Glory to the Lord God Almighty! The Lord God has blessed us with a promising passage from the Scripture (Zephaniah 3:17-20) for us to cogitate upon as part of the Scripture for the Week meditation. The Lord has been inspiring us every week with His unfailing Word that fulfills its purpose in any given circumstance as the Lord God has assured us: As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11 [also refer: 1 Samuel 3:19]). This indicates that anyone who reads and meditates the Word of God earnestly and puts it in to practice will be blessed. In addition, the Word of God will encourage us, guide and lead us, give us peace of mind, and, above all else, the Word will fulfill the purpose for which it had been given to us. So, let us not hesitate to read and meditate the Word of God on a regular basis.

According to Zephaniah 1:1b, prophet Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah (צפניה), whose name means ‘the Lord has hidden,’ served the God of Israel faithfully as His prophet in Jerusalem/Judah during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah (Zephaniah 1:1c). From the very first statement of Zephaniah’s prophetic ministry, which states that The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah (1:1a), we can understand that he was appointed by the God of Israel to deliver His message to His people who live in Jerusalem and Judea and its neighboring nations. Although, the underlying focus of Zephaniah’s prophecies are on the Judgment of the Lord on the whole earth in the Day of the Lord, the overlapping messages focused on (i) God’s judgement on all who do evil in the sight of the Lord, and (ii) His restoration plan for all who seek Him wholeheartedly. While Zephaniah pronounced God’s judgement upon the people of Jerusalem/Judah (Zephaniah 1:4-7), he also proclaimed God’s judgement upon its neighboring nations like Philistia, which includes the regions of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Kerethite people, Canaan (Zephaniah 2:4-7); Moab and Ammon (Zephaniah 2:8-11); Cush (Zephaniah 2:12); Assyria/Nineveh (Zephaniah 2:13-15). Apart from pronouncing judgment on Jerusalem/Judah and the neighboring nations, Zephaniah also delivered the messages to invite people to seek and trust the Lord for His comfort in troublesome situations, and for burgeoning hope in the midst of uncertain times (Zephaniah 2:1-3). As the true worshippers of God, we need to understand that redemption and restoration is proclaimed to everyone who seeks the Lord earnestly (Zephaniah 3:9-17).

From the prophecies of Zephaniah, we can understand that there will be two major incidents that will take place on the day of the Lord (Isaiah 13:6, 9; Joel 1;15; 2:1, 11, 31; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14; 2:1-3; Zechariah 14:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). Firstly, it is the day of divine judgement (Zephaniah 1:2-18]); and, secondly, it is the day of divine restoration (Zephaniah 3:9-20). This shows that the day of the Lord bespeaks the certainty of God’s judgement on the wicked and the redemption and restoration of the righteous. The wicked will be punished for their evil deeds by the God of justice and righteousness, and the faithful and righteous will be delivered, restored, and rewarded for their righteous deeds by the same God of justice and righteousness. Apostle Peter wrote that the day of the Lord approaching speedily: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare (2 Peter 3:10). Let us briefly examine the divine judgement from the view of prophet Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1:14-18 [and 1:2-3])

• • The Lord warns that the great day of the Lord is near (1:14a)
  • The Lord warns that the great day of the Lord near and it is coming quickly (1:14b)
  • The Lord warns that the cry on the day of the Lord is bitter (1:14c)
  • The Lord warns that the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry on the day of the Lord (1:14d)
  • The day of the Lord will be a day of wrath (1:15a)
  • The day of the Lord will be a day of distress and anguish (1:15a)
  • The day of the Lord will be a day of trouble and ruin (1:15c)
  • The day of the Lord will be a day of darkness and gloom (1:15d)
  • The day of the Lord will be a day of clouds and blackness (1:15e)
  • The day of the Lord will be a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities (1:16a)
  • The day of the Lord will be a day of trumpet and battle cry against the corner towers (1:16b)
  • The Lord warns that He will bring such distress on all people (1:17a)
  • The Lord warns that the evil doers will grope about like those who are blind (1:17b)
  • The judgement day of the Lord will come upon the evil doers because they have sinned against the Lord (1:17c)
  • The evil doers’ blood will be poured out like dust on the judgement day of the Lord (1:17d)
  • The evil doers’ entrails will be like dung on the judgement day of the Lord (1:17e)
  • On the day of Lord’s wrath neither the silver nor the gold will be able to save (1:18a)
  • On the day of Lord’s wrath and in the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed (1:18b)
  • The day will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth on the day of His wrath (1:18c)
  • The Lord will sweep away everything from the face of the earth on that day (1:2a)
  • The Lord will sweep away both man and beast on the day of His judgement (1:3a)
  • The Lord will sweep away the birds in the sky on the day of His judgment (1:3b)
  • The Lord will sweep away the fish in the sea on the day of His judgement (1:3c)
  • The Lord will sweep away the idols that cause the wicked to stumble (1:3d)

