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A Year Held in His Hands| A New Year Sermon

By Ekombe Hau -
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A Year Held in His Hands| A New Year Sermon Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Every time a new year comes close, something in me start feeling that weird mix of excitement and heaviness. Maybe you know the feeling too—like you’re standing at this invisible doorway. One foot in the old year (the stuff you want to forget but somehow still sticks to you like stubborn glue), and the other foot stepping into something you still can’t see clearly. And sometimes you’re hopeful, sometimes you’re scared, sometimes you’re… well, both at the same time. I was thinking about all that while reading some Scriptures again, and honestly, it hit me harder this year. Maybe because life been kinda loud lately, or maybe because I’m tired of pretending everything always makes sense. But the Bible does this thing, right? It sneaks into the parts of your heart you thought you cleaned up, and suddenly you realize God is trying to talk to you again. Even if it feels like you weren’t exactly listening. S...
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Zephaniah Chapter 3 Commentary and Explanation – Bible Study

By Ekombe Hau -

 Zephaniah Chapter 3 Commentary and Explanation – Bible Study

Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash


Zephaniah Chapter 3. Now this is where things start turning. If you’ve read chapters 1 and 2 already, then you’ve seen how heavy God’s judgment was. The prophet Zephaniah didn’t hold back. But here in chapter 3? It’s still got some judgment, yeah, but it ends with a hopeful, heart-lifting promise. Like a storm finally giving way to the sunlight. This chapter is a mix of rebuke and restoration. It's gritty, but it’s beautiful too.

So grab your Bible, maybe a cup of tea (or coffee, if that’s your thing), and let’s walk through this chapter together. Slowly. Honestly. Letting God speak through it.

Verses 1–5: A City That Wouldn’t Listen

"Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!" (Zephaniah 3:1)

Let’s start right there. "Woe" is never a good word. It’s a warning. A lament. A deep cry of sorrow. And the city being spoken about? That’s Jerusalem. Yeah, God’s own city. His people. The ones who were supposed to reflect His character. But instead, they became rebellious. Defiled. Oppressive.

This hits hard.

Verse 2 goes on:

"She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God."

That’s a fourfold indictment right there. Four things they didn’t do.
Let’s look closer:

  1. Didn’t obey His voice – meaning they ignored His Word. His prophets. His truth.

  2. Didn’t receive correction – they refused to be taught or changed.

  3. Didn’t trust in the Lord – turned to idols, or alliances, or anything but Him.

  4. Didn’t draw near – no relationship, no intimacy, just distance.

Honestly, if we’re real with ourselves... these aren’t ancient problems only. How often do we avoid correction? Or trust in ourselves instead of God? Or just go through the motions without really drawing near?

Then verse 3 and 4 start talking about the leaders: princes, judges, prophets, and priests. The entire leadership is corrupt.

  • Princes are roaring lions – meaning they devour.

  • Judges are evening wolves – they leave nothing for the morning.

  • Prophets are reckless and treacherous.

  • Priests profane what’s holy and do violence to the law.

Yikes. It's a total breakdown from top to bottom. The very people meant to shepherd, protect, and teach have instead become dangerous.

But then—verse 5.

"The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice..."

That part really got me.

Even when everyone else is failing, the Lord doesn’t change. He’s still righteous. He’s still just. Every morning He brings justice to light. Even when the people are rebellious and the leaders are corrupt, God doesn’t flinch. He stays faithful.

Verses 6–8: Warnings Ignored and Judgment Declared

“I have cut off nations; their strongholds are demolished..." (v. 6)

God reminds Jerusalem—look, I’ve judged other nations before. I’ve taken them down. I’ve done this so you'd take it seriously, so you’d learn to fear Me and accept correction.

But... nope. Didn’t happen. They still rose early to corrupt all their deeds (v. 7). That phrase, “they rose early,” almost sounds like they were eager to sin. Not just accidentally falling, but determined to go their own way.

So then God says in verse 8,

"Therefore wait for me... for the day I rise up to seize the prey..."

There’s a shift here.

God's saying, Wait. I'm about to rise up in judgment. Nations, kingdoms—He’s going to gather them, pour out His indignation, and devour the earth with the fire of His jealousy.

This is serious. And it makes sense. God is patient, but He’s not passive. There comes a time where He says, “Enough.”

But then—just when the chapter seems like it’ll stay heavy forever—something incredible happens.

Verses 9–13: Purification and a Remnant

Verse 9 opens with a beautiful shift:

"For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord."

