NOTES for Zep 2:3

The day of the Lord, the day when the Lord would come to His land, to His people, was expected in Israel as a day of triumph over the Gentiles, the day of Israel's reign over all nations. But the prophets bring a completely different vision of this day: the people of God are mired in sins, God's holiness and human sin are incompatible, and therefore the day of the Lord is darkness, not light; it is not triumph, but the Day of wrath, Dies irae. Recall the famous Requiems of Mozart and Verdi. And no human attempts to fulfill the law will save on this day. Is there any possibility of salvation? Yes, answers the prophet Zephaniah. Seek the Lord, not His law, but Him Himself. Seek righteousness, not the righteousness of human works, but the righteousness of God that proceeds from Him Himself. Seek humble wisdom, a remarkable word that paradoxically unites humility and wisdom. It can be understood as "humble wisdom," that is, wisdom that is not proud, not puffed up, but aware of its limits and open to the voice of God's Wisdom. And it can be understood as "wise humility," that is, not humility at any cost, not "self-abasement worse than pride," but God-guided openness to His peace, growth in relationships of love for God and people.

Where is this day, in the past or in the future? Neither there nor there; it is in the present. Because the Lord has come into this world and remains in it until His final victory, and we live in this day, and Zephaniah's words are addressed directly to us.