Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem
November 26, 2021
Commentary
Zephaniah is no ordinary preacher. He is the great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah, one of Judah’s most famous rulers. He has royal blood in his veins, but more important, he has the message of God on his lips. Strange to say, Zephaniah preached during the reign of godly King Josiah, and it was a time of religious “revival” (II Kings 22-23). To all appearances, it was a time of religious concern and consecration.
There is a finality about the opening words of the prophecy (vv. 1-3) that suggests an ultimate and universal “day of the Lord” with justice triumphant and evil vanquished. The imagery is that of “de-creation”: a reversal of Genesis 1. On the fifth day, the Lord created the fish of the sea and the birds of the heaven (Gen. 1:21). On the sixth day, He created the beasts of the land and mankind (Gen. 1:25; 27). The Lord states that he will “make an end of” everything: man and beast, birds and fish (v. 3a). Not even ruins will remain to mark the existence of the wicked (v. 3b). Mankind will be “cut off” from the face of the earth (v. 3c). The judgment will begin with the people of Judah and Jerusalem (vv. 4-6):
1. The Remnant of Baal will be cut off (v. 4).
2. The Priests of Baal will be cut off, and their very names will be cut off as well (v. 4).
3. Those who worship the host of the heavens will be cut off (v. 5).
4. Those who claim to worship the Lord, but also swear by Milcom will be cut off (v. 5).
5. Those who have turned back from following the Lord will be cut off (v. 6).
6. Those who do not seek the Lord or pray to Him will be cut off (v. 6).
Application
An idol can be anything reverenced more than God. People trust in themselves, money, or power and not in God. But ultimately all idols will prove worthless, and the true God will prevail. I need to seek God first (Matt. 6:33) and have no other gods before Him (Ex. 20:3).
Zephaniah 1:1– 6 (NET)
1 This is the Lord’s message that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah during the time of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:
2 “I will destroy everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
3 “I will destroy people and animals; I will destroy the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. (The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.) I will remove humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
4 “I will attack Judah and all who live in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place every trace of Baal worship, as well as the very memory of the pagan priests.
5 I will remove those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops, those who swear allegiance to the Lord while taking oaths in the name of their ‘king,’
6 and those who turn their backs on the Lord and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.”
Illustration: What do you worship
The idols my heart adores are all those things which I demand for joy and significance. A well-known pastor in New York tells a wonderful story about a time when he discovered this application in his own life. He came home one Wednesday evening (after a board meeting) whistling with joy over the unity of the elders and the success he had dealing with complex problems. When he entered the house his wife said, “Wow, you must have had a great day.” He suddenly recognized that his moods had less to do with the nature and character and promises of God, than whether he got what he wanted at work. John Calvin once said, “Our hearts are idol factories;” what do you worship? (Source Unknown)