{"id":160534,"date":"2025-11-11T13:43:53","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T11:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/?p=160534"},"modified":"2025-11-11T13:43:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T11:43:53","slug":"bible-commentary-by-david-guzik-zephaniah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/bible-commentary-by-david-guzik-zephaniah\/","title":{"rendered":"Bible Commentary by David Guzik \u2013 ZEPHANIAH"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zep 1:1<\/a>
\nIntroduction
\nThis is the prophetic message that the LORD gave to1
\nZephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah,
\nson of Hezekiah.
\nZephaniah delivered this message during the reign of2 King
\nJosiah son of Amon of Judah: (Guzik)
\nZep 1:1-18<\/a>
\nZEPHANIAH 1 – COMING JUDGMENT AND THE
\nREASONS FOR IT
\nA. God\u2019s promised judgment.
\n1. (Zep_1:1) Zephaniah: The man and his times.
\nThe word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of
\nCushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of
\nHezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of
\nJudah.
\na. The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah:
\nThis first verse of the prophecy of Zephaniah sets it apart
\nfrom most other prophets, in that he tells us both his time
\nand his roots. Zephaniah was an unusual prophet, in that he
\nwas of royal lineage, descending from the godly King
\nHezekiah.
\ni. The name Zephaniah means \u201cYahweh Hides\u201d or \u201cYahweh
\nHas Hidden.\u201d Zephaniah was almost certainly born during
\nthe long, wicked reign of Manasseh, whose reign began 55
\nyears before the start of Josiah\u2019s reign. Zephaniah was
\nprobably hidden for his own protection.
\nb. In the days of Josiah: Josiah was a godly, young king
\nwho brought great revival and reform to Judah but Josiah
\nreigned for 10 years before he led his great revival.
\nZephaniah was likely written in the years before the revival,
\nand God used this prophecy to bring and further revival.
\ni. Since Zephaniah predicts the destruction of Nineveh
\n(which happened in 612 B.C.) we know that his prophecy
\nbelongs to the first part of the reign of King Josiah.
\nii. The 12 Minor Prophets are divided into two groups: preexilic
\nand post-exilic. The first 9 are pre-exilic, writing before
\nthe Babylonians conquered and exiled Judah. The last 3 are
\npost-exilic, writing during and after the return of Israel from
\nBabylon to the Promised Land. Zephaniah is the last of the
\npre-exilic prophets, and can be said to \u201csum up\u201d the
\nmessages of the previous 8. This is why Zephaniah seems
\nunoriginal to some scholars, because he quotes the words
\nand ideas of many previous prophets.
\n2. (Zep_1:2-3) The promise of judgment.
\n\u201cI will utterly consume everything from the face of the land,\u201d
\nsays the LORD; \u201cI will consume man and beast; I will
\nconsume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and
\nthe stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off
\nman from the face of the land,\u201d says the LORD.
\na. I will utterly consume everything: Zephaniah doesn\u2019t
\nwaste any time getting to the point. Delivering the message
\nof the LORD, he warns of harsh and complete judgment that
\nconsumes everything before the LORD.
\n3. (Zep_1:4-6) Judgment is promised to idolaters.
\n\u201cI will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all the
\ninhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal
\nfrom this place, the names of the idolatrous priests with the
\npagan priests; those who worship the host of heaven on the
\nhousetops; those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD,
\nbut who also swear by Milcom; those who have turned back
\nfrom following the LORD, and have not sought the LORD, nor
\ninquired of Him.\u201d
\na. Against Judah: The promise of judgment in Zep_1:2-3
\nwas broad enough to include the whole earth, and to allow
\nsome to think that God didn\u2019t really mean them. Now God
\nzeros in on His people in the land of Judah, and He will not
\nallow them to think that He speaks just to others.
\nb. I will cut off every trace of Baal: King Josiah inherited
\na corrupt nation from his father Amon and grandfather
\nManasseh, a nation almost wholly given over to idolatry
\n(2Ki_21:3-7). Here God announces judgment against the idol
\nworshippers in Israel. Apparently both the leadership and
\nthe people heeded this announcement of judgment,
\nbecause in the days of Josiah this kind of gross idolatry was
\nput away (2Ki_23:4-15).
\ni. In light of the complete uprooting of idolatry described in
\n2 Kings 23<\/a>, we can see that God\u2019s promise to cut off every
\ntrace of Baal and destroy the rest of the expressions of
\nidolatry was fulfilled. We also see that this prophecy was an
\ninvitation, as if God said: \u201cBaal and the idols are going to go.
