NOTES for Zep 2:3

The day of the Lord, the day, when the Lord will come on His land, to His people, was expected in Israel as a triumph day on the heathen, the day of the accession to the throne of Israel over all the peoples. But the prophets bring completely another vision of this day: the people of God, is sinking into sins, God's holiness and human sin are incompatible, that is why the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light, it is not a triumph, but a Day of wrath, Dies irae (remember the famous "Requiem" - Mozart, Verdi).

And no human attempts to accomplish the law will save in this day. But is there any possibility of salvation? There is, answers the prophet Zephaniah. Seek the Lord, not His law, but He Himself. Seek righteousness - not the righteousness of the human deeds, but God's righteousness, coming from He Himself.

Seek for meekness- but this remarkable word which includes in itself paradoxically humiliation and wisdom. We can understand it as "the humble wisdom" - which is wisdom not proud, not haughty, but recognizing its limits and opened unto God's voice of wisdom. And we can understand as "a wise humiliation" - which is, not humiliation at all costs, not "the depreciation of a heap of pride", but the openness directed by God towards His world, increase into relations of love to God and people.

Where is this day, in the past or in the future? Neither there, nor there, it is in the present. Because God came into this world and stays in it until His definitive victory - and we are living in this day, and the words of Zephaniah are directly addressed to us.