Are You Part of God's Remnant?

 ARE YOU PART OF GOD'S REMNANT? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop

This morning I was studying Zephaniah 2:4-15.

This passage conveys God's coming judgment upon the enemies of Israel and proclaims the preservation of a remnant of God's faithful people in Judah. 

The people listed for destruction are the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites and Assyrians. These are traditional enemies of Israel that surrounded them and who often attacked them.

It is interesting to note that the Moabites and Ammonites were related to the people of Israel. We learn from Genesis 19 that the two societies were descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew who he adopted after the death of his father in the land of Ur (see Genesis 11:27-32).

Abraham separated from Lot in Genesis 13. Lot moved on to settle in the Jordan valley and was later rescued by the angels of God even as Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed under God's judgment.

Lot later sired two sons Moab and Ammon by his daughters under a strange incident recorded in Genesis 19:30-38. 

These two sons of Lot soon drifted away from the God of Israel and sunk into idolatry, after the manner of the Canaanite people around them. They were one time noted as the chief enemies of God's people!

How times change as generations advance! 

One lesson I learned from the passage of Zephaniah 2:4-15 is that people can drift away from God if they are not careful to learn from God's dealing with people in the past and if they fail observe God's decrees in His word in their generation.

I have also learned that God punishes wickedness and rebellion against Him. 

Finally, God always preserves a remnant of faithful people in every human civilization. This is mentioned in Zephaniah 2:6-7.

The story of God's preservation of a remnant runs through the Bible.

God preserved a remnant during the time of the Jezebel apostasy in 1 Kings 17-22, preserving 7,000 souls until He destroyed Ahab and his family. 

He had done the same centuries earlier in the twin city of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) when He preserved Lot and His family.

He will do it again in our generation even as Christ shall tarry. He will preserve those who take refuge in Christ Jesus and who desire a new city whose builder is God.

Hebrews 11:15-16 says "And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (NKJV). 

Are you part of God's remnant?