Since we covered verse one in the introduction to Zephaniah, we will only touch on it lightly. That word lightly makes me laugh because I rarely do anything lightly.
Zephaniah 1:1 NET. This is the prophetic message that the LORD gave to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah, son of Amon of Judah:
If you read my introduction to Zephaniah, then you would know that I wanted to find out what could have been an aspect of his motivation to speak such a strong word. I realize many will not understand my simplistic idea of motivation, as “God,” we assume, speaks to us, telling us to jump, and we say, how high. It doesn't work quite like that. For me, it was a major trust issue as the Holy Spirit was kind enough to give me something like “and the” for a starter. I had to trust Him to fill my mouth, and He always did. As I sit in groups, I rarely find people who recognize that God/the Holy Spirit can and does speak to them.
Along with this track, I was recently reminded that Proverbs tells us more about God's attempts at talking with us than any other book.
Proverbs 1:20-21 NET. Wisdom calls out in the street, she shouts loudly in the plazas; 21) at the head of the noisy streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words:
If Proverbs 1:20 is an example of the Holy Spirit speaking, then you can see that He is not merely talking; He is calling out.
If you understand that God is Wisdom, you should be able to grasp that He is calling out to you all the time.
For the sake of argument, let's assume that you don't believe or will not accept that God will speak to you.
If that is your understanding, then you would never realize that the twisted path God has taken you on was meant to build the character and personality in you that you now have (even if you look and act like a biker). The truth is, God has never let you out of His hand and has directed every move you made, even the painful ones.
Why did those things have to happen to you?
Because God needed the person, you became to reach that one person who would only listen to you.
I don't know if you realize what is going on here as I write, but I am also talking to myself, a man who struggles with several damaged aspects of my life (those aspects are primarily emotional, but the damage is real and affects every aspect of my life). In other words, like many of you, I am a walking miracle.
In my previous post, I emphasized the impact of the evil king Manasseh's reign.
The assumption would be logical and practical to consider him, as he played the majority role in Zephaniah's life, and strove to create an environment that echoed the Nazi regime's goals of eradication. Manasseh also, in many ways, matches the current apostate condition of the world we now live in; a world where the name of the Lord is on the verge of being outlawed. Here in my state, California's state assembly has moved to pass Assembly Bill 2943. This bill will make the Bible illegal literature because the words and message in the Bible have always stood against homosexuality. The reality of the Bible is that there are many words in this book that anger people, many of which are religious. The Bible irritates so many people because the Word stands in contrast to and against our selfish desires.
As a side note, I feel no compulsion to use my Bible as a harsh motivation against sin; it speaks against sin on its own. If I can call it that, my motivation for teaching and preaching is meant to get you excited about the life and potential found in the Bible, and then let that control you.
One commentary
stated, all we know about Zephaniah is told to us in verse
one;
And, it tells us that, “Zephaniah
delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah son of Amon of
Judah.”
Since Josiah is set before us, we need to learn about Josiah.
2 Kings 22:1 NET. Josiah was eight years old when he became king and reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath.
Seriously? How useful or self-directed would an eight-year-old child be?
In reality, someone who held Jehovah in high esteem, regardless of Manasseh's oppression, was helping to direct Josiah's actions and words. Now, I would expect Josiah, if he had a heart for it, to be a follower of the law and God's way, and that is what we see, as we are told he reigned for thirty-one years. This information does not tell me what Josiah did that demonstrated a life of dedication to the Lord, but verse two does.
2 Kings 22:2 NET. He did what the LORD approved and followed in his ancestor David's footsteps; he did not deviate to the right or the left.
Having listened to Pastor Chuck Smith, the founder of the Calvary Chapels, talk about Josiah, you would think this young man would put King David to shame.
Put this information in context: We are all human, and this idea of hearing God would have been a struggle, even for a king, especially for a young king. Therefore, again, it is safe to assume that sane people, led by God, were able to instill great and unselfish wisdom into the young king's life.
Since the passage compares him to King David, you should be able to acknowledge that David was a man after God's own heart. A reality check: David had all the human faults a man could stand, so what qualifies David for this title? Solomon's interactions with God give us a clue.
1 Kings 11:4 NET. When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.
David was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, in spite of his flaws and failures.
A look at the word devoted reveals this:
šālēm: An adjective meaning full, complete, safe, whole, peaceful. This adjective has several uses when it suggests complete, safe, unharmed, and natural.
So David felt safe, whole, peaceful, and natural. Take that in for a moment.
Do you have anyone in your life who produces those feelings in you?
I don't. A few come close, like my wife, but then there are those moments when you are ready to leave even the sanest people behind.
The most important thing, even if it was only the eight-year overlap of Zephaniah's life, is that Josiah followed the Lord.
