Day 281a: Zephaniah 1, 2 and 3

The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad (Zephaniah 1:12).

The very first verse tells us Zephaniah ministered to Judah during the reign of Josiah, its last good king. Reading between the lines, we know it was in his early years because the prophet depicts a nation very unlike Judah subsequent to Josiah’s reforms (2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 34,35). [1]

Zephaniah describes a Judah in which the poor are oppressed by the rich; where people worship the false gods of other nations; where day in and day out business goes on as usual. No one is nervous about the possibility of divine action; no one is worried that God might show up and do something about it. The prevailing attitude is: God doesn’t care; he won’t get involved.

I was once in a discussion where another participant stated: I don’t believe in an interventionist god. Sounds smart… doesn’t make it correct.

The prophet tells another story. He says God is watching, and God does care. I will bring distress on the people . . . because they have sinned against the Lord (1:17). This pronouncement, though, is accompanied by promise of gathering and rescue (3:15,19-20). The distress appears to be exile under the Babylonians and rescue is those exiles coming home.

Yet again, judgment gives way to blessing. He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

Have you ever thought, “God might see, but he won’t do anything about it”?