The prophecy of Zephaniah is addressed to the people of Judah during the time of the godly King Josiah. The northern kingdom of Israel has been destroyed and now only Judah remains in the land. (Judah is sometimes referred to as Israel.) Josiah led a great religious reform in Judah and his reign is celebrated by the narrators of Kings and Chronicles as a time of great spiritual revival. It may seem strange therefore that this book should be dominated by a tone of warning and a theme of judgement. Josiah’s promotion of the law of God, however, made those who refused to turn to God much more accountable, and there were many at this time who, despite Josiah’s efforts, stubbornly remained in idolatry. His reign gave the people every opportunity to walk in the truth and took away every excuse to not do so. I believe that we are in a similar situation. Unlike the people in countries where Christianity cannot be promoted or even practiced openly (and there are many such countries), we have access to endless resources and opportunities to grow and practise our faith. There are many places in the world where it is nearly impossible for people to get a Bible let alone the many other resources that we have access to. It therefore begs the question, are you making the most of the opportunities that you have to learn and grow in your faith? Like the people of Josiah’s time, your environment provides you with plenty of fertilisers for growth. We are accountable for what we have and the use we make of it. How are you going?
Think about how you can make the most of the resources you have access to, to help you to grow.
Read Zephaniah 1:1-2:3
