Zephaniah: Yahweh will hide you

Zephaniah literally means Yah hides, which is usually interpreted as Yah will hide you,, as in the songs, Yah will hide you in the shaddow of his wings. This is a beautiful thought, specially when there is the threat of Volcanic erruption. Moreover, Yahweh also describes his furious anger that will burn and cover the whole earth. To be favored by Yahweh is protection and this is how to get it:

1. Be Humble

Humility is just knowing that every other person is just as important as you, and has a right to your respect and consideration as a child of God. This means that we not only treat each other well, but we have a sober mindset in regarding others as our equals.

This translates to being patient with them, even if they do things to hurt us. This means treating people equally regarding of social status, income, cultural class, racial or religious distinction and any other difference that you may perceive.

2. Exercise Justice

Exercising justice means striving for fairness in any business deal or transaction you have. It is giving to others what is due to them even if you have the power to take more. It is being fair.

Everyone has an internal sense of fairness, and everyone knows when they have been duped or wronged. That is why we must be kind to all others in fulfilling justice, and this will be our gift to God who lovees justice as well.

3. Seek Righteousness

Sometimes even we ourselves don't have the courage to seek righteousness. If we have a deal with others, we must seek to prrotect all parties. When it comes to government servants, they must seek the common good, not the good of their pockets. Righteousness could be as little as paying back money you owe, or saying sorry to a friend whom you have spoken against in secret.

These things that God is calling the whole nation to do are also the things that make truly noble people. Noble people are the happiest people becaus there is no shaddow in them, but rather, they dispel it by the light of their love.

My reading today issues a warning to those who do not have these.

Woe to her who is filthy, defiled;

woe to the tyrant city!

She wouldn’t listen to the voice, wouldn’t receive correction; she didn’t trust in Adonai , didn’t draw close to her God.

Her leaders there with her are roaring lions, her judges desert wolves,

who don’t leave even a bone for tomorrow.

Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men;

her cohanim profane the holy and do violence to Torah .

Adonai , who is righteous, is there among them; he never does anything wrong.

Every morning he renders his judgment, every morning, without fail; yet the wrongdoer knows no shame. “I have cut off nations, their battlements are ruined; I have made their streets ruins, no one walks in them. Their cities are destroyed, abandoned, unpeopled. I said, ‘Surely now you will fear me, you will receive correction’;

so that her place will not be cut off by all the punishments I brought on her.

But no, they only grew all the more eager to be corrupt in all that they do.

Therefore, wait for me,” says Adonai , “for the day when I rise to witness against you, when I decide to assemble nations, to gather kingdoms together, to pour on them my indignation, all my furious anger;

for all the earth will be consumed in the fire of my passion.

For then I will change the peoples, so that they will have pure lips, to call on the name of Adonai , all of them, and serve him with one accord. Even from beyond Ethiopia’s rivers they will bring those who petition me, the daughter of my dispersed as my offering. When that day comes, you will not be ashamed of everything you have done, committing wrongs against me; for then I will remove from among you those of you who take joy in arrogance; you will no longer be full of pride on my holy mountain. I will leave among you a humbled afflicted people, who will find their refuge in the name of Adonai .”

The remnant of Isra’el will not do wrong, nor will they speak lies, nor will there be found in their mouths a tongue given over to deceit; for they will be able to graze and lie down, with no one to disturb them.

Sing, daughter of Tziyon! Shout, Isra’el! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Yerushalayim! Adonai has removed the judgments against you, he has expelled your enemy; the king of Isra’el, Adonai , is right there with you. You no longer need to fear that anything bad will happen. On that day, it will be said to Yerushalayim, “Do not fear, Tziyon! don’t let your hands droop down. Adonai your God is right there with you, as a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you and be glad, he will be silent in his love, he will shout over you with joy.” “I will gather those of yours who grieve over the appointed feasts and bear the burden of reproach [because they cannot keep them].

When that time comes, I will deal with all those who oppress you. I will save her who is lame, gather her who was driven away, and make them whose shame spread over the earth the object of praise and renown. When that time comes, I will bring you in; when that time comes, I will gather you and make you the object of fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth — when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says Adonai .

Tz'fanyah (Zep) 3:1‭-‬20 CJB https://bible.com/bible/1275/zep.3.1-20.CJB I feel like this writing says more about sin than holiness. yet I pray that it is able to create goodness in the world. All darkness ends in the light of love and goodness.

This is from the book of Joel, Joel means Yah is God, or Yahweh is God.

“After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions; and also on male and female slaves in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

I will show wonders in the sky and on earth — blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and terrible Day of Adonai .” At that time, whoever calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved.

For in Mount Tziyon and Yerushalayim there will be those who escape, as Adonai has promised; among the survivors will be those whom Adonai has called. Yo'el(Jol) 3:1‭-‬5 CJB Joel 3:1 NIV

“For then, at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Y’hoshafat [ Adonai judges].

I will enter into judgment there for my people,

my heritage Isra’el, whom they scattered among the nations; then they divided my land.

They drew lots for my people, traded boys for whores, sold girls for wine to drink. You took my silver and gold. You brought my good treasures into your temples. Yo'el(Jol) 4:1‭-‬3‭, ‬5 CJB https://bible.com/bible/1275/jol.4.1-5.CJB

Who does this apply to- a tyrant with leaders who don't leave a bone for tomorrow? one who does not listen to correction, and eho will be punished so thry do not speak arrogantly nor deceive? Whoever this applies to, take the chance to change as soon as you can, before the sun is darkened.

It is also a call and a gift: whoever calls the name of yahweh will be saved. Do not be fooled, even Jesus (Yehshue) called to God Our Father. There is a God who created the heavens, and this Elohim has been loving us since the dawn of time. Yahweh is his name.

I am Yahweh, that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Isaiah 42:8