ILLUSTRATION:
French writer Alexis de Tocqueville (TOKEVILLE), after visiting America in 1831, said, “I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests—and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning—and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!”
COMMENT:
The America that Alexis saw in 1831 is not the same America today. I may have been rather naïve, but I believe the America that I grew up in as a boy is not the same America that my grandchildren are growing up in today. If Alexis were alive today and visited America for the first time, I personally don’t think he would have written: “America is great because America is good.”
A. Throughout our study of the Minor Prophets, we have seen over and over that God is concerned with what
NATIONS and GOVERNMENTS do.
1. In fact, a NATION is as GREAT as is its ALLEGIANCE to God. -“Blessed is the nation whose God
is the Lord . . .”- Psalm 33:12a
COMMENT:
We have seen this to be true throughout the MINOR PROPHETS. Israel and Judah were blessed as long as they served the Lord, but when they turned away from God the BLESSINGS ceased.
2. Sadly, statistics reveal that America is becoming less and less a nation who recognizes God is Lord
a. I truly believe that there are concerted efforts by our current government to eradicate Christianity
from the United States of America.
ILLUSTRATION:
The TEN COMMANDMENTS are being removed from COURT HOUSES. CROSSES that have stood for DECADES on public grounds are being TAKEN DOWN. NATIVITIES can no longer be displayed on CITY SQUARES. CHRISTMAS VACATION is being taken out of SCHOOL CALENDARS and replaced with WINTER HOLIDAY. MILITARY CHAPLAINS are being ordered not to use the BIBLE in COUNSELING with others.
Our government sanctions the INFANTICIDE of one million UNBORN BABIES each year. GAY MARRIAGE is not only legal in America, but PASTORS and CHURCHES are now being taken to COURT because of their REFUSAL to PARTICIPATE in a PRACTICE that they wholeheartedly believe VIOLATES God’s TEACHINGS.
b. How much longer will God allow America that was founded upon the principles of WORSHIPING God FREELY, to continue down a PATH that is moving further and further AWAY from Him?
B. The Southern Kingdom of Judah was LEARNING the answer to a similar question: “How much longer
would Judah be allowed to continue down a PATH that was TURNING the nation FURTHER away
from the Lord God?”
1. The answer: NOT LONG! God- “I will stretch my hand against Judah, and against all who live in Jerusalem”- Zephaniah 1:4
2. Zephaniah was written around 625 BC during the reign of Josiah, the last good king that Judah had.
a. The prophet traces his ancestry back four generations to King Hezekiah, his great-great grandfather.
COMMENT:
His message hits hard the RULING CLASS of Judah for their part in leading the people down a path of IMMORALITY, CORRUPTION, and IDOLATRY. Undoubtedly when he mentions PRINCES (king’s sons) he is denouncing his own RELATIVES, but boldly presented God’s Word.
b. Zephaniah’s name means: “THE LORD HIDES.”
C. BACKGROUND to Zephaniah’s message:
1. “Judah, under the rule of Josiah, had undergone a complete RELIGIOUS REFORM”- 2 Chron. 34.
COMMENT:
Josiah took the throne at 8 years of age. The KINGS before him, his father and grandfather, were very WICKED. They rebuilt and began to WORSHIP the IDOLS that King Hezekiah had removed from the land. At 16, Josiah began seeking after God. At 20, he began to purge Jerusalem of IDOLATRY. And at 26, he began to rebuild the long forsaken TEMPLE of God.
During the renovation of the temple, Hilkiah, the HIGH PRIEST, found the BOOK of the LAW that had been NEGLECTED for years. They brought it to the King, and immediately he realized the significance of it and was OVERJOYED. After consulting with Huldah, the prophetess, concerning the book, Josiah called together all the elders of Judah to come to the temple. There the king renewed the COVENANT with God to CLEAR the land of all IDOLATRY and to have the people of Judah to
ABIDE by all the COMMANDMENTS written in the book of the Law.
However, in spite of Josiah’s efforts of RELIGIOUS REFORM, the people were still vey WICKED. It became more of an OUTWARD REFORM than an INWARD one. Many continued to worship BAAL and other gods.
2. Because of their continued WICKEDNESS, Zephaniah prophecies against Judah and other nations of the WORLD, including ASSYRIA.
