Zephaniah 3:1-8
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
We move now to the climax of this part of Zephaniah with these next 8 verses.
I can imagine the Jews who listened to this were agreeing with vv 4-15 of the previous Chapter as Zephaniah rattled off God’s judgements of the previous chapter.
They were after all God’s chosen people.
It’s not really until verse 4 of this chapter that it becomes plain that the prophet is talking about Jerusalem when he mentions the prophets, sanctuary and the law.
It’s then we realize that this indictment is against the Jews and their holy city.
Stinging Indictment (vv1-7)
Stinging Indictment (vv1-7)
1 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!
The author starts off with a biographical history of the Jewish nation.
They were rebellious from the start, from even before they got into the land they were a stiff necked people
Rejecting God and his promises, continued up to this day.
They became defiled -> Polluted and no longer fit for the sacred relationship that they were in.
In the Law, when someone became defiled, the were put out of the camp, cut-off from the nation, from God and the blessings of the community and the nation.
The prophet indicated that that whole of them had become defiled.
And finally, he calls the city an oppressive city.
5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
Because they didn’t seek the Lord, because they weren’t obedient and threw off his Word, the culture became an oppressive culture, oppressing the poor and weak and alien among them.
The author continues his indictment of Jerusalem saying:
2 She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God.
The Jews were unique among all the peoples of the earth, in that God had given them to hear his voice, to be the recipient of his word.
32 “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of. 33 Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? 34 Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him. 36 Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire.
Blessed above every other nation:
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
The implied voice in this passage is the voice of God.
They refused to heed his voice, his word.
They were rebellious and refused to follow his word.
They refused to heed what he said. Directly by him, as well as through his prophets.
She also refused to heed the judgements, the correction, the instruction of God.
Again and again God had sent judgements and corrections on the people (Think about the book of Judges, the drought in Elijahs time, the nation of Israel and its judgement.
Instead of turning back to God when he instructed and disciplined them, they turned and ran from him.
They didn’t trust him.
Israel entered a unique relationship among all the nations with God, and rejected by showing mistrust in him.
God had given them Great promises. Trust in Yahweh, the covenant God, who promised blessing for obedience.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.
8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Instead of trusting the covenant God, they sought to find peace in foreign alliances with Egypt and Syria, in military power, and in wealth, and even in other Gods rather than put their trust in the God who had the power to protect, bless, and would give them the security they desired.
And finally they didn’t Draw near to God.
They were running from him as fast as they could.
To draw near to God was to put God in the right place; in worshipful attentiveness; awe reverence, respect, adoration and prayer.
This the people refused to do.
And next Jerusalem’s leadership was corrupt and devoid of spiritual life.
3 Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning. 4 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.
Lions and wolves are known for their merciless ferocity, ravenousness in feeding.
Her princes (officials) and judges put into place to protect the people of the nation, especially the poor and those without power within the nation.
They used their power for their own selfish gain, and used their power to oppress people. Stripped them clean.
23 The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.
These rejected God’s word and lead others to do the same.
Personal holiness and righteousness comes from a right relationship with God and his word. This leads to the right treatment of others, especially the weak, poor, and powerless. Righteousness, right relationship to God, leads to right relationship with others, leads to justice in society.
Their prophets were supposed to be intermediaries between God and man, revealing God’s will to the people.
Instead they were speaking words of their own, passing their own ideas to the people, for their own gain (profit).
The TRUTH of God was replaced by words of treacherous lying men.
And her priests were supposed to represent men to God; presenting sacrifices for them as well as teaching God’s law to the people.
They were to keep an accurate representation of the holiness of God before the people.
To keep the awe by correctly teaching God’s word to the people.
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.
This priesthood and office of prophet, muddied the waters with the people and the nations around them.
The clear picture of God and his holiness, his provision of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, the approach to God that had to be by holy people purified by the blood of sacrifice was corrupted before the people of Judah and the nations of the world.
