May it please Almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let's turn to the prophecy of
Zephaniah. And again, Zephaniah comes between
Habakkuk and Haggai. And the first chapter, and we'll
read the twelfth verse. The prophecy of Zephaniah, the
first chapter, and reading the twelfth verse. and it shall come
to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with candles
and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their
heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. We're told when Zephaniah lived,
he lived in the days of Josiah, who was the son of Ammon, king
of Judah. And we know that Josiah was,
in fact, a good king. But nonetheless, there were many
things which had been going on and did go on and were to go
on, which were totally against the way that the Lord God had
set before Israel years before, and how they had turned their
back upon God. And the Lord again, so many times,
as you and I read, the Old Testament, the prophecies, there are so
many words of instruction, so many words of warning to the
Church of God, to Israel of old in Judah, that they were walking
contrary to God, and that judgment would come upon them and of course
most of them thought these were just idle words because things
have been continuing and they thought they would ever continue
and therefore they did not believe the words that the prophets brought
to them and yet it was through the mercy of God that the prophets
came and the prophets prophesied They speak the words which God
gave them to speak. They weren't things that they
made up. They were the truth of God. And yet you see again
and again. the people ignored those warnings. Well, I'm sure you know that
of course God's judgment came upon Judah in particular and
also to Israel and they were carried away captive down to
Babylon. Babylon was a long way from Jerusalem
and it was several days journey. It wasn't just around the corner.
They were far away Not only that, of course, but Jerusalem as that
glorious city was destroyed. The centerpiece, which was the
temple which had been built many years before with great labor
under Solomon, and it was destroyed. And the people were there far
away. They'd lost the wonderful privileges
that had been given to them. And these things are recorded.
in the Word of God for us today to realise we shouldn't turn
away from God's Word. We shouldn't turn away from the
truth of God's Word. We shouldn't think it's irrelevant
and that it won't ever occur. In other words, in this twelfth
verse, the last part says, the people say in their heart, the
Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. They didn't
comprehend that what God said would come to pass. That God
did not speak and things did not occur. When God spoke, things
came to pass. And that's just the same today
in our lives. If God does sometimes speak to
us, and he does still speak in the day and age in which we live,
we should be thankful for it and that which he speaks to us
we should not think it's irrelevant and we can ignore but to recognize
that it is God that's speaking and often it's through his word
sometimes when we read the Word of God there's a verse which
perhaps stands out and it seems to attract us and it seems to
speak to us and we're not to ignore it and think it's irrelevant
it's a great blessing to have the Word of God it's a great
blessing to have a God who's mindful of us and a God who leads
us and a God who directs us He doesn't leave us just to wander
on aimlessly through this world. Well, we read in this chapter
just a little of what the Lord spoke to Israel in those days
and Judah in particular and how those things which He spoke did
indeed come to pass and He tells us perhaps more particularly
in this verse that we read this evening as a text, this 12th
verse, and it shall come to pass. Let's not forget that when God
speaks like that, it's very clear, it's very certain, isn't it?
And it shall, doesn't say it may come to pass, it says, and
it shall come to pass at that time. when these judgments come
upon Israel that these judgments will not just pass by they will
come and have an effect and people will not be able to avoid them
they won't be able to say well it doesn't have any relevance
to me and to my life because the Lord does come and we have
this very simple description the Lord tells them what would
happen In that time, he says, I will search Jerusalem with
candles. Now, of course, they didn't have
electric light in those days. They only had candles and probably
oil lamps to actually direct them. And in one sense, an oil
lamp is very similar to a candle. And therefore, they would search
out. The Lord would search out. What it meant was, They weren't able to hide anything
from God. You may say, well, I don't think
that's applicable to us today. Well, it may be in this way.
