We had a good crowd on Sunday evening as we further considered the message of the minor prophets. While chapter 1 of Joel addresses the current and coming judgment of the people of Israel, chapter 3 zooms out to address the coming judgment of the nations, with particular attention given to opponents of God’s people. This is a common pattern in the minor prophets, though the order is sometimes different.

For those today who know they are numbered among God’s faithful remnant through faith in Christ, we can sometimes struggle to know how to respond to passages about the coming judgment of the opponents of God’s people. As we walked through Zephaniah on Sunday evening, I noted five P’s regarding how to respond, and I’ve added a sixth:

1. Pity: We are to pity those who have not yet been “granted repentance” (Acts 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25), knowing that we are no less deserving of judgment, for “The Lord has taken away the judgments against you” (Zeph 3:15) by bearing them Himself.
    
2. Proclaim: It was a gracious thing for the Lord to proclaim these warnings through the prophets (Zeph 3:1). We must likewise proclaim the good news of salvation and the bad news of judgment so that others may also be saved.
    
3. Pray: Pray for God to use your proclamation to save others (Zeph 2:1-3).
    
4. Praise: “Sing aloud” with God (Zeph 3:14-17) for His glorious work of salvation.
    
5. Pursue Purity: Walk by the Spirit so that your speech (and conduct) may be changed “to a pure speech” (Zeph 3:9), for that is why the Spirit has been given (2 Cor 6:16–7:1).
   
   
6. Patiently Endure: Count no one as your enemy, but instead “wait for me” (Zeph 3:8), knowing that justice will be done and God “will change [your] shame into praise” (3:18-19).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan