August 9, 2023- Morning Bible Reading and Meditation- Zephaniah 2 KJV
Devotional Bible Study in Mitcah Bible Baptist Church- Bahrain
Lesson #18- Righteousness in Repentance
“1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.”
Words to ponder for today:
Righteousness
Herewith is the calling of repentance for the “nation not desired;”
“2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you.”
“Before the fierce anger of The LORD come upon you.”:
• Seek The LORD
• Seek Righteousness
• Seek Meekness
The LORD’s anger was kindled upon all ungodliness of the surrounding nation of Judah; them, who influenced GOD’s people to turn their back from living in His words, ways and will.
“4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.
9 Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.”
This is The LORD GOD’s righteousness; that, before He pour out His wrathful vengeance; His retribution, for the offending nations against His chosen people, He gave His warnings first, through the mouth of His anointed prophets.
And though these warnings are for the offenders, GOD’s people also were instructed to seek GOD.
“3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.”
Because of The LORD’s Righteousness, He did not consent His people who erred from hearkening and taking heed to His words. For many times, they also were forsaken by GOD and have caused them to be held captives and carried away from their land by their conquerors.
So as also to us believers who are baptized by The HOLY SPIRIT in the Body of CHRIST. We may fall into sinning again and again, as we are still in the flesh which is corruptible, living in this corrupt world. The LORD’s love endures, and long-suffering; yet even if we repented from our sin, expect chastisement from The LORD; if we allowed ourselves to be carried away and enjoy living in sin.
As it was written by Apostle Peter: 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Proverbs 14: 34 “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
For us to easily understand the equation:
Resistance from repentance:
(360 degrees turn around)
= Reproach
Repentance from sinning:
(180 degrees turn around) =Righteousness
Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:19 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
If we sin, we have a Righteous advocate in CHRIST, but let us not weary Him through our indulgence in sinning. For the righteousness of The LORD has become grace given to us; that it should never become our passes to keep on sinning.For His righteousness is also inclusive of His righteous judgement.
It was written by Apostle Paul: 1 Corinthians 6: 19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
The Righteousness of our LORD is made perfect in us through repentance. Let us keep this in mind.
Realize, repent and receive the peace of GOD which passes all understanding.
Good morning.
Zephaniah 2 KJV
1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you.
3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.
4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.
9 Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.
14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar work.
15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.
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