The Book of Zephaniah

Gathering Before His Throne

Zephaniah's Purpose and Relevance to Our Lives

We face a dilemma as we ponder upon gathering before the Lord's throne. He's mighty; we are weak. He's holy; we are sinful. He's all-wise; we wobble about in our inferior planning. If we draw closer to Him, then our sin, our faulty understandings of Him, and self-focused lifestyles all become exposed. On the other hand, if we stand aside from Him, He most likely will let us go along deceiving ourselves that all is well right up to the time we have to meet Him at His throne on Judgment Day.

Our hope centers upon His warning to gather together before Him now rather than later. Its a fearful exposure, but a strategically timed one. Along with this necessary purging comes an escape from our eternal judgment and a hope that God will specially bless us with a greater portion of His grace to seek His will and favor in our generation. Josiah's humble and quick response to God’s Word (2 Chronicles chapters 34-35) brought a mighty outpouring of God’s grace upon his generation.

Developing and Maintaining an Intimate Relationship with our Lord
Approaching Him (2:1)	*"... Gather yourselves together"* Realization and confession of sin
Understanding Him (3:8)	"... My decision is to gather nations" Acceptance of God’s sovereign and holy plan
Delighting in Him (3:18, 20)	*"... I will gather you"* Joy and confidence of His work in our lives

The joy and hope of God's people originate from their identity in God. God calls His wayward people again and again to come back to Himself. This process will end but only upon His return. We should not be surprised at Zephaniah's purpose of calling the people back to their covenant God. God often convicts our hearts of the same sinful tendency to leave God. Zephaniah challenges us to pursue a godly lifestyle, to acquire a greater willingness to do what God wishes, and to get excited about the path obedience will take us.

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Biblical Foundations for Freedom

Paul J. Bucknell