Year 9, Day 257: Zephaniah 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Zephaniah 3 gives us God’s perspective on the world around us.  It helps us see exactly what God is doing through the Hebrew people.  Most of us don’t grasp the plan of God from an extremely zoomed out view very often.  I struggle to be able to keep that kind of eternal perspective.

God chose the Hebrew people with whom to have relationship.  He brought them out of Egypt.  He raised them to know His ways.  He protected them and prospered them.  He then watched them rebel.  He saw them chase after foreign gods.  He brought judgment against them and destroyed them, only bringing the faithful remnant through the judgment intact.

God did this as an example to the world.  Think about what God did through Jesus.  In Jesus, God paved the way to relationship with Him.  Yet, He watches the world continuously turn away from Him, chase their own gods, and rebel.  In the Hebrew people, God foreshadows what will happen between Himself and the whole world.

As Zephaniah says, the world had better watch out.  Judgment is coming.  There will be a day when the Lord turns furious against us.  He will bring His wrath.  Those who are proud and arrogant will be ashamed.

However, Zephaniah reminds us that the judgment isn’t the end of the story.  God will bring the faithful Hebrew people back.  Likewise, God will bring the faithful in the world through His judgment as well.  All hope is not lost.  There is reason to celebrate, even in the midst of turmoil and judgment!  We can know that God will spare the faithful and the righteous.

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