\nYou can get rid of them in righteousness or I will get rid of
\nthem in judgment, but rest assured that they are going to
\ngo.\u201d King Josiah directed the war on idolatry and the nation
\nwas blessed.
\n4. (Zep_1:7-9) Judgment is promised to royalty.
\n\u201cBe silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; for the day of the
\nLORD is at hand, for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He
\nhas invited His guests. And it shall be, in the day of the
\nLord\u2019s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king\u2019s
\nchildren, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel. In
\nthe same day I will punish all those who leap over the
\nthreshold, who fill their masters\u2019
\nhouses with violence and deceit.\u201d
\na. Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD: God
\naddresses the royalty of Judah in a way they aren\u2019t used to
\nhearing. He tells them to \u201cshut up\u201d and listen to His
\npronouncement of judgment – a sacrifice of judgment made
\nagainst a wicked nation.
\ni. Boice tells the story of two gangsters, one named \u201cTwo-
\nGun Crowley\u201d who cruelly murdered many including a
\npoliceman. He was captured in a shoot-out with police and
\nwrote this note during the shoot-out, fearing he would die:
\n\u201cUnder my coat is a weary heart, but a kind one – one that
\nwould do nobody any harm.\u201d The other gangster is Al
\nCapone, who said: \u201cI have spent the best years of my life
\ngiving people the lighter pleasures, and all I get is abuse,
\nthe existence of a hunted man.\u201d Our ability to proclaim our
\ninnocence when we are deep in sin is pretty amazing, but
\nthrough it all God tells us be silent in the presence of
\nthe Lord GOD.
\nb. I will punish the princes and the king\u2019s children:
\nThis warning came to a godly king during a time of reform.
\nGod warns Josiah and the whole royal community what will
\nhappen if they don\u2019t follow through on their turning to God.
\nc. All such as are clothed with foreign apparel: The
\npriests and leaders of Judah were ashamed of their national
\nidentity, so they loved to dress in foreign apparel. They
\nwanted to be as much like the worldly nations around them
\nas they could possibly be.
\nd. All those who leap over the threshold: This probably
\nrefers to bringing pagan customs and superstitions into the
\nhouse of God, in the same way that the worshippers of
\nDagon honored silly and offensive superstitions (1Sa_5:5).
\n5. (Zep_1:10-11) Judgment is promised to merchants.
\n\u201cAnd there shall be on that day,\u201d says the LORD, \u201cThe sound
\nof a mournful cry from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the
\nSecond Quarter, and a loud crashing from the hills. Wail, you
\ninhabitants of Maktesh! For all the merchant people are cut
\ndown; all those who handle money are cut off.\u201d
\na. All the merchant people are cut down: Merchants
\nand those with money trusted in their riches, and now God
\npromises to cut down those steeped in that kind of idolatry.
\nCol_3:5-6 shows this isn\u2019t just an Old Testament concept:
\nTherefore put to death your members which are on the
\nearth . . . covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these
\nthings the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of
\ndisobedience.
\n6. (Zep_1:12-13) Judgment is promised to the complacent.
\n\u201cAnd it shall come to pass at that time that I will search
\nJerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in
\ncomplacency, who say in their heart, \u2018The LORD will not do
\ngood, nor will He do evil.\u2019 Therefore their goods shall
\nbecome booty, and their houses a desolation; they shall
\nbuild houses, but not inhabit them; they shall plant
\nvineyards, but not drink their wine.\u201d
\na. I will search Jerusalem with lamps: No one will be
\nable to hide against the judgment of God. It is coming, and
\neven if God must get out the \u201cflashlights,\u201d He will find them.
\ni. \u201cUnlike Diogenes, the pre-Christian Greek philosopher who
\nwas searching for an honest man, Yahweh in this context
\ndoes not seek righteousness but sin to punish and
\neradicate.\u201d (Baker) b. Punish the men who are settled
\nin complacency: The LORD promises judgment against
\nthose who feel that God is distant or detached from their
\nlives, and have thus become complacent.
\nc. The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil:
\nSome people believe in God as a great \u201cclockmaker\u201d who
\ncreated the universe, wound it up and then left it ticking
\nwithout any intervention from Him. Those who believe there
\nis no God, or if He is He has nothing to do with man are
\nterribly and tragically wrong.
\ni. Edward Gibbon in his book The Decline and Fall of the
\nRoman Empire described the attitude towards religion in the
\nlast days of the Roman Empire – attitudes remarkably like
\nour own today.
\n\u00b7 The people regarded all religions as equally true
\n\u00b7 The philosophers regarded all religions as equally false
\n\u00b7 The politicians regarded all religions as equally useful
\nB. The description of judgment.
