an offer to help

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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an offer to help

Ezra 4:1-24

Ezra 4:1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple for Yahveh, the God of Israel,
Ezra 4:2 they approached Zerubbabel and the family heads and said, “Let us build with you, for we also worship your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time King Esar-haddon of Assyria brought us here.”
Ezra 4:3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of Israel’s families answered them, “You may have no part with us in building a house for our God since we alone will build it for Yahveh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”
Ezra 4:4 Then the people already in the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build.
Ezra 4:5 They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
Ezra 4:6 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, the people who were already in the land wrote an accusation against the residents of Judah and Jerusalem.
Ezra 4:7 During the time of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to him in Aramaic and translated.
Ezra 4:8 Rehum, the chief deputy, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes concerning Jerusalem as follows:
Ezra 4:9 From Rehum, the chief deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues– the judges and magistrates from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa (that is, the people of Elam),
Ezra 4:10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and the region west of the Euphrates River.
Ezra 4:11 This is the text of the letter they sent to him: To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men from the region west of the Euphrates River:
Ezra 4:12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you have returned to us at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and evil city, finishing its walls, and repairing its foundations.
Ezra 4:13 Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, duty, or land tax, and the royal revenue will suffer.
Ezra 4:14 Since we have taken an oath of loyalty to the king, and it is not suitable for us to witness his dishonor, we have sent to inform the king.
Ezra 4:15 states that a search should be made in your ancestors’ record books. In these record books, you will discover and verify that the city was rebellious and harmful to kings and provinces. Revolts have been occurring in it since ancient times, which is why this city was destroyed.
Ezra 4:16 We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will not have any possession west of the Euphrates.
Ezra 4:17 The king replied to his chief deputy Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates River: Greetings.
Ezra 4:18 The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
Ezra 4:19 I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has had uprisings against kings since ancient times, and there have been rebellions and revolts.
Ezra 4:20 Powerful kings also ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates River, and tribute, duty, and land tax were paid to them.
Ezra 4:21 Therefore, order these men to stop so that this city will not be rebuilt until I have pronounced a further decree.
Ezra 4:22 Do not neglect this matter. Otherwise, the damage will increase, and the royal interests will suffer.
Ezra 4:23 As soon as the text of King Artaxerxes’s letter was read to Rehum, Shimshai, the scribe, and their colleagues, they immediately went to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
Ezra 4:24 Now, the construction of God’s house in Jerusalem had stopped and remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.

an offer to help

The returning exiles were offered the “help” of a group of “people of the land” in their God-given and king approved task of rebuilding the temple. They chose to turn that offer down. These were actually adversaries seeking to disrupt the work. This was shown in the review of subsequent history. From that time on, the people of the land (leftovers from syncretistic Samaria) made sure that the rebuilding would not happen. They had been wolves in sheep’s clothing.

LORD, give us discernment, so that we know who our real allies are.

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shouting and weeping

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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shouting and weeping

Ezra 3:1-13

Ezra 3:1 When the seventh month arrived, and the Israelites were in their towns, the people gathered as one in Jerusalem.
Ezra 3:2 The priests, Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his brothers, began to build the altar of Israel’s God and offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God.
Ezra 3:3 They set up the altar on its foundation and offered burnt offerings for the morning and evening to Yahveh even though they feared the surrounding peoples.
Ezra 3:4 They celebrated the Festival of Shelters as prescribed and offered burnt offerings each day, based on the number specified by the ordinance for each festival day.
Ezra 3:5 After that, they offered the regular burnt offering, the offerings at the beginning of each month and for all Yahveh’s appointed holy occasions, and the donations brought to Yahveh.
Ezra 3:6 On the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to Yahveh, even though the foundation of Yahveh’s temple had not yet been laid.
Ezra 3:7 They gave money to the stonecutters and artisans. They gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre so they could bring cedar wood from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, according to the authorization given them by King Cyrus of Persia.
Ezra 3:8 In the second month of the second year after they arrived at God’s house in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers, including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began to build. They appointed the Levites, who were twenty years old or older, to supervise the work on Yahveh’s house.
Ezra 3:9 Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah and Henadad, with their sons and brothers, the Levites, joined together to supervise those working on the house of God.
Ezra 3:10 When the builders had laid the foundation of Yahveh’s temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph, holding cymbals, took their positions to praise Yahveh, as King David of Israel had instructed.
Ezra 3:11 They sang with praise and thanksgiving to Yahveh: “For he is good; his faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then, all the people gave a great shout of praise to Yahveh because the foundation of Yahveh’s house had been laid.
Ezra 3:12 Many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw its foundation, but many others shouted joyfully.
Ezra 3:13 The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping because they were shouting so loudly, and the sound was heard far away.

