This book begins where it should, with the word of the LORD coming to Zephaniah. He was an unusual prophet in that he descended from the royal line of kings.
“I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land,” Says the LORD; “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land,” says the LORD.” (v2,3)
Zephaniah gets straight to the point and makes no bones about it, that God will consume everything. Nothing in the world is going to last forever. God’s judgment was going to be harsh and complete.
“I will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, the names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests – those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, but who also swear by Milcom; Those who have turned back from following the LORD, and have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him.” (v4-6)
Judah may have thought that v2,3 was relating to the whole earth, but now it comes down to them, Judah. It becomes personal and close to home, in fact directly to them, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, there was no hiding from it.
Josiah the king had inherited a corrupt nation from his father Amon and grandfather Manasseh (2 Kings 21:3-7). The nation was virtually given over to idolatry. God said that He would cut off every trace of Baal, the names of the idolatrous priests and those who worship the hosts of heaven, those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD and by Milcom. Milcom was the god of the Ammonites, a pagan god. In 2 Kings 23:13 it is described as the ‘abomination of the children of Ammon’. Ammon often referred to Milcom as their king. In that same chapter it appeared that the people and leaders took notice of God’s pronouncement of judgment because in the days of Josiah this kind of idolatry was wiped out.
“Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; For the day of the LORD is at hand, for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice;
He has invited His guests. And it shall be, In the day of the LORD’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel. In the same day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.” (v7-9)
When God passes judgment, we might be tempted to answer, either by way of mitigation, defence, or even sorrow and repentance. Having worked in the court system, a person was always given the opportunity to make some sort of plea in defence or mitigation, but here, the LORD God addresses the royalty of Judah in a way they aren’t used to hearing. He tells them to be silent and listen to His pronouncement of judgment made against a wicked nation.
Zephaniah speaks plainly about God’s punishment on the king’s children and princes if they do not continue in their turning to God. This was spoken to a godly king. The priests and leaders were apparently dressing in foreign clothes, wanting to be like the world, and God’s warning is also on them.
Those who leap over the threshold, were probably those who sought to bring pagan customs into the house of God.
“And there shall be on that day,” says the LORD, “The sound of a mournful cry from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second Quarter, and a loud crashing from the hills. Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh! For all the merchant people are cut down; All those who handle money are cut off.” (v10,11)
God turns His attention to merchants, those who ply their trade trusting in riches. God looked upon it as idolatry. Paul writing to the Colossians classed it as covetousness.
“And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men Who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil.’ Therefore their goods shall become booty, and their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.” (v12,13)
No-one will escape God’s judgment even if He has to bring out lamps to search. It is an interesting thought because nothing is hidden from God. Seemed to be against those who were complacent thinking that God was ineffective. Their lives will be completely pointless, their own goods not their own, houses desolate and even build houses not to live in them, and planting vineyards and not enjoying the wine they produced.
“The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. (v14-16)
The LORD spells out the intesity of the judgment – He starts by saying that the great day of the LORD is near. One commentator says that ‘the day’ does not necessarily refer to one specific day but of ‘God’s time’, and that ‘the day of the LORD’ is used more than 25 times in the bible. The day of man is said to be now, and it will not last forever, but the Messiah will end the day of man and usher in the day of the LORD.
Zephaniah describes it as a day of wrath. The day is bitter, such that mighty men will cry out. Other words that describe that day are – trouble and distress, devastation and desolation, darkness and gloominess, clouds and thick darkness, trumpet and alarm against fortified cities and high towers. Not a day to look forward to excepting with trepidation.
“I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD;
Their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse.” Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.” (v17,18)
God, speaking through Zephaniah, makes it clear that judgment is certain. “I will bring distress upon men.” God himself will do it. Why? Because they have sinned against God. They won’t be able to see where they are going, their blood poured out and their flesh as rubbish. No use relying on your gold and silver in that day, God will get rid o them speedily. Their riches will be no use to them.