\n1. (Zep_1:14-16) The intensity of judgment.
\nThe great day of the LORD is near; it is near and hastens
\nquickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; there the
\nmighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day
\nof trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation,
\na day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick
\ndarkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified
\ncities and against the high towers.
\na. The great day of the LORD is near: The term day of
\nthe LORD (used more than 25 times in the Bible) does not
\nnecessarily refer to one specific day; it speaks of \u201cGod\u2019s
\ntime.\u201d The idea is that now is the day of man, but the day of
\nman will not last forever. One day, the Messiah will end the
\nday of man and bring forth the day of the LORD.
\nb. That day is a day of wrath: It is a day of wrath
\nbecause man will not give up without a fight, and because
\nmankind will receive the just penalty for his rebellion
\nagainst the LORD. Zephaniah paints the picture powerfully
\nwith the repeated description, \u201ca day of . . . \u201d
\ni. That day is a day of wrath: \u201cThis passage is the Vulgate
\nforms the first line of the medieval sequence Dies irae.\u201d
\n(Walker) 2. (Zep_1:17-18) The certainty of judgment.
\n\u201cI will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind
\nmen, because they have sinned against the LORD; their
\nblood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like
\nrefuse.\u201d Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to
\ndeliver them in the day of the Lord\u2019s wrath; but the whole
\nland shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will
\nmake speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.
\na. I will . . . I shall: God wants to make it plain and certain
\nthat He will judge a rebellious Judah. If they do not repent,
\nthere will be no holding back from the completion of His
\njudgment.
\nb. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to
\ndeliver them: Men trust in silver and gold, but it will do
\nthem no good on the day of God\u2019s deliverance.
\nZep 1:2<\/a> The Lord’s Day of Judgment is Approaching
\n“I will destroy3 everything from the face of the earth,” says
\nthe LORD.
\nZep 1:3<\/a> “I will destroy people and animals;
\nI will destroy the birds in the sky
\nand the fish in the sea.
\n(The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed
\nalong with evil people.)4
\nI will remove5 humanity from the face of the earth,” says the
\nLORD.
\nZep 1:4<\/a> “I will attack6 Judah
\nand all who live in Jerusalem.7
\nI will remove8 from this place every trace of Baal worship,9
\nas well as the very memory10 of the pagan priests.11
\nZep 1:5<\/a> I will remove12 those who worship the stars in the
\nsky from their rooftops,13
\nthose who swear allegiance to the LORD14 while taking
\noaths in the name of15 their ‘king,’16
\nZep 1:6<\/a> and those who turn their backs on17 the LORD
\nand do not want the LORD’s help or guidance.”18
\nZep 1:7<\/a> Be silent before the Lord GOD,19
\nfor the LORD’s day of judgment20 is almost here.21
\nThe LORD has prepared a sacrificial meal;22
\nhe has ritually purified23 his guests.
\nZep 1:8<\/a> “On the day of the LORD’s sacrificial meal,
\nI will punish the princes24 and the king’s sons,
\nand all who wear foreign styles of clothing.25
\nZep 1:9<\/a> On that day I will punish all who leap over the
\nthreshold,26
\nwho fill the house of their master27 with wealth taken by
\nviolence and deceit.28
\nZep 1:10<\/a> On that day,” says the LORD,
\n“a loud cry will go up29 from the Fish Gate,30
\nwailing from the city’s newer district,31
\nand a loud crash32 from the hills.
\nZep 1:11<\/a> Wail, you who live in the market district,33
\nfor all the merchants34 will disappear35
\nand those who count money36 will be removed.37
\nZep 1:12<\/a> At that time I will search through Jerusalem with
\nlamps.
\nI will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin,38
\nthose who think to themselves,39
\n‘The LORD neither rewards nor punishes.’40
\nZep 1:13<\/a> Their wealth will be stolen
\nand their houses ruined!
\nThey will not live in the houses they have built,
\nnor will they drink the wine from the vineyards they have
\nplanted.
\nZep 1:14<\/a> The LORD’s great day of judgment41 is almost
\nhere;
\nit is approaching very rapidly!
\nThere will be a bitter sound on the LORD’s day of judgment;
\nat that time warriors will cry out in battle.42
\nZep 1:15<\/a> That day will be a day of God’s anger,43
\na day of distress and hardship,
\na day of devastation and ruin,
\na day of darkness and gloom,
\na day of clouds and dark skies,
\nZep 1:16<\/a> a day of trumpet blasts44 and battle cries.45
\nJudgment will fall on46 the fortified cities and the high
\ncorner towers.