shouting and weeping

The sound of loud rejoicing filled the city when the foundations of the new temple were laid. Those who were there could also hear another sound, mixed in with the cries of joy. The old timers who had known Solomon’s temple were weeping. They just knew that this temple would in no way make up for the shame of the loss of that greatness. They knew that the future would never be as great as the past had been. They were wrong. One day, that city shall stand as the center of the fulfillment of Israel’s hope’s and humanity’s restoration. The Messiah will come, and take up his place as King in the nation, and of the nations. If only they knew.

LORD, thank you for the hope of the return of Jesus Christ.

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unmistakably significant

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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unmistakably significant

Ezra 2:1-70

Ezra 2:1 These now are the people of the province who came from those captive exiles King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported to Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town.
Ezra 2:2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of Israelite men included
Ezra 2:3 Parosh’s descendants 2,172
Ezra 2:4 Shephatiah’s descendants 372
Ezra 2:5 Arah’s descendants 775
Ezra 2:6 Pahath-moab’s descendants: Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants 2,812
Ezra 2:7 Elam’s descendants 1,254
Ezra 2:8 Zattu’s descendants 945
Ezra 2:9 Zaccai’s descendants 760
Ezra 2:10 Bani’s descendants 642
Ezra 2:11 Bebai’s descendants 623
Ezra 2:12 Azgad’s descendants 1,222
Ezra 2:13 Adonikam’s descendants 666
Ezra 2:14 Bigvai’s descendants 2,056
Ezra 2:15 Adin’s descendants 454
Ezra 2:16 Ater’s descendants: of Hezekiah 98
Ezra 2:17 Bezai’s descendants 323
Ezra 2:18 Jorah’s descendants 112
Ezra 2:19 Hashum’s descendants 223
Ezra 2:20 Gibbar’s descendants 95
Ezra 2:21 Bethlehem’s people 123
Ezra 2:22 Netophah’s men 56
Ezra 2:23 Anathoth’s men 128
Ezra 2:24 Azmaveth’s people 42
Ezra 2:25 Kiriatharim’s, Chephirah’s, and Beeroth’s people 743
Ezra 2:26 Ramah’s and Geba’s people 621
Ezra 2:27 Michmas’s men 122
Ezra 2:28 Bethel’s and Ai’s men 223
Ezra 2:29 Nebo’s people 52
Ezra 2:30 Magbish’s people 156
Ezra 2:31 the other Elam’s people 1,254
Ezra 2:32 Harim’s people 320
Ezra 2:33 Lod’s, Hadid’s, and Ono’s people 725
Ezra 2:34 Jericho’s people 345
Ezra 2:35 Senaah’s people 3,630
Ezra 2:36 The priests included Jedaiah’s descendants of the house of Jeshua 973
Ezra 2:37 Immer’s descendants 1,052
Ezra 2:38 Pashhur’s descendants 1,247
Ezra 2:39 and Harim’s descendants 1,017
Ezra 2:40 The Levites included Jeshua’s and Kadmiel’s descendants from Hodaviah’s descendants 74
Ezra 2:41 The singers included Asaph’s descendants 128
Ezra 2:42 The gatekeepers’ descendants included Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants, Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants, Hatita’s descendants, and Shobai’s descendants, in all 139
Ezra 2:43 The temple servants included Ziha’s descendants, Hasupha’s descendants, Tabbaoth’s descendants,
Ezra 2:44 Keros’s descendants, Siaha’s descendants, Padon’s descendants,
Ezra 2:45 Lebanah’s descendants, Hagabah’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants,
Ezra 2:46 Hagab’s descendants, Shalmai’s descendants, Hanan’s descendants,
Ezra 2:47 Giddel’s descendants, Gahar’s descendants, Reaiah’s descendants,
Ezra 2:48 Rezin’s descendants, Nekoda’s descendants, Gazzam’s descendants,
Ezra 2:49 Uzza’s descendants, Paseah’s descendants, Besai’s descendants,
Ezra 2:50 Asnah’s descendants, Meunim’s descendants, Nephusim’s descendants,
Ezra 2:51 Bakbuk’s descendants, Hakupha’s descendants, Harhur’s descendants,
Ezra 2:52 Bazluth’s descendants, Mehida’s descendants, Harsha’s descendants,
Ezra 2:53 Barkos’s descendants, Sisera’s descendants, Temah’s descendants,
Ezra 2:54 Neziah’s descendants, and Hatipha’s descendants.
Ezra 2:55 The descendants of Solomon’s servants included Sotai’s descendants, Hassophereth’s descendants, Peruda’s descendants,
Ezra 2:56 Jaalah’s descendants, Darkon’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants,
Ezra 2:57 Shephatiah’s descendants, Hattil’s descendants, Pochereth-hazzebaim’s descendants, and Ami’s descendants.
Ezra 2:58 All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants 392.
Ezra 2:59 The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer but were unable to prove that their ancestral families and their lineage were Israelite:
Ezra 2:60 Delaiah’s descendants, Tobiah’s descendants, Nekoda’s descendants 652
Ezra 2:61 and from the descendants of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, the descendants of Barzillai– who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and who bore their name.
Ezra 2:62 These searched for their entries in the genealogical records but could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.
Ezra 2:63 The governor ordered them not to eat the most sacred things until a priest could consult the Lights and Thummim.
Ezra 2:64 The whole combined assembly numbered 42,360
Ezra 2:65 which did not include their 7,337 male and female servants and 200 male and female singers.
Ezra 2:66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,
Ezra 2:67 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
Ezra 2:68 After they arrived at Yahveh’s house in Jerusalem, some of the family heads donated money to rebuild the house of God on its original site.
Ezra 2:69 Based on what they could give, they gave 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 priestly garments to the treasury for the project.
Ezra 2:70 The priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and some people settled in their towns, and the rest of Israel settled in their towns.

