The Pulpit Commentary — Zephaniah — Section 47

our ways, we turn unto the Lord, and lift up our bee.rt with our hands unto God in the bee.vens, we shall M8uredly find him; we shall experience that mercy which be shows to tbo~e who confess their sins, and we shall be made more and more partakers of his holiness.. T?_i1s we shall be h_id in the day of the Lord's e.nger, for we she.ll he ahie to ae.y to him, Thou art my Hiding-place; thou she.It preserve me from trouble; thou she.It compass me about with songs of deliverance." -0. Yers. 1-3.-Sin and repentance: the bane t11nd the antidote, "Gather yourselves together," Ptc. Here is an exhortation to the men of Judah to repent ere the Clinldean invaders approach, and wreak destruction on their land. Two thoughts are i:uggested. I. Sn. EXPOSES KAN TO RUIN. It w&B sin, in the form of idolatry and gross immorality, that exposed the Jewish people to the terrible doom that was now hanging over them. Sin is evermore the cause of all human suffering. Corporeal i:in brings corporeal suffering; moral sin brings moral suffering ; national sin brings national suffering. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." 1. The suffering that folwws sin is sometimes very terrible. It was so now. Sin brings upon a people famines, pestilences, wars, perdition. 2. The suffering expresses God's antagonism to sin. " The fierce anger of the Lord," or, as Henderson has it, "the burning anger of Jehovah." God's anger is not a passion, but a principle; and the principle is antagonism, not to the happiness of bis creatures, but to their sin and their wicked- ness. The connection between sin and misery is a beneficent arranuement. 0 It is well that misery should pursue wrong. II. THAT REPENTANOB DELIVERS MAN tFROH BOIN. 'l'o prepare for the coming doom, the men of Judah are called upon to repent. "Gather yourselves together, yea, gather toge'ther, 0 nation not desired," which may mean, "not worthy of the grace or favour of God." Some translate it, "not waxing pale," meaning, " being dead to a sense of shame." Others regard the expression as meaning:, "not desiring to repent." 1. The preparation for repentance. "Gather yourselves together," etc. .. Ga.ther yourselves together" in connection; deliberate together as to the best way of securing the friendship and protection of God. "Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders" (Joel ii. 16). It is well for sinners, in the prospect of their doom, to meet and confer concerning their relations to Almighty God. 2. The natwre of repentance. It is here represented as seeking the Lord. " Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth;" or, as Henderson renders it, "Seek ye Jehovah, all ye humble of the earth." There are two seekings here. (1) The seeking of God. Which is to he understood in a moral sense, seeking bis friendship; for in a natural seDBe be is "not far from every one of us." But we are all away from him in sym- pathy. (2) The seeking of meekness. "Seek righteousness, seek meekness," etc. Indeed, to seek moral excellence is to seek God; and to seek moral excellence is repent- ance; it is a turning away from tbe creature to the Cree.tor, from the wrong to the right. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.~ 3. The urgency of repentance. Do it now. "Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you." It will be too late to repent when the judgment comes. "They shall ea.II upon me, and I will not answer;" "Many shall say to me at tha.t day," etc. (Matt. vii. 22). CoNCLUBIOll. As sin is in the world, judgments are in the world. Retribution, like an invadin11: army, is always marching toward the victim. Repentance is the only means of deliverance. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."-D. T. Vera. 4-7.-The sinner', baleftd influence, and God', disposal of all, "For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon," etc. Here the prophet makes the punish"Jlent awaiting the neighbouring states, which he goes on to specify, an argument for immediate repentance. "For Gaza shall be forsaken." Gaza was one of the five principalities of tbe Philistines, and was situated on the coast of the Mediterranean at the southern extremity of Canaan. "Aehkelon a desolation." This was another of the fenced cities of the Philistines, situated on the shore of the Mediterranean, Letween Gaza and Ashdod. "Ekron shall be rooted up." Another Philistine city, OH, II. 1-16.] 'l'HE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH. 45