The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Zephaniah 1:1-6, “The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah,

2 ‘I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD.

3 ‘I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked; and I will cut off man from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD.

4 ‘So, I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests.

5 ‘And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, and those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom,

6 And those who have turned back from following the LORD, and those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him.’”

Regardless of the political state of Israel, Satanic practices have always challengingly invaded the pure teachings of the LORD. Amon of Judah was the fifteenth king of Judah. He succeeded his father Manasseh and is remembered for his idolatrous practices during his short two-year reign. These evil practices, however, led to revolt and eventually to Amon’s assassination.

Ultimately, Zephaniah became a spiritual figure in those days, and the LORD used him to sound a strong warning to His people. Thus, it was Zephaniah’s voice that warned of the LORD’s intended judgment upon His people in the days of Judah.

The LORD’s wrath was as complete as it was justified. Nevertheless, His loving heart provided a reprieve when He said, “…I will leave among you a humble and lowly people and they will take refuge in the name of the LORD” (Zeph. 3:12). Like a loving parent, the LORD never delights in punishing His children, regardless of how deserving they are. We must be careful, however, not to ever presume upon His love and grace.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need,

Until He becomes all that we have.” –Corrie ten Boom