Sharper Iron — Majoring in Minors: Be Silent Before the LORD

Rev. Philip Hoppe, pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Finlayson, MN and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Bruno, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Zephaniah 1:1-13.

Zephaniah served as a prophet during the reign of Josiah, the faithful king of Judah. Although he does not name Babylon, Zephaniah speaks very clearly concerning the judgment that the LORD will bring through this foreign nation. Zephaniah’s ministry begins with words of utter condemnation. His language echoes the language of the book of Genesis; the LORD will “de-create” and sweep everything away. Judah and Jerusalem are particularly in view. Their idolatry has earned the wrath of God; before Him, they must remain silent. They have no justification of their own that they can offer; they will be justly punished. The LORD will search out those who see Him as inactive; through His judgment, He will show that He is the Sovereign over all creation. Zephaniah calls all to repent of such apathy and place our trust, not in our self-justification, but in the LORD’s gift of justification in Christ.

“Majoring in Minors” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the books of Obadiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. These three prophets all spoke the Word of God in the days leading up to the fall of Jerusalem at the hand of the Babylonians. Through their unique emphases, these men proclaimed the same message of repentance of sins and faith in the LORD, pointing ultimately toward their prophecies’ fulfillment: Jesus Christ.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

Zephaniah 1:1-13

1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

The Coming Judgment on Judah

²“I will utterly sweep away everything
    from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
³“I will sweep away man and beast;
    I will sweep away the birds of the heavens
    and the fish of the sea,
and the rubble^[a] with the wicked.
    I will cut off mankind
    from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
⁴“I will stretch out my hand against Judah
    and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal
    and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
⁵those who bow down on the roofs
    to the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear to the Lord
    and yet swear by Milcom,^[b]
⁶those who have turned back from following the Lord,
    who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.”

The Day of the Lord Is Near

⁷Be silent before the Lord God!
    For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
    and consecrated his guests.
⁸And on the day of the Lord‘s sacrifice—
“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
    and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
⁹On that day I will punish
    everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’s^[c] house
    with violence and fraud.

¹⁰“On that day,” declares the Lord,
    “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
    a loud crash from the hills.
¹¹Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
    For all the traders^[d] are no more;
    all who weigh out silver are cut off.
¹²At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
    and I will punish the men
who are complacent,^[e]
    those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
    nor will he do ill.’
¹³Their goods shall be plundered,
    and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
    they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
    they shall not drink wine from them.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Zephaniah 1:3 Or stumbling blocks (that is, idols)
Zephaniah 1:5 Or their king
Zephaniah 1:9 Or their Lord’s
Zephaniah 1:11 Or all the people of Canaan
Zephaniah 1:12 Hebrew are thickening on the dregs [of their wine]

English Standard Version (ESV)

Rev. Timothy Appel

Although a mathematics degree may not be incredibly helpful to (proudly born-and-raised Texan) Rev. Timothy Appel while hosting Sharper Iron, his love of CFW Walther and the season of Easter will come in handy. His Call is shepherding the flock at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and he’s also husband to wife Kristin and dad to their growing basketball team of children. When he’s not carrying out pastoral duties, you may find him reading “The Lord of the Rings,” snacking on Reese’s peanut butter cups, playing dominoes with his boys, or studying up on Texas history (including Sam Houston, of course).