AND HE HATH BID HIS GUESTS

Zephaniah 1:7 (KJV) "Hold thy peace in the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath BID his guests."

When reading through these passages, the Lord directed me to this one part in particular. Some would view this verse as speaking of a gospel offer or invitation, where the Lord “bids” his guests to come. They would have the word “bid” to mean “invite them to come” or “offer them salvation.” But I did a word study on the word "bid" and found it quite revealing.

While we can run to man-made dictionaries to find definitions. The Bible is the best interpreter of itself. Often times in our English language, we come across words such as “bid” that can mean many things in English but have only one spelling. However, thankfully, the Lord had given us his words in Hebrew and Greek that use specific words that many times are more pointed than our English words. So often, I will look at the Hebrew or Greek word behind our King James English word. Then, I don’t run to the human lexicons and dictionaries to define the word, I look to the other places in scripture where this word is found and see how God used the word. It is here we find the true definition of a word.

So, what did I find in the Hebrew word behind “bid”? The word is “qâḏašh” and it is found 171 times in our KJB. It is translated the most as “sanctify” (65x) and “sanctification” (45x). In all the other occurrences, this word is never used in reference to an invitation or offer. In every instance of the word, its use means to causatively, make, pronounce, or observe as clean (ceremonially or morally) —appoint, consecrate, dedicate, hallow, (be, keep) holy, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify wholly are other ways it's used. But NEVER is it used to “offer” or “invite!”

Through the sacrifice of Christ, salvation does not become an invitation nor is it ever offered for us to choose or choose otherwise. No, salvation was accomplished and applied to those “guests” for whom the sacrifice was made. The effectual outcome of that sacrifice is a people “made, pronounced, and observed” as clean, holy, hallow, consecrated, and sanctified.

May God grant you mercy and grace to be one of His guests and to find rest in His finished salvation!

Mikal