So instead or proclaiming an accurate picture of God the world, they despised God, brought in elements of pagan worship and mis-represented God to the world.
5 The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.
The fact that Zephaniah here asserts that God is within her midst still is remarkable.
He asserts that the actions of these corrupt individuals are not his.
He is righteous and all his ways are just, his never-failing righteousness must not be doubted.
God is fully aware of everything going on and it says that morning by morning, or constantly day by day he is bringing forth his justice.
This in part means that he is working towards that justice.
Everything that happens to the remnant may not be “just” but God has not abandoned his remnant, he is still caring for them in the midst of the suffering.
Despite the appearance here within this city that corruption prevails on every side, the Lord manifests His righteous judgements.
Even the faithful remnant, suffering under the oppressive tyrannies of a depraved leadership, must acknowledge the daily realities of the Lord’s justice. As faithfully as the Lord provided daily manna for his people during their trial period in the wilderness, so in the chaotic last days of Jerusalem the Lord’s righteousness was coming to light.
Robertson, O. P. (1990). The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah (p. 322). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
The Lord asserts that he will never fail, as surely as the dawn comes, though every institution appears corrupt; he is still just and he is still working out his justice.
An end will come when the justice and righteousness will shine clear.
Demonstration Ignored (vv6-7)
Demonstration Ignored (vv6-7)
6 “I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant. 7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt.
Zephaniah follows this indictment up and reminds Israel of the fact that he has provided warning after warning previously to them.
This description of these nations is a description of what any person of this day would know and I am sure what you can guess.
This pictures the defenses of a city overrun and torn down, and the cities inhabitants either killed or carried off with their streets desolate.
This demonstration was all for the purposes of warning Judah, warning of what might come.
This “should have caused” them to turn and fear the LORD; to accept correction, so that they would not be judged in the same way.
He extended his love and grace towards them that they would repent and turn back to him.
But, instead of this, The LORD indicates that they rose early in the morning to corruption.
This is a stark contrast to verse 5 where every morning God is faithful to do what is right and just.
Day of the LORD (v8)
Day of the LORD (v8)
8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.
8 “Therefore wait for Me,” declares the Lord, “For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignation, All My burning anger; For all the earth will be devoured By the fire of My zeal.
The word ‘Therefore’ here sums up and tells the hearers the application or truth that God expects from this passage.
This city had resisted every approach of God, every effort that He had made to bring them to repentance in his goodness and severity.
God is rising up as a witness against the nations for rejecting his Goodness towards men.
The nations when long before Jerusalem, but now God wrath is coming against the city of God, and with that finally the judgement of God is coming against the whole of the earth.
Jerusalem will be included in this day of the Lord.
The earth will be consumed along with all in it, leaving only those who trust in the LORD
Who is this command “Therefore wait for me” addressed to?
It could be addressed to those who are faithless, who have been ignoring God, with God giving them 1 final warning that their judgement has been decided, and that while wrath has not yet come, there might be a final opportunity to repent and turn from their wicked deeds to the LORD.
Much more likely though, i believe, this command is addressed to those that are faithful and are under the thumb of the regimes in power.
This exhortation to wait for him, that the God who is righteous and just in all his ways, will come and judge the nations and set them free.
They are to wait and trust him to act to resolve the situation.
Trust in his word, trust Him. Wait for God’s vindication.
Their suffering has a purpose and an end.
God is in control in the midst of all that is going on, and they, the remnant will get to enjoy the presence of God when all is done.
As we saw in v5, God is still in the midst of them as he is in the midst of us as his Body.
Don’t lose heart and fall into the error of their brothers and fail to trust the word of God in the midst of this time.
He will act; his jealousy for what is his has been aroused and he will not fail to accomplish what he has said he would, the world and the sin of man will be judged.
This day of the LORD has not yet come; we are still waiting for it today.
Peter has added to these instructions in 2nd Peter 3
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
Benediction
Benediction
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.