A Godless Leadership from Zeph. 3:3-4

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/11/2016 10:54 PM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  A Godless Leadership

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Zephaniah 3:3-4

            Message of the verses:  “3 Her princes within her are roaring lions, Her judges are wolves at evening; They leave nothing for the morning. 4 Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.”

            We remind you that we are talking about the city of Jerusalem and those that were living in it around the time when Zephaniah was prophesying.  In our last SD we spoke of the people who were sinning, and now we look at the leadership who could be blamed for much of the sinful things that were being done.  If a nation has good leadership then many of its people will follow them in acting in ways that will be morally correct, but when the leadership is not good, then the nation will go downhill at a much faster rate.  In the case of Israel, and in this case the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and for that matter all nations, but especially Judah God expected the leaders to take His Word seriously and lead the people in the way of righteousness.  However that was not done in Jerusalem during this time as their leaders were acting like ravenous beasts as they oppressed the people and took what they wanted from them.  We know from studying books like Jeremiah and Ezekiel that the prophets during this time period were mostly false prophets, telling the leaders what they wanted to hear, not telling them the truth, that God was about to destroy them for their sinfulness. 

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “As for the priests, their very ministry was toxic and polluted the sanctuary!  (Matt. 23:25-28 relates what Jesus said about the Pharisees in His day.)  Instead of serving God for His glory, the priests twisted the Law to please themselves and gain what they wanted.”

            It was not that God had not sent true prophets to speak to His people, they just would not listen to them.  “23  ’And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me, 24  then I will act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins (Lev. 26:23-24).”  Jeremiah gave this message to the people of Jerusalem even when Babylon was ready to attack them (Jer. 2:30; 5:3; 7:8; 17:23; 32:33).”

3/11/2016 11:10 PM