You see, God knows what our thoughts are. God knows what our secret
thoughts are that no one else knows. But God knows. God knows every thought that
comes into our mind. Whether it's good or whether
it's bad, whether it's right or whether it's wrong, God knows
everything about us. And therefore, as it was in these
days, you see, Jerusalem, which was, of course, the church of
God, was searched out. God searches us to see what we're
thinking. It's a very solemn truth, but
it's a great truth to realise that God does still today search
us out to see what's in our heart, what's in our mind, what's our
motive, what we're concerned about, what we want to do. Well, the Lord will graciously
search us out to the people of God That may be a difficult thing
to pass through, but you and I will be glad that the Lord
doesn't cast us off, doesn't throw us, as it were, on the
rubbish heap, because we're of no value. He takes us in hand,
comes alongside us, and shines His light. It's a very bright
candle. into the recesses of our heart. Those secret things, perhaps,
that we meditate upon and think upon and perhaps waste time on,
God knows all about them. And God, therefore, comes and
searches us out. And to the true Church of God,
we'll be thankful for that because it's an evidence that God is
looking on us, that God's dealing with us in love to our souls. He's not leaving us to just go
on wildly through this world and try and occupy ourselves
with all the vanities of time and to hope somehow that things
will work out well at the end. No, the Lord takes us in hand
therefore searches us out and shines, as it were, that bright
light into the recesses of our heart, the things right deep
down that no one else knows about, but you know and God knows. Well, what a wonderful blessing
it is to realise that we have a kind and gracious God. And
you know the very blessed reason is this, because as we read in
Jeremiah, he tells us he's loved us with an everlasting love. And although we may have walked
contrary to God, and although he may walk contrary to us, he
will come. and bring us back. He will come
and encourage us. He will come and correct us. Isn't it wonderful to think that
we have such a God that doesn't just forget about us and says,
well, there's a person of no value. I'm going to not do anything. I'm going to leave him or her.
just to rot in their sin but no the grace of God is great the grace of God is glorious
and I'm sure you know what it is the grace of God is the unmerited
favor in our situation in that situation when we're walking
against God and no one knows it apart from you and God and
I and God no one else knows it we may appear to be very prim
and proper outside but you see God looks to the inside and it's
the inside that counts we don't want to be one thing from one
perspective and another thing from another perspective what
a blessing to be honest honest before God. And the Word of God
encourages us to be honest. And He encourages us in this
way. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. and my friends God gives grace
to enable us to confess our sins and it's that which is between
our soul and God it's not to make a great show before men
we have the parable don't we of the Pharisee and the Publican
the Publican wanted to make a great show before men of what he was
and how he was praying to God and how he was praying a wonderful
prayer. You see, the publican was very
different. He came and he didn't really
dare to lift up his head, he was cast down. But he prayed a very simple,
a very powerful prayer. God be merciful to me a sinner. And the Lord gave a judgment
on those two people. And he said, I tell you, this
man went down to his house justified rather than the other. So although we may indeed feel
to be under the condemnation of God, and rightly so, It's a blessing when He gives
us that grace to come to Him confessing our sins. And we can
come, you know, at any time, in any way. It's wonderful, isn't
it? Because God knows where we are.
He knows what we need. And He can enable us to come
and to pour our heart to God. You see, you and I can pour out
our heart to those that we know and they probably won't understand. They won't appreciate the condition
that we're in. They won't realize the need we
have. But we have a God who knows the
end from the beginning. He knows how he's leading us
and directing us. He knows all about us from when
we were born, knew about us before then. It's wonderful to think
this great God, therefore, is watching over us and preserving
us and being gracious to us and instructing us and teaching us
and preparing us for our eternal home why is that? it's because of
God's amazing love if we examine ourselves and try
and examine ourselves we're not very good at doing that but try
and examine ourselves perhaps we have to come to that conclusion
can ever God do I hear into my soul into my heart I'm unworthy
well what a mercy it is if God has brought us to understand
something of ourselves of our condition as we stand before
God, and what's occurring? Well, it's lightness, isn't it?
God's come, and He's searching us. He's searching us with candles. You know, the Word goes on and
tells us that He will punish the men that are settled on their
knees. They're settled down in the situation
in which they're they are. They don't really want to move
out of it. Settle down in a sinful vein,
in a sinful life, with sinful thoughts, sinful words perhaps,
sinful actions. You see, the Lord says he'll
search us out and he'll punish those that are in that condition,
that come and say in their heart, The Lord will not do good and
neither will He do evil. How many people there are today
who react just like that? You see, God is a just God. God is a righteous God. God cannot look upon sin. That's why He sent His only begotten
Son to redeem His church, to redeem His people. to cleanse
them from all their sin from all their unrighteousness from
all their self-righteousness you see the devil is very subtle
in the way he pretends that we're alright and he really comes alongside
us and gives us permission as it were he has no right to give
us permission but he likes to encourage us in those things