\nZep 1:17<\/a> I will bring distress on the people47
\nand they will stumble48 like blind men,
\nfor they have sinned against the LORD.
\nTheir blood will be poured out like dirt;
\ntheir flesh49 will be scattered50 like manure.
\nZep 1:18<\/a> Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to
\ndeliver them
\nin the day of the LORD’s angry judgment.
\nThe whole earth51 will be consumed by his fiery wrath.52
\nIndeed,53 he will bring terrifying destruction54 on all who
\nlive on the earth.”55
\nZep 2:1<\/a> The Prophet Warns the People
\nBunch yourselves together like straw,1 you undesirable2
\nnation,
\n(Guzik)
\nZep 2:1-15<\/a>
\nZEPHANIAH 2 – JUDGMENT AGAINST THE NATIONS
\nA. The last chance.
\n1. (Zep_2:1-2) Repent while there is still time.
\nGather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O
\nundesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day
\npasses like chaff, before the Lord\u2019s fierce anger comes upon
\nyou, before the day of the Lord\u2019s anger comes upon you!
\na. Gather yourselves together: The idea is gathering
\ntogether in a solemn demonstration of national mourning
\nand repentance.
\nb. Before the decree is issued: All the announcement of
\njudgment in the previous chapter is understood as a warning
\nand as an invitation to repentance. The often-unwritten
\ntheme behind most every prophecy of judgment is, \u201cThis is
\nwhat will happen if you do not repent.\u201d Here the prophet
\npleads with the nation to repent before it is too late.
\nc. Before the day passes like chaff: Here the prophet
\ncalls for a sense of urgency in repentance. Each day passes
\nlike chaff, and there is nothing to show for the day if we
\nneglect what is most important: getting right and staying
\nright with God.
\ni. How easy it is to let the days pass like chaff, and never
\nget right with God! Often the devil\u2019s most powerful lie isn\u2019t
\nthat there is no God, or no Bible, or no truth – often his most
\npowerful lie is that there is no hurry.
\nNevertheless, today is the day of salvation.
\n2. (Zep_2:3) The last chance.
\nSeek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld
\nHis justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that
\nyou will be hidden in the day of the Lord\u2019s anger.
\na. Seek the LORD, all you meek: Even the righteous
\nmust take heed to this warning. It would do them no good to
\nsay, \u201cThe LORD speaks to my wicked neighbor and not to
\nme.\u201d At a critical moment of national danger, even the
\nrighteous must seek the LORD.
\nb. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the
\nLord\u2019s anger: In more than one place, God promises to
\nhide His righteous in the day of great judgment. This is
\nespecially relevant to the time of the Great Tribulation, when
\nJesus warned us to Watch therefore, and pray always that
\nyou may be counted worthy to escape all these things that
\nwill come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.
\n(Luk_21:36) B. Judgment against the nations.
\n1. (Zep_2:4-7) Judgment against the Philistines.
\nFor Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate; they
\nshall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be
\nuprooted. Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation
\nof the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O
\nCanaan, land of the Philistines: \u201cI will destroy you; so there
\nshall be no inhabitant.\u201d The seacoast shall be pastures, with
\nshelters for shepherds and folds for flocks. The coast shall be
\nfor the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed their
\nflocks there; in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at
\nevening. For the LORD their God will intervene for them, and
\nreturn their captives.
\na. For Gaza shall be forsaken: Judgment will come
\nagainst an unrepentant Judah, but it will also come against
\nthe pagan nations neighboring Judah. God promises to
\ndestroy the cities of the Philistines and give their land as
\npasture for the remnant of the house of Judah.
\nb. The name Cherethites is \u201ca reference to their early
\ngeographical links with Crete.\u201d (Baker) 2. (Zep_2:8-11)
\nJudgment against the Moabites and Ammonites.
\n\u201cI have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the
\npeople of Ammon, with which they have reproached My
\npeople, and made arrogant threats against their borders.
\nTherefore, as I live,\u201d says the LORD of hosts, the God of
\nIsrael, \u201cSurely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the people of
\nAmmon like Gomorrah; overrun with weeds and saltpits, and
\na perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall
\nplunder them, and the remnant of My people shall possess
\nthem.\u201d This they shall have for their pride, because they
\nhave reproached and made arrogant threats against the
\npeople of the LORD of hosts. The LORD will be awesome to
\nthem, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
\npeople shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed
\nall the shores of the nations.
\na. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults
\nof the people of Ammon: First God looked to the west and
\nsaw the Philistines; now He looks to the east and sees the
\nMoabites and the Ammonites. God promises to judge these
\npeoples and bring them to perpetual desolation.
\ni. \u201cThe comparison of Moab and Ammon to Sodom and
\nGomorrah is not surprising in view of their origin: Moab and
\nAmmon were the offspring of the incestuous relations of
\nLot\u2019s daughters with their drunk father after he fled the
\ndestruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.\u201d (Walker)
\nb. The LORD will be awesome to them, for He will
\nreduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people
\nshall worship Him: God will glorify Himself among the
\nnations, and one way He will do it is to bring the idols of the
\nnations low. All will see that their idols are vain and that the
\nLORD alone is God.
\n3. (Zep_2:12) Judgment against Ethiopia.
\n\u201cYou Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword.\u201d
\na. You Ethiopians also: Now God looks to the south,
\nannouncing judgment against the Ethiopians.
\n4. (Zep_2:13-15) Judgment against Assyria.
\nAnd He will stretch out His hand against the north, destroy
\nAssyria, and make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the
\nwilderness. The herds shall lie down in her midst, every
\nbeast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern shall
\nlodge on the capitals of her pillars; their voice shall sing in
\nthe windows; desolation shall be at the threshold; for He will
\nlay bare the cedar work. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt
\nsecurely, that said in her heart, \u201cI am it, and there is none
\nbesides me.\u201d How has she become a desolation, a place for
\nbeasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss
\nand shake his fist.
\na. And He will stretch out His hand against the north:
\nGod completes the circle of judgment against Israel\u2019s
\nneighbors by looking at Assyria and her capital city of
\nNineveh, which will be made a desolate city fit only for the
\nhabitation of animals and birds.
\nb. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt securely:
\nNineveh felt strong and confident, but God knew how to
\nbring her low. Here the Lord fulfills the principle of Jam_4:6 :
\nGod resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
\nc. Zephaniah never mentions why the nations are ripe for
\njudgment. Perhaps he assumes we\u2019ve already read Amos
\nand Isaiah and Nahum, which do detail the sins of these
\nneighboring nations.
\nZep 2:2<\/a> before God’s decree becomes reality3 and the day
\nof opportunity disappears like windblown chaff,4
\nbefore the LORD’s raging anger5 overtakes6 you \u2014
\nbefore the day of the LORD’s angry judgment overtakes you!
\nZep 2:3<\/a> Seek the LORD’s favor,7 all you humble people8 of
\nthe land who have obeyed his commands!9
\nStrive to do what is right!10 Strive to be humble!11
\nMaybe you will be protected12 on the day of the LORD’s
\nangry judgment.
\nZep 2:4<\/a> Judgment on Surrounding Nations
\nIndeed,13 Gaza will be deserted14
\nand Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins.15
\nInvaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon,16
\nand Ekron will be overthrown.17
\nZep 2:5<\/a> Those who live by the sea, the people who came
\nfrom Crete,18 are as good as dead.19
\nThe LORD has decreed your downfall,20 Canaan, land of the
\nPhilistines:
\n“I will destroy everyone who lives there!”21
\nZep 2:6<\/a> The seacoast22 will be used as pasture lands23 by
\nthe shepherds
\nand as pens for their flocks.
\nZep 2:7<\/a> Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah24
\nwill take possession of it.25
\nBy the sea26 they27 will graze,
\nin the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening,
\nfor the LORD their God will intervene for them28 and restore
\ntheir prosperity.29
\nZep 2:8<\/a> “I have heard Moab’s taunts
\nand the Ammonites’ insults.
\nThey30 taunted my people
\nand verbally harassed those living in Judah.31
\nZep 2:9<\/a> Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the LORD who
\ncommands armies, the God of Israel,
\n“be certain that Moab will become like Sodom
\nand the Ammonites like Gomorrah.
\nThey will be overrun by weeds,32
\nfilled with salt pits,33
\nand permanently desolate.
\nThose of my people who are left34 will plunder their
\nbelongings;35
\nthose who are left in Judah36 will take possession of their
\nland.”
\nZep 2:10<\/a> This is how they will be repaid for their
\narrogance,37
\nfor they taunted and verbally harassed38 the people of the
\nLORD who commands armies.
\nZep 2:11<\/a> The LORD will terrify them,39
\nfor40 he will weaken41 all the gods of the earth.
\nAll the distant nations will worship the LORD in their own
\nlands.42
\nZep 2:12<\/a> “You43 Ethiopians44 will also die by my
\nsword!”45
\nZep 2:13<\/a> The LORD46 will attack the north47
\nand destroy Assyria.
