S(Zephaniah 3:7,8) I said, "Surely you will fear me; you will accept my correction . . . Therefore, wait for Me," declares the Lord, "for the day when I rise up to seize the prey" (ESV).
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Zephaniah shocks us. This prey includes His people who were in the midst of unprecedented moral and spiritual reforms under King Josiah's leadership. Ignoring that completely, "Zeph" (whose name means "The Lord Hides"), warns of God's imminent, all-consuming wrath (chapter 1). Except for Josiah and a few others, the privilege and prosperity from their reforms were only hypocritical camouflage: their hearts and actions remained evil despite their participation in a few good deeds (chapter 2). Finally, we're shocked again by God's tender nurturing of His people, showing that His love drives all this.
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This command to wait for the Lord is active. While waiting for God's justice that in His time consumes all corruption, our task is to safely dispose of our sins under the blood of the cross. We are to actively seek the Lord in humble obedience to all His commands, to seek to live out His righteousness through loving relationships with people, and to seek humility (Zeph. 2:3).
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Lord, I take my virtues too seriously when I should be humble and I am too fearful and doubting when I should be bold. Help me live in Your fierce strength. Hide me in Your tender mercies.
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