the future judgment of the world? Most mod- tivity, and the prophet had to share this message with
Zephaniah 1 the people obeyed more from a fear of the king than a love for the Lord. The changes were only on the surface of the nation; the people's hearts were still devoted to the false gods. No sooner was Josiah dead than the nation reverted to their old ways. What they experienced was a surface reformation but not a deep revival.
called the day of the Lord. Local judgments were but examples of the final day of the Lord to occur in the end times. 2 Some students call this "Josiah's revival," but it's doubtful that "revival" is the best word. Certainly the people put away their false gods and returned to the worship of Jehovah, but their motivation was not spiritual. Since the king commanded them to abandon the foreign gods, ing a life of ease. Instead, you find him ministering as God's prophet, which was a dangerous calling. His contemporary, Jeremiah, was arrested and put in a filthy cistern for admonishing the leaders of Judah to surrender to the Babylonians.
CHAPTER ONE Zephaniah 1—2 THERE'S A GREAT DAY COMING! W
I. The Day of the Lord and the Jews (1:1—2:3) A. Pictures of that great day. 1. Like a flood—1:2–6
God had shown Zephaniah that judgment was coming upon Judah in the form of the Babylonian captivity, and the prophet had to share this message with the people. However, Babylon's invasion of Judah was but a feeble example of what would occur on that final day of the Lord, which would sweep over all the earth. Zephaniah opened his book by presenting three graphic pictures of the day of the Lord.
hen was the last time you sang a hymn about the future judgment of the world? Most modern hymnals don't contain songs about the day of the Lord, and you certainly won't find the phrase in your daily newspaper or weekly news magazine. Even if they do believe in God, most people don't connect Him in any way with either current or future events. The closest we come to involving God in human events is when insurance policies mention "acts of God over which we have no control." But that's a far cry from Zephaniah's day of the Lord.
The first picture is that of a devastating universal flood (Zeph. 1:2–3). The Hebrew word translated "consume" in the KJV means "to sweep away completely." The picture is that of total devastation of all that God created and is probably a reference to Noah's flood. (You find similar wording in Gen. 6:7; 7:4; 9:8–10.) God gave man dominion over the fish, the fowl, and the beasts (1:28; Ps. 8:7–8), but man lost that dominion when Adam disobeyed God. However, through Jesus Christ, man's lost dominion will one day be restored (Heb. 2:5–9).
Thinking people used to take God's judgment of the world seriously and even sang hymns about it. A famous medieval Latin hymn was based on Zephaniah 1:15: "That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress. …" The first two verses read:
Day of wrath! O day of mourning! See fulfilled the prophets warning, Heav'n and earth in ashes burning!
God will not only destroy His creation, but He will also destroy the idols that people worship—the "stumbling blocks" that offend the Lord (Ezek. 14:1–8). In Zephaniah's day, idolatry was rife in Judah, thanks to the evil influence of King Manasseh. When God stretches out His hand, it means that judgment is coming (Isa. 9:12, 17, 21). The prophet names two of the false gods that had captured the hearts of the people: Baal, the rain god of the Canaanites (Zeph. 1:4), and Malcom (Milcom, Molech), the terrible god of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:33; Amos 5:26). The people also worshipped the host of heaven (Deut. 4:19; Jer. 19:13; 32:29) and followed the godless example of the idolatrous priests ("Chemarim"2 in Zeph. 1:4; see 2 Kings 23:5, 8; Hos. 10:5).
O what fear man's bosom rendeth When from Heav'n the Judge descendeth On whose sentence all dependeth'1
I wonder how popular a worship leader would be if he or she selected that particular hymn today.
The day of the Lord is an important biblical concept that we must take seriously, because it tells us where things are going and how they're going to end. During the day of the Lord, God will send tribulation to the world, judge the nations, save His people Israel, and then establish His righteous kingdom. God warns the world that judgment is coming, and it's foolish for anybody to be unprepared. The big question is "Where will you hide on that great day?" (see Zeph. 2:3).
