Zephaniah: Destruction or Deliverance

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If our actions have consequences, what’s the most important thing for us to do?

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While the answer is mentioned throughout the Bible I think Zephaniah gives us a good look at it.

Let’s read

Zephaniah 1:1

“1 The Lord gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.”

Zephaniah’s message was given when Josiah was King of Judah. So let’s do some recap.

After King David and his son Solomon ruled a united Kingdom, the Kingdom was split into to, a northern Kingdom (called Israel) and a southern Kingdom (called Judah). The northern kingdom had a continual string of kings that did evil in the sight of the Lord. As a result in 612 BC God allowed Assyria to invade and exile most of the Israelites.

The southern kingdom while still around had not been completely faithful to God, it was an on again/off again commitment.

The mention of Zephaniah’s great great grandfather is important because of who he was. He was on of the Godliest kings of the southern kingdom. We read about him in 2 Chronicles 29-32, Isaiah 36-39 and 2 Kings 18-20 Thats 11 chapters, more than any other King after the nation divided into two kingdoms.

He was given this much attention because of his religious reforms. He removed the idolatrous places of worship and their practices. He reopened the temple of Yahweh for worship. 2 Kings 18:1-7 says

New Living Translation Chapter 18

Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of

Unfortunately his reforms were short lived. His son Manasseh would reinstitute all the evil practices that King Hezekiah got rid of.

2 Chronicles 33:9 “9 But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.”

But then something amazing happened, This evil king repented.

2 Chronicles 33:10–16

10 The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. 11 So the LORD sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. 12 But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed, the LORD listened to him and was moved by his request. So the LORD brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the LORD alone is God! 14 After this Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, from west of the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley to the Fish Gate, and continuing around the hill of Ophel. He built the wall very high. And he stationed his military officers in all of the fortified towns of Judah. 15 Manasseh also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the LORD’s Temple. He tore down all the altars he had built on the hill where the Temple stood and all the altars that were in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city. 16 Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings on it. He also encouraged the people of Judah to worship the LORD, the God of Israel.

Manasseh had a true encounter with the Living God and was changed. But the damage was done.

2 Chronicles 33:17 “17 However, the people still sacrificed at the pagan shrines, though only to the Lord their God.”

Amon became King at age 22 after his father died. Amon did all the evil his father did but none of the righteous things, like repenting!

After two years Amon was assassinated and his son Josiah became King at 8.

***Interesting Note - Amon was 16 when Josiah was born - ***

Josiah became king and over the course of time made changes to the religious practices of the nation, as his great grandfather Hezekiah did.

Because Zephaniah talks about the fall of Nineveh in his prophecy Zephaniah 2:13 “13 And the Lord will strike the lands of the north with his fist, destroying the land of Assyria. He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert.” would be before the year 612 BC. With the religious reform that Josiah did taking effect about 622 BC, it is easy to see Zephaniah’s prophecy had influence on the decisions of Josiah.

1. Divine Displeasure and Invitation

Zephaniah 3:1–7

1 What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime! 2 No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the LORD or draw near to its God. 3 Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey. 4 Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions. 5 But the LORD is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day he hands down justice, and he does not fail. But the wicked know no shame. 6 “I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their streets are now deserted; their cities lie in silent ruin. There are no survivors— none at all. 7 I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings. Then I won’t need to strike again, destroying their homes.’ But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds.

In the first four vs we see 12 things God accuses Jerusalem of

Being oppressors

being rebellious

Defiling themselves

She obeys no one

She accepts no correction

She does not trust in the Lord

She does not draw near to God

her officials are roaring lions

her rulers are evening wolves who leave nothing for the morning

her prophets are arrogant, they are treacherous men

her priests profane the sanctuary

her priests do violence to the law

God then shows how he has dealt with evil before and thought they would come to their senses,

but vs 7 says But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds.

Sometimes we never learn. Like the Israelites we know what happens when we do evil, and still we do it!

For the Israelites they lost the blessing of the Land God promised them and his protection,

for us we also lose God’s favor and protection, but what does that look like?

Illustration

Consider God’s protection like an umbrella, as long as we stay under his umbrella, we stay dry, when we move out from under his umbrella we remove ourselves from his protection.

Consider God’s blessings also like a bucket, when you’re in need of water and it’s raining you are glad you have a bucket.

The problem! When we should be using the bucket we use the umbrella and vise versa.

2. Promise of Purified People

Zephaniah 3:8–13

“8 Therefore, be patient,” says the Lord. “Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations. For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy. 9 “Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together. 10 My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings. 11 On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain. 12 Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord. 13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid.””

God then pronounces judgment on all people, but some will be saved.

“Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together. 10 My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings. 11 On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain. 12 Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.

3. Rejoicing in Redemption

Zephaniah 3:18–20

“18 “I will gather you who mourn for the appointed time; you will be disgraced no more. 19 And I will deal severely with all who have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed. 20 On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the Lord, have spoken!””

The Sorrow for the appointed time, I will remove from you.

I will deal with all who oppressed you

I will rescue the lame

I will give them praise and honor

I will gather you

I will bring you home

I will restore your fortunes before your very eyes

God is in the work of restoration, not devastation!

Devastation is because we are evil

Restoration is because God is good

1 John 4:19 “We love, because he loved us first.”

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