The Book of ZephaniahSample

Persecuted Yet Protected

In Zephaniah’s day, God’s people were facing immense persecution from surrounding nations. Today, Christians still face persecution in the form of taunting, belittling, physical attack, and even death. Maybe you’ve been sidelined, cold-shouldered, or openly abused because of your faith in Jesus. Perhaps you were comforted by God’s presence and protection. Perhaps you wondered where He was and why He wasn’t doing anything about it.

Nations to the north, south, east, and west of Israel were renowned for constantly crossing their borders and attacking God’s people. Zephaniah proclaims God’s promise to take decisive action against them on behalf of His people. These cities each had radically different cultures, armies, and politics, and God strategically calls each of them out and explains the judgment they will receive for arrogantly mocking His people. The message is clear: when you insult the people of God, you insult God Himself. The nations think God is somehow inferior to them, when really He is sovereign over them. We see evidence of this kind of superiority thinking in our culture today (like, it’s possible you don’t feel free to express a biblical worldview at school, university, or in the workplace?), and yet God is sovereign over every form of worldly contempt we face.

Persecution at its core is really just pride. Assyria – a seemingly untouchable superpower with unrivalled military strength – arrogantly proclaims, ‘I am the one! There is none besides me.’ And yet it’s God at work behind the scenes, choosing which nations rise and fall. There’s a warning here, corroborated by history: no proud nation from the past is left standing today. This should raise a red flag for us, if we find ourselves living in a country that – subtly or not so subtly – claims to be better than everyone else.

Amidst these pronouncements of judgement on the surrounding nations, Zephaniah reveals details of God’s tender, consistent, possessive care for His people. He promises to restore them and to deal with those who oppose them. Zephaniah even offers the hope that those who worship idols and persecute God’s people will one day come to fear the living God. How incredible that we have the privilege, as God’s people today, of continuing to carry out the fulfilment of this prophecy by spreading the gospel to nations who persecute Jesus’ followers.

Many of us won’t be physically harmed for our faith, but we’ll likely be mocked or maligned in some way – and it’s hard. When you’re tempted to ask, ‘Where is God in all this?’, know that He’s right there with you. He is never far off, never disinterested, and never passive in your plight. He will bring justice – perhaps in this life; most certainly in the life to come. Stand strong. Even in your persecution, you are unfailingly protected.