Zephaniah 2:8–11

It is not merely the Philistines on the west, but Moab and the others on the east who must come into judgment for their proud enmity.

Was it not morally useful for Israel to remember where a lasting thorn in their side came from? It began in the shameful origin of the Moabite and the Ammonite. These were two nations, neighbours and relatives, known for their constant envy and hatred toward the people of God.

The heart calls on God to remember the attacks and insults of the enemy instead of being alarmed by them, for the reproach falls on His name. And this is true. For the world's hostility is really against the Lord when it is against His people. If they were not His people, the world would not trouble itself much about them. God's people have to remember the same thing, and in their own weakness to remember what is at stake.

Israel is now in a position to receive the full inheritance she has never yet received. Even in her greatest days, Moab, Edom and the Philistines lay inside the territory promised to her from the start. Their divine Leader deliberately spared the first two, along with Ammon, the other son of Lot, and left them the lands they then held. But that was only temporary. They never turned to God, and the prophets from Balaam onward announced judgment on them.

This judgment of Moab and Ammon is the harvest which their pride and self-exaltation has brought them.

No one can say that all this has been fulfilled. Nehemiah must have felt sharply that it was not. Tobiah the Ammonite opposed the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, and men of the returned remnant had married wives of Ashdod, of Moab and of Ammon. Zephaniah looks on to the future, the time of Israel's full restoration and supremacy over the nations. And how gracious of God to give through His servant such a picture of the future, when dark days were about to close in over the little kingdom of Judah!

Moab was the child of Lot's sin. Lot was a child of God. But he was not content with a life of obedient dependence on Him, and chose instead to go down into Sodom for worldly gain. Moab represents the results of that departure. So it fits that the nation coming from him should picture mere profession: an outward connection with God with nothing real behind it.

Moab and Ammon had sinned against Israel, they reviled them and magnified themselves against their border. Their judgment is announced, as it is in the earlier prophets, like Joel, Amos, and Ezekiel. Moab will be overthrown like Sodom, and Ammon will become like Gomorrah. Then the judgment of Moab and Ammon will finally come, in His day. The remnant of His people will plunder them, and the remnant will possess them. It is obvious this also remains to be fulfilled.

From the moment God is in Israel He identifies Himself with His people. Because of this, He deals with the nations according to how they treated Israel. "As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me," says the King. The moment they touch Israel, they touch the apple of His eye.

"The glare of Sodom and Gomorrah is thrown across the whole length of Scripture history. It is the best-known and standard judgment on human sin. Genesis tells the story. Deuteronomy applies it, and so do Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Lamentations and Ezekiel. Our Lord Himself employs it more than once as the figure of the judgment."

Scripture mentions nettles as a sign that a place was deserted and given up to desolation. In Job, the poor outcasts take shelter under them. Job 30:7; Prov. 24:31; Isa. 34:13; Hosea 9:6; Zeph. 2:9.

The Moabites are a striking figure of the Flesh. (1) Their start was bad (Gen. 19:37). (2) They were excluded from the congregation of God's people (Deut. 23:3; Neh. 13:1). (3) They were to be utterly destroyed, the last mention of them in Scripture being: "As I live, declares the LORD of hosts … Moab shall become like Sodom … a waste forever" (Zeph. 2:9).

So Israel is now ready to receive the full inheritance she has never yet received. Even in her greatest days, Moab, Edom and the Philistines lay inside the territory God first promised her. God Himself, her divine Leader, spared the first two, along with Ammon, the other son of Lot, and those nations kept the lands they then held. But this was only temporarily; for they never turned to God.

Both in chapters 2 and 3 "the remnant" is chiefly in view, "The remnant of the house of Judah," "the remnant of my people" (Zeph. 2:7, 9). These are "the afflicted and poor people" who trust in the name of the Lord (Zeph. 3:12), and who are blessed in connection with Christ.

None can say that all this has been fulfilled. Nehemiah must have felt that sharply. Tobiah the Ammonite opposed the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, and men of the returned remnant had married wives of Ashdod, Moab and Ammon (Neh. 13:23). Zephaniah looks on to the future, the time of Israel's full restoration and triumphant supremacy over the nations. And how gracious of God to give this forecast through His servant, just as dark days were about to close over the little kingdom of Judah!

