This week, we begin a short, three week study on the book of Zephaniah. Let's start by reading verse 1:
(1) The word of Yahweh that was/came to Zephaniah son of Gedalyah son of Amaryah son of Khezkeyah in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah.
Zephaniah was a prophet when Josiah was king over Judah. Josiah is remembered as one of the good kings (2 Kings 23). He trashed the high places people used to worship other gods. He tore down the Asherah poles, and burned them. He put an end to star worship. But all of this happened later in his reign.
Josiah became king when he was only 8 years old. 8. And when he became king, the nation was unfaithful. His father Amon was a terrible king. He was violent, and an idolater. He abandoned Yahweh (2 Kings 20:19-26). And he was killed after only two years-- his own officials assassinated him. Then the people killed all the assassins, and made Josiah king in his place.
What seems most likely, is that Zephaniah prophesied at a time when Josiah has taken his first steps of faith. He's started to cleanse the land of idolatry. But the job is half-done, at best. Let's read Zephaniah 1:4:
(4) and I will stretch out my hand against Judah,
and against all the ones dwelling in Jerusalem,
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal--,
The "remnant" is the stuff that's left over, after you've used the majority of it for a job. You can have a fabric remnant, or carpet remnant. You keep the remnant in your basement forever, telling yourself it'll be useful someday. But it never is.
If Zephaniah can talk about the "remnant of Baal," then there isn't much left of Baal worship in the land. Josiah must've begun his reforms at this point. But the land isn't yet clean.
So we should read Zephaniah as a warning, and encouragement, to finish the job. It's not "good enough" yet.
Verse 2:
(2) I am gathering to bring to an end all from on the face of the land
--utterance of Yahweh.
(3) Bringing to an end man and beast,
bringing to an end the birds of the heavens,
and the fish of the sea,
and the stumbling blocks with the wicked,
and I will cut off man from on the face of the land -utterance of Yahweh.
Let's pause here. What Yahweh announces, here, is the complete destruction of the earth. It's an echo of the flood, only worse-- here, the fish of the sea are going to be killed as well.
God is going to bring an end to everything; this is it.
And when is God going to do this? Verse 2 says that God has already started the process. He "is gathering"-- right now.
Picture your kitchen floor, after you haven't swept it for a week. Your kids are messy; you're messy. Food, trash, dirt. And so you decide you are going to gather it to bring it to an end. You sweep it up into one big pile, and you'll throw the whole thing in the trash.
That's what Yahweh is doing here. He's started the process of gathering everything together.
Why is God doing this? Verse 3 gives us just a hint-- it has to do with the "stumbling blocks" and "the wicked." The problem here, probably, is idolatry. People are worshipping creation, rather than the Creator.
In verse 4, God announces judgment that hits closer to home:
(4) and I will stretch out my hand against Judah,
and against all the ones dwelling in Jerusalem,
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal--,
the name of the idolatrous priests with the priests,
(5) and the ones bowing down on the rooftops to the host/army of the heavens,
and the ones bowing down, the ones swearing, to Yahweh,
and the ones swearing by their king,
and the ones turning from following after Yahweh,
and who haven't sought Yahweh,
and haven't consulted.
Most people (=scholars) think that these words reflect early efforts by Josiah to reform Judah. He must've already done something about Baal, if Zephaniah can talk about "the remnant of Baal." So God is angry, threatening to destroy Judah, in part because the job is half-done. People are still worshipping Yahweh's heavenly army/host/stars. There are still pagan priests in the land, who are leading the people to worship other elohim.
And the end result is that many people have combined religions, to some degree. They offer promises to Yahweh ("swearing to" Him), and bow down to him. But they also offer worship and sacrifices to other elohim. And they swear "by" their king, instead of "by Yahweh."
God has always insisted that his people, worship him alone. You bow to God alone. You offer sacrifices to God alone (Romans 12:2). And when you make oaths, you swear in God's name. Not some king.
So up to this point, what do we know? We know that Yahweh has started the process of judgment against his people, and against the whole earth. It's begun. And we know why.
Starting in verse 7, Zephaniah tells us more about when this will happen, and he paints a picture of what this day will look like. This picture is designed to scare you. So be scared:
(7) Be silent before the Lord Yahweh,
because near, the day of Yahweh [is],
because Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice.
He has consecrated/dedicated his guests,
(8) and it shall be on the day of Yahweh's sacrifice,
"I shall punish the leaders,
and the royal officials,
and all the ones clothed with foreign garments,
(9) and I shall punish all the ones stepping over the threshold on that day;
the ones filling the house of their master/lord with violence and deceit,
Let's pause here. Yahweh announces here his judgment against two (?) distinct groups of people: "leaders" and "the ones clothed with foreign garments."
