Zephaniah 1:8–13

Zephaniah — his name means "Treasured of Jehovah" — prophesied in the days of Josiah. Josiah was a godly king, and his faith and energy had produced a clear revival in the outward state of Israel. But this book takes no notice of that revival. It goes straight to a declaration of God's sweeping judgment, in which He consumes everything from the land. The revival was outward only. At heart the nation stayed exactly as it was, and this became clear as soon as Josiah died.

The prophet Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah. He had something special to say about the young princes, and about the king's children. He spoke about those very young men who would soon be kings, and about their sisters too… These are days when our young people are strongly tempted to wear strange clothes. But they will do well, and their parents will do well, to remember this. Strange clothes were part of the cause of the terrible downfall of the Kingdom of Judah.

We saw that the beginning of Israel's history in their own land was spoiled by a Babylonian garment (Joshua 7:21). How strange that a Babylonian garment also brings that history to a close. Babylon speaks to us of the world… In the early days of Israel's history there was spiritual energy to put the evil away. But even in the days of Josiah, even in his own family, there was no such energy. The king's children wore that strange, foreign clothing in the open. In the early days it was hidden in a tent. Now it was worn boldly and openly — the badge and mark and proof of where their hearts belonged.

In this day of the Babylonian, which we are looking at with Zephaniah, everything is judged. There is Judah, and there is Jerusalem. There are the peoples around them: Edom, the Philistines, the Ammonites, the Ethiopians and the Assyrians. North, south, east and west, all come in for this common and complete exposure, down to the smallest detail. The remnant of Baal, the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, idolaters, those who swear by the Lord and by Malcham, the backsliders and the careless, and those who wear strange clothes — God visits each one on his own… Nothing escapes.

The day of the Lord is at hand. That statement confirms our reading: this prophecy points to the future day. The Lord has prepared His sacrifice and invited His guests. It is the supper of the great God… Read Revelation 19:17-18 alongside this. Verses 8-13 describe what that day will bring. The Lord will deal with all the evildoers.

Where truth is high and practice is low, no one can testify honestly to the day of Jehovah… If we were truthful, with hearts exercised by His grace, we would wait for Christ freely and gladly. And we would not knowingly allow anything that goes against His mind and would call forth His judgment. For instance, we often find this self-deceit in a Christian who lives in worldliness. It leads him to say that at least his heart is not in it.

The day of the Lord is at hand. That statement confirms our reading that this prophecy refers to the future day. The Lord has prepared His sacrifice and invited His guests. It is the supper of the great God. Read this together with Revelation 19:17-18. Verses 8-13 describe what that day will bring. The Lord will deal with all the evildoers.

"Violence" and "deceit," the two things that characterize sin, were both entirely absent from Him. Violence marks the strong, and deceit the weak. But He had "done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth."

On the day of His sacrifice, His hand would fall on the king, the prince, and the king's children. Violence and deceit would receive their just reward.

The offerings for guilt or trespass fall into two classes. The first is wrongs done in the holy things of Jehovah, or by breaking one of Jehovah's commands and finding it out later. The second is wrongs that Jehovah counts as done against Him, even though they are not offences against holy things or against His commands, like the first. They are acts of fraud and violence, with deceit, against other people.

There will be alarm and chastening from God everywhere… Not only those who were openly violent — no one would escape, no class or condition.

Idolaters, backsliders, the careless, and those who wear foreign clothing are all visited one by one. The lamp of the Lord searches out those who are complacent, and who despise the fear of judgment. Nothing escapes. All is naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. And the Judge of all the world does right; those who have deserved many stripes get them, while others are beaten with as few; for God is no respecter of persons.

Divine judgment must clear away all offences, so that righteousness by grace may flourish… If Jehovah must judge His people, all the world must bow. No nation can escape. What Nebuchadnezzar did was only the first installment of a great and complete judgment. Yet Jehovah had to begin with His land, His people, and His city, as in Zephaniah 1.

It will be universal alarm and chastening from God. "Howl, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all who carry silver are cut off." … Not only those who were openly violent — no one would escape, no class or condition.

Zephaniah 1:10, "a howling from the second" — rather "Mishneh," a part of Jerusalem. See 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22, in the margin.

"And Hilkiah, and those the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess ... now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter [of the town]; and they spoke with her to that effect" (2 Chronicles 34:22, older translation). Why they did not inquire of Jeremiah, or Zephaniah, who lived at the same time as Josiah, is uncertain.

This gate stood in the northern part of Jerusalem. Along with "the gate of the old [wall]", it was especially open to enemy attack. The Assyrian armies came from the north to surround the city and lay siege to it.

The reign of the last godly king did not stop it or put it off. The general spread of evil revolt would only be surer once that check was gone. God's judgment must clear away every offence, so that righteousness by grace can flourish. … If Jehovah must judge His people, the whole world must bow; no nation can escape. What Nebuchadnezzar did was only the first instalment of a great and complete judgment. Yet Jehovah had to begin with His land, His people, and His city, as in Zephaniah 1.

