We’ve been working through the Old Testament looking for the New Testament Jesus hundreds, even thousands, of years before He was born. They’re all great stories on their own, but they absolutely paint a picture of who Jesus will be and what he’ll do for those who believe. Jesus claimed that the entire Old Testament pointed to Him (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39, 46; Romans 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:10-12). Since the Book of Zephaniah is a part of the OT, let’s look to see how it points to Jesus.

Zephaniah lived and the book was written 630 or so years before Jesus was born. His name means “The Lord Hides”, he’s the great, great grandson of King Hezekiah, and a prophet during the reign of King Josiah…both written about and known as “good kings”.

Zephaniah prophesied against the worshiping of different gods, religious arrogance, and immoral men. He was looking for repentance, so that the people could enjoy the “Day of the Lord.” This “Day of the Lord” points directly to Jesus. Although it’s brought up one time as the day the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2:20), the vast majority of the time it’s referred to Jesus’ return (1 Cor 1:8; 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Thes 5:2; 2 Thes 2:2; 2 Tim 4:8; 2 Pet 3:10). On this day, Jesus will destroy all His enemies and give incredible blessings to all who follow Him.

What does this mean for us? As believers in Jesus, remember that God does not take sin lightly…it will be punished. Whether living in open sin, putting on our false fronts, or looking the part but not living it out, Zephaniah is reminding us just how seriously God takes our life and our relationship with Him. And if we fail, remember Zephaniah’s message of hope – our God reigns and He will always rescue His own. There will be deliverance and salvation.

May we each experience Zephaniah 3:17… “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, and He will rejoice over you with singing.”