\nHe will make Nineveh a heap of ruins;
\nit will be as barren48 as the desert.
\nZep 2:14<\/a> Flocks and herds49 will lie down in the middle of
\nit,
\nas well as every kind of wild animal.50
\nOwls51 will sleep in the tops of its support pillars;
\nthey will hoot through the windows.52
\nRubble will cover the thresholds;53
\neven the cedar work54 will be exposed to the elements.55
\nZep 2:15<\/a> This is how the once-proud city will end up56 \u2014
\nthe city that was so secure.57
\nShe thought to herself,58 “I am unique! No one can compare
\nto me!”59
\nWhat a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild
\nanimals live!
\nEveryone who passes by her taunts her60 and shakes his
\nfist.61
\nZep 3:1<\/a> Jerusalem is Corrupt
\nThe filthy,1 stained city is as good as dead;
\nthe city filled with oppressors is finished!2
\n(Guzik)
\nZep 3:1-20<\/a>
\nZEPHANIAH 3 – THE LORD REJOICES OVER THE
\nRESTORATION OF HIS PEOPLE
\nA. A contrast between a wicked city and a righteous God.
\n1. (Zep_3:1-4) Jerusalem, the wicked city.
\nWoe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing
\ncity! She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received
\ncorrection; she has not trusted in the LORD, she has not
\ndrawn near to her God. Her princes in her midst are roaring
\nlions; her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone
\ntill morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people;
\nher priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done
\nviolence to the law.
\na. Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the
\noppressing city! From the way that Zephaniah 2 <\/a>ended we
\nperhaps hoped that this oppressing city was Nineveh.
\nFrom the references to her prophets, her priests, and the
\nsanctuary and the law, we know Jerusalem is the
\noppressing city.
\nb. She has not . . . she has not . . . she has not . . .
\nshe has not: In repeating these four phrases, the prophet
\ntells us the root of Jerusalem\u2019s sin.
\ni. She has not obeyed His voice: God called to His
\npeople, but they did not listen. If there is any voice for the
\nsheep to obey, it is the voice of the shepherd – but she has
\nnot obeyed His voice.
\nii. She has not received correction: Correction certainly
\ncame, but she did not receive it as correction from the LORD.
\nInstead it was a bad time, tough circumstances, whatever –
\nbut she has not received correction.
\niii. She has not trusted in the LORD: God never gave her
\na reason to stop trusting in Him; He never proved Himself
\nunfaithful or untrustworthy. Now God\u2019s people will openly
\ndeny and contradict God\u2019s word and promises, showing that
\nshe has not trusted in the LORD.
\niv. She has not drawn near to her God: The worst
\noffence is saved for last. God longs for relationship with His
\npeople, but they rejected His desire and went their own way,
\nso she has not drawn near to her God.
\n2. (Zep_3:5-7) The righteous God.
\nThe LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no
\nunrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to
\nlight; He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame. \u201cI have
\ncut off nations, their fortresses are devastated; I have made
\ntheir streets desolate, with none passing by. Their cities are
\ndestroyed; there is no one, no inhabitant. I said, \u2018Surely you
\nwill fear Me, you will receive instruction\u2019; so that her
\ndwelling would not be cut off, despite everything for which I
\npunished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their
\ndeeds.\u201d
\na. The LORD is righteous in her midst: This makes the
\nunrighteousness of His people even more criminal and
\ntragic.
\nGod has been nothing but righteous to them, yet they
\nrespond with sin. Eventually they put themselves on the
\nwrong side of God\u2019s righteousness and face His justice.
\nb. Surely you will fear Me, you will receive instruction
\n. . . But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds:
\nGod brought His justice to the nations around Judah, and it
\nshould have warned Judah what would happen if they
\nrejected God. Instead of learning from the surrounding
\nnations, they dedicated themselves to ungodliness all the
\nmore.
\nB. The promise of restoration.
\n1. (Zep_3:8-13) Judgment and restoration.
\n\u201cTherefore wait for Me,\u201d says the LORD, \u201cUntil the day I rise
\nup for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations to
\nMy assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation,
\nall my fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the
\nfire of My jealousy. For then I will restore to the peoples a
\npure language, that they all may call on the name of the
\nLORD, to serve Him with one accord. From beyond the rivers
\nof Ethiopia My worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed
\nones, shall bring My offering. In that day you shall not be
\nshamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress
\nagainst Me; for then I will take away from your midst those
\nwho rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be
\nhaughty in My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst a
\nmeek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name
\nof the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall do no
\nunrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful
\ntongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their
\nflocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.\u201d
\na. Pour on them My indignation . . . then I will
\nrestore: In light of the repeated and chronic sin of the
\nnations and of God\u2019s own people, God will bring judgment –
\nand then restoration.
