But I never got back to finish my Bible study. I had saved it in Word, so I'll paste in what I had and go from there.
Except for the "Happy July 4th" part, because, it isn't, you know, July 4th any more is it? So, here's a late "Happy July 4th" to all of you.
Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health. Verses 1-3
It always matters to God how we treat the poor.
Zephaniah 1:7-11
God demands silence as he pronounces judgment.
"Reverent silence before me, GOD, the Master!
Time's up. My Judgment Day is near;"
Then he describes the punishment he is going to dole out on the religious leaders who have allowed foreign and pagan influences to creep in.
How does this image of God square with our concepts of God as merciful?
Unlike some, it doesn't change anything about the way I view God. In my mind, God is both merciful and just. Many people see God as only being loving and merciful. But that isn't a complete Biblical view of God, unless you take scissors to some parts of Scripture, which there are a lot of people who do quite readily.
There are plenty of Biblical passages, such as this one in Zephaniah, that describe the judgment of God. And, at times, this judgment is quite brutal. But when you ponder the seriousness of sin, is that so surprising? Sin is brutal. It is the blatant ignoring of God's requirements. When we sin, we willfully go against God's commands. There are a handful of us (in comparison to the total world population) who come back to God with repentance and confession to receive his forgiveness. The rest of the world goes blindly about its business, willfully ignoring God and expressing amazement at the idea that he would be angry about anything that they have done. They basically spit in his face. Such arrogance has the human race.
But I must go deeper and take this down to a personal level. While I am pointing fingers at our race, of what am I guilty? How have I rebelled? I can think of several ways. I should be terrified of God's judgment, and in some ways, I am. But I also take comfort in the fact that I am his child, and that my sins removed from me by the cross of Christ. This is not a license to do as I please, and I never take it that way. Nevertheless, there are times when I allow my flesh to have its way. This disturbs me greatly, for I would have my flesh to be "dead." Crucified with Christ.
God loves me. He loves you. He loves all of us. He even "loves" those who ignore him. How it must hurt his heart to have to pronounce judgment on creation that he loves.
Grace and peace, friends.