Day of the Lord – Consumption

by Lance Ponder⁽⁸⁴⁾
http://fkiprofessor.xanga.com

Zeph 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

The end of the first chapter closes much like the beginning, with warning of sudden and complete planetary doom in God’s final wrath. Since the next phrase (Zeph 2:1) sets up a new series of prophetic statements, it is entirely appropriate to view Zeph 1:2-3 and 1:18 as sort of literary brackets. Even so, this does not automatically require that everything in between refers directly or exclusive to the end of the world.

As for 1:18, we learn that man has nothing to barter for his existence when God’s wrath is finally set in motion. Although the universal nature of the destruction is a bit less certain in the Hebrew, the view God takes toward those who refuse to repent is perfectly clear. If “all the earth” is read as “all the land” then perhaps the apocalyptic message is limited in scope to the fall of Jerusalem. In that context, we know that King Zedekiah attempted to buy mercenary help from Egypt in much the same way the Northern Kingdom did shortly before it fell to Assyria.

An eschatological perspective, however, would draw us to passages in the New Testament that deal with trading for salvation and ultimate wrath. In Rev 3:18, Jesus told the church of Laodicea that their perception of their wealth was wrong. He counseled them to “buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen and salve to anoint your sys so that you may see.”

There is an immeasurable difference between the wealth of the world and the riches of the Lord. Worldly wealth cannot pay for a ticket to heaven. The tickets were all paid for at the cross of Christ and he gives them to who he will, free of charge, if only we will have faith enough to accept.

Article submitted Friday, July 15, 2011 & read 240 times.

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