The Book Of Zephaniah - A Commentary
Chapter 1 – The prophet declares the day of
the Lord is imminent. The Lord will destroy all things from the face of the
earth, vs 1-3. Why? Because man has sinned against the Lord, vs. 17. Man’s
wealth can not deliver him in the day of the Lord’s wrath. God will quickly
wipe out his enemies, vs. 18.
Chapter 2 – The prophet calls the nation
(Israel) to repentance; especially those who have been faithful to the Lord
(the meek of the earth). This the Lord commanded so that they could escape his
wrath, vs. 1-3.
Next,
the prophet judges the nations such as the Philistines, longtime enemies of
Israel. Their lands (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, Ashdod, Gath. Their five main
coastal cities), will be dwellings for the Israelites and their flocks when the
Lord dispossess the Philistines, vs 4-7.
The
prophet also condemns the nations of Moab and Ammon (descendants of Lot Genesis
19:36-38) for their threats and intimidation of Israel. God will make these two
nations a wilderness, vs 8-9.
In
vs. 12 the prophet predicts the Ethiopians destruction.
The
final pronouncement in the chapter is against Assyria and it’s capital city of
Nineveh vs. 13-17. These foreign surrounding nations represented the world as
far as Zephaniah was concerned; his center of influence.
Chapter 3 – The prophet describes
Jerusalem’s wickedness in detail:
- They have not obeyed the
Lord’s voice
- They have not received
correction
- They have not trusted the
Lord
- They have retreated from the
Lord
The
leaders have been unfair also in their roles although the Lord has been
faithful to them, vs 3-5. Every morning he makes his justice known without
fail, but the leaders failed to follow the Lord’s ways.
The
Lord through the prophet has destroyed the nations and made them desolate. No
one dwells in them. He did this as a warning to Judah so that they would return
to the Lord, but they refused and continued to sin, vs. 6-7.
In
the end God will return his dispersed and make them known & famous
throughout the earth. God will rejoice over his people and love on them and
sing to them, and expression of his love for them, vs 17-20.
This concludes the book of Zephaniah the
prophet
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