During the reign of Josiah, the sixteenth king of Judah (ca. 640-609 BC), God sent the prophets Jeremiah (Jer. 1:2) and Zephaniah (Zeph. 1:1) to tell His people to repent lest they suffer punishment.

Judah should have learned her lesson. Israelites of the northern kingdom had continued in rebellion and idolatry long enough that God allowed them to be taken off their land by the Assyrians; Samaria, the capital city of Israel, fell in 722 BC (2 Kings 17). The Lord delivered the southern kingdom of Judah from the Assyrians when they turned to Him (2 Kings 18-19). This should have been a wake-up call to desist from their sinful ways; however, sadly, they went on with their wickedness. Judah would be destroyed for her sins by Babylon from 606-586 BC (2 Kings 24-25), a little more than a century after Israel’s fall.

God explained the purposes of punishment for Jerusalem: “I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction’—So that her dwelling would not be cut off, Despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds” (Zeph. 3:7). God says that His punishment did not produce repentance; instead, they wasted no time in corrupting themselves. God’s punishment was vain in producing behavioral change in Judah (Jer. 2:30). Jerusalem refused to receive correction (Jer. 5:3; 7:28). The Lord proclaimed, “Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, To the oppressing city! She has not obeyed His voice, She has not received correction; She has not trusted in the LORD, She has not drawn near to her God” (Zeph. 3:1-2).

The wise will receive correction and repent in fear of the Lord, but the foolish harden their hearts and continue deeper in their sin without regard to God (Prov. 1:3-7; 15:31-33). Hebrews 12:5-11 teaches that God disciplines His children. Zephaniah warned of a coming judgment (Zeph. 1:2-18). Judah would be punished by the Babylonians in the days of Jeremiah and Zephaniah. The warnings of these prophets remind us today of the concept of final judgment taught in the New Testament (Mark 6:11; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:9-10; 2 Pet. 3:7-11; 1 John 4:17; Jude 6). When we think of standing before God in judgment, do we fear Him or do we willfully continue in sin (Heb. 10:26-29)?

Josiah, the king of Judah, was sensitive to the word of God; it bothered him that they had not obeyed the words of the Lord when they were read in his presence (2 Kings 22:3-13). Josiah ushered in a religious reform in Judah to try to bring the nation into compliance with God’s word (2 Kings 23). How different was the attitude of king Jehoiakim when he heard the words of God delivered through Jeremiah! The scroll that contained these inspired words was quickly cut and burned by Jehoiakim (Jer. 36:20-26). The hard-hearted people of Judah caused Jeremiah to weep (Jer. 9:1). Jeremiah lamented the death of men with good hearts like king Josiah (2 Chron. 35:25). When so many continue in willful rebellion to the Bible, it causes God’s people to mourn. Christians also lament when one of the faithful few go to the grave (Acts 8:2). However, we know God’s judgment will sort it all out. The faithful look forward to the coming day of God (2 Pet. 3:12) and eternal life (Jude 21).

While the early church overcame persecution from outside and continued to grow, problems from within posed more serious threats. Luke records one of the first problems within the church in Acts 6:1-4:

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The church provided for those of its number in need (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32, 34-35). Widows were particularly vulnerable in those times because they typically spent their entire lives serving in households that belonged to their fathers and then their husbands. Often, they did not own property. They had few economic opportunities. The people of God provide for widows in their affliction (Jas. 1:27).

The Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews from the Dispersion (or their descendants) as opposed to Jews born in Palestine who primarily spoke Aramaic. Perhaps because the Hellenists were not as familiar to the church in Jerusalem, their widows were neglected. Whatever the reason, this partiality shown to one group caused a complaint of discrimination to arise.

The apostles responded to this problem by directing good and wise men to be appointed over this matter to serve as administrators to ensure that the work was done fairly with no neglect. The apostles could have served tables, but they recognized their role was to minister the word of God. The apostles were not saying that the business of caring for widows was unimportant, but rather there were others who could take care of that work who were not necessarily capable of teaching and preaching the word of God as the apostles did. The church—both in the first-century miraculous era and today—is made of many different members who all have distinct roles to fill in doing the Lord’s work (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:12-31).   

The inspired record includes notes surrounding this episode that show because the apostles were not hindered in their ministry of the word, numerical growth of the church resulted from the word of God increasing (Acts 5:42; 6:7). Later Paul would write of the church supporting (honoring) widows if they had no relatives to support them (1 Tim. 5:3-16). In that same chapter, he went on to write: “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine” (1 Tim. 5:17). The importance of the ministry of the word to the growth of the kingdom is a theme in the Scriptures we must not overlook. The Bible places an emphasis on how it is proper to provide for those preaching and teaching the gospel so that they have time for their important work (1 Cor. 9:4-14; Gal. 6:6).

God prepared the hearts of people for His Son, Jesus Christ, to come through the preaching of John: “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea” (Mt. 3:1). John’s message was repentance—turning from sin and changing one’s heart and will regarding sin. Repentance is never a popular message, but it is necessary.

John fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3 as the voice crying in the wilderness that prepared the way for the Lord. “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain” (Isa. 40:4). Sometimes, people interpret the Bible’s prophecies too literally. John was not a literal road construction worker.  Those who look to the Old Testament prophets as describing wars erupting in our time in certain nations and the same physical locations in the Middle East err in this overly literal approach. Matthew 3:3-4, Mark 1:3, and Luke 3:4-5 clearly show that Isaiah 40:4 was fulfilled in John’s work. The context bears out that this smoothing of the paths was repentance in the heart.

The people who heard John were to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance (Lk. 3:8). The people were told to start being merciful as evidence of their repentance (Lk. 3:10-11). The tax collectors, who were viewed as low-down places in the path, were told to exact no more tax than appointed (Lk. 3:12, 13). The rough soldiers were smoothed out in being instructed to do violence to no man (Lk. 3:14). In this way, people’s hearts were prepared for Jesus. They would be more ready to receive the words of eternal life He came to give (Jn. 6:68).

The first thing Jesus is recorded preaching in the New Testament is a similar message to John’s—repentance, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 4:17; cf. Mk. 1:15). Jesus came as king (Zech. 9:9; Mt. 21:5; Jn. 12:13; 18:36-37). The paths were smoothed for the king’s chariot. Hearts had to be smoothed to receive Jesus. Repentance is absolutely necessary if one will enter the kingdom of God. Jesus cannot be our king if we do not humble ourselves, change our hearts, and submit to His will (Mt. 7:21-23; Lk. 6:46).

Paul preached Jesus Christ to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:2; Eph. 3:8; 2 Tim. 1:11; 4:17). His preaching included repentance (Acts 17:30-31). He instructed the younger preacher Timothy: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2). People need to hear the word of God. God’s word is sharper than any sword (Heb. 4:12); it can pierce their hearts and result in repentance (Acts 2:37). Preaching must not only be exhorting but must also include reproving and rebuking. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17), convicting men of their sins (Jn. 16:8). Many self-help guides are popular today that attempt to relieve one of all guilt, but if the problem is self, then self-help cannot offer the true solution. Preaching that causes people to be sorry for their sins is desperately needed. Godly sorrow is a prerequisite to repentance (2 Cor. 7:9-11).

From John, to Jesus, to Paul, to faithful gospel preachers today: repentance has always been an essential to the preaching that converts one to Christ. We are to preach the gospel to all creation (Mk. 16:15). Repentance must be preached to all nations (Lk. 24:47).