Why does Zephaniah warn the people to be silent in the presence of the Lord God? Because the day of the Lord is as hand. The Day of the Lord is coming – referring directly to the Tribulation which is coming soon. The day of reckoning is coming when all accounts will be settled and God is the one who keeps the books. Note the next phrase:

Isaiah 1:11-15 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. (12) When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? (13) Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. (14) Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. (15) And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

The Israelites were not properly sacrificing to God or in a manner that was pleasing to Him. The sacrifices were made as vain oblations meaning they were done more to please the people that to please God. The motions of the sacrifices may have been technically correct, but the motivation behind the sacrifices was all self centered rather than God centered. And that problem continues today – while we do not perform animal sacrifices, believers actually have a more difficult sacrifice to perform: themselves.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. The believer’s body is to be a living sacrifice to God – meaning that we are to die to self daily – in other words, we are to set aside what we want on a daily basis for what God wants. That is called obedience to God.

Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. The believer must set aside their desires to follow the desires of God. The desires of the flesh must be cast away by the believer in order to become a living sacrifice for God. The form of praise toward God should please Him first, not us. And the praise toward God should not be just lip service: Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Our praise should be shown in our lives – we should not just say it, but we should show our praise and love of God in our actions. Hebrews 13:15-16 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (16) But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

If God is not pleased with the sacrifice prepared by His children, He will, as seen in Zephaniah 1:7, prepare His own sacrifice.