Themes
The theme of Zephaniah, one preached more consistently by him than by any other prophet, is the “day of the Lord” (Zeph. 1:7, etc.). This approaching day shows two faces: one of judgment against those who sin against God, and one of blessing for those who follow him. God will show himself just in both punishment and praise.
- God will judge the whole earth (Zeph. 1:2–3, 17–18; 3:8), Judah (Zeph. 1:4–16; 3:1–7) and her pagan neighbors (Zeph. 2:4–8) alike.
- God, as covenant keeper, will bless his people when they return to their covenant relationship with him (Zeph. 3:11–20).
- God wants to extend blessing and grace to all peoples and nations (Zeph. 3:9–10).
- Judgment and blessing occur both in the near future for the prophet and his audience (Zeph. 1:4–18; 2:3) and also in the more distant future (Zeph. 3:8–9, 11, 13–17).
- There is no such thing as a second-generation child of God. Every generation must own God’s covenant, not relying on the faith of a previous generation.
Background
In spite of having seen the destruction and exile of her sister, Israel, a generation or two previously, Judah refuses to turn back as a nation to her covenant obligations toward God. The reign of pious Josiah provides an ideal opportunity to make this move, and God, through Zephaniah, wants to clarify the decision that lies before Judah, and indeed before all the other nations, along with the consequences of that decision. God is calling for Judah’s punishment because she has already shown herself sinful. If she should repent and abandon her evil, “perhaps” God will forgive (Zeph. 2:3).
The book is set against the background of numerous nations, many of which opposed God through opposition to his people, Israel. The Philistines (Zeph. 2:4–7) had been vying against Israel for the same land since the time of the conquest (e.g., Ex. 13:17; Josh. 13:2), while Moab and Ammon (Zeph. 2:8–11), distant relatives of the Israelites (Gen. 19:36–38), had opposed Israel’s passage through their land before the conquest (Numbers 22–24). “Cush” (Zeph. 2:12) possibly refers to the Egyptian Twenty-fifth (Ethiopian) Dynasty (see Isaiah 18), while Assyria (Zeph. 2:13–15) is the foreign power controlling Judah at the time of the prophecy. Surprisingly, the last among the nations being warned is represented by Jerusalem, the capital of another of God’s enemies, Judah (Zeph. 3:1–7). This places the message of God’s displeasure right in the face of those who claimed to be his own people.
History of Salvation Summary
God visits judgment on his own people to purge the faithless from their number. At the same time, he preserves the faithful and will use them to bring knowledge of God to all peoples. On the great day of judgment, God will purge the faithless from all mankind and bring the faithful into their full inheritance.
Taken from the ESV® Study Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2008 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For more information on how to cite this material, see permissions information here.