Hold up. That’s different.

Instead of destruction and doom, this is about restoration. God will purify the lips of the people. That phrase—“pure speech”—it brings to mind the undoing of Babel. Back in Genesis 11, the languages were confused because of pride. Now? God’s gonna unify them in purity and worship.

It’s not just Israel either—it’s peoples. Nations. Gentiles. This is a worldwide redemption.

Verse 10 even speaks of people “from beyond the rivers of Cush”—that's modern-day Ethiopia or Africa. These are people far away geographically and culturally, but God’s calling them too. What a vision.

And verse 11? It’s personal.

"On that day you shall not be put to shame..."

That verse always makes me pause.

God says, “I’m gonna deal with the proud and haughty, but you—my humble ones—you won't be ashamed anymore. Not for the sins of your past. Not for your rebellion.”

God is separating the arrogant from the humble. And the ones left—this "remnant of Israel" in verse 13—will do no injustice. They won’t lie. There’ll be peace. No fear. No deceit. Just a people who rest in the Lord.

That’s beautiful.

It shows us that even though God judges, He also restores. He doesn't abandon His people. He purifies them.

Verses 14–17: The Joy of God Over His People

Okay, now this part is just full of beauty. Like goosebumps-level beauty.

Verse 14:

"Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart..."

God's people are called to sing and shout. Why? Because...

"The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies." (v. 15)

This right here is the gospel in Old Testament form.

Judgment taken away. Enemies cleared out. No more fear. The King is in your midst. You won’t need to be afraid anymore.

And then verse 17... oh my goodness, this one.

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing."

That verse is honestly one of the most precious in all of Scripture.

Let’s break it down:

  • God is with you – not far away, not detached. He’s right there. In your midst.

  • He’s mighty to save – not weak or uncertain. He’s powerful, able to rescue.

  • He rejoices over you – yes, you. Not just tolerates you. He rejoices.

  • He quiets you with His love – calming the storm in your heart.

  • He sings over you – Can you imagine that? God singing with joy over His people?

That’s not religion. That’s relationship. Deep, vibrant, soul-healing love.

It’s such a reversal from the opening of the chapter, where rebellion and corruption filled the air. Now there’s music. Joy. Peace. Redemption.

Verses 18–20: Final Restoration and Honor

The chapter ends with a promise.

God says in verse 18:

"I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival..."

He sees the ones who are grieving. The ones who remember the old ways. The worship. The temple. The celebrations they lost during exile. And He says, "I will bring it back. I see your sorrow, and I will turn it into joy."

And then—He’s not just gonna bring them back. He’s gonna deal with their oppressors. He’ll rescue the lame. Gather the outcast. Give them praise and honor.

Verse 20 ends with this:

"At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together... I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes..."

You know what this means?

Full-circle restoration.

They went from being rebellious and judged... to being forgiven and honored. From shame to praise. From being outcasts to being gathered in.

God isn’t done with His people. And He’s not done with you either.

So What Do We Do With This?

This chapter isn’t just ancient history. It speaks deeply to us today.

Some things to take away:

  1. God sees the sin in our hearts and our cities. He doesn't turn a blind eye. Whether it’s injustice, pride, or spiritual apathy—He sees it. And He cares.

  2. But His justice always has a purpose. It’s not about destroying for the sake of destruction. It’s about purifying. Drawing people back to Himself.

  3. God sings over His people. That truth is hard to fully wrap our heads around. But it’s real. He loves us more deeply than we can imagine.

  4. Humility leads to restoration. The ones He preserves and honors aren’t the loudest or most powerful—they’re the humble. The ones who trust in Him.

  5. There’s always hope. Even if the beginning of your story is dark and messy, God can bring beauty from it. He restores. He gathers. He sings.

Final Thoughts

Zephaniah Chapter 3 gives us the full picture. It doesn’t sugarcoat sin. It doesn’t skip over judgment. But it doesn’t leave us in despair either.

It shows us a God who is just and merciful. A God who corrects and comforts. A God who removes shame and replaces it with songs.

If you’re feeling far from God, or stuck in guilt, or discouraged by the world around you—this chapter is for you. It tells you there’s still a song being sung over your life. That God isn’t done yet.

So don’t let the heaviness of the early verses make you miss the beauty of the ending. Let the whole chapter speak to you. Let it remind you who God is. And let it call you back—back to a God who gathers, saves, and sings.

Thanks for studying with me today. Keep wrestling with the Word, keep coming back to it, and don’t forget—you’re loved more than you know.

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