Zephaniah part 2. Chapter 2. Judgement on Judah’s enemies
The year is 620BC God is speaking to Judah through the prophet Zephaniah a lone voice in a cacophony of competing voices, a minority voice, when others were speaking peace , Zephaniah tells them all to be silent before the Lord’s voice, “Judgement is coming, the Day of the Lord is at hand!” 1:7 (chapters 1 & 2).
• Can we hear it? Do we want to hear it? Are we silent? Before the Lord? For this voice still speaks from among its sacred pages? Prepare yourselves........................
Last week we saw that this lone prophetic voice of impending divine Justice was tempered with a gracious offer 2:3 to those who are humble in the land, who seek righteousness, can be saved; Yet the rebellious who have turned from Gods covenant, reject his laws will come under divine Justice. In the midst of this judgement and grace, we see his judgement is tempered with his covenant love, promising a remnant of the faithful will be saved, will be delivered 2:6-7 provided for, and brought back to the land ( 2:7, 3:20).
Now Zephaniah is turning our attention further away from Judah 1- 3 but upon Judah’s surrounding enemies 2:4-15. And he pronounces that judgement is coming to them
1. Yahweh’s pronounces Judgment upon Judah’s surrounding enemies ( cluster bomb) chapter 2.
God is the Sovereign Lord, God raise up & tears down nations (Psalm 75:7 :Daniel.2:21, John 19:10-11 ) down He raises up strange ministers to bring about his judgment - Assyrians – Israel Northern Kingdom; Babylonians - Upon Judah - Persians destroy the Babylonians – Judah will be a means of Judgement. The Ultimate day of Judgement upon all the nations psalm 110. Gods Eternal Kingdom
a. In years to come this remnant under God will plunder their enemies to the West. ( 2:9) the land of Canaan Gen 12:5 Canaanites were the original inhabitants before the arrival of Israel and then later the philistines).
The Philistines, who had taken the land from Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and to Ekron. Originally sea peoples migrated from the Aegean, Crete hence called Cherethites (5) they were unable to settle in Egypt they move northwards along the Mediterrian coast (Philistia/Canaan),.
From the 13th BC the Philistines were a constant thorn ( 7 Military Battles Saul, David, 10th BC Solomon, Hezekiah) held cities (2:4-5) but they will be deserted, uprooted and destroyed till no-one is left (5) . The land will be taken back, upon the restoration of the people 516BC - 423BC (Zeph. 2:7, Jeremiah 29:14). The Lord is mindful of his people.
b. Judgement also falls upon the nations to the east of Judah, in the Transjordan (2:8 - 10 ) upon the Moabities and the Ammonites descendants of Lot ( result of incestuous relationship with his daughters) they were known as longstanding enemies of Israel frequently opposed Israel (Num 22-24, 1 Sam 11:1-11 2 Kin 1:1). The Ammonites refused passage,(Deut 23:1-4) through the land to the promised land, . Pagan & idolatrous people worshipped Milcom & Molech fire god, babies sacrificed to him, they ripped open pregnant women Amos 1:13 Nahash the Ammonite suggested gauging out eyes of the Israelites as a treaty (1 Sam 11:2) They became Vassal nation under Saul & David’s reign; regrouped and allied themselves after the split of the Kingdoms (Eze 5:15;16:57) they verbally attacked Judah to demoralise them, rebuilding of the walls. ( Neh: 4:1-3) . They too were conquered and destroyed ( Babylonians)
c. V12 -15 Cushites & Assyrians V12 Then further afield South west Egypt was ruled by Cushites, Ethiopian dynasty for two centuries, they would be slain by the sword. Defeat came here in ( 525BC under the Persians) .
V13-14 Finally northwards the formidable Assyrians ( super power) will also be confronted, which had held the middle east in its grip for decades, with its capital city of Ninevah, the exultant and secure city (15b) , would become a desolation ( 612 BC Babylonians)..
2. Yahweh’s pronouncement is verified
a. Yahweh V 9 in his sureness of his judgment given through a solemn oath/promise As I live this strengthens the oath swearing by his own existence (Isa 49:18) using his own name Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel.
• Num 23:19: God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it? God’s Word is against these nations it did come to pass.
