The book of Zephaniah belongs to another dark period in Judah’s history. About one hundred years earlier, the prophets Micah and Isaiah had watched as the northern kingdom of Israel was wiped out because of their unbelief and disobedience to the LORD. Now Zephaniah was warning the people of Judah that the same thing would happen to them because of their sin and idolatry.
Under the reign and godly leadership of Hezekiah, many reforms had taken place and the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Assyrians had been averted. But after Hezekiah’s death two evil and ungodly kings led the people of Judah back to the worship of false gods, so much so that we are told, “Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel” (2 Chronicles 33:9). Although Manasseh did turn to the LORD at the end of his fifty five year reign, the damage had been done. His son Amon took over when he died and followed in the evil ways of his father’s early career and “did evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 21:20).
Amon reigned for only two years and was killed by his own servants. After the death of Amon his son Josiah was made king in his place. Josiah was only eight years old when he was made king. We are not told anything about the first eight years of Josiah’s reign, the first thing we are told is: “in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images” (2 Chronicles 34:3). Josiah was filled with such a zeal for the LORD his God that we are told, “before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him” (2 Kings 23:25). This reform continued for 23 years and until the end of his reign.
It was during the reign of good king Josiah that Zephaniah prophesied. In the first verse of the book we are told, “The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.”
Although we know little about the prophet Zephaniah, he does provide some information which is unusual among the prophets. He tells us his own genealogy going back four generations, “The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah.” It is even more unusual that the prophet goes back to the fourth generation unless he was making a connection to a well known figure. For this reason many think that the Hezekiah mentioned in Zephaniah’s genealogy is King Hezekiah. This is supported by the fact that Zephaniah is very familiar with current political issues, with the city of Jerusalem and its districts (1:10-11), and even calls Jerusalem, “this place” (1:4).
The prophesies of Zephaniah were to announce to the people of Judah, God’s coming judgment. The phrase, “day of the LORD” occurs seven times in the first 20 verses (1:7, 8,14,18; 2:2,3). The main thrust of this judgment is directed against the people of Judah, “I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (1:4) because of their rejection of the LORD, “Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, To the oppressing city! She has not obeyed His voice, She has not received correction; She has not trusted in the LORD, She has not drawn near to her God” (3:1-2).
But Zephaniah also calls the world to repentance, “Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’S anger” (2:3). Zephaniah proclaims that the LORD’s judgment against the surrounding nations of Philistia (2:4-7), Moab and Ammon (2:8-9) as well as Ethiopia (2:12) and Assyria (2:13-15). The reason for this judgment? Zephaniah says, “This they shall have for their pride, Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats Against the people of the LORD of hosts” (2:10), and then continues, ,em>“The LORD will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations” (2:11).
Zephaniah points ahead to the oppression of this area of the world not by the Assyrian empire, which will soon be destroyed itself, but at the hands of the Babylonian empire which would destroy Assyria and take control of Judah and the surrounding nations. About the people of Judah Zephaniah proclaimed, “Their goods shall become booty, And their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine” (1:13). This would be fulfilled in about 50 years at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar who would destroy Jerusalem and take its people into captivity.
In contrast to the judgment, Zephaniah also brings out the message of the LORD’s deliverance. He tells the remnant who call upon the name of the LORD to “Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more” (3:14-15). About the Gospel comfort of the book, Luther writes, “In the third chapter Zephaniah prophesies gloriously and clearly of the happy and blessed kingdom of Christ, which shall be spread abroad in all the world.... He does so in order to give the people abundant comfort, so that they would not despair of God because of their disastrous captivity in Babylon, as if God had cast them off forever, but rather be sure that after this punishment they would receive grace again and get the promised Savior, Christ, with His glorious kingdom.”
I. The day of the LORD's Judgment (1:1-3:8)
II. The day of the LORD's Salvation (3:9-20)
Note: This study was prepared for the Bible Class at Zion Lutheran Church,
Lawrenceville, GA by Pastor Nathanael Mayhew