Zephaniah 1:7-18

The day of the Lord is at hand.

The day of war, the day of horrors

The war day is represented here--

I. As a day of enormous sacrifice.

1. Sacrifice of life. Among several classes.

(1) Royalty.

(2) Nobility.

(3) Traders.

(4) The masses.

2. Sacrifice of property.

II. As a day of Divine retribution. All the horrors of war are here represented as judgments from the Almighty. In using war as a punishment for sin it may be observed--

1. That all who perish in war righteously deserve their fate.

2. That warriors, in executing the Divine justice, demonstrate the enormity of the evil requiring punishment.

3. War, as an officer of Divine justice, reveals the amazing freedom allowed to the sinner in this world, and God’s controlling power over hostile forces. (Homilist.)