• Hebrews6:18 it is impossible for God to lie
Gods Word has been spoken, to the nations, to Judah, He has promised by his own very existence, the sureness of judgement and the certain restoration of a remnant.
These promises are amen and Amen today , they are certain, judgement is to come to the nations, and a restoration towards a remnant is still promised. All Gods promises come to pass, not one word of Gods is an idle Word.
Do you trust the never failing promises of God’s Word, have you received them as they are, is it the Manna to your Soul, are you sheep of his pasture, is he mindful of you, then don’t harden your heart to his precepts? Like many in Judah and the surrounding nations don’t succumb to the practices of the nations
• Psalm 95: 7-11 Read We His people must heed his Solemn promises.
b. v9 The LORD Almighty, the Divine warrior , commander in chief of the heavenly hosts of heaven. Here we see conveyed His divine Power and Glory in the destruction of the Moabites like Sodom of old, the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a wasted land full of nettles and salt pits, ( the land will be completely unproductive for agriculture . In this Divine judgement upon the surround enemies we see his Divine Justice, his power and glory.
V9b So the remnant, of Judah, the survivors shall plunder them, their end is coming to those full of pride and arrogance (2:10) this is contrasted with the remnant the humble of the land (2:3) who do his just commands and seek righteousness. (11) The Awesome Lord shall bring fear into all his opponents, all false gods will bow down to Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel.
b. v9 Yahweh is personally known towards His people, the God of Israel, he identifies himself with his people as their God, whom is personally known, so as the taunts which have fallen upon Judah, have fallen upon Yahweh, because He is their God who is in a personal covenant relationship with his people. So as the Ammonites & Moabites taunt and revile the people of Israel, they taunt Yahweh.
All other Gods are not personal in nature, they are unknowable, distant, deaf, blind, dumb, mute for they are but idols, But the God of Israel revealed himself to Abraham to Isaac and Jacob, His people were delivered through Moses, God tabernacles with them as they journey in the wilderness, and in the temple his Shekinah glory was present. The remnant of Israel were characterised by faith.
Application - Today Yahweh the God of Israel is still personally known, by his people, and we can be known by Him, but not through the Old covenant ( of sacrifice, law, Religious works ) but through a new covenant , makes the former obsolete, a covenant of grace, a better covenant, one which was promised to Israel & Judah of old (Jer 31:31-34) and one promised to all still today Heb 8:8-12.
Jesus Christ established this new Covenant , by his atoning sacrifice, through his shed blood, to all who repent and believe they too can personally know and be known by God.
This pronouncement is verified the Lord promised; I will be their God and they shall be my people. For they shall know me from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more ........
And all who repent and believe experience it as a reality in their lives...... The Day of the Lord is near, seek the LORD all you humble of the land perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the Lords Anger (3)
3. Yahweh pronounces the consummation of all gods & nations (v11) Then & future
V11 The Lord will be awesome against them - causes fear into the hearts of all opponents; Its the Lord which will destroy the nations by the one at his right Hand ( Psalm 110)
a. A time of judgement
• All idolatry false worship and false gods of our age whether religious or secular 9 we put before the Awesome God will be ripped from us all. All will bow down before Him, the pride of the nations will be overtaken with fear of this AWESOME God.
31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
b. A time of Battle as we have seen in the history of the World, there are times of battles between nations and peoples this whole chapter is speaking of such times, the whole Bible is littered with such history, in our context, world history is no different.
Although this is speaking of time in history, we can see it speaks of a future consummation also a period when nations shall become before Christ and his reign Revelation 20:4, in which we shall be raised 1st resurrection) Rev 20: 7-10 The final battle against the enemies of God as Satan is released from the bottomless pit and crushed and then the judgement of all flesh.
c. A time of Worship Revelation 7:9- 14 out of the tribulation
When Johns Vision will become a reality. A great multitude of people from every Nation, people group and language, before his throne will be gathered His Kingdom shall be inaugurated, here upon earth, a time is coming when all the gods of this earth and the nations will be no more, but countless myriads of people will be drawn before His throne in incessant Worship of God, a time when we shall be One nation, one people under God, the Lion and the lamb will lie down together, there will be no more wars, all our tears wiped away.