These idolaters may have claimed that they were still faithfully worshipping Jehovah, the true and living God, but Jehovah will not share worship or glory with any other god. In turning to idols, the people had turned away from the Lord and were not seeking Him or His blessing (Zeph. 1:6). They were guilty of sins of commission (worshipping idols) and omission (ignoring the Lord).
In the first two chapters of his book, the prophet Zephaniah relates the day of the Lord to both the Jews and the Gentiles.
The Day of the Lord and the Jews (1:1–2:4) You would expect the great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah to be living comfortably in Jerusalem, enjoy-
During the Babylonian captivity, the Jews were
Zephaniah 1—2 cured of their fascination with foreign gods. Their temple was destroyed, their priesthood was scattered, and for seventy years they could not worship the way Moses had commanded them. When they were finally allowed to return to their land, one of the first things the Jews did was rebuild their temple and restore the sacrifices.
submit to the word of the Lord. The fire of God's jealous zeal6 would consume everything, and no one would escape. Even the wealthy would not be able to ransom their lives, and the enemy would take away their ill-gotten riches.
What Zephaniah described here is but an illustration of what will happen in the end times when God's judgment falls on a wicked world, only that final day of the Lord will be far more terrible (see Rev. 6—19). There will be cosmic disturbances that will affect the course of nature and cause people to cry out for a place to hide (Amos 5:18; 8:9; Joel 2:1–2, 10, 30–32; Rev. 6:12–17). Unless you know Jesus Christ as your own Savior, you will have no place to hide (Zeph. 2:3).
The second picture is that of a great sacrifice (vv. 7–13). Since the Jewish people were accustomed to attending communal sacrifices (1 Sam. 9:11ff.), this image was familiar to them. But this sacrifice would be different, for it was God who was hosting the sacrifice. His guests were the Babylonians; and the sacrifices to be offered were the people of Judah! No wonder the prophet called for silence as he contemplated such an awesome event!3 (See Amos 6:10; 8:3; Hab. 2:20.)
This explains why the prophet closed this message with a plea for the people to repent of their sins and turn to the Lord for His forgiveness (vv. 1–3). Like the prophet Joel (2:16), he told them to call a solemn assembly and seek the Lord. Zephaniah especially called upon the godly remnant ("you meek of the earth") to pray and seek God's face, perhaps referring to the promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14. But even if the majority of the nation followed false gods and turned away from the Lord, God would still protect His own precious remnant when the day of Judgment comes (Mal. 3:16–18).
You would expect the royal family and the religious leaders4 of the land to be the honored guests at God's feast, but they are the ones to be sacrificed (Zeph. 1:8–9)! God punishes them because they have abandoned His Word and adopted foreign practices, including wearing foreign clothes and worshipping foreign gods (see Num. 15:38; Deut. 22:11–12). After the death of King Josiah in 609, the last four kings of Judah were weak men who yielded to the policies of the pro-Egyptian bloc in the government. Instead of trusting the Lord, they trusted their allies, and this led to disaster.
2. Like a great sacrifice—1:7–13 3. Like a battle—1:15–18 B.Plea to seek the Lord—2:1–3
Zephaniah and Jeremiah ministered during the same period in history, and both of them begged the rulers to trust God and turn from sin, but the kings, officials, and priests refused to obey. God would have rescued the nation at the last minute, but the leaders were insensitive to God's call and disobedient to His Word.
Zephaniah must have been a resident in Jerusalem, for he knew the layout of the city (Zeph. 1:10–13). When the Babylonians, God's guests, would come to the sacrificial feast, they would enter the city, plunder it, and then destroy it. The Fish Gate was where the fishermen had their markets; the "second quarter" was where the rich people lived in their fashionable houses, built from the wages owed to poor laborers. "Maktesh" was the market and business district of the city where the merchants and bankers were located.5
II. The Day of the Lord and the Gentiles (2:4–15) A.Philistia—2:4–7
But the Lord did spare a godly remnant that stayed true to Him throughout the seventy years of captivity. They were a "company of the concerned," who became the nucleus of the restored nation when they returned to the land. In every period in history it is the godly remnant that keeps the light burning when it seems as if the darkness is about to cover the earth. Today, God needs a "company of the concerned," who will walk the narrow road regardless of what others may do, obey God's Word, and share His gospel with the lost. God is keeping His "book of remembrance" (Mal. 3:16–17), and you and I want our names in that book.