Zephaniah prophesied in the days of Josiah, a godly king whose faith and energy had produced a marked revival in the outward state of Israel. But this book takes no notice of that revival. Instead it goes straight into a declaration of the sweeping judgment of God — His completely consuming everything from the land. The apparent revival was outward only. The nation's real condition at heart stayed the same as before, and this became clear as soon as Josiah died.

It matters greatly that we hold and testify "that day" — not only the coming of the Lord but His day. … there may be an unwillingness to face the solemn truth of the day of Jehovah. Where there is high truth and low practice, no one can honestly testify to the day of Jehovah. … Yet it is a solemn and necessary truth to hold up before our own eyes and before everyone else's.

A district in or near Jerusalem where merchants traded. Zephaniah 1:11. The Targum associates it with the Kidron valley.

Maktesh in Zephaniah 1:11 means "of a mortar" or "hollow place" in a rock. The same Hebrew word occurs in Judges 15:19 and Proverbs 27:22. It probably means Jerusalem, where they would be pounded by their enemies as in a mortar.

In some places the term Canaanite seems to include any of the people living in Canaan, as in Joshua 17:12-13, Nehemiah 9:24, Obadiah 20 and Zechariah 14:21. The same Hebrew word is translated "merchant" in Job 41:6, Proverbs 31:24 and Isaiah 23:8. So Zechariah 14:21 may mean "there shall no more be the merchant in the house of the Lord of hosts." Compare John 2:16.

Not merely those who were openly violent — no one should escape, no class or condition. They say in their heart, "The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill."… Therefore "their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them" — that is, they will be struck at the very point of their unbelief.

In this day of the Chaldean, which we are now looking at with Zephaniah, everything is judged… The remnant of Baal, the name of the Chemarim (the idol-priests) along with the priests, idolaters, those who swear by the Lord and by Malcham, the backsliders and the careless, those who wear strange clothing — all are visited one by one… Nothing escapes. All is naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. And the Judge of all the world does right; those who have deserved many blows get them, while others are beaten with few; for God shows no partiality. He gives to every man according to his deeds.

When that day comes the wicked will perish; distress will be on everyone. They will walk like blind men — that is, trying to find a way to escape, but not able to find one. Nothing will be able to deliver from the fury of that day; neither silver nor gold will be worth anything.

Not merely those who were openly violent — no one would escape, no class or condition.

He would search Jerusalem as with candles, and make manifest the folly of those who denied His intervention either for good or for evil.

"Wines on the lees" are wines left undisturbed on their sediment to mature. Isaiah 25:6. The expression "settled on the lees" is used figuratively of Moab, which had not been disturbed as other nations. Jeremiah 48:11. It is also used of those in Jerusalem who stayed indifferent and undisturbed among evils that God had threatened to punish. Zephaniah 1:12. A very telling picture of this poor, apathetic world, and of the self-satisfied and unconcerned spirit of the professing Christian world.

They will be struck at the very point of their unbelief… They denied the day of the LORD completely. They said the LORD would do neither good nor harm. He was a God who took His ease, as they did.

In this day everything is judged. There is Judah, and there is Jerusalem, and the peoples around them; north, south, east and west, all come in for this common and complete exposure, and that in all its fine distinctions. The candle of the Lord searches out those who are settled on their lees, and who despise the fear of judgment. Nothing escapes. All is naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. And the Judge of all the world does right. Those who have deserved many lashes get them, while others are beaten with as few. God shows no partiality. He repays every person according to his deeds.

The man of faith cannot be left to settle on his lees. He must be poured from one vessel to another. The child of God must move from class to class in the school of Christ. When he has mastered the difficulties of one class, by grace, he is called to wrestle with those of the next.

"At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps." Not only those who were openly violent — no one was to escape, no class or condition. They "say in their heart, the LORD will not do good, nor will He do ill." … Therefore "their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste"; that is, they shall be struck at the very point of their unbelief. … They said the LORD would do neither good nor harm: He was a God who took His ease as they did.

The day of the LORD would bring a cry from the gates of Jerusalem. He would search Jerusalem as with lamps, and make plain the folly of those who denied that He would step in either for good or for evil.

In this day of the Babylonian invasion, which we are looking at here with Zephaniah, everything is judged. The lamp of the Lord searches out those who are complacent, and who despise the fear of judgment. Nothing escapes. All is naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. And the Judge of all the world does right; those who have deserved many stripes get them, while others are beaten with few; for God shows no favouritism. He renders to every man according to his deeds.

When disobedient to God, an Israelite might build a house and never live in it, or he might plant a vineyard and never enjoy its fruits. Their livestock might be slaughtered before their eyes, but not for their benefit, or livestock might be taken by force and never returned.

When that day comes the wicked will perish; distress will be upon all. They will walk like blind men, that is, trying to find a way to escape, but not able to find one. Nothing will be able to deliver from the fury of that day, neither silver nor gold will be of any use.

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD … I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. … I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them, says the LORD your God." Very wonderful will be the change over the face of creation, and all a testimony to Christ.