Bible Society of South Africa
Izinhlelo zokufunda
Verse-a-day 2020
A Beacon of Hope – 22 January 2020

A Beacon of Hope – 22 January 2020

Neville Turley

Um(Imi)bhalo weBhayibheli

UZefaniya 2

3Funani uJehova nina nonke bathobekileyo bomhlaba

enisebenzile ukwahlulela kwakhe;

funani ukulunga; funani ukuthobeka;

mhlawumbe niyakusitshekelwa ngosuku lolaka lukaJehova.

UZefaniya 2:3ZUL59NOVula kumfundi weBhayibheli

UZefaniya 1

Usuku lukaJehova

1Izwi likaJehova elafika kuZefaniya indodana kaKushi kaGedaliya ka-Amariya kaHezekiya ezinsukwini zikaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni, inkosi yakwaJuda.

2“Ngiyakuqothula nokuqothula konke,

kusuke ebusweni bomhlaba,” usho uJehova.

UZefaniya 1:1-2ZUL59NOVula kumfundi weBhayibheli

UZefaniya 3

8Ngalokho, ngilindeleni,” usho uJehova,

“kuze kube lusuku engivuka ngalo ukuba ngiphange,

ngokuba kuyisinqumo sami ukubutha izizwe ukuba ngiqoqe imibuso,

ukuze ngithulule phezu kwabo intukuthelo yami,

lonke ulaka lwami oluvuthayo,

ngokuba wonke umhlaba uyakudliwa ngumlilo womhawu wami.

UZefaniya 3:8ZUL59NOVula kumfundi weBhayibheli

UZefaniya 3

2Awuzwa zwi,

awamukeli ukulaywa,

awumethembi uJehova,

awusondelanga kuNkulunkulu wawo.

UZefaniya 3:2ZUL59NOVula kumfundi weBhayibheli

NgokukaJohane 5

24“Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Ozwa izwi lami, akholwe ngongithumileyo, unokuphila okuphakade; akayi ekwahlulelweni, kepha usephumile ekufeni, wangena ekuphileni. 25Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Isikhathi siyeza, sesikhona namanje, lapho abafileyo beyakulizwa izwi leNdodana kaNkulunkulu; abezwayo bayakuphila. 26Ngokuba njengalokhu uYise enokuphila ngokwakhe, kanjalo uyiphile neNdodana ibe nokuphila ngokwayo. 27Uyiphile amandla okwahlulela, ngokuba iyiNdodana yomuntu.

NgokukaJohane 5:24-27ZUL59NOVula kumfundi weBhayibheli

“Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.” Zephaniah 2:3 (NIV)

The Book of Zephaniah has just three chapters. Its central message is that on the Day of Judgement the fire of God’s wrath will burn up a creation gone wrong. (Zephaniah 1:1-2; 3:8)

Zephaniah condemns Israel’s injustice and religious unfaithfulness. He lists four sins of his people: idolatry (1:4-5), indifference and unbelief towards God (1:6), adoption of foreign customs (1:8) and unethical actions of violence and fraud (1:9).

Zephaniah is uncompromising in warning that on the Day of Judgment those who no longer believe that God matters in their world, together with foreign nations who share their beliefs, will be destroyed.

He warns them that it will be a ‘Day’ to be feared, a universal catastrophe in which the whole earth will be consumed (1:18).

Then Zephaniah offers a beacon of hope. “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.” (2:3)

He calls on his people to seek the mercy of God by holding an assembly of fasting and repentance to show their humility, obedience and trust in the Lord. Zephaniah’s pleas are rejected (3:2).

The Day of Judgement is inevitable and inescapable.

How wonderful and reassuring then are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to all who follow him: “‘Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.”  (John 5:24-27)

What a wonderful Saviour we have, our shining beacon of hope.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that we may rise to life immortal through him, who reigns with you in unity with the Holy Spirit. One God now and forever.  Amen

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