\nb. That they all may call on the name of the LORD: In
\nthis ultimate restoration, God will give the world a common
\nlanguage again (a pure language), and the entire world
\nwill worship the LORD, not only Israel.
\ni. Most Bible scholars see this as fulfilled in the days of the
\nMillennium, when Jesus reigns for 1,000 years over this earth
\nafter His return in power and glory. From this passage many
\nscholars believe that in that day the world will go back to a
\ncommon language – perhaps Hebrew.
\nc. To serve Him with one accord: Literally, this is with
\none shoulder. The idea is that the shoulders are working
\ntogether as one to bear the load of the work.
\nd. You shall no longer be haughty in My holy
\nmountain: In the millennial earth Israel will be the world\u2019s
\nsuperpower, but she will not be proud or haughty. Under
\nthe leadership of the Lord Jesus and His redeemed, she will
\nknow that her standing is all of grace.
\ne. For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and
\nno one shall make them afraid: This speaks of the peace
\nand prosperity Israel will know in the millennial earth.
\n2. (Zep_3:14-20) Restored with singing.
\nSing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and
\nrejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The
\nLORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your
\nenemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you
\nshall see disaster no more.
\nIn that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: \u201cDo not fear; Zion,
\nlet not your hands be weak. The LORD your God in your
\nmidst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you
\nwith gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice
\nover you with singing.\u201d \u201cI will gather those who sorrow over
\nthe appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its
\nreproach is a burden.
\nBehold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will
\nsave the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will
\nappoint them for praise and fame in every land where they
\nwere put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, even
\nat the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise
\namong all the peoples of the earth, when I return your
\ncaptives before your eyes,\u201d says the LORD.
\na. Sing, O daughter of Zion! In light of the glorious
\npromise of restoration, Israel should sing and shout with joy.
\nGod will save and redeem them from both their enemies and
\ntheir iniquities.
\nb. The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One,
\nwill save: This passage gives us definite steps for
\nconsolation, as we understand that:
\n\u00b7 The LORD is in your midst
\n\u00b7 The LORD is in your midst with power to save
\n\u00b7 God takes joy in you
\n\u00b7 God gives you rest in His love
\n\u00b7 God sings over you
\nc. He will rejoice over you with gladness: We often
\nunderestimate the joy God has in His people, and too often
\nthink God is annoyed or irritated with us. \u201cFaulty as the
\nchurch is, the Lord rejoices in her. While we mourn, as well
\nwe may, yet we do not sorrow as those that are without
\nhope; for God does not sorrow, his heart is glad, and he is
\nsaid to rejoice with joy – a highly emphatic expression.\u201d
\n(Spurgeon) d. He will rejoice over you with singing: We
\ndon\u2019t often think of God singing, but He does – and He sings
\nover His people. This is how much joy and delight we give
\nto the LORD – that He breaks into song!
\ni. \u201cThink of the great Jehovah singing! Can you imagine it? Is
\nit possible to conceive of the Deity breaking into a song:
\nFather, Son and Holy Ghost together singing over the
\nredeemed? God is so happy in the love which he bears to his
\npeople that he breaks the eternal silence, and sun and moon
\nand stars with astonishment hear God chanting a hymn of
\njoy.\u201d (Spurgeon)
\nii. \u201cIf God sings, shall not we sing? He did not sing when he
\nmade the world. No; he looked upon it, and simply said that
\nit was good. The angels sang, the sons of God shouted for
\njoy: creation was very wonderful to them, but it was not
\nmuch to God, who could have made thousands of worlds by
\nhis mere will. Creation could not make him sing . . .
\nWhen all was done, and the Lord saw what became of it in
\nthe salvation of his redeemed, then he rejoiced after a divine
\nmanner.\u201d (Spurgeon)
\ne. Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak:
\nKnowing this is the tender love and care of God for us should
\nmake us respond two ways. First, we do not fear – if the
\nMighty One loves us and delights in us this way, what can
\nwe be afraid of? Second, we let not your hands be weak –
\nknowing this mighty Lord of Love is for us, we want to be for
\nHim with all of our energy. We will not become weak or
\nweary in our service for Him.
\ni. \u201c\u2018Fear thou not.\u2019 What! Not a little? No, \u2018Fear thou not.\u2019 But
\nsurely I may show some measure of trembling? No, \u2018Fear
\nthou not.\u2019 Tie that knot tight about the throat of unbelief.