But the city would be destroyed, and the merchants' wealth confiscated. So thoroughly would the Babylonians do their work that they would search the city carefully and find even the people who were hiding.
The tragedy is that the invasion could have been avoided if the people had not been so complacent and indifferent toward what God was saying through His prophets. Judah was certain that the Lord was on their side because they were God's covenant people. They were like wine that sits undisturbed for a long time (Jer. 48:11; Amos 6:1) and congeals because it isn't poured from vessel to vessel to get rid of the bitter dregs. The worship of false gods had polluted the nation, and the pure wine had become bitter.
The Day of the Lord and the Gentiles (2:4–15) God's judgment begins in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17), which explains why Zephaniah started with the people of Judah; but now he explains how the day of the Lord will affect the Gentile nations surrounding Judah. Though they were never given God's law as were the Jews (Ps. 147:19–20), the Gentiles are still responsible before God; for God has revealed Himself to them in creation and conscience (Rom. 1:18ff.). Furthermore, these nations had not always treated the Jews kindly, and now the time had arrived for God to judge them.
The prophet's third picture of the day of the Lord is that of a great battle (Zeph. 1:14–18). The description is a vivid one: You can hear the cries of the captives and the shouts of the warriors; you can see thunderclouds of judgment and flashes of lightning; you behold the victims' blood poured out like cheap dust and their "entrails like filth" (v. 17 niv). What a scene of destruction and carnage, and all because the nation refused to
The nations named may represent all the Gentiles,
Zephaniah 2
Since the predictions about the destruction of these nations have all come true, isn't it reasonable to assume that Zephaniah's other predictions will also be fulfilled? Each of these local invasions and conquests was a precursor of the end times day of the Lord, which will come upon the whole world. But when the day of the Lord has run its course, Israel will be delivered, and the Lord will establish His glorious kingdom on the earth. In the last chapter of his prophecy, Zephaniah explains how the day of the Lord will relate to this promised kingdom.
since these nations correspond to the four points of the compass: Assyria (north), Cush (south), Moab and Ammon (east), and Philistia (west). During the great day of the Lord, all the nations of the earth will taste the judgment of God.
Philistia (vv. 4–7). The Philistines were ancient enemies of the Jews (Gen. 20—21, 26). According to Amos 1:6–8, they took Jewish people captive from cities in southern Judah and sold them to other nations as slaves. But the time would come when their populous cities would be empty and their land left desolate, a place for shepherds to feed their flocks. Their coastal cities, made wealthy by vast shipping enterprises, would be destroyed by the enemy and left in ruins. Nebuchadnezzar invaded Philistia and conquered it, and the only remnant of that great nation left today is the name "Palestine," which comes from "Philistine" (see Ezek. 25:15–28:26).
Before we leave Zephaniah 1 and 2, we must note some practical truths that apply to believers today. First, God judges His people when they deliberately disobey His law. His people are to be different from the other nations and not imitate their ways or worship their gods (Num. 23:9; Ex. 33:16; Deut. 32:8). "Be not conformed to this world" is an admonition for all believers today (Rom. 12:2; see 2 Cor. 6:14— 7:1). Second, God's promise to Abraham still stands: Those who bless Israel, God will bless; those who curse Israel, God will curse (Gen. 12:1–3). The nations that have sinned against God by mistreating the Jews can expect Him to judge them.
B.Moab and Ammon—2:8–11 C.Cush—2:12 D.Assyria—2:13–15
However, the Jews will inhabit the land of the Philistines when the kingdom is established, and the Lord will enable them to live in peace. Zephaniah will later have more to say about this when he describes the kingdom blessings (Zeph. 3:9–20).
