Zephaniah

AUTHOR:

Zephaniah

AUDIENCE:

The people of Judah

PURPOSE:

To shake the people of Judah out of their complacency and urge them to return to God.

Zephaniah lived in a society that had forsaken its high calling—to be a witness on earth to the one true God. When this happens, it often leads to great suffering because human sin and depravity reach a fever pitch. It can be difficult to trust God in such times, when things are crashing down around us. Our first reaction is to go into survival mode and hide until things settle down. The worst part is that, in times like this, it is often the vulnerable who suffer the most. Those who experience such circumstances certainly find comfort in Zephaniah’s message. His name means “hidden by God,” which seems to indicate that the Lord intended to protect him from the outpouring of wrath on Judah for King Manasseh’s wickedness. Zephaniah’s message of hope to all who trust in God enables us to stand firm and hang on.

SUFFERING AND DISABILITY THEMES

  floral bullet  Seek the Lord. In uncertain times, seeking the Lord is the only hope of sure deliverance. Zephaniah’s main message was against the leaders of Judah, who turned their backs on the covenant the Lord had made with them. Because they had done this, the curses of the covenant would come against them. The Lord’s purpose was to prepare a remnant that would reflect the all-inclusive vision of the Messianic Banquet described in Isaiah 25 and Luke 14. This remnant would be freed from disability as they were ushered into the presence of God.

  floral bullet  The End of Suffering and Disability. Zephaniah describes the day of the Lord extensively. It was to be a day of judgment, but it also represented a transformative day for the remnant—those who trusted in the Lord in the midst of the storm. What was hidden about the glorious nature of the day would dawn on the remnant that was purified and refined so that they could feast with the Lord for all eternity. That is the hope we carry for the coming day of the Lord.