Sofonias 3

John Piper · Citado em PreceptAustin

Sofonias 3

Piper reminds us "even though the amazing promises of this section relate most directly to the converted and restored people of Israel (Zeph 3:10 Ed: "dispersed one" - see notes below), nevertheless it is a necessary implication of the prophecy that the blessings promised flow out beyond the bounds of Israel and include us who through faith in Christ become Abraham's seed and heirs of the promise (Galatians 3:29). (The Lord Will Rejoice over You) What is the structure? In very general terms, from the preceding chart it is clear that most of the book deals with judgment (Zeph 1:1-3:8), but even in the midst of these "earth shaking" prophecies of God's righteous wrath against Judah, there is a beautiful prophecy of future restoration, a prophecy that will be fulfilled at the Second Coming of the Messiah, Who alone is Mighty to Save the believing remnant of the Chosen People. What are the Key Words or Key Phrases in Zephaniah (See key words & marking key words) Day of the Lord (see another discussion of this Day), remnant (Zeph 1:4, 2:7, 9, 3:13, cf Zeph 3:12 "I will leave" - see notes below), nations (plural - Zeph 2:11, 3:6, 8), destruction/destroy (Zeph 1:15, 2:5, 13), desolate/desolation (Zeph 1:13,15, 2:4, 9, 13, 14, 15, 3:6), midst (Zeph 2:14, 3:11, 15, 17), Woe (Zeph 2:5, 3:1), Seek (Zeph 2:3), Anger (Zeph 2:2, 3, 3:8), Wrath (Zeph 1:15, 18), Indignation (Zeph 3:8); Gather (Zeph 2:1, 3:8, 18, 19, 20); Earth (Zeph 1:2, 3, 18, 2:3, 11, 3:8, 19, 20). Why? What is Zephaniah's purpose? Given the fact that Zephaniah mentions the Day of the Lord (see another discussion of this Day) Day of the Lord more than any other OT book, clearly this is a key subject. That Day begins with prophecies of great destruction, not only involving Judah, but eventually involving the entire earth (cf Zeph 1:1, 4, 1:18, 2:10). Zephaniah stated that the Day of the LORD was "near" (Zeph 1:14), would be a time of wrath, trouble, distress, etc, (see full description in Zeph 1:15-16) and would come as judgment on sin against Jehovah (Zeph 1:17), but that it would be followed by blessing of His very presence in the midst of His people (Zeph 3:17). (See Theology of Zephaniah in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology) “If anyone wishes all the secret oracles of the prophets to be given in a brief compendium, let him read through this brief Zephaniah.”—Martin Bucer (1528) Outline - from William MacDonald I. GOD’S DETERMINATION TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT (Zephaniah 1) A. On All the Earth (Zeph 1:1–3) B. On Judah and Jerusalem because of Idolatry (Zeph 1:4–6) C. The Day of the Lord under the Figure of a Sacrifice (Zeph 1:7–13) 1. Guests-Judah’s Enemies (Zeph 1:7) 2. Victims-Wicked People of Judah (Zeph 1:8–13) D. The Terror of the Day of the Lord (Zeph 1:14–18) II. JUDAH IS CALLED TO REPENT (Zeph 2:1–3) III. THE DOOM OF GENTILE NATIONS (Zeph 2:4–15) A. The Philistines (Zeph 2:4–7) B. The Moabites and Ammonites (Zeph 2:8–11) C. The Ethiopians (Zeph 2:12) D. The Assyrians and Especially the City of Nineveh (Zeph 2:13–15) IV. WOE PRONOUNCED ON JERUSALEM (Zeph 3:1–7) A. Disobedience, Unresponsiveness, Unbelief, Impenitence (Zeph 3:1, 2) B. Greed of the Princes and the Judges (Zeph 3:3) C. Levity and Treachery of the Prophets and Sacrilege of the Priests (Zeph 3:4) D. The Lord’s Presence in Judgment (Zeph 3:5–7) V. MESSAGE OF COMFORT TO THE FAITHFUL REMNANT (Zeph 3:8–20) A. Destruction of Wicked Gentiles (Zeph 3:8) B. Conversion of the Remaining Nations (Zeph 3:9) C. Restoration of Dispersed Israel (Zeph 3:10–13) D. Rejoicing over the Second Advent of Christ (Zeph 3:14–17) E. What God Will Do for His People (Zeph 3:18–20) A FUTURE AND A HOPE (Jer 29:11) Warren