Prophet Zephaniah’s prophecies indicate the quick coming judgement of God upon the whole earth and everything in it (1:2-3a, 14). When God judges the world and everything in it, God will also judge His chosen people Israel, especially the people of Judah who have forsaken the God of their fathers (1:3-6) and worshipped the gods of the nations whom the Lord God had removed from His presence and gave their to His people Israel (Psalm 106:33-40). God, being holy and righteous, will punish everyone who does evil in His presence. God’s policy is that The one who sins is the one who will die (Ezekiel 18:20a [Romans 6:23a]). It does not matter who the person is – it could be a person who is chosen for a special purpose or a person who is not chosen for a special purpose. The Lord will rebuke, correct, and punish anyone who does evil in His presence and He does not show partiality while executing justice and righteousness. Romans 2:5-11 states that:

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism (Romans 2:5-11).

Despite the Lord giving opportunity for the people of Jerusalem/Judah to abandon their evil ways and return to Him (Zephaniah 3:7), a majority of them neither repented of their sins nor returned to Him.  Rather, they continued to carry out their evil plans (Zephaniah 3:1-4). Let us briefly examine the sins of Jerusalem/Judah before the Lord, the God of Israel (Zephaniah 3:1-4):

• • Jerusalem became a city of oppressors (3:1a)
  • The people of Jerusalem/Judah became rebellious before their God (3:1b)
  • The people of Jerusalem/Judah defiled themselves (3:1c)
  • The people of Jerusalem/Judah obeys no one (3:2a)
  • The people of Jerusalem/Judah accepts no correction (3:2b)
  • The people of Jerusalem/Judah does not trust in the Lord (3:2c)
  • The people of Jerusalem/Judah does not draw near to their God (3:2d)
  • The officials within Jerusalem/Judah became like the roaring lions (3:3a)
  • The rulers of Jerusalem/Judah became like the evening wolves who leave nothing for the morning (3:3b [also refer to: Psalm 59:6-7, 14-15])
  • The prophets of Jerusalem/Judah are unprincipled (3:4a)
  • The prophets of Jerusalem/Judah are treacherous people (3:4b)
  • The priests of Jerusalem/Judah profane the sanctuary (3:4c)
  • The priests of Jerusalem/Judah do violence to the law (3:4d)

Although the children of Israel belonged to the group that is chosen for a special purpose, God punished them when they did evil in His presence. The Lord said: Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them – all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger (Zephaniah 8). God spoke through His servant Zephaniah regarding the judgement He intended to send upon the people of Jerusalem/Judah (Zephaniah 1:3b-13):

• • The Lord will stretch out His hand against Judah (1:4a)
  • The Lord will stretch out His hand against all who live in Jerusalem (1:4b)
  • The Lord will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in Jerusalem/Judah (1:4c)
  • The Lord will destroy the very names of the idolatrous priests (1:4d)
  • The Lord will destroy those who bow down on the roofs (1:5a)
  • The Lord will destroy those who worship the starry host (1:5b)
  • The Lord will destroy those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek (1:5c)
  • The Lord will destroy those who turn back from following the Lord (1:6a)
  • The Lord will destroy those who neither seek the Lord nor inquire of Him (1:6b)
  • Be silent before the Lord for the day of the Lord is near (1:7a)
  • Lord has prepared a sacrifice and has consecrated those He has invited (1:7b)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, the Lord will punish the officials (1:8a)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, the Lord will punish the king’s sons (1:8b)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, the Lord will punish all those clad in foreign clothes (1:8c)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, the Lord will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold (1:9a)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, the Lord will punish those fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit (1:9b)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, a cry will go up from the Fish Gate (1:10a)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, a wailing will go up from the New Quarter (1:10b)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, a loud crash will go up from the hills (1:10c)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, wail, you who live in the market district (1:11a)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, all your merchants will be wiped out (1:11b)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, all who trade with silver will be destroyed (1:11c)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, the Lord will search Jerusalem with lamps to punish those who are complacent (1:12a)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, the Lord will punish those who are like wine left on its dregs (1:12b)
  • On the day of His sacrifice, the Lord will punish those who think ‘the Lord will do nothing, either good or bad’ (1:12c)
  • On the day of the Lord, their wealth will be plundered (1:13a)
  • On the day of the Lord, the Lord will demolish their house (1:13b)
  • Though they build houses they will not live in them (1:13c)
  • Though they plant vineyards they will not drink the wine (1:13d)

