With judgment pending, for the whole Nation of Judah, God seems to give one more opportunity for grace! “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 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.” Zephaniah 2:1-2

The people are here called “O Nation not desired!” Yet she (Judah) had earlier been called “the apple of God’s Eye!” His “favorite,” the one “closest” to Him! Wow! See Deuteronomy 32:10.

What a difference unconfessed sin makes!

The noun “nation” (in the clause “nation not desired”) here is (astonishingly) “goy,” almost always used of GENTILES in the Bible! (Seldom of Jews!) God is exasperated! And the verbal “desired” means “yearned for,” the state of “longing” for something or someone.

And “to gather together” translates “qashash,” only used 8 times in the whole Bible! It means “to bend over and gather sticks or stubble.” In other words, “humble yourselves!” Don’t be so “high and mighty!”

Notice God says to Judah TWICE, “Gather together,” that is … “become lowly,” indicating a willingness “to abase oneself!”

Our Text continues. “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 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.”

Before the “decree” come forth, BEFORE JUDGMENT IS BORN (“bring forth”), or BEFORE GOD’S WRATH FALLS UPON THE LITTLE NATION!

And the “day” passing so quickly (as if blown away by a puff of wind, like an empty husk of wheat) is the day of Grace, the day God again offered repentance to His erring, stubborn people.

Both occurrences of “anger” here are (in Hebrew) spelled “aph,” their normal word for “nose” or “nostril!” GOD IS NOW SO UPSET, SO WRATHFUL THAT HE IS BREATHING HARD, RED FACED, an anthropomorphism for sure. (God being described using human terms … to help us better understand His reaction.)

In the middle of judgment, God “pauses” to offer an opportunity for repentance!

That’s HIM!

Praise His Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell