Bible Reading: Habakkuk to Matthew
By Editor
Our reading includes the last chapter of Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Malachi, and the first two chapters of Matthew, also Psalms 80, 81, 82. Zephaniah was probably contemporary with Habakkuk, preceding him, perhaps, a few years. He prophesied in the days of Josiah, and in that case was also contemporary with Jeremiah. His special burden is the great day of the Lord and the judgments which would come upon the world at that time. These are the more forcibly set forth when we consider the time in which Zephaniah lived, when the judgment of God was about to fall on the Jewish nation. But out of all the sadness and blackness and darkness, he gives us a message of hope, that those who seek God, as set forth in the first part of the second chapter, may sing and be glad of heart in the great day of Jehovah, for then it will be said, "Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love; He will joy over thee with singing." Malachi, whose name means "my messenger," prophesied about 400 years before Christ. His name is fitting to his message, for he prophesied of the messenger of Christ, John the Baptist, and of Christ, God's messenger, and also points forward to the great day of the Lord, when Christ shall come the second time. Matthew is the first of the Gospels in our New Testament, and probably the first written. There has been more or less question in regard to this. There are those who have placed Mark first, then Matthew, then Luke; but it is generally believed now that Luke was about as early as Matthew. But Matthew is placed first. It is not simply a Gospel to the Jews, but it is a Gospel to the world. He especially dwells on our Lord's right to the kingdom, and "the kingdom of heaven" is a favorite expression, not only as pertaining to the gathering out of the subjects for that kingdom, but the everlasting kingdom which Christ will take when He comes the second time. We omit, to shorten our year's reading, the other synoptic Gospels—Mark and Luke.