When God revealed His plans to bring judgement upon everyone who does evil in His sight, He also extended an invitation to the people to repent from their evil ways and return to Him (Zephaniah 2:3), yet the wicked and unrighteous did not turn to Him (3:5b). The Lord, who is the God of justice and righteousness, will definitely carry out His vengeance upon the people who carry out their evil plans. Yet, the Lord warns them and gives them time to repent and return to Him as Apostle Peter wrote to the early Christians: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The Lord God, being merciful and compassionate, extended His loving kindness towards the remnant of His chosen people who have remained faithful to Him throughout their lives and those who have renounced their evil ways and returned to Him with a repented heart. It is our assurance that the Lord will restore the remnant of His inheritance (Israel/Judah) who have had faithfully kept His righteous laws and decrees (Zephaniah 3:20), and the people from across the world who do His will and fulfill His purpose in and through their lives (Revelation 5:9-13). The Lord is a sovereign, faithful, and compassionate God (Zephaniah 2:3 [Isaiah 45:6-7]). The Lord also revealed in detail His restoration plan of His people through His servant Zephaniah (3:9-20). Due to lack of time and space, we are not going to discuss the entire restoration plan but will briefly go through God’s restoration plans as it is mentioned in Zephaniah 3:17-20.

• • The Lord assures His chosen people that He is with them (3:17a)
  • The Lord who is the Mighty Warrior is the one who saves them (3:17b)
  • The Lord will take great delight in His people (3:17c)
  • The Lord who loves them will no longer rebuke them (3:17d)
  • The Lord who loves them will rejoice over them with singing (3:17e)
  • The Lord Himself will remove from them all who mourn over the loss of their appointed festivals (3:18a)
  • The Lord Himself will remove the festivals that is a burden and reproach for them (3:18b)
  • The Lord Himself will deal with all who oppressed them (3:19a)
  • The Lord will rescue the lame among them (3:19b)
  • The Lord will gather the exiles from all corners of the world (3:19c)
  • The Lord will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame (3:19d)
  • The Lord will gather His scattered people from around the world (3:20a)
  • The Lord, He will bring them to their own land that they call home (3:20b)
  • The Lord will give His people honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth (3:20c)
  • The Lord will restore the fortunes of His people right before their eyes (3:20d)
  • The Lord God Almighty said it, and He will do it (3:20e)

Although the Israel and Judah sinned against the Lord, the God of their fathers, they will eventually turn to the Lord and He will restore the fortunes of His people, as prophet Zephaniah stated: That land will belong to the remnant of the people of Judah; there they will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes (Zephaniah 2:7). The Lord who dispenses his justice morning by morning promised that He will dwell among them: The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail … (Zephaniah 3:5). As Apostle Paul noted If the Lord God is with us who can be against us (Romans 8:31b), if the Lord is our God no one can snatch us away from Him because He is the Mighty Warrior who saves us: The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

Dear friends, God has enabled us to have a thorough study on the prophecies of prophet Zephaniah with special emphasis on Zephaniah 3:17-20. We have learned that God will judge both the righteous and the unrighteous – the punishment will come upon the unrighteous and God will restore and reward the righteous. I would like to raise a question here to all of us, which is, How many of us are assured of receiving a reward from God? I raise this question because the Scripture says that It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). We need to understand the fact that there is no one righteous before God, as the it is mentioned in the Psalms: The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:2-3; 53:2-3 [also refer to: 2 Chronicles 7:14; Joel 2:13; Romans 3:10-12]). Apostle Paul also quoted the same Old Testament Scripture that says: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:10-12 [Psalm 14:2-3; 53:2-3]). This could be the reason John the Baptist and Jesus (and many of the apostles) began their ministry by preaching: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near (Matthew 3:2; 4:7; Acts 3:19; 17:30; 1 John 1:9 ). In the light of this invitation, it is time for us to return to the Lord. We have the promise from the Lord that He will restore us (or anyone) if we cling unto Him faithfully like the way the Lord restored Job in the latter days of his life (Job 42:10-17 [1 Peter 5:10]). Let us try to follow the Lord faithfully in our daily walk with Him. As prophet Zephaniah noted, let us try to be the kind of people the Lord will restore on the day of His wrath (below mentioned are a few examples for our reference):

• • People who seek the Lord (2:3a)
  • People who seek righteousness and humility (2:3b)
  • People who are righteous and devoted to the Lord (3:5a)
  • People who uphold God’s justice and righteousness (3:5b)
  • People who call on the name of the Lord (3:9)
  • People who are the meek and humble before the Lord (3:12a)
  • People who trust in the Lord wholeheartedly (3:12b)
  • People who neither do wrong to others nor tell lies (3:9, 13)
  • People who are glad and rejoice in the Lord (3:14)

May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!