God’s Judgment of the Whole World, Especially Judah and Jerusalem
Zephaniah 1:1
Zephaniah, speaking for God, proclaims a great and worldwide destruction. This will be focused particularly on Judah and her capital Jerusalem.
God will destroy the priests and people who are worshipping the Canaanite god Baal, the god Molech (the Ammonite god Milcom, favoured by some of King Solomon’s wives) and the sun, moon and stars. The priests have been mixing pagan worship with the worship of the Lord. The royal court has been mixing the Hebrew way of life with foreign dress and superstitions. All this has obscured the truth about God and muddied the purity of his people. Zephaniah calls for absolute silence, as God approaches the very moment of judgment.
Zephaniah shows his local knowledge as he describes God striking the areas of Jerusalem where the traders operate and where the smart people live. The self-sufficient merchants and self-satisfied homeowners will find their wealth swept away. Those who think God won’t touch them will be forced to think again.
Zephaniah describes the Day of the Lord. It is approaching rapidly, plunging the world into darkness and war. People will wander in a state of shock, until they are cut down and destroyed. No amount of wealth will protect them when God’s jealous rage sweeps in like fire.
‘The Day of the Lord’ is the day when God will be roused thoroughly and finally to judge the world. The prophets are convinced that the day will come when God can no longer endure the wickedness of the nations or the unfaithfulness of his own people. On that day his love, hatred of evil, and zeal for justice will boil over in wrath. It will be a day of cosmic upheaval, natural disasters, darkness, despair and death.
Knowles, Andrew. The Bible Guide. 1st Augsburg books ed. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2001. Print.
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