November 24, 2019: Day 71 – Zephaniah 2

While the past chapter was a castigation against all the people of Israel, actually all the people of the earth, in this chapter he actually identifies those countries that are going to be destroyed.  While the last chapter was pretty much focused on the people of God and their impending destruction, this chapter stretches the focus wider and names the countries that are going to be under the wrath of God.

But did you notice in vs.3 that a recipe is given on what needs to be done in order to potentially escape the wrath of God.  If you seek the Lord and do his commands then you might be hidden on the day of the Lord’s wrath.  This possibility wasn’t even given to the people  of God, this loophole wasn’t even mentioned as a possibility to those who were considered the chosen ones of God.  But here we have a recipe to what could allow us to escape the punishment.  While in the last chapter there was no escape, in this chapter there is a possibility, even though a slim one, of escaping the wrath of God.

But then the rest of the chapter is more destruction and desolation.  I’m thinking chapter 3 is going to give us even more possibilities of escape and salvation.