One could hope that the impact brought through Josiah's rule and life would exceed and outlast any of the damage and horrors Manasseh's reign brought. We all know that was not the case, as damage lingers for years. I point this out because even though I have seen the goodness of God in my life, I still carry too much of the hurt and damage that life has dished out. I continually have to do self-checks, as I wonder if the voice I heard in my spirit was not something inspired by the negativity and abuse I was subjected to; and, when I speak about the trials and tribulations we endure, I freely admit the realization that there are issues I will struggle with my entire life here on earth. Some people can't hear these words and understand them, for they have never experienced such pains.
Can I be sure Zephaniah understood the damage Manasseh caused?
No, but since problems and abuse are common to all of us, there is a good chance Zephaniah would understand this conversation.
Moving on, the caption precedes verse two:
The Coming Judgment on Judah.
Zephaniah 1:2-6 NASB "I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. 3) "I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky And the fish of the sea, And the ruins along with the wicked; And I will cut off man from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. 4) "So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. 5) "And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, And those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom1, 6) And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him."
Without going into details, the general theme I get here is an angry God cleaning house.
If I base my understanding on the caption, Judah is the Southern Kingdom, and Israel is the Northern Kingdom.
In the long run, was one Kingdom better than the other?
Absolutely not, and even if they became unified under the name Israel, they all went into captivity. During Josiah's reign, it was a divided kingdom. To give you some perspective, while Godly men are often thought to have reigned over Judah, Ahab and his hell-bent, murderous wife reigned over Israel, but not at the same time. In reality, no one was safe, and they mostly forgot about Jehovah.
What does this judgment entail? The removal of all things from the earth.
Man and beast;
the birds of the sky;
The fish of the sea;
The ruins along with the wicked;
Ah, here comes the clues.
“So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Now, if I wanted to play with words, then I could put forth the premise that He did not include Israel, but you know that did not happen.
Why does God feel this way?
Because His people are worshiping Baal;
And, I can assume that all of Israel, in some manner, is still worshiping Baal. My wife does not like to hear about Molech. You know, that thing that Aaron recreated for “Israel” as they assumed that Moses was dead, and he made us leave all our gods and idols in Egypt. So make the god Molech and Rephan for us. Read Acts chapter 7, where Stephen gives the Jewish council, who are about to have him stoned, an oral history of the children of Israel. (Molech is the half calf – half human god, with outstretched arms. They made fire inside the body and roasted their children (babies) in some form of disgusting idol worship. Rephan, by the way, was a sex god.) What Stephen said to this council was a very intense history lesson, which NO ONE disputed.
Because there are idolatrous priests alongside the so-called legitimate priests.
The conveyance that some are not so idolatrous does not excuse their complicity.
Zephaniah 1:5 in the Amplified translation tells us:
“And those who worship the starry host of the heavens upon their housetops and those who [pretend to] worship the Lord and swear by and to Him and yet swear by and to [the heathen god Molech or] Malcam [their idol king],”
And, they have turned their backs on following the Lord.
I find this same theme in Revelation, Daniel, and others.
Were these conditions exclusive to Judah, the Southern kingdom?
There is not a chance, and any of the books that speak of end times events will prove that out.
Zephaniah 1:2-6 covers one more group of people. I guarantee that this one will make you mad.
And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him.
While it may have been easier to see this as strictly a Jewish problem, this last sentence expanded it to include us church folk. Let me give you an example to chew on. I recently learned that a pastor committed suicide. Many would think, why, as pastors should be the ones that have it all together. At least that is the impression you get, as the pastor says to you, as he did me, I can't believe that you, being a Christian for over 40 years, would think or feel that way.
One of the men I sit with asked me what I think of a pastor who kills himself. It only took a second for a response to come into my spirit. Having dealt with depression and anxiety, it is typically something that has built over time and has not adequately been dealt with. Mind you, these events can come from childhood trauma, but they can also build up from marriage and work situations.
This pastor's wife said, I am thankful that he is now in heaven. This statement too became a part of the discussion, as there are doubts that a person who commits suicide is entitled to heaven.
My answer, and I explained that I have learned to err on the side of mercy, was this.
The pastor was not in his right mind and therefore was not thinking clearly.
Do we judge the impaired when they cannot think rationally?
One of the brothers argued against allowing ourselves to give that man any grace and mercy; yet, that same man was willing to argue for Judas to receive mercy. You can't have it both ways.If you are going to play the judgment card, then you can exclude yourself from any mercy.
Why say that?
Because Jesus went to the cross as the final sacrifice for sin. Paul told us that there is NO MORE sacrifice for sin, therefore we need to accept the fact that sin and the price for it was done away with. So, if you must stand before God to be judged, it would only be for what you did, or did not do with Jesus. That is it.
I have sat with some of these people who “have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him.
I know this because they feel they have the right to hold people in judgment. You would never say that if you sought the Lord and knew his nature and character.
1 John 4:8 NASB The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1) The Amplified Bible identifies this Milcom as Molech. Molech was the half man, half calf god that the people had Aaron recreate for them to worship. Molech was half man, half calf upon which they roasted their children as an offering.