THE DAY OF THE LORD IS AT HAND
(Zeph 1:7)

Zephaniah was one of the prophets raised by God to preach to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah .God was very displeased with the nation and its capital, Jerusalem was filthy and polluted and oppressing (Zeph 3:1) because idolatrous practices were rampant and the people even worshipped the ‘host of heaven<upon their rooftops (Zeph 1:5). The people ‘obeyed not the voice, …received not correction, trusted not in the LORD…drew not near to God(Zeph 3:2). The rulers were like ‘roaring lions and ‘evening wolves (Zeph 3:3), as they were corrupt, unjust, and oppressed and killed the poor and the innocent. The religious leaders were ‘treacherous<(Zeph 3:4), leading the people astray by their immoral conduct and Baal worship and completely forsaking Jehovah God. The universal unrestricted sins in Judah were like in the bygone days of the Judges when ‘every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Jud 21: 25) and did not adhere to the standard prescribed by God. Holiness and godliness were not only sidelined but completely out of the vocabulary of every man.

God spoke to the people through Zephaniah of His imminent judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. There would be utter destruction. The evil doers would be severely punished (Zeph 1:8,9) and their possessions seized (Zeph 1: 11, 13). It was a day of wrath (Zeph 1:15), the day of the LORD’s anger (Zeph 2:3). Zephaniah pleaded to the people to take heed of the warning: ‘The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD (1:14); ‘the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests (Zeph 1:7). In the soon-coming attack and captivity by the Babylonians, Judah would be given as a sacrifice and God would deliver His people to the conquering army-guests. There would be a great cry and moan. Starvation, destruction and death would be the order of the day. It would be ‘a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness<(Zeph 1:15) and ‘their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung(Zeph1:17).

Zephaniah appealed to the people to repent and to turn back to the Lord: ‘Seek ye the LORD< ‘seek righteousness< ‘seek meekness(Zeph 2:3). God required them to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve Him with all their hearts and souls and to keep His commandments (Deut 10:12,13). They should seek the truth and earnestly plead for His grace and favour, and not to provoke Him to wrath with their continuing evil doings. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ez 33:11). He is merciful gracious, and longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2Pet 3:9). The Lord would receive the people despite their spiritual defilement (Jer 4:1). He pardons iniquity and retains not His anger forever because He delights in mercy and has compassion (Mic 7:18,19).With such a gracious God, man’s spiritual condemnation easily translates into divine favour and eternal life.

The ministry of Zephaniah could have contributed to the great spiritual revival and reformation under the reign of king Josiah. Unfortunately, after Josiah’s death, the rulers and many of the people reverted to their old ways and continued to provoke God through their constant sinning, despite the call to repentance by other God’s prophets, like Jeremiah. The Babylonians attacked Jerusalem in 605 BC, 20 years after the warning by Zephaniah. The city was burned and the Temple destroyed 19 years later in 586 BC.

Jesus Christ will soon come again ‘every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (Gen 6:5), ‘their sin is very grievous(Gen 18:20), ‘giving themselves to fornication, and going after strange flesh<(Jude 7).

Are you prepared for the day of the Lord< The great Tribulation Period of 7 years under the rule of Antichrist (Jer 30:7; Isa 2: 12-19)< The day of the Lord ‘will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt away with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up< (2 Pet 3:10). Only genuine born-again believers have the blessed assurance of being part of the Rapture (taken up into the clouds to be with the Lord at His coming) and so be with Christ before the great tribulation days appear that we will not have to go through it (1 Th 4:13-17). If you have not put your trust in Jesus Christ, do not delay. Today is the day of salvation. Come to Jesus now, or it may be too late! Confess your sins and acknowledge Him as your personal Saviour for ‘Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved<(Act 4:12). For the rest of us who are already part of this blessed family, may we re-evaluate and live our lives in accordance with God’s standard clearly laid down in His Word. Not to do so could hinge on the very questionability of our salvation. Amen.