Moab and Ammon (vv. 8–11). The Moabites and Ammonites originated from Lot's incestuous union with his two daughters (Gen. 19:30–38) and were hateful enemies of the Jews (Num. 22; Judg. 3, 10; 1 Sam. 11:1–5; 2 Sam. 12:26ff.). But these two arrogant nations would end up like Sodom and Gomorrah, wiped off the face of the earth (Gen. 19; note the connection here with Lot). No more would they insult either the nation of Israel or the God of Israel. (See Amos 1:13—2:3 for further evidence of the wickedness and inhumanity of these two nations.) Once again, the prophet promised that the Jews would occupy the land of their enemies when the kingdom is established (see also Ezek. 25:1–11).
Finally, God's Word is true and will be fulfilled in its time. God's people can claim His promises and know that their God will be faithful, and God's enemies can be sure that His words of warning carry costly penalties. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31).
Notes
1 The hymn is attributed to Thomas of Celano. This translation of "Dies Irae" ("day of wrath") is by William J. Irons. 2 The root of the Hebrew word means either "black," referring to the color of their robes (Jewish priests wore white), or "zealous," referring to the frenzy of their religious ceremonies as they prostrated themselves before their gods. 3 For other instances of judgment depicted as sacrifice, see Isaiah 34:5–7; Jeremiah 46:10; and Ezekiel 39:17–19; and note Revelation 19:17–21. 4 The phrase "leap on [over] the threshold" in verse 9 is usually related to the pagan practice described in 1 Samuel 5:1–5, but perhaps it describes the haste with which the covetous Jews left their houses to go out to exploit the poor and acquire wealth to devote to their false gods. The prophets condemned the rich for their brutal treatment of the poor in the land. 5 Maktesh means "mortar" in Hebrew, possibly because the district lay in a part of Jerusalem that was in a natural depression. But perhaps there is a double meaning here: God would deal with His people the way women pound grain in a mortar. 6 The Hebrew word translated "jealously" (1:18; 3:8) means "to be hot, to be inflamed." God's jealousy is not like human envy, for what could God envy when He has everything? He is jealous over His name and His glory, and His anger is aroused when His people worship other gods (Ex. 34:14; Ps. 78:58; 79:5). God is jealous over His people and wants their wholehearted love and devotion.
Cush (v. 12). This nation was located in the upper Nile region. Some students think the reference includes Egypt, another long-time enemy of the Jews. It was Nebuchadnezzar and the swords of the Babylonian soldiers that conquered this ancient nation (Ezek. 30:4–5). Assyria (vv. 13–15). Until the rise of Babylon, Assyria had been the dominant power, a ruthless people who were notorious for their pride and their cruelty to their enemies. A century and a half before, God had sent the prophet Jonah to Assyria's capital city of Nineveh to warn them of God's judgment, and the people had repented, but successive generations went back to the old pagan ways, and Nineveh was destroyed in 612. Within the next few years, the once great Assyrian Empire simply vanished from the face of the earth, and Zephaniah saw it coming.
Because Nineveh thought it was an impregnable city, her citizens were careless and carefree when Zephaniah made his prediction, but God brought both the people and their city down into the dust of defeat. (See the book of Nah. and Isa. 45; 47:10.)
Zephaniah 3 the Lord and His Word and dealt treacherously with the people. They didn't proclaim God's truth; they only preached what the people wanted to hear.
CHAPTER TWO Zephaniah 3 THE GLORY OF THE KINGDOM W
As for the priests, their very ministry was toxic and polluted the sanctuary! (Matt. 23:25–28 relates what Jesus said about the Pharisees in His day.) Instead of serving God for His glory, the priests twisted the law to please themselves and gain what they wanted.
hy did the prophets consistently close their books with messages of hope? For at least three reasons. To begin with, hope is a great motivation for obedience, and the prophets wanted to encourage God's people to submit to God's will and do what He commanded. God's covenant blessings come to His people only when they obey His covenant conditions.
