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"Shame on the tyrant city, filthy and foul.
No warning voice did she heed, she took no rebuke to heart.
She did not trust in the Lord or come near to her God."
Zephaniah 3:1,2.
Zephaniah was the Old Testament messenger of God to Jerusalem
just before the Babylonian captivity of the city. He warned
against such a fate because the people were guilty of conduct
that made that possible. It happened as he predicted. When
he spoke to them he saw there was no way he could change their
attitudes. What he did was to describe the causes of their
distressful state. He minced no words when he condemned the
city and gave four reasons for how it had brought such an
invasion on itself.
The people had not listened to what God was saying to them
through His prophets who had delivered God's message to them
simply and unapologetically. They ignored correction, refused
instruction, deliberately disobeyed the prophets who pleaded
for loyalty to God and for them to live their lives in ways
pleasing to Him. They did not trust in the Lord whose covenant
relationship with them had made their city great. Instead
they had turned to foreign powers in which to place their
confidence. And they tried to use these alliances to further
their ambitions by playing off one against the other. They
had turned away from God, the sanctuary was neglected, worship
abandoned so that when the Babylonians invaded the city they
found it easy to subdue people who had lost their faith, their
sense of values and their confidence, for their planning and
plotting had worked against them.
The Babylonians stripped the house of God of all that was
of value and carried it off to adorn the pagan palaces of
Babylon and all because Judah "drew not near to her God."
The condemnation of Judah and Jerusalem was for their godlessness.
When they refused to hear the voice of God conscience was
stifled, when they would not take instruction truth was neglected;
when they did not trust in the Lord, faith was abandoned and
communion with God was broken. The things for which Judah
and Jerusalem were indicted are those that are applicable
to our own country in these highly secularised times, confidence
is stifled, faith abandoned and the practice of religion is
discontinued. Where there is no worship faith is dimmed, truth
is devalued and conscience silenced and God and the Church
go unmentioned.
Conscience silenced! Conscience is the safety valve
of the moral and spiritual life. We can not act against conscience
and not be hurt. But some have insisted in doing that and
it is blunted and they do as they please. And they have to
take the consequences. The Christian who lives by his faith
honestly, honourably and unselfishly, knows there can be no
peace of mind until there is peace within oneself and with
others.
St. Paul, in his defence in court with Felix the judge, was
concerned "to have always a conscience devoid of offence
towards God and towards men." (Acts 24:16) He told Timothy
that what he preached was very important but of equal value
was his character and conduct. Paul lived as he preached.
He felt the pressure of conscience when he said, "Woe
is unto me if I preach not the gospel." He encouraged
people to answer "answer to your own conscience."
Truth rejected! Truth is not always easy to digest
but it has to be faced whatever its demands and irrespective
of the consequences. There can be no success for Christian
or Church when the truths of God are neglected or presented
so badly that people reject them. The faith demands honesty
from the Christian and the need to so live that his words
are not contradicted by his deeds. Many have been won for
Christ by the Christ-likeness of believers.
Faith abandoned! Many of our people have little or
no regard for the Christian faith and none for the church
in society. The church has the task of living and witnessing
to the faith, to witness to the necessity of trust in Christ
and to receive the benefits He brings to all who believe in
Him so that others will be persuaded to "turn to Jesus"
and to have Him as the Lord and Saviour of their souls.
Communion broken! When people do not worship God they
lose contact with Him and the people of God, the church. It
is the duty of Christians to bring them the plan God has for
them and it works entirely to their advantage. Our indebtedness
to Christ for salvation from sin and a relationship with God
made real by His work of redemption for us is the essential
message for people to hear and to which they respond to find
that quality of life.
Rev. Canon Dr. S.E. Long
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