Sofonias 3

Piper - the people who will experience the fulfillment of the promises of 3:14–17 are the ones who obeyed the threefold call back in 2:3: “Seek the Lord, … seek righteousness, seek humility.” Therefore, humility which takes refuge in God (or as we should say today, humility which takes refuge in the death of Jesus Christ for our sins) is not only the way of escape from divine wrath, it is even more the way of entrance into divine joy. (Sermon The Lord Will Rejoice Over You) Zephaniah 3:12 "But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of the LORD. BGT καὶ ὑπολείψομαι ἐν σοὶ λαὸν πραῢν καὶ ταπεινόν καὶ εὐλαβηθήσονται ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος κυρίου LXE And I will leave in thee a meek and lowly people; KJV I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. NET I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people, and they will find safety in the LORD's presence. CSB I will leave a meek and humble people among you, and they will take refuge in the name of Yahweh. ESV But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, NIV But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD. NLT Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the LORD. NRS For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD-- NJB But in you I shall leave surviving a humble and lowly people, NAB But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD; YLT And I have left in thy midst a people humble and poor, And they have trusted in the name of Jehovah. leave: Isaiah 14:32; 61:1-3; Zechariah 11:11; 13:8,9; Matthew 5:3; 11:5; 1 Corinthians 1:27,28; James 2:5; and - Ps 37:40; Isaiah 50:10; Nahum 1:7; Matthew 12:21; Romans 15:12; Ephesians 1:12,13; 1 Peter 1:21 Related Passages: Jas 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” A TRANSFORMED REMNANT WILL SURVIVE But - A strategic term of contrast. What is Jehovah contrasting? I will leave (sha'ar/sa'ar; LXX - hupoleipo - surviving; left remaining) among you a humble (ani; LXX - praus - a mild and friendly disposition gentle) and lowly (dal; LXX - tapeinos - literally of low position, of trivial power) people - The Day of the LORD will remove the proud, exulting...haughty in Zeph 3:11 and leave people with three qualities of the redeemed - humble, lowly, trusting. Walter Kaiser - The new people of God will carry three marks: (1) meekness, that attitude of life in which a person does not exalt himself above God or another person, but bows the head in submission to one’s Lord; (2) humility, an attitude of genuine dependence on God as opposed to a self-satisfied indifference and bold assertion of one’s rights above everyone else’s; and (3) trust in the name of the Lord,a decision to seek refuge in the character, works, and truth of the Living God. (See The Preacher's Commentary) Adam

Sofonias 3

Piper: Can you imagine what it would be like if you could hear God singing? Remember that it was merely a spoken word that brought the universe into existence. What would happen if God lifted up his voice and not only spoke but sang?...When I think of the voice of God singing, I hear the booming of Niagara Falls mingled with the trickle of a mossy mountain stream. I hear the blast of Mt. St. Helens mingled with a kitten's purr. I hear the power of an East Coast hurricane and the barely audible puff of a night snow in the woods. And I hear the unimaginable roar of the sun 865,000 miles thick, one million three hundred thousand times bigger than the earth, and nothing but fire, 1,000,000 degrees centigrade, on the cooler surface of the corona. But I hear this unimaginable roar mingled with the tender, warm crackling of the living room logs on a cozy winter's night. And when I hear this singing I stand dumbfounded, staggered, speechless that he is singing over me. He is rejoicing over my good with all His heart and with all His soul (cf. Jeremiah 32:41)! (Zephaniah 3:17 - The Pleasure of God in the Good of His People) Warren