REPROACH OF THE SOLEMN ASSEMBLY

Zephaniah 3:18 NASB

“I will gather those who are worried about the appointed feasts—They came from you, Zion; The disgrace of exile is a burden on them.


A solemn assembly in the Bible is a gathering of people for a specific purpose: repentance, seeking God’s guidance, or celebrating significant events in the life of the community of faith. It is a time of deep reflection, worship, and spiritual renewal. Ultimately, it is about realigning our hearts with God’s will and deepening our relationship with Him.

Leviticus 23:1-2 instructs us to assemble to celebrate the Lord’s holy days and feasts, and the gathering of all saints as prescribed in Hebrews 10:25 must not be neglected. Yet not only do we forsake and neglect the assembly of the Lord, but we have also brought it to reproach with our ungodly and unrighteous actions and inactions. We have desecrated the very altar that the Lord said not to profane.

What is reproach, then? It relates to shame, scorn, or the challenges faced by individuals or communities due to their faith or actions. This shame seems to be lacking in Christians generally today, in the church of God and the body of Christ. We no longer feel shame at doing things that are unscriptural and morally unacceptable. We have become a people of mixed multitude syndrome, the ones Christ spoke of in Revelation 3:16. Half of us are for God, and the other half is happily spiritualizing worldly things as Godly things.

There are many things going on in our gatherings that have made them more a reproach than solemn. We brought disco or club lighting into the church and assemblies. Yet, according to Matthew 5:16, we are meant to be the light that lights up life for others to see.

Ephesians 4:29 says to watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Sadly, profanity has now become normal lingo among Christians. Using swear words, gutter vocabulary, and imagery in daily conversations while using the church for non-religious, secular activities that are inappropriate for a sacred space.

How do we even address engaging in immoral or illegal activities within the church premises, which can include anything from criminal acts to behaviours that go against the church's teachings? Professing Christians committing adultery and fornicating in the church and among themselves and with the leadership. Unfortunately, the ten listed in I Corinthians 6:9-11 who won’t enter heaven are rampant in our assemblies today, and no one finds it strange, speaks against it, or condemns it. Instead, we applaud, celebrate, accept, and promote these reproaches.

Acts 2:42 tells us what we should be doing in our gatherings: fellowship, breaking and sharing holy communion, prayer, and apostolic and inspired teachings that would induce spiritual and numerical growth and strengthen bonds of love and community, as Christ himself says in Matthew 21:13. But instead, we celebrate and do things that make the word of God in Amos 5:21, which says, “The LORD says, 'I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them!'” very relevant to our generation.

Proverbs 14:34 says sin is a reproach to any people: things like corruption, graft, bribery, “dirty tricks,” scandal, and all forms of civil unrighteousness can and do bring disgrace to a nation and have now crept into the church. We find all kinds of dirty tricks, shady business deals, all manners of corruption and scandals within our assemblies that we are almost outdoing the unbelievers in action.

We’ve brought all sorts of worldly, immoral, sensual, and lustful dance into the church and call it “David’s dance” according to 2 Samuel 6:14-16, dances that don’t glorify the Lord and contradict Colossians 3:17. We must make our gatherings a solemn assembly fit for the King as stipulated in Genesis 49:10b, “until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

PRAYER: Lord, we pray for the strength to resist the temptations of this world and to live lives that honour You. Fill our assemblies with Your Holy Spirit, that we may experience true fellowship, worship, and spiritual renewal. Let our gatherings be a place of repentance, prayer, and inspired teachings that draw us closer to You in Jesus’ name, amen.

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/womenoflight/episodes/REPROACH-OF-THE-SOLEMN-ASSEMBLY-e2vh4j7

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