Bible Commentaries
Zephaniah 2

Verses 1-15

1. Intro:
   1. In this last section lies one of the most “piercing, incisive, & insightful” passages in all of Scripture! – It depicts God as a loving mother singing over her kids & finding joy in their presence!
2. DOOM TO THE NATIONS! (Ch.2)
   1. ​​​​​​​The Call! (1-3)
   2. (3) All are called to “seek the Lord” for His shelter!
      1. This shelter is available to all who would repent & come after him…even today!
   3. Hidden!
      1. Zephaniah = Jehovah hides(i.e. our sins).
      2. Our present day practical lesson is: if you’ve strayed from his will & have experienced His chastening, come to Him w/a broken heart & confessing your sins. - He will receive you the same way a loving mother receives a disobedient child!
   4. The prophet, like a fighter pilot on a bombing campaign 1^st drops a bomb to the West(Philistia); then East(Moab & Ammon); South(Ethiopia); then North(Assyria)…then on his bull’s-eye, dead center…Jerusalem!
      1. Some see this representing all the Gentile Nations, i.e. N,S,E,W.
   5. Philistia! (4-7) - Note agricultural images: chaff(2); uprooted tree(here); overrun w/weeds(9); desert(13).
   6. (5) Here is where all judgment comes from! “the Word of the Lord is against you!”
      1. Q: Who will testify against the unbeliever on judgment day?
      2. 1^st their personal bible(s) will rise up & testify against them, “he never read me, though I was close by”.
      3. Every single scripture one by one will sound off, “I was spoken to him…but he would not heed me!” – “his mother shared me” another will say. - “his sister quoted me” – “he heard me on the radio”.
      4. A friend sent him a letter full of scripture.
      5. The Law screams, “I was written on his conscience!”
      6. The Gospel will say, “I was preached to him…but he ridiculed me.” (I adapted from, Spurgeon At His Best pg.259.)
   7. Moab & Ammon! (8-11) Ethiopia! (12) Assyria! (13-15)
   8. Heb.10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
      1. It can never be said of God, “that is bark is worse then his bite!”