which are not profitable for our souls. He likes to encourage
us and he's very successful so often. What a blessing it is
to realize that we have a God who is greater than Satan. And not only that, a God who
has conquered Satan so that he is a conquered person. The Lord Jesus conquered him
through his glorious death upon that cross at Calvary and to
think of that, that the Lord Jesus Christ is willing to give
his life in order that you and I by his grace might receive
the wonderful gift of eternal life. What a blessing then it
is to think that this same God doesn't just leave us to wander
through time under a misapprehension that somehow we're alright, somehow
we're doing alright, somehow we're justifying ourselves. We're doing that which is necessary
for our salvation. Well, we should recognise that
in and of ourselves, as the Apostle said, that is in my flesh dwelleth
no good thing. No good thing. We're unrighteous
in and of ourselves and we need the righteousness of the Saviour. We need his great and glorious
robe of righteousness to cover our nakedness. What a blessing
it is to have such a glorious illustration, such a wonderful
picture we have in the Word of God, and to be thankful for it,
and to rest in it, rest in these great truths. Now, we have a
verse like this, a verse written in the days of Zephaniah, commanded
by God to write it, for the people of God at that time in which
he lived, been passed down through centuries now, and we today are
privileged to have it and are able to read it, and as we read
it to be able to look at it and see whether it has an application
to us today. Not just an interesting statement,
not just a word of history, but a word that is addressed by God
to our souls and to have the evidence that God is searching
us to see what's in our heart to see what evil is there what
wrong is lurking there under the surface you see you and I
can look a very wonderful person can't we to other people but
don't forget God looks at the heart God looks at what's inside
God looks at our motives, which no one knows about, apart from
you and God. God knows what your motive is. And my friend, it would be a
glorious blessing if your motive and my motive is with a real
desire to glorify God, not ourselves. And that means, really, Sacrifice,
doesn't it? You know, the Old Testament was
full of sacrifices. And those sacrifices were costly
to the people that offered the sacrifice. They had to take something,
an animal or such like, and offer it to God, give it to God freely. We today are to offer up to God
sacrifice. Sacrifices to God, seeking that
He will forgive us that desire to turn away from those things
which are not good and not convenient. Often we may complain and have
to say how barren is my soul today. Sometimes we need to examine
ourselves a bit further and to see why our souls are barren. Is it because we're walking a
godly life? Is it because we're walking in
the light of the countenance of almighty God? Or is it because
we're indulging? in some secret sin, something
which only you and I, only God and you know about. What a blessing
it is then, to then be able to come and realise that what God
has done, He's brought us to that position where we've been
convicted. We don't like to be convicted,
do we? Of saying or doing things which are wrong. We like to think
we're pretty good, but you know it's a mercy when God shows us
that we had a wrong motive, we said things which were not God-honouring,
not God-glorifying, and therefore what a mercy it is to come to
Him with that sacrifice. Sacrifice desiring that the Lord
be gracious to us and forgive us for those wrong things and
our wrong thoughts. You know any sacrifice is costly
and sometimes it's costly for you and me to turn away from
things that naturally we enjoy. Well it's a great blessing when
God gives us grace to sacrifice such things and in so doing to
realise the wonderful benefit, the benefit of nearness to Christ. You see, how can two be agreed? How can two walk together unless
they be agreed? You and I can't walk with the
Saviour unless we're agreed. We may pretend to, but you know
there'll be a great lack, there'll be a great gap. What a mercy
it is when you are not able to make a sacrifice, turn away from
things that naturally you wanted to do, realising that the effect
of them was separation from God. What a mercy it is then to have
this realisation that God is being gracious to us and searching
us out. The illustration is very easy
for us, isn't it? I will search Jerusalem with
candles and punish the men that are settled on their leaves.
You know, the devil wants you and me to settle down and to
never question what we're thinking. Never question what we're saying. But what a mercy it is when God
comes alongside us. What a mercy it is. What a blessing
it is. And it is because of his love
to our soul. It's a wonderful evidence that
we are amongst the family of God. When God graciously comes
and takes us in hand and leads us in the right way remember
we're only on this earth for a short time so often we give
the impression perhaps give the impression to ourselves and we've
got a long time to live and we're going to carry on doing this
and carry on doing that and we tend to think in our heart as
the world tells us here the Lord will not do good neither will
he do evil well my friends in God the Lord does do good and
he does bring evil into the lives of those who walk contrary to
him he tells us if you walk contrary to me I will walk contrary to
you and don't think that that applies to everybody else except
to ourselves it's very easy to try and justify ourselves there's
only one person that can justify us and that's God You and I can't
justify ourselves. If we're trying to justify ourselves,
you can be pretty sure you're doing something wrong. You're
thinking something wrong. What a mercy it is that God then
deals with us as sons and daughters of the Most High God. It's very
humbling, isn't it? Very, very humbling. to realize
that we have such a kind and gracious God who doesn't deal
with us as our sins deserve. Remember here, then the prophet
speaks. It couldn't have been easy in
the day and age in which he lived. It's a pretty rotten age, an