The tragedy is that God had spoken to His people and corrected them in discipline, and yet they wouldn't listen or obey (Zeph. 3:2). "If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over" (Lev. 26:23–24 niv). This was the message of Jeremiah to the city of Jerusalem even while Babylon was poised to attack (Jer. 2:30; 5:3; 7:8; 17:23; 32:33).
A second reason is the prophets' emphasis on the faithfulness of God. The Lord will keep His promises and one day establish the kingdom; and since God is faithful to keep His promises, we ought to be faithful obeying His Word. If we obey, God will be faithful to chasten; if we confess, He will be faithful to forgive.
A righteous God (vv. 5–8). God's name was identified with the city and the temple (2 Sam. 7:13; 1 Kings 5:5; Neh. 1:9), and yet both were cesspools of iniquity. Therefore, He would have to act in judgment for His own name's sake. The wicked officials met at the city gate morning after morning to transact their evil business, and the Lord was there to behold their deeds. How patiently He waited, and yet they would not repent and turn to Him for cleansing!
Finally, the closing message of hope was an encouragement to the faithful remnant in the land who were true to God and suffered because of their devotion to Him. It's difficult to belong to that "company of the committed" who stand true to the Lord and His Word no matter what others may do or say. Knowing that God would one day defeat their enemies and reign in righteousness would encourage the believers remnant to persist in their faithful walk with the Lord.
Since the Lord reminded His people that He had judged the Gentiles and cut off nations (Zeph. 3:6), He was able to cut Judah off as well. In fact, the Jews were more guilty than were the Gentiles because the Lord had given Israel more truth and more blessing. The people were sinning against a flood of light. Surely God's judgment of the other nations should have awakened the Jews to their peril, but they paid no attention. After all, they were God's covenant people, and He would protect them from their enemies. They forgot that covenant privileges also involved covenant responsibilities.
In this last chapter, God reveals His plans for Jerusalem, the Gentile nations, and the faithful remnant. At the same time, the Lord reveals Himself and His gracious working on behalf of His people in every age and in every place.
Jerusalem: God's Jealous Anger (3:1–8) Jerusalem is commonly called "the Holy City,"1 but in Zephaniah's day, the city didn't manifest much holiness! Isaiah (1:21ff.), Jeremiah (29:12ff.), and Ezekiel (4—6, 9) gave the same assessment in their day. Even the Gentiles called Jerusalem "the rebellious and wicked city" (Ezra 4:12, 15), and they could cite proof for their statement.
The Lord concludes this message to Jerusalem by describing a courtroom scene in which He stands to testify against His people (v. 8). While the impending Babylonian captivity is involved here, there is also an end-times application in the Battle of Armageddon, when the nations of the world converge against Jerusalem. God will pour out His wrath upon these nations, deliver His people, and establish His kingdom (Zech. 14:1–9). His jealous anger will burn like fire against all who resist His truth and disobey His Word. The terrible day of the Lord will dawn, and there will be no escape (see Zeph. 1:2ff.).
III. The Day of the Lord and the kingdom (3:1–20) A.Jerusalem: God's jealous anger—3:1–8
A sinning people (vv. 1–2). Instead of being holy, the city was filthy and polluted because of shameful sin; and instead of bringing peace ("Jerusalem" means "city of peace"), the city was guilty of rebellion and oppression. God gave His people the revelation of Himself in His Word and His mighty acts, yet they didn't believe Him or seek Him. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4:8 nkjv).
The Gentiles: God's Gracious Forgiveness (3:9–10) It's important to keep in mind that God's call of Abraham involved bringing God's blessing to the whole world (Gen. 12:1–3). God accomplished this by giving the Jews the knowledge of the true God, the written Word of God, and the Savior, Jesus Christ (Rom. 9:1–5). Therefore, they were to share these blessings with the Gentiles.
A godless leadership (vv. 3–4). God expected the civil and religious leaders of the land to take His Word seriously and lead the people in the way of righteousness. Instead, the leaders acted like ravenous beasts in the way they oppressed the people and took what they wanted from them. The prophets were unfaithful to