Beginning with verse 4 and running to the end of the chapter, Zephaniah lists the small city-states surrounding Jerusalem and discusses God’s judgment upon them.
The majority of modern-day readers, like me, may want to speed-read this section and move on to something more pertinent to today’s news. However, when we think about it, the nations currently at war with Israel are some of the very same nations listed in this section.
Here are some highlights of Zephaniah 2.
— Vs. 4 – For Gaza shall be deserted,
and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;
— Vs 5 – The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines.
— Vs. 9 – Moab shall become like Sodom
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah.
— Vs. 13 – And he will stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria,
and he will make Nineveh a desolation,
a dry waste like the desert.
Why Such a Brutal Judgment
Readers of passages like this may compare the strong words of judgment and wonder how it relates to the love found in Jesus blessing babies and welcoming outcasts into his family of followers.
Here are a couple of responses to that question. One possibility is that prophets, eager to capture their audience’s attention, might have employed a degree of hyperbole in their speech.
Another, and perhaps more significant, explanation is that when nations choose to ignore God’s laws or even basic human decency, God feels obligated to intervene. Reflect on the atrocities committed by nations for their own purposes, and consider the justice of God’s actions in addressing these wrongs and holding them accountable.
Zephaniah suggests a reason for God’s judgment on two nations, Moab and Assyria, highlighting pride as their flaw. This pride extends beyond mere sportsmanship, like taunting in a football game or celebrating a touchdown with a spike.
Pride involves a stubborn commitment to self-interest in defiance of God’s will, ignoring His explicit commands and the potential harm such actions can cause to others.
Both Moab and Assyria ran headlong into how God deals with proud and arrogant humans who defy His will and harm other people.
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.” James 4.6
The message to Moab:
This shall be their lot in return for their pride,
because they scoffed and boasted
against the people of the Lord of hosts. Zephaniah 2.10
The message to Assyria:
Is this the exultant city
that lived secure,
that said to itself,
“I am, and there is no one else”?
What a desolation it has become,
a lair for wild animals!
Everyone who passes by it
hisses and shakes the fist. Zephaniah 2.15
I believe the most important message about judgment that we read in the Old Testament is the fact that God holds people accountable. God deeply cares about the world, and He holds people to account who harm His beloved.
When writing about judgment, the Bible often speaks about pride. This is because human pride, just like satanic pride, is at the root of all sin.
We believe our way is better than that of God. We try to take His place and assume His role, which is only rightfully His.
God’s grace is for the humble. We do well to come to Him, believing that He loves us and knows best. Then, we align our lives with His will.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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