unmistakably significant

This tremendous event – the reoccupation of the homeland of Judah – was personally experienced by thousands who are listed here. Every now and then we experience a day or an event that we think might be very significant. Time will only tell if the things we think are significant really turn out to be. The events of the reoccupation described in the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah were unmistakably significant. It remained for those people experiencing the events to see that their lives were as significant as the times they were living were.

LORD, make our lives count.

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he will get it done

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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he will get it done

Ezra 1:1-11

Ezra 1:1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, to fulfill the word of Yahveh spoken through Jeremiah, Yahveh roused the breath of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:
Ezra 1:2 King Cyrus of Persia says: ” Yahveh, the God of the sky , has given me all the kingdoms of the land and has appointed me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.
Ezra 1:3 If any of his people are among you, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of Yahveh, the God of Israel, who is in Jerusalem.
Ezra 1:4 Let every survivor, wherever he resides, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a donation for the house of God in Jerusalem.”
Ezra 1:5 So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose breath God had roused—prepared to rebuild Yahveh’s house in Jerusalem.
Ezra 1:6 All their neighbors supported them with silver articles, gold, goods, livestock, valuables, and all that was given as a donation.
Ezra 1:7 King Cyrus also brought out the articles of Yahveh’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and had placed in the house of his gods.
Ezra 1:8 King Cyrus of Persia had them brought out under Mithredath’s treasurer’s supervision, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
Ezra 1:9 This was the inventory: 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 silver knives,
Ezra 1:10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls, and 1,000 other articles.
Ezra 1:11 The gold and silver articles totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought all of them when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

he will get it done

People attribute Cyrus’ decision to restore the holy cities beyond the Tigris river to good royal strategy – and it was. But the writer of Ezra recognizes that the mastermind behind that good royal strategy is the LORD. He intends to fulfill his promise to restore his city, and return his people. He uses king Cyrus to begin that restoration. At stake is more than a ruined city. At stake is the glory of the LORD. When God wants to do something, he will get it done. If it takes turning the heart of a pagan king, that’s what he will do. Pray for God to do something, and do not be surprised if he moves your heart to get it done.

LORD, make a difference in our community, and use us if you wish.