Then the prophecy denounces the various nations that had been hostile to the land and to God's people. God had at times used some of them to punish His chosen people. But they had become full of pride, and they had abused their power. So His judgements would certainly fall on them. The prophecy, however, looks on to the future great day of God's wrath.

He leaves His people to the consequences of their sin, so they fall under the power of their enemies. Because of this, the pride of those enemies rises so high that it brings down the judgment of God. He steps in to deliver the remnant whom He loves, and to take His place as righteous Ruler over all the nations.

From the moment God is in Israel He identifies Himself with His people. Because of this, He deals with the nations according to how they treated Israel. "As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me," says the King. The moment they touch Israel, they touch the apple of His eye.

There was real moral profit for Israel in remembering the source of a constant thorn in their side — the shameful origin of the Moabite and the Ammonite. These two nations were neighbours and relatives of Israel, known for endless envy and hostility against the people of God. The one true God notes it all in His wisdom. Sin then as now produced a harvest, large and long-continued… "The one who sows to his own flesh," no matter who or where or when, "will from the flesh reap corruption."

This judgment of Moab and Ammon is the harvest which their pride and self-exaltation has brought to them (verse 10).

No one can say that all this has been fulfilled. Nehemiah must have felt sharply that it was not. Tobiah the Ammonite opposed the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. Men of the remnant who had returned had married wives of Ashdod, of Moab, and of Ammon (Neh. 13:23). Zephaniah looks on to the future, to the time of Israel's full restoration and triumphant supremacy over the nations. How gracious of God to give through His servant such a forecast of the future, when dark days were about to close over the little kingdom of Judah!

Pride. The Greek New Testament has several words that we translate as pride. The one used here (hyperephania) means a spirit of self-exaltation in a person, joined with putting others down… This arrogance shows itself in boastful words and proud deeds. But its origin is within the heart. A line from Mary's song, the Magnificat, shows this: "He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts" (Luke 1:51). This form of haughtiness is offensive to God and open to His immediate judgment. Both James and Peter write that "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). The root idea of the word is lifting yourself up to show yourself off above your fellows — a personal puffing up that brings a person into the condemnation of the devil (1 Tim. 3:6).

The great change for the earth — the full putting down of idolatry — awaits the execution of divine judgment. This is plain everywhere. We can plainly see that idolatry goes on, and in its worst forms inside the Christian world itself. Nothing is so bad as idolatry among people who name Christ.

The Lord, in that day, will be terrible to all these nations. The idol gods will all be abolished. In their place people will worship Him alone. All the isles of the nations will turn in worship to Him.

Besides the great centre of earthly worship for all in Jerusalem, real offerings are foretold here from all the Gentiles in every place… The coming age will be marked by this: every nation will openly own the name of Jehovah, and not simply bear witness to it… Israel will form the inner circle for the earth, but that will not shut out real worship that God accepts everywhere among the Gentiles.

Just as there will be a spared remnant of Judah, so some will be spared from among the Gentiles to share the blessing of Christ's Kingdom. Idolatry will be completely destroyed. But "the isles of the heathen" — the far-off parts of the earth, in contrast to the countries right around Judah — will come into blessing. Men will worship the Lord, each one from his place in all these outlying regions.

No one can say that all this has been fulfilled. Nehemiah must have felt sharply that it was not. Tobiah the Ammonite fought the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, and men of the returned remnant had married wives of Ashdod, of Moab, and of Ammon. Zephaniah looks on to the future, to the time of Israel's full restoration and triumph over the nations.

In the time Zephaniah has in view, special places and outward show are not wiped out. In Christianity they are — as we now know, or ought to know, from John 4:21-24. So there is no sentence of death, as it were, on the ancient city of solemn feasts. Instead, as in Malachi 1:11, worship opens up elsewhere as well, "each from his place," even all the isles of the nations.

As the Creator and as Jehovah, God was worshipped before the cross; and as such He will be worshipped again. So in the past unconverted people could worship Him… Not all people in that day will be converted, but all will worship God.