the same. Let us learn from their mistakes – obey God, accept correction when it is necessary, put your trust in the Lord, and draw near to Him.
