The Historical Context of the Book of Zephaniah

If you’ve heard a sermon on Zephaniah that you can remember, likely it was on Zephaniah 3, where we are told that the Lord will “rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” We like that part. But we don’t get to this kind of hopeful assurance in the book of Zephaniah until chapter 3. So what do we do with all of the judgment in Zephaniah when we’re teaching through this book?

William Wood, assistant professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary Atlanta, who is currently finalizing his doctoral dissertation on the use of the Old Testament in the book of Zephaniah, tells us in this conversation. Wood says that the book of Zephaniah is summarized by the line: “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled; those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Wood also demonstrates how to connect the promises in the book of Zephaniah to the clothing of the priests, the story of Dagon, Pentecost, and the ultimate Day of the Lord.