Zephaniah isn’t the most commonly read book of the Old Testament, but it was my reading of choice the other night. While I trudged through the first two chapters, I was reminded of how upset God gets when his chosen people, the Israelites, failed to worship and follow him exclusively.
God is a jealous God.
His anger is righteous and while he was ready to exact judgment and punish as the Israelites’ sins deserve, he always offered an opportunity to repent. He wants to “protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.”
The anger, judgment, and destruction of chapters 1 and 2 spill into the beginning of chapter 3 as well. The weighty language of God’s heavy hand was upon me as I read this book of prophecy. Fear crept in as I considered my own unfaithfulness.
But then, I found hope. Redemption was possible. Doom was not inevitable.
A remnant remained – a repentant group that remained faithful to God through which God’s promises came in beautiful display – promises we can continue to cling to today.
“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:16b-17, NLT)
