Zephaniah Summary

         To sum up Zephaniah, I think I would say that this is a book about where our security comes from.  Do we look to false gods?  Do we look to money? Do we look to ourselves and no one else?  There are two types of people mentioned in Zephaniah: the arrogant and the humble.  Here are some characteristics of each.  The arrogant are idolatrous, violent, fraudulent, weighing out silver, complacent, shameless, prideful, taunting, boasting, having false security, rebellious, defiled, listening to no voice, accepting no correction, not trusting the Lord, not drawing near to God, roaring lions, evening wolves, fickle, treacherous, profaning what is holy, doing violence to the law, proudly exultant, haughty.  Meanwhile, the other group is described as humble, doing His just commands, calling upon the name of the Lord, worshipping, serving God, humble, lowly, doing no injustice, speaking no lies, and not afraid.  The fate of these two groups is also vastly different.  Some examples of what will happen to the first group are they will be swept away, cut off from the face of the earth, come to a full and sudden end, etc.  For those people the day of the Lord is a day of wrath, distress, anguish, ruin, devastation, darkness, gloom, clouds, and distress.  The other group has a much better fate.  On the day of the Lord, they will be hidden.  They will be given the seacoast, their fortunes will be restored because the Lord their God will be mindful of them.  They will plunder Moab and possess them.  their speech will be changed to a pure speech, they will not be put to shame, their judgments will be taken away, God will be in their midst, He will rejoice over them with gladness, He will quiet them with His love, He will gather them to Himself, He will save the lame, He will gather the outcast, their shame will be turned to praise and renown.  This all ultimately comes because the love and mercy of God allows a remnant to survive his just judgements.  What is our responsibility in all of this?  This all seems out of our control doesn't it?  Zephaniah 2:3 is what our responsibility is.  "Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord."  As we read Zephaniah let us humble ourselves call on the name of the Lord, the just judge, for mercy and safety.  Let us rely on Him for our salvation.  Let us worship and serve Him and offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him.  Let us hold to the hope of His promise to save us and rejoice over us with gladness and quiet us with his love.