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He intends to save

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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He intends to save

Zephaniah 3:9-20

Zephaniah 3:9 For I will then restore pure speech to the peoples so that all of them may call on the name of Yahveh and serve him with a single purpose.
Zephaniah 3:10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my supplicants, my dispersed people, will bring an offering to me.
Zephaniah 3:11 On that day you will not be put to shame because of everything you have done in rebelling against me. For then I will remove from among you your jubilant, arrogant people, and you will never again be haughty on my holy mountain.
Zephaniah 3:12 I will leave a meek and humble people among you, and they will take refuge in the name of Yahveh.
Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or tell lies; a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will pasture and lie down, with nothing to make them afraid.
Zephaniah 3:14 Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and celebrate with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
Zephaniah 3:15 The Lord has removed your punishment; he has turned back your enemy. The King of Israel, Yahveh, is among you; you need no longer fear harm.
Zephaniah 3:16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.
Zephaniah 3:17 Yahveh your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will shriek ecstatically over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:18 I will gather those who have been driven from the appointed festivals; they will be a tribute from you and a reproach on her.
Zephaniah 3:19 Notice, I will deal with all who oppress you at that time. I will save the lame and gather the outcasts and make those disgraced throughout the land receive praise and fame.
Zephaniah 3:20 At that time, I will bring you back; yes, at the time, I will gather you. I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the land when I restore your fortunes before your eyes. Yahveh has spoken.

He intends to save

The LORD intends to save his people, and he also intends to change the hearts, minds and tongues of the nations. We can rejoice now, because he will rejoice then. His heart is for the whole planet.

LORD, teach us how to cooperate with you in your plan to bring the world to yourself.

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two assemblies

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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two assemblies

Zephaniah 3:1-8

Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to the city that is rebellious and defiled, the oppressive city!
Zephaniah 3:2 She has not obeyed; she has not accepted discipline. She has not trusted in Yahveh; she has not drawn near to her God.
Zephaniah 3:3 The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning.
Zephaniah 3:4 Her prophets are reckless– treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to instruction.
Zephaniah 3:5 The righteous Yahveh is in her; he does no wrong. He applies his justice morning by morning; he does not fail at dawn, yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.
Zephaniah 3:6 I have cut off nations; their corner towers are destroyed. I have laid waste their streets, with no one to pass through. Their cities lie devastated, without a person, without someone to live there.
Zephaniah 3:7 I thought: You will certainly fear me and accept correction. Then her dwelling place would not be cut off based on all that I had allocated to her. However, they became more corrupt in all their actions.
Zephaniah 3:8 Therefore, wait for me – this is Yahveh’s declaration – until the day I rise up for plunder. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, in order to pour out my indignation on them, all my burning anger; for the whole land will be consumed by the fire of my jealousy.

two assemblies

Nation after nation was destroyed by God’s judgment, yet the peoples continued to walk in corruption, never fearing his great wrath. Therefore he made a decision. He will gather all the nations and assemble all the kingdoms for one great day of judgment. On that day he will pour out his anger, and they will all be consumed.

Fortunately, the prophets also teach that God is gathering a people to himself from among the nations, and assembling them from among the kingdoms. Which assembly are you in?

LORD, we accept your grace, and the atoning death of Christ. Gather us to your assembly for life, not death.

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desolate places

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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desolate places

Zephaniah 2:4-15

Zephaniah 2:4 For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon will become a sinister desolation. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.
Zephaniah 2:5 Woe, you who live on the seacoast, nation of the Cherethites! The word of Yahveh is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines: I will destroy you until there is no one left.
Zephaniah 2:6 The seacoast will become pasturelands with caves for shepherds and pens for sheep.
Zephaniah 2:7 The coastland will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; they will find pasture there. They will lie down in the evening among the houses of Ashkelon, for Yahveh their God will return to them and restore their fortunes.
Zephaniah 2:8 I have heard the taunting of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted my people and threatened their territory.
Zephaniah 2:9 Therefore, as I live – this is the declaration of Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel – Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah: a place overgrown with weeds, a salt pit, and a permanent sinister desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the remainder of my nation will dispossess them.
Zephaniah 2:10 This is what they get for their pride, because they have taunted and acted arrogantly against the people of Yahveh of Armies.
Zephaniah 2:11 Yahveh will be terrifying to them when he starves all the gods of the land. Then all the distant coasts and islands of the nations will bow in worship to him, each in its own place.
Zephaniah 2:12 You Cushites will also be slain by my sword.
Zephaniah 2:13 He will also stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria; he will make Nineveh a sinister desolation, dry as the open country.
Zephaniah 2:14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it, every kind of wild animal. Both eagle owls and herons will roost in the capitals of its pillars. Their calls will sound from the window, but devastation will be on the threshold, for he will expose the cedar work.
Zephaniah 2:15 This is the jubilant city that lives in security, that thinks to herself: I exist, and there is no one else. What a desolation she has become, a place for wild animals to lie down! Everyone who passes by her scoffs and shakes his fist.

desolate places

How do you starve a god? You take away the people who worship him. That is what the LORD promises to do to all the false gods which the inhabitants of the nations worship. Instead, to the LORD they will bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations. The judgment will result in desolate places, and those who are left will not cling to their idols. They will seek the one true God.

