Category: Zephaniah

This final chapter of Zephaniah begins with a sobering message to the people of Judah but concludes with the hope of restoration. Judah, like the nations surrounding her, had fallen to idolatry, corruption, and wickedness. Zephaniah presents stark contrasts of the righteous, just, perfect God to the reckless, treacherous, profane leaders of Judah. Not only is God’s warning of judgment that He will purge His people presented, but also a message of hope and restoration is promised.  

Reading the prophets of the Old Testament gives us a vivid picture of how seriously God views sin. As judgments are predicted, there are also reminders of God’s plan to restore and redeem. After God’s judgment, God will transform the lives of His people (those who are repentant and humble before Him.) There is a picture of unity, humility, authentic worship, and life without fear promised to those who seek the Lord. “On that day, the Lord your God will be in your midst, a mighty one who will save.” What a message of hope God offers through Zephaniah’s faithful prophecy. 

Zephaniah’s picture of God’s delight in His people is worthy of our focus today. Consider the words used to express God’s care: restore, take away judgments, clear enemies, save, rejoice, quiet with love, exult, gather, change shame to praise, restore. Imagine the hope this offered to the people of Judah!

This description also applies today. Our God rejoices over His own in Christ with loud singing. Notice this is not an insignificant response, this describes a divine celebration! Ultimate restoration and eternal hope have been sealed by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. On that promised future day, when we’re face to face with Jesus, we will rejoice and sing in worship and praise joining in His song of delight.

In this chapter, we see Zephaniah calling the whole world to repentance! The previous chapter had a message of judgment specifically on Judah and proclaimed that the Lord will sweep away everything from the face of the earth. He will sweep away people and animals, He will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked (1:2-3). There will be a sudden end to all who live on the earth (1:18). This message is intense! This chapter continues with the same theme as we see a call of the people to urgent repentance, and the coming judgment against the nations on the day of the Lord. This is the day where the Lord will ultimately judge the earth and the people who inhabit it. 

Zephaniah lists out nations that will be destroyed, all which are surrounding enemies of Judah. These nations include: the Philistines (v. 4-7), the Moabites and Ammonites (v. 8-11), the Ethiopians (v. 12), and the Assyrians (v. 13-15). The prophet proclaimed that “Moab will be like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah” (v. 9). This is a sobering and humbling comparison. The destruction of Sodom of Gomorrah takes place in Genesis 19. These cities were consumed by sulfur and fire from Heaven as a result of their grievous sin.

Romans tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Every single person on earth has missed the mark on God’s standards. We know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Death is the consequence of our sin, and judgment and destruction are certain unless we repent. No one can escape judgment apart from God’s mercy. He is gracious and compassionate, but He will judge and destroy the wicked. He is a merciful and righteous God, but we should tremble at His awesome power. The Lord is a mighty warrior that sweeps the wicked away in judgment but saves those who repent and turn back to Him. 

There is a call in this passage to seek the Lord, seek righteousness, and seek humility. A call to carry out all that He commands us to do. This is also a wakeup call to share the gospel! There are nations who don’t know that the day of the Lord is coming. There are nations that don’t know there is eternal punishment apart from Christ. There are nations just waiting to hear the good news of Jesus! It is God’s desire that the ends of the earth would fear Him and praise Him (Psalm 67). Let’s share the gospel with a sense of urgency, but look forward to the day where every nation, tribe, people, and tongue will be worshiping the Lord for all of eternity (Revelation 7:9).  

Zephaniah boldly stepped into his calling to draw the hearts of the people back to God. These were people who enjoyed wealth and prosperity while growing complacent in their worldly comforts. They were a people who had embraced pagan customs and worshiped foreign gods. He delivered crushing, blunt words of God’s swift judgment on those who defied the Lord. “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the Lord. I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea–and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble” (v. 2-3). 

Zephaniah’s words were piercing and to the point, warning that destruction was sure to those who had forsaken the Lord. God had spoken and the people were guilty and doomed. Would the hearts of the people be stirred to repent and return to the God of their ancestors? Would they accept the correction delivered through Zephaniah? Verse 6 gives an indictment on the people saying, “And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek my blessings.” Today some might label this as a “deconstruction of faith.” Scripture reveals they trusted more in themselves, prosperity, and power than God. Their love and affection for God had grown cold as they slipped into idolatry clearly ignoring God’s commands. Keep in mind this was not a pagan nation, but Judah, the tribe through which the Savior of the world would come: The Lion of Judah.

Zephaniah wrote that the day of the Lord was near (1:14), that it would be a time of wrath (1;15), and that it would come as judgment on sin (1:17). Pastor Chuck Swindoll says: “Zephaniah’s prophecy shouted out for godliness and purity in a nation sinful to its core. The people of Judah had long since turned their backs on God, not only in their personal lives but also in their worship. This reflected the depth of their sin and the deep need for God’s people to be purged on their path to restoration.” 

God takes seriously our relationship with him and the influence we have on others. He does not wink at sin or turn a blind eye to rebellion, as an individual or a nation. Zephaniah’s words ring just as true today as they did then. Surely Zephaniah would have agreed with the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land” (33:3).