Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
ZEPHANIAH 3
Jerusalem
1 Woe to the city of oppressors,
rebellious and defiled!
2 She obeys no one,
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
she does not draw near to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her rulers are evening wolves,
who leave nothing for the morning.
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.
5 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,
yet the unrighteous know no shame.
Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant
6 “I have destroyed nations;
their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;
they are deserted and empty.
7 Of Jerusalem I thought,
‘Surely you will fear me
and accept correction!’
Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed,
nor all my punishments come upon her.
But they were still eager
to act corruptly in all they did.
8 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.
Restoration of Israel’s Remnant
9 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.
12 But I will leave within you
the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust in the name of the Lord.
13 They will do no wrong;
they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
and no one will make them afraid.”
14 Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 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.”
18 “I will remove from you
all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
which is a burden and reproach for you.
19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.
I will give them praise and honor
in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.
Application Notes
3:1-8 After predicting the destruction of the surrounding nations, Zephaniah returned to the problem at hand—rebellion against God and the resulting moral pollution in Jerusalem. God's people had “defiled” themselves with the sinful practices of their pagan neighbors. The people pretended to worship and serve God but in their hearts they had rejected him and continued to be complacent about their sin. They no longer cared about the consequences of turning away from God. Many people today have given up the Christian faith they embraced as children. They may have been raised in Christian homes but are now far from God. If you know people like this, don't give up on them. Most likely they have fallen away from the faith because of watching the poor examples of others. Be an example of someone who shows what it's like to have a healthy relationship with God rather than someone who puts the emphasis on religious ritual or who claims allegiance to God but doesn't live as someone who does.
3:2 Do you know people who refuse to listen when someone disagrees with their opinions? Their root problem is pride—inflated self-esteem. God's people had become so proud that they would not hear or accept God's correction. Do you find it difficult to listen to the spiritual counsel of others or God's words from the Bible? Don't let pride make you unable or unwilling to let God work in your life. You will be more willing to listen when you consider how weak and sinful you really are compared to God.
3:3-4 Leading God's people is both a privilege and a responsibility. Through Zephaniah, God rebuked all types of leadership in Jerusalem—officials, rulers, prophets, and priests—because of their callous disobeditnce, irresponsibility, and sin. If you lead in the church, consider yourself in a privileged position, but be careful. God holds you responsible for the purity of your actions, the quality of your example, and the truth of your words.
3:5 Jerusalem's citizens, of all people, had no excuse for their sins. Jerusalem, where the temple was located, was the religious center of the nation. But even though the people didn't follow God, God was “within” the city, present in the midst of the corruption, persecution, and unbelief. No matter how spiritually desolate your world seems, God's presence goes with you, leading, guiding, and comforting all along the way. Be alert and look for him in every situation.
3:7 We may wonder how the Israelites could have had such clear warnings and still not turn to God. The problem was that they had allowed sin to so harden their hearts that they no longer cared to follow God. Thus, they could not hear his warnings. In spite of God's punishment, they continued to sin because they could no longer even see the connection between sin and its consequences. The more we harden our hearts, the more eager we are to sin. Listen to God's warnings before your heart grows cold and hard and you lose all desire for him.
3:8 In the last days, God will judge all people according to what they have done (Revelation 20:12). Justice will prevail; evildoers will be punished; and the obedient will be blessed. Don't try to avenge yourself. Be patient and God's justice will come.
3:9 God will unify all people so that everyone from all nations will be able to worship him together. God will purify our hearts, so the words coming from our lips will be pure as well.
3:10 The “scattered people” refers to the Jews who had been dispersed beyond the rivers of Cush. It means that all Jews, no matter how far they have been scattered, will return to worship God.
3:11-12 God will remove the proud people and leave the meek and humble. God opposes the proud and haughty of every generation. But those who are meek and humble, both physically and spiritually, will be rewarded because they trust in God. Self-reliance and arrogance have no place among God's people or in his kingdom. (See the note on 2:3.)
3:14-18 When the Lord rules, he will remove his hand of judgment, disperse Israel's enemies, and come to live among his people. He will give them joy. We cut ourselves off from fellowship with God when we sin in order to pursue our own idea of happiness. But God is the only one who can make us truly happy. Zephaniah points out that real joy breaks out in our lives when we live in community with God and he delights in us. This happens when we faithfully follow him and obey his commands and he purifies and transforms us. Then he rejoices over us with singing. If you want to be happy, draw close to the source of happiness by following God with all your heart. When you feel God's delight, you will never want to live apart from him.
3:20 “Before your very eyes” does not necessarily mean that this promise would be fulfilled during Zephaniah's generation. Rather, it means that the restoration will be an obvious work of the Lord.
3:20 The message of doom in the beginning of this book becomes a message of hope by the end. A new day will come when God will bless his faithful remnant. If the leaders in churches today were to hear a message from a prophet of God, the message would probably resemble the book of Zephaniah. Under Josiah's religious reforms, the people did return to God outwardly, but their hearts were far from him. Zephaniah encouraged the nation to gather together and pray for salvation. We must also ask ourselves, Is our reform merely an outward show, or is it changing our hearts and lives? We need to gather together and pray, to walk humbly with God, to do what is right, and to hear the message of hope regarding the new world to come.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)