Why are leaders going to be judged?
The average Israelite, walking down the street, can see the nation's idolatry. You see people stepping over the threshold into pagan temples. You see people worshipping other gods. You hear them offering prayers to the host of heaven from their rooftop. You see this happening all around you-- and there's not really much you can do about it. It is what it is.
But leaders?
When the leaders of God's people see sin, they can do something about it. And God expects them to do something about it. You can't just let sin go, if you are a leader. And because Judah's leaders have done nothing about this apostasy, and syncretism, God is coming after them. He is "visiting against" them.
How about the "foreign clothing"?
The easiest way to understand this, probably, is to think in terms of NFL clothing (2 Kings 10:22) (or maybe, in terms of the distinctive clothing of a Catholic priest). Part of showing loyalty to your God Yahweh, and your people, is wearing the clothing of your team, Judah. And if you are dressed in the colors of some other team, you show that your allegiance is to the wrong team, and god.
These people wearing foreign clothing, do so because of their loyalty to other gods. They are advertising their apostasy. And Yahweh is coming for them as well, to punish them.
Verses 10-11:
(10) and then, on that day --utterance of Yahweh--
the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate,
and a wail/howling from the Second Quarter,
and a great crash from the hills.
(11) Wail, O Dwellers of the Mortar!
because all the traders were destroyed;
the ones weighting out silver/money have been cut off,
When bad things happen in life, it's usually noisy. You drop a dish on the floor. You hammer your thumb instead of a nail. Someone gets shot. A dog gets run over. What happens next, is loud. There are cries of agony, and distress. Zephaniah says, the sounds of the day of Yahweh will be terrible. The kinds of sounds you never forget.
Verse 12-13:
(12) and then, at that time,
I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men/people--
the ones congealing/thickening upon the dregs of wine,
the ones saying in their hearts,
"Yahweh doesn't bring good,
and He doesn't bring evil,"
(13) and their strength shall be for plunder/loot,
and their houses for desolation,
and they shall build houses,
and they shall not dwell,
and they shall plant vineyards,
and they shall not drink their wine.
On the "day of Yahweh," Yahweh himself is coming to punish his people. This is not a job he's simply delegating to someone else. He will personally go door to door, lamp in hand, looking for...what kind of people?
Drunks, first of all. Alcohol, in moderation, can be a good thing. God gave it as a gift. But drunkenness? There are people who can't handle the bottle. Alcohol "congeals" them. Like when you stick the leftover turkey in the fridge at Thanksgiving, and somehow it turns into white jelly in the pan. These people have been drinking until they've killed the bottle-- all that's left is the dregs-- and it's congealed them. They find themselves unable to function. And not caring at all, about anything else in life.
These people have decided, in their drunkenness, that all of this "God stuff" is a joke. They tell themselves, "God doesn't bring good, and He doesn't bring evil/disaster" (cf. Isaiah 5:11-13).
They decide that God doesn't do anything.
Well. The day is coming, and that day is "near," when they will find out how wrong they are. God is coming for them...He's looking for them. And he will turn their strength-- their wealth-- into plunder. He will take their houses, and their vineyards. And He will take away their wine. You can't be a drunkard (Galatians 5:21).
Verse 14-18:
(14) Near, the great day of Yahweh [is].
Near and very quickly.
The sound of the day of Yahweh is bitter.
Crying out there, A warrior [does].
(15) A day of wrath, that day [is].
A day of distress and anguish,
a day of destruction/ruin and devastation.
A day of blackness and darkness,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
(16) A day of the trumpet,
and horn blast against the fortified cities,
and against the high corner towers,
(17) and I will bring distress to the human/people,
and they shall walk like the blind,
because against Yahweh they have sinned,
and their blood shall be poured out as dust,
and their flesh as the dung.
(18) Also , their silver. Also their gold, won't be able to deliver them on the day of Yahweh's wrath,
and in the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed,
because an end-- surely, a terrifying one-- He shall make of all the ones dwelling in the land.
What does it look like, when Yahweh comes in judgment?
It's a day of total despair.
I read these words, and I struggle to imagine it. I've never heard a human cry out in mortal agony. I've never seen a soldier despair, when he realizes that this is a battle he won't walk away from. I've never walked through a vibrant downtown after it's been bombed into ruin. I've never seen blood flowing in the streets, or people butchered.
Yahweh is slow to anger, and rich in mercy. But when Yahweh gets angry-- really angry-- it's a sobering, and terrifying, thing. And when we realize that Yahweh can get angry with his own people--
Let's reread verse 18:
(18) Also , their silver. Also their gold, won't be able to deliver them on the day of Yahweh's wrath,
and in/by the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed,
because an end-- surely, a terrifying one-- He shall make of all the ones dwelling in the land.
Yahweh is a jealous god. You can go through life, telling yourself that God doesn't mind your unfaithfulness, and sin, and partial allegiance to other gods. You can tell yourself that God is unlikely to do anything to you.
But Yahweh is a jealous god.
----------------------------------------------------
Have you compromised your loyalty to God in some way? Do you bow down to God, worshiping him-- and serve other gods?
Our tendency is to become complacent. To think that what we are offering God, right now, is enough to satisfy him-- when in our hearts, we know it isn't. We aren't truly "following after" God (verse 5).
How can we live with ourselves, if this is us?
Maybe we tell ourselves that God doesn't mind. But Zephaniah tells us, Yahweh is a jealous God.
Maybe we tell ourselves, that any day of judgment is far off. "Someday," I'll clean my life up, and repent, and live rightly. But there's no urgency.
Or maybe we have this strong sense that God is already angry with us. And the wheels of judgment have begun turning. But we tell ourselves, the day is inching closer to us. Like with Social Security. You know that the day it's insolvent is "near." But at the same time, it feels like it's coming slowly. It's not something to worry about right now. It's like a trainwreck, happening at 5 mph.
When Zephaniah wrote, the day of Yahweh wasn't just "near"-- it was "near and very quickly coming."
Know this: If you are compromising, and giving your loyalty to something or someone else, God sees you. He sees people entering into pagan temples. He sees them worshipping the host of heaven, and hears their words. If you tell yourself, "God won't do anything to me, for good or bad," God knows your heart. There's no hiding from God. There are no secrets from him.
When Yahweh commits himself to you, He does so completely. He is loyal, and dependable, and trustworthy. And He expects the same from you.
If you've been lying to yourself about all of this, consider the possibility that God will come against you in judgment sooner than you expect. Today is a good day to repent. Because tomorrow might be too late.
And let me just add with a word for those of you who drink alcohol. I have no problem with that. I would never tell you not to, assuming you're 21. But don't get drunk. And if you find yourself congealing, and not taking God seriously anymore... it's time to toss the bottle.
Translation:
(1) The word of Yahweh that was/came to Zephaniah son of Gedalyah son of Amaryah son of Khezkeyah in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah.
(2) I am gathering to bring to an end all from on the face of the land
--utterance of Yahweh.
(3) Bringing to an end man and beast,
bringing to an end the birds of the heavens,
and the fish of the sea,
and the stumbling blocks with the wicked,
and I will cut off man from on the face of the land -utterance of Yahweh.
(4) and I will stretch out my hand against Judah,
and against all the ones dwelling in Jerusalem,
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal--,
the name of the idolatrous priests with the priests,
(5) and the ones bowing down on the rooftops to the host/army of the heavens,
and the ones bowing down, the ones swearing, to Yahweh,
and the ones swearing by their king,
and the ones turning from following after Yahweh,
and who haven't sought Yahweh,
and haven't consulted.
(7) Be silent before the Lord Yahweh,
because near, the day of Yahweh [is],
because Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice.
He has consecrated/dedicated his guests,
(8) and it shall be on the day of Yahweh's sacrifice,
"I shall punish the leaders,
and the royal officials,
and all the ones clothed with foreign garments,
(9) and I shall punish all the ones stepping over the threshold on that day;
the ones filling the house of their master/lord with violence and deceit,
(10) and then, on that day --utterance of Yahweh--
the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate,
and a wail/howling from the Second Quarter,
and a great crash from the hills.
(11) Wail, O Dwellers of the Mortar!
because all the traders were destroyed;
the ones weighting out silver/money have been cut off,
(12) and then, at that time,
I shall search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men/people--
the ones congealing/thickening upon the dregs of wine,
the ones saying in their hearts,
"Yahweh doesn't bring good,
and He doesn't bring evil,"
(13) and their strength shall be for plunder/loot,
and their houses for desolation,
and they shall build houses,
and they shall not dwell,
and they shall plant vineyards,
and they shall not drink their wine.
(14) Near, the great day of Yahweh [is].
Near and very quickly.
The sound of the day of Yahweh is bitter.
Crying out there, A warrior [does].
(15) A day of wrath, that day [is].
A day of distress and anguish,
a day of destruction/ruin and devastation.
A day of blackness and darkness,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
(16) A day of the trumpet,
and horn blast against the fortified cities,
and against the high corner towers,
(17) and I will bring distress to the human/people,
and they shall walk like the blind,
because against Yahweh they have sinned,
and their blood shall be poured out as dust,
and their flesh as the dung.
(18) Also , their silver. Also their gold, won't be able to deliver them on the day of Yahweh's wrath,
and in the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed,
because an end-- surely, a terrifying one-- He shall make of all the ones dwelling in the land.
