Zephaniah 2:1-3
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, o undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff.
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth,. Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger.
This is not merely a plea to congregate, which may indeed be implied, but it is not the main thrust of the advice given here. Rather, it is to gather one’s thoughts, to meditate, to pull things together in one’s mind, to think about their consequences on the nation, on the individual, on one’s loved ones. God wants us to consider these things as a first step toward repentance, so he says, “Change direction, turn to righteousness and perhaps you will be hidden during His anger.”
“Perhaps” might throw a person into discouragement or doubt, but God is not playing with our emotions. The measure of doubt expressed concerns whether men will repent. We must never forget that God is a God of salvation. He is a God of deliverance. It is His desire to deliver and to protect, and certainly He is never without means to save. Nothing is too hard for Him, if we give Him a chance, which is why it says, “Seek the Lord now, before the destruction comes.” This is the warning: “Watch, but don’t just stand there passively! Gather your thoughts and think about the implications of this. Where is it leading?” He is appealing to us to respond.