MESSAGE:
I. JUDGMENT- chapter 1
A. God is ANGRY with the WICKEDNESS that He sees in the WORLD- 1:1-7
1. “‘I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,’ declares the Lord”- v. 2.
COMMENT:
This is an all-consuming JUDGMENT that includes not only Judah, but the surrounding NATIONS. When Babylon sweeps through the region and begins its ATTACK against Judah, others NATIONS are going down with it. Every NATION will be JUDGED.
2. In particular, God is ANGRY with Judah- 1:4ff
a. It was to Israel that God’s LAW was given.
b. They knew who God was, and yet they turned away from Him toward other gods.
3. God- “I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal”- v. 4b.
COMMENT:
King Josiah tried, but could not completely clear the land of IDOLATRY. So God says, “I’m going to CLEAR the land of these IDOLS and all who worship them.”
4. Specifically he describes two classes of IDOLATERS in v. 5:
a. “Those who worship the STARRY HOST.”
-Deuteronomy 4:19- “And when you look up in the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down and worshipping what God has made.” (WORSHIPPING THE CREATED, AND NOT THE CREATOR.)
b. “Those who worship Yahweh and Molech.”
COMMENT:
Molech was one of the Baalim. He was considered KING of the DEITIES.
God is judging those who have DIVIDED LOYALTIES. They BOW DOWN to Him and turn right around and WORSHIP Molech. Yet that violated the first COMMANDMENT given through Moses: “You are to have no other gods before Me!” (It’s not God and someone else, it’s just God!)
ILLUSTRATION:
In the late spring of 1990 I along with a group of Christians from different Texas churches had the opportunity to go on an EVANGELISTIC MISSION TRIP to Corozal Town, Belize in Central America, just 8 miles from the Mexico BORDER located right on the COAST of the
Caribbean Sea. We worshiped with the saints at Corozal Church of Christ.
We had a BUS to pick us up at the AIRPORT in Belize City about 85 miles away. The bus driver was very friendly, but drove like a MANIAC on those narrow coastal roads HONKING his horn and YELLING at people who got in his way. He was Hispanic, but spoke English fairly well.
He had photos of his family (his wife and several children) taped on the front left hand side of the bus, right next to a picture of a NAKED woman that he had TORN out of a MAGAZINE. Hanging from his rearview MIRROR was a CRUCIFIX of Jesus on the CROSS and a CHICKEN
FOOT, which we learned was given to him by a VOODOO priestess to PROTECT the BUS.
When he was asked by one of the PREACHERS as to why he had both a CRUCIFIX and a CHICKEN FOOT hanging from his mirror, he answered in broken English, “I CATHOLIC, but take NO CHANCES.” (WE EITHER SERVE AND TRUST GOD, OR WE DON’T!)
B. Zephaniah describes those who are going to be PUNISHED by God1: 1:8ff
1. “PRINCES” (King’s sons)- v. 8
COMMENT:
This would include the OFFSPRING and DESCENDANTS of the former KINGS, and even the children of Josiah. Again, these were Zephaniah’s RELATIVES he is DENOUNCING.
2. “IDOLATERS”- v. 9
3. “MERCHANTS”- v. 11
COMMENT:
These are they who took ADVANTAGE of and gotten RICH off of cheating the POOR.
4. “THE COMPLACENT”- v. 12
COMMENT:
One of the reasons that that Israelites had turned to IDOLS is because they had become SATISFIED with their RELATIONSHIP with God. It’s not that they didn’t believe in God, they no longer LOOKED at Him as taken an ACTIVE ROLE. He was just there, “doing nothing,
either good or bad.”
COMMENT (cont):
Doesn’t this sound a lot like many churches and Christians today? Many have become SATISFIED with their spirituality, COMPLACENT in their worship and service to God, and CALLUSED in their love for people. God says, “I WILL PUNISH THE COMPLACENT!”
5. “WEALTHY”- v. 13
COMMENT:
This is the PRIDEFUL, those who think and act like others are BENEATH them.
C. “The Day of the Lord,” God’s JUDGMENT against Judah and the NATIONS, is coming soon- 1:14ff.
COMMENT:
It will be a GREAT and TERRIBLE DAY, and no one will ESCAPE it.
II. ADMONITION- 2:1-3:8
A. Before listing the REASONS why JUDAH and the surrounding NATIONS are being JUDGED, “God
gives the people of Judah another chance to REPENT”- 2:1-3.
1. Once again this shows God’s LOVING PATIENCE for His people.
COMMENT:
He doesn’t want to DESTROY them. He wants to SAVE their SOULS from the CORRUPTION and IDOLATRY that will send them to HELL. If they only REPENT, then maybe they will be SPARED from God’s ANGER that will be POURED OUT on The Day of the Lord.
2. Zephaniah tells them what they need to do to be SPARED- v. 3
a. “SEEK THE LORD.” (“Turn AWAY from your IDOLS and come back to God.”)
b. “SEEK RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (“Repent of your wickedness. Do what’s right in the eyes of
God.”)
c. “SEEK HUMILITY.” (“Come humbly before God recognizing that you are NOTHING and can DO NOTHING without Him.”)
B. Then God directs His attention to the NATIONS- 2:4-15
1. First of all, God pronounces JUDGMENT upon the nations that are NEAR.
a. Philistia- vv. 4-7 (The land of the Philistines. Their cities will be destroyed, and their land will be given to the remnant of Judah when they return from Babylon.)
b. Moab and Ammon- vv. 8-10 (The people of these nations taunted the children of Israel, and
God will now destroy them and given their land to the remnant of Judah.)
COMMENT:
All of Israel’s NEIGHBORS will be DEFEATED and overthrown by the Babylonian EMPIRE.
2. Secondly, God pronounces JUDGEMENT upon the POWERFUL nations AFAR.
a. Ethiopia- v. 12
COMMENT:
The Ethiopians (Cushites) to the south represented all of Egypt. The EGYPTIANS had been ENEMIES of God’s people for CENTURIES, and now they, too, are included in the DESTRUCTION of God’s WRATH.
b. Assyria- vv. 13-15
COMMENT:
Assyria of the north was the most POWERFUL nation on earth at this time. They are the
ones that God used to take the Northern Kingdom of Israel into CAPTIVITY.
It’s CAPITAL was Nineveh that REPENTED when the Prophet Jonah proclaimed God’s MESSAGE of DOOM. However, their REPENTANCE was only TEMPORARY. They became
even more WICKED.
Although God used Assyria against Israel, they were more “FIERCE and CRUEL than what God wanted”- Isaiah 10. (We will look at this in greater DETAIL next week as we study the Minor Prophet NAHUM: THE FALL OF ASSYRIA.)
III. PROMISE- 3:9-20
A. God is using the BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY to purge out the WICKEDNESS of Judah- 3:9-13
1. A “Righteous Remnant” will return to their land from BABYLON, and no longer will they SERVE other gods but will “TRUST in the NAME of the LORD”- v. 12.
2. Do you remember the PURPOSE of “The Day of the Lord”? JUDGMENT and SALVATION.
a. DESTROY the WICKED.
b. SAVE the RIGHTEOUS.
COMMENT:
When Judah is taken into CAPTIVITY, many will REPENT and SEEK God once again.
3. The “Remnant of Israel” will return to Jerusalem, and once again receive God’s blessings- v. 13
COMMENT:
This is a PROMISE of HOPE given to the Judeans on the BRINK of DISASTER. They are going to be PUNISHED by God. Many will DIE. Yet, God will preserve a RIGHTEOUS REMNANT through which Jesus the Messiah will be BORN, and all these blessings FULFILLED.
B. The RESTORATION of Israel brings great JOY- vv. 14-20
1. v. 14- “Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!”
COMMENT:
We read last week in Micah 7:1 that there hadn’t been JOY in Judah, only “MISERY.” But when the RIGHTEOUS REMNANT returns to Jerusalem, there will be much REJOICING.
2. Yet, this PROMISE didn’t END with the RETURN of the RIGHTEOUS REMNANT; its fulfillment
is extended to us, the church of Jesus Christ.
a. Hebrews 12:22-23a (READ and COMMENT) (The CHURCH is the SPIRITUAL ZION.)
b. Zephaniah 3:17a- “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.”
CONCLUSION:
2 Chronicles 7:14 (READ)
This was a promise made to Israel right after King Solomon built the Temple of God and before Israel
became a DIVIDED KINGDOM. Yet, Israel didn’t listen to God, and both nations were JUDGED.