\n\u2018Fear thou not\u2019: neither this day, nor any day of thy life.
\nWhen fear comes in, drive it away; give it no space. If God
\nrests in his love, and if God sings, what canst thou have to
\ndo with fear?\u201d (Spurgeon) f. I will gather . . . I will save:
\nGod promises to encourage the discouraged, to defeat our
\nenemies, to heal the lame, and to gather the scattered. All
\nthis is for His praise and fame and for ours, because we
\nare found in Him (I will give you fame and praise
\namong all the peoples).
\nZep 3:2<\/a> She is disobedient;3
\nshe refuses correction.4
\nShe does not trust the LORD;
\nshe does not seek the advice of5 her God.
\nZep 3:3<\/a> Her princes6 are as fierce as roaring lions;7
\nher rulers8 are as hungry as wolves in the desert,9
\nwho completely devour their prey by morning.10
\nZep 3:4<\/a> Her prophets are proud;11
\nthey are deceitful men.
\nHer priests defile what is holy;12
\nthey break God’s laws.13
\nZep 3:5<\/a> The just LORD resides14 within her;
\nhe commits no unjust acts.15
\nEvery morning he reveals16 his justice.
\nAt dawn he appears without fail.17
\nYet the unjust know no shame.
\nZep 3:6<\/a> The Lord’s Judgment will Purify
\n“I destroyed18 nations;
\ntheir walled cities19 are in ruins.
\nI turned their streets into ruins;
\nno one passes through them.
\nTheir cities are desolate;20
\nno one lives there.21
\nZep 3:7<\/a> I thought,22 ‘Certainly you will respect23 me!
\nNow you will accept correction!’
\nIf she had done so, her home24 would not be destroyed25
\nby all the punishments I have threatened.26
\nBut they eagerly sinned
\nin everything they did.27
\nZep 3:8<\/a> Therefore you must wait patiently28 for me,” says
\nthe LORD,
\n“for the day when I attack and take plunder.29
\nI have decided30 to gather nations together
\nand assemble kingdoms,
\nso I can pour out my fury on them \u2014
\nall my raging anger.
\nFor31 the whole earth will be consumed
\nby my fiery anger.
\nZep 3:9<\/a> Know for sure that I will then enable
\nthe nations to give me acceptable praise.32
\nAll of them will invoke the LORD’s name when they pray,33
\nand will worship him in unison.34
\nZep 3:10<\/a> From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,35
\nthose who pray to me36 will bring me tribute.
\nZep 3:11<\/a> In that day you37 will not be ashamed of all your
\nrebelliousness against me,38
\nfor then I will remove from your midst those who proudly
\nboast,39
\nand you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill.
\nZep 3:12<\/a> I will leave in your midst a humble and meek
\ngroup of people,40
\nand they will find safety in the LORD’s presence.41
\nZep 3:13<\/a> The Israelites who remain42 will not act
\ndeceitfully.
\nThey will not lie,
\nand a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.
\nIndeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep43 and lie
\ndown;
\nno one will terrify them.”
\nZep 3:14<\/a> Shout for joy, Daughter Zion!44
\nShout out, Israel!
\nBe happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
\nZep 3:15<\/a> The LORD has removed the judgment against
\nyou;45
\nhe has turned back your enemy.
\nIsrael’s king, the LORD, is in your midst!
\nYou no longer need to fear disaster.
\nZep 3:16<\/a> On that day they will say46 to Jerusalem,
\n“Don’t be afraid, Zion!
\nYour hands must not be paralyzed from panic!47
\nZep 3:17<\/a> The LORD your God is in your midst;
\nhe is a warrior who can deliver.
\nHe takes great delight in you;48
\nhe renews you by his love;49
\nhe shouts for joy over you.”50
\nZep 3:18<\/a> “As for those who grieve because they cannot
\nattend the festivals \u2014
\nI took them away from you;
\nthey became tribute and were a source of shame to you.51
\nZep 3:19<\/a> Look, at that time I will deal with those who
\nmistreated you.
\nI will rescue the lame sheep52
\nand gather together the scattered sheep.
\nI will take away their humiliation
\nand make the whole earth admire and respect them.53
\nZep 3:20<\/a> At that time I will lead you \u2014
\nat the time I gather you together.54
\nBe sure of this!55 I will make all the nations of the earth
\nrespect and admire you56
\nwhen you see me restore you,”57 says the LORD.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Zep 1:1 Introduction This is the prophetic message that the LORD gave to1 Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1245,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-160534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160536,"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160534\/revisions\/160536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifechangingtruth.org\/lctc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}