Everyone will know

"The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands." Zephaniah 2.11

Once he has sorted out his own people, Zephaniah announces that God will turn on the surrounding nations who have ganged up on Israel/ Judah. Interestingly his punishment will not be for their rejection but they will be purged in order to be drawn into the family of nations who worship the one, true God. For a non-believer this will sound imperialistic. Yet, if it is true, is it not further evidence of the Lord's mercy and grace?

In contemporary western culture there is tremendous pressure to be indulgent of everyone and everything. At face value this seems respectful, just and proper. But what if there is such a thing as ultimate truth? What if God exists? Would it not be kinder to tell people? What is the virtue of keeping people in darkness and under threat of condemnation? For it is not as if there is no evidence to be going on...

The existence of the Church, the unbroken witness of the disciples, the scriptures of Old and New Testaments all point to the revelation of God in the man who is Jesus. The Holy Spirit, who is at work in the world, completes the Trinity of persons who are distinct and yet one and the same. At the moment we apprehend all of this by faith. A day is coming when there will be no doubt and no choice. This is the message of Zephaniah!