LORD, make us wise enough not to wait until all the other contestants are eliminated. May we seek you now.

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perhaps you will be concealed

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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perhaps you will be concealed

Zephaniah 1:1-2:3

Zephaniah 1:1 The word of Yahveh that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.
Zephaniah 1:2 I will thoroughly sweep away everything from the face of the land—this is Yahveh’s declaration.
Zephaniah 1:3 I will sweep away people and animals, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the land. This is Yahveh’s declaration.
Zephaniah 1:4 I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the ones who live of Jerusalem. I will cut off every vestige of Baal from this place, the names of the pagan priests along with the priests;
Zephaniah 1:5 those who bow in worship on the rooftops to the stars in the sky; those who bow and pledge loyalty to Yahveh but also pledge loyalty to Milcom;
Zephaniah 1:6 and those who turn back from following Yahveh, who do not seek Yahveh or inquire of him.
Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord Yahveh, for the day of Yahveh is near. Indeed, Yahveh has prepared a sacrifice; he has committed his guests.
Zephaniah 1:8 On the day of Yahveh’s sacrifice I will punish the officials, the king’s sons, and all who are dressed in foreign clothing.
Zephaniah 1:9 On that day, I will punish all who skip over the threshold and fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.
Zephaniah 1:10 On that day — this is Yahveh’s declaration — there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second District, and a loud crashing from the hills.
Zephaniah 1:11 Yell, you who live in the Hollow, for all the merchants will be silenced; all those loaded with silver will be cut off.
Zephaniah 1:12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who settle down comfortably, who say to themselves: Yahveh will not do good or evil.
Zephaniah 1:13 Their wealth will become plunder and their houses a sinister desolation. They will build houses but never live in them, plant vineyards but never drink their wine.
Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of Yahveh is near, near and rapidly approaching. Listen, the day of Yahveh– then the warrior’s cry is bitter.
Zephaniah 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and total darkness,
Zephaniah 1:16 a day of ram’s horn bugle blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.
Zephaniah 1:17 I will bring distress on mankind, and they will walk like the blind because they have sinned against Yahveh. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.
Zephaniah 1:18 Their silver and their gold will be unable to rescue them on the day of Yahveh’s wrath. The whole land will be consumed by the fire of his jealousy, for he will make a complete, yes, a horrifying end of all those who live in the land.
Zephaniah 2:1 Gather yourselves together; gather together, undesirable nation,
Zephaniah 2:2 before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning of Yahveh’s anger overtakes you, before the day of Yahveh’s anger overtakes you.
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek Yahveh, all you humble of the land, who carry out what he commands. Seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you will be concealed on the day of Yahveh’s anger.

perhaps you will be concealed

Judgment is going to take place. There is no doubt about that. But God’s people are challenged to gather and seek him and his righteousness in humility. Perhaps they will be spared on that great and terrible day of the LORD.

LORD, we seek your kingdom and your righteousness. Hide us from your terrible wrath.

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wrong time

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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wrong time

Habakkuk 3:1-19 (JDV)

Habakkuk 3:1 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. According to Shigionoth.
Habakkuk 3:2 Yahveh, I have heard the report about you; Yahveh, I stand in awe of your deeds. Revive your work in these years; make it known in these years. In your wrath remember mercy!
Habakkuk 3:3 God comes from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the sky and the land is full of his praise.
Habakkuk 3:4 His brilliance is like light; rays are flashing from his hand. This is where his power is hidden.
Habakkuk 3:5 Plague goes before him, and pestilence follows in his steps.
Habakkuk 3:6 He stands and shakes the land; he looks and startles the nations. The “continual” mountains break apart; the “permanent” hills sink down. His pathways are permanent.
Habakkuk 3:7 I see the tents of Cushan in distress; the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
Habakkuk 3:8 Are you angry at the rivers, Yahveh? Is your wrath against the rivers? Or is your rage against the sea when you ride on your horses, your victorious chariot?
Habakkuk 3:9 You took the sheath from your bow; the arrows are ready to be used with an oath. Selah. You split the land with rivers.
Habakkuk 3:10 The mountains see you and convulse; a downpour of water sweeps by. The deep roars with its voice and lifts its waves high.
Habakkuk 3:11 Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence, at the flash of your flying arrows, at the brightness of your shining spear.
Habakkuk 3:12 You march across the land with indignation; you trample down the nations in wrath.
Habakkuk 3:13 You come out to save your people, to save your anointed. You crush the leader of the house of the wicked and strip him from foot to neck. Selah.
Habakkuk 3:14 You pierce his head with his own spears; his warriors storm out to scatter us, gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.
Habakkuk 3:15 You tread the sea with your horses, stirring up the vast water.
Habakkuk 3:16 I heard, and I trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Rottenness entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress to come against the people invading us.
Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls,
Habakkuk 3:18 yet I will celebrate in the Yahveh; I will shriek ecstatically in the God of my salvation!
Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord Yahveh is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! For the choir director: on stringed instruments.

