Zephaniah Part Two Deep Dive

GOD IS GOD OVER THE NATIONS | KATIE HALDANE

We have journeyed through some great details of Zephaniah already, so let’s look at a different way to study the biblical text in this Deep Dive and look at the nations represented in Zephaniah.

Trashing Tip: Highlight all the names of places as you go, and check out a map on TYB Interactive to see where they are located.

Scholars date the second section of Zephaniah to the last decade of King Josiah’s reform. This is found in 2 Kings 23:15-20 especially v19.

2 K 23:19 Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger.

JUDAH (2:1-3)

In Chapter 2:1-3, we begin our journey with a call for Judah to repent. At this stage, Judah and Israel are separated into the Northern and Southern kingdoms and the Northern kingdom was taken into exile by Assyria back in 722BC. For them, this message of judgment would have come loud and clear. They know what happens when you don’t take the warning of God and they have Israel and its capital, Samaria, as real-life deterrents. But as we will learn, God’s warnings are not strong enough for the pride and arrogance found in the people of Judah. And so to the nations and their judgment Zephaniah turns to show the justice of God across the nations. He begins with the Philistines.

PHILISTIA (2:4-7)

The Philistines have been the enemies of Israel throughout the Bible, especially in the time of David. Goliath was a Philistine, and it was with the Philistines that David sought refuge in 1 Samuel 27 and 28. Mentioned over 191 times in the Old Testament, the history of Israel is intricately interwoven with the Philistines. Now back in the time of Zephaniah, King Josiah wants to expand the kingdom of Judah and Philistia sits on Judah’s border, between Judah and the coast. Four cities are mentioned from south to north in the prophecy: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron. The Philistines are called ‘Kerethite’ in the text which shows its early geographical connections with Crete.

MOAB AND AMMON (2:8-11)

Like the Philistines, Moab and Ammon are two nations that have been intricately connected to Israel though out the Biblical text. Moab and Amon have had numerous prophecies against them including Isaiah 15-16, Jeremiah 48-49, Ezekiel 23 and Amos 1-2. However, they’ve never had a prophecy together as one unit as Zephaniah presents. Through Zephaniah in first person, God Himself declares the judgment and actions He is going to take against these nations. Then the prophet, Zephaniah, steps in as narrator at the end to summarise and reassert the message of God. The Moabites and Ammonites are, in fact, descendants of the people of God (Genesis 12:4-5, 19:30-38) but they were often either actively or verbally enemies of Israel.

CUSH (2:12)

This short, one-verse prophecy comes against the Cushites, or Ethiopians. The land is located near Egypt. Cush was the oldest son of Ham and a grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:7). Cush is another people group that is regularly mentioned throughout the Bible, beginning in Genesis 10, Moses had a Cushite wife (Numbers 12:1), it was the Cushites that God used in Judges to judge Israel. They were subject to the Cushite king Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim for eight years (Judges 3:8) and Job mentions the topaz of Cush (Job 28:19).

ASSYRIA (2:13-16)

Assyria is another significant superpower of the ancient Near East. Described as a ‘brutal, overwhelming military force that destroys everything in their path’. Three prophetic books are directly related to prophesying against Nineveh/Assyria; Jonah has already prophesied to Nineveh and they have repented. Zephaniah prophecies here and the prophet Nahum will take up the cause after Zephaniah. This major superpower Assyria had already taken the Northern kingdom of Israel captive. In this incredible prophecy, we see the power of God over creation including intricate details of animals and birds. It is the ‘cosmic nature’ of these prophecies that gives us the sense and understanding that our God is all-powerful, God over the nations and creation.

NOW IT’S JERUSALEM’S TURN (3:1-5)

The reader of Zephaniah is lured into a sense that everyone else is getting the judgment of God and Judah and Jerusalem have found a lovely place of safety while they watch the other nations squirm. But that is not the case, you can feel in the writing of Zephaniah that if you were hearing this from Jerusalem, you will have now realised the trap. As you heard and revelled in the destruction of your enemies, you are now aware of your own shortcomings – and now it’s your turn. The prophecy against Jerusalem does not hold back:

Z 3:1-2
Woe to the city of oppressors,
    rebellious and defiled!
She obeys no one,
    she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
    she does not draw near to her God.

Jerusalem’s pride and arrogance are prevalent, and there is a stark difference between her (3:1-3) and the God she is supposed to represent (3:5). You can hear the heartbreak of God; He did everything He could to turn their hearts to honour and repentance, but Jerusalem didn’t repent (3:7).

However, once again, as in every moment of judgment with God, He promises a remnant and restoration. Nathan unpacks this in our first Deep Dive. Even in this text of such incredible heartache and passion, from Chapter 3:9-20 we are refreshed once again with the incredible mercy of God to not destroy completely, and to restore.

What a journey Zephaniah is, a trip around the nations, to show the power, might and jurisdiction of our God across heavens and earth. From judgement to restoration and back again you are going to love this small, power-packed book!