evil age. He was a prophet. He was to speak
faithfully. He did speak faithfully. And
he tells them, And well, previously he said, And it shall come to
pass in that day, saith the Lord, that there shall be the noise
of a cry from the fish-gate, and the howling from the second,
and the great crashing from the hills. Howl, ye inhabitants of
Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down, all they
that bear silver are cut off. God's judgments. Well, we see,
don't we, God's judgments naturally occurring in the world, all over
the world, in various ways. We can't say God is not at work. God is at work. Men and women,
boys and girls, don't want to acknowledge it. They want to
assume that God is just silent. God just is there but doesn't
do anything well my friends God has a perfect plan which will
be performed and God has a perfect plan for you and me in our little
lives and that is a perfect plan to fit and prepare us for our
eternal home So we should be very thankful to think that that
kind and gracious God is not leaving us to our own devices. He's not letting us carry on
aimlessly in this sinful world, but he's speaking to us and correcting
us and directing us and instructing us and warning us about those
things which will come to pass and so we should be very humbled
really as you and I may ponder these things and it's good to
ponder these things we don't read deeply very often what we
term the minor prophets but there is a lot of instruction in those
minor prophets and to read them carefully and see how they lived
in a difficult time, and they were very faithful in the words
that they had to speak, right against people, right against
the things that were being said, the things that were being done. But they were faithful and they
didn't back down. My friends, you and I live in
a difficult day to age, in this age, and God is faithful. And
we have the word of God to read. And you and I should read it
and see whether it's speaking to us. You know, it's very easy
to think, well, it doesn't, that's not for me. That's for someone
else. Would it be a blessing if God
comes to us like Nathan did to David of old and spoke to him,
thou art the man. No one else. Thou art the man. Don't look around and try and
pass the buck. No, it's good when God comes
and condemns us. And we stand guilty before a
holy God. And then to realize that God
has provided a refuge for sinners. The gospel makes known. It is
found in the merits of Jesus alone. There is rest. There is comfort. There is encouragement
to believe that unworthy as we are, sinners as we are, perhaps
secret sinners as we are, God is still compassionate. And God
knows all about us. And God is very patient with
us. He's long-suffering. He doesn't
cut us off, as the Word of God describes, a cumbra of the ground,
something which is of no value. He's very gracious. He's very
merciful. He deals with us in love to our
souls so that we, in our age, in our day, may show forth His
praise. That you and I may be able to
testify of His goodness and mercy toward us. We were utterly unworthy
of any notice that the Lord came to us. He came where we were. He came where we are. We sometimes
think, don't we, of that parable of the... we term the Good Samaritan. Yes, there was that man that
was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among
thieves and he was robbed. And the people who you would
expect would have compassion upon him and would understand
passed by on the other side. Don't be surprised if people
don't understand you. We only need God to understand
us. That's a great blessing. Because
you can commit your way unto the Lord. You can cast your care
upon Him. You can tell God everything. Because He understands, He knows
the end from the beginning. He knows the path ordained for
you. He's not going to cast you away. and it's a blessing when
he gives you and me that spirit of confession that spirit of
repentance it's so needful it's so necessary it's so blessed
to be found in that way and to then walk in the light of his
countenance because so it is you see in that position we realise
that God is dealing with us in love to our souls and he's looking upon us he's
compassionate toward us and he's gracious to us and we find in that path the wonder of his love to unworthy
sinners. We have to come and say, why
me, O blessed God, why such a wretch as me, who must forever lie in
hell, were not salvation free? We will come to that position
and be able to say, the gospel, I love it. It's perfectly free,
isn't it? We can't pay for our justification. We can't pay to have our sins
taken away. The Saviour came willingly, didn't
he? He left his throne on high in
order to come. to pay the price of all of his
church, every single individual, every single sin had to be paid
for. Just think of it in your life
and my life. Every sin, the sin of today,
the sins on the Lord's day. Yes, all had to be paid for.
what a blessed saviour we have who left the throne in glory
and was willing to pay the price to redeem our souls so that by
his grace and a manner of abounding mercy one day we shall be with
him in glory to praise him and to thank Him for all His
love, for all His mercy, and for all His goodness toward us
unworthy sinners of the earth. Well, it's good sometimes, isn't
it, to ponder such words as this, to think how true they are, and
to be thankful if God is searching us. He's digging in the corners,
the dark corners of our hearts. And he's bringing to the surface
perhaps things that we never really realised were there. We
never thought perhaps they were hindering our growth in grace. But what a mercy it is when God
comes and reveals them to us and then gives us grace to confess
our sins. and then gives us grace and ability
to turn away from our sins and to be found walking with him
in the light of his countenance. Oh, my friends, may God instruct
us and bless us indeed and realize and it shall come to pass. Well,
has it come to pass in your life and my life? And it shall come
to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with candles
and punish the men that are settled on their lease, that say in their
heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. Amen.