wrong time

The prophet finds himself and his people at the wrong time. He wants to be at the brink of deliverance, but he has arrived at the brink of judgment – on his own people. What does a believer do? Some choose to bury their head in the sand and not think about reality, hoping it will just go away. Habakkuk chooses to do two almost contradictory things. He chooses to quietly wait for deliverance, while continuing to rejoice in the LORD.

LORD, when it’s the wrong time for deliverance, give us the wisdom to rejoice in who you are.

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confidence in the LORD

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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Photo by Tim Gouw on Pexels.com

confidence in the LORD

Habakkuk 1:12-2:20 (JDV)

Habakkuk 1:12 Are you not from antiquity, Yahveh my God? My Holy One, you will not die. Yahveh, you appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, you destined them to punish us.
Habakkuk 1:13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself?
Habakkuk 1:14 You have made Adam like the fish of the sea, like marine creatures that have no ruler.
Habakkuk 1:15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook, catch them in their dragnet, and gather them in their fishing net; that is why they are glad and shriek ecstatically.
Habakkuk 1:16 That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet and burn incense to their fishing net, because by these things their portion is rich and their food plentiful.
Habakkuk 1:17 Will they therefore empty their net and continually slaughter nations without mercy?
Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.
Habakkuk 2:2 Yahveh answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.
Habakkuk 2:3 Because the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it is delayed, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.
Habakkuk 2:4 Notice, his throat is swollen; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:5 Moreover, wine betrays; an arrogant man is never at rest. He enlarges his throat like Sheol, and like Death he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself; he collects all the peoples for himself.
Habakkuk 2:6 Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him, with mockery and riddles about him? They will say: Woe to him who amasses what is not his– how much longer? — and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.
Habakkuk 2:7 Won’t your creditors suddenly arise, and those who disturb you wake up? Then you will become prey to them.
Habakkuk 2:8 Since you have plundered many nations, all the peoples who remain will plunder you — because of human bloodshed and violence against land, city, and all who live in it.
Habakkuk 2:9 Woe to him who dishonestly makes wealth for his house to place his nest on high, to escape the grasp of disaster!
Habakkuk 2:10 You have planned shame for your house by wiping out many peoples and failing your own throat.
Habakkuk 2:11 For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will answer them from the woodwork.
Habakkuk 2:12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice!
Habakkuk 2:13 Is it not noticed by the Yahveh of Armies that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?
Habakkuk 2:14 For the land will be filled with the knowledge of the Yahveh’s glory, as the water covers the sea.
Habakkuk 2:15 Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath and even making them drunk, in order to look at their nakedness!
Habakkuk 2:16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory. You also – drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the Yahveh’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory.
Habakkuk 2:17 For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you; the robbery of animals will terrify you because of your human bloodshed and violence against land, city, and all who live in it.
Habakkuk 2:18 What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes idols that cannot speak.
Habakkuk 2:19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! Can it teach? Notice! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.
Habakkuk 2:20 But the Yahveh is in his holy temple; let the whole land be silent in his presence.

confidence in the LORD

Habakkuk’s second complaint is that the LORD is overlooking the evil of Babylon as he metes out judgment through them. The answer is an oracle against Babylon which will be fulfilled in due time. Meanwhile, how does a righteous person live in a time when his own people are being judged for their sin? God’s righteous person lives by faith — confidence in the LORD regardless of the circumstances.

LORD, make us examples of your kind of person – the righteous who live by faith.

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