Post by Lee on Dec 18, 2014 2:37:56 GMT
The expressions of the third chapter are terrible in their descriptions of the enormities of all classes. The people had been filthy, polluted, disobedient, and contumacious, the princes as roaring lions, the judges as evening wolves, the prophets light and treacherous persons, whilst the priests had polluted the sanctuary itself and done violence to the law! What could happen but the entire fulfilment of all the woes previously denounced by prophet after prophet almost since the days of Moses. And come they did. There is no need to dwell upon the horrors of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, to be repeated long years after when the city was destroyed by the Romans. Both accounts are written in the pages of history, where they can be read by all who desire to do so.
Like all Israel’s prophets, Zephaniah pointed far beyond the immediate future of his times. In the eighth verse of the third chapter he takes up again comfort for the meek of the earth. They would have to share in the sufferings of the nation, of course, but like all God’s servants in every age, they were to wait—“Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey.” The whole context leaves no doubt as to the time in view. The Kingdom of God is the only possible application of the glowing promises which follow. True, the prophet’s words are applied by some to the restoration from the seventy years in Babylon, but it is an impossible suggestion. Never yet has it been possible to hail the fulfilment of such words as “I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame . . . I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth” (verses 19 and 20), for Israel has not yet emerged from being a reproach and a byword.
There is a beautiful parallelism of thought to be discerned in this chapter. In the days of Zephaniah it could be said of Jerusalem, “The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame” (verse 5). He had cut off other nations, laying their lands waste and desolate. Had Israel recognised this and been rightly exercised by it, they would have heard and obeyed, “but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings” (verse 7). Hence the threatened punishments were to come.
Still God’s purpose could not fail, and so there is to be a repetition of the events of the Exodus and conquest. “My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” As the outcome of this event there will also be a repetition of God’s presence among them. As in the past He was “in the midst thereof,” so of the future it is declared “The King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not; and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing” (verses 15 to 17). It is another way of expressing what is contained in Habakkuk’s saying, “The Lord is in his holy temple,” and which is set forth in more detail by Ezekiel in his description of the temple of the age to come. In the days when the destruction of the temple was fast hastening to its accomplishment, this idea seems to have been more deeply impressed on the minds of the prophets. As we shall see, it was taken up again more clearly still, if that be possible, by the prophets associated with the restoration.
There is one point where the suggested parallel is not complete. In the past Israel alone called upon the name of the Lord. Not so in the time predicted by Zephaniah. “Then will I turn to the peoples a pure language (or lip) that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.” This was also a phase of prophecy which seems to have been announced more frequently from this time. Not that it now first appears in revelation—far from it—but that from now it was more dwelt upon. Habakkuk saw all the earth in silent adoration before God (Hab. 2:20), Zephaniah in the passage under notice tells of the pure language in which all peoples will call upon the name of the Lord, Haggai foresaw the coming of the desires of all nations (Hag. 2:7), Zechariah looked to the time when all the nations shall go to worship before the Lord of hosts (Zech. 14:16), and Malachi sums up with the anticipation of the time when, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Yahweh’s name shall be great amongst the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto His name (Mal. 1:11).
That day is fast hastening on. The “King of Israel” will soon appear for the salvation of his people, and the blessing of the world. In the meantime it is for us to see that we in this day of small things, fit ourselves for the glorious position to which we are called in the future. To do so we must use a pure language in calling upon the name of the Lord with one consent, bringing God’s offering before Him even now, the offering spoken of by the apostle when he said “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:1, 2).
The Christadelphian, 44(electronic ed.), 149–152.
Like all Israel’s prophets, Zephaniah pointed far beyond the immediate future of his times. In the eighth verse of the third chapter he takes up again comfort for the meek of the earth. They would have to share in the sufferings of the nation, of course, but like all God’s servants in every age, they were to wait—“Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey.” The whole context leaves no doubt as to the time in view. The Kingdom of God is the only possible application of the glowing promises which follow. True, the prophet’s words are applied by some to the restoration from the seventy years in Babylon, but it is an impossible suggestion. Never yet has it been possible to hail the fulfilment of such words as “I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame . . . I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth” (verses 19 and 20), for Israel has not yet emerged from being a reproach and a byword.
There is a beautiful parallelism of thought to be discerned in this chapter. In the days of Zephaniah it could be said of Jerusalem, “The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame” (verse 5). He had cut off other nations, laying their lands waste and desolate. Had Israel recognised this and been rightly exercised by it, they would have heard and obeyed, “but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings” (verse 7). Hence the threatened punishments were to come.
Still God’s purpose could not fail, and so there is to be a repetition of the events of the Exodus and conquest. “My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” As the outcome of this event there will also be a repetition of God’s presence among them. As in the past He was “in the midst thereof,” so of the future it is declared “The King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not; and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing” (verses 15 to 17). It is another way of expressing what is contained in Habakkuk’s saying, “The Lord is in his holy temple,” and which is set forth in more detail by Ezekiel in his description of the temple of the age to come. In the days when the destruction of the temple was fast hastening to its accomplishment, this idea seems to have been more deeply impressed on the minds of the prophets. As we shall see, it was taken up again more clearly still, if that be possible, by the prophets associated with the restoration.
There is one point where the suggested parallel is not complete. In the past Israel alone called upon the name of the Lord. Not so in the time predicted by Zephaniah. “Then will I turn to the peoples a pure language (or lip) that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.” This was also a phase of prophecy which seems to have been announced more frequently from this time. Not that it now first appears in revelation—far from it—but that from now it was more dwelt upon. Habakkuk saw all the earth in silent adoration before God (Hab. 2:20), Zephaniah in the passage under notice tells of the pure language in which all peoples will call upon the name of the Lord, Haggai foresaw the coming of the desires of all nations (Hag. 2:7), Zechariah looked to the time when all the nations shall go to worship before the Lord of hosts (Zech. 14:16), and Malachi sums up with the anticipation of the time when, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Yahweh’s name shall be great amongst the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto His name (Mal. 1:11).
That day is fast hastening on. The “King of Israel” will soon appear for the salvation of his people, and the blessing of the world. In the meantime it is for us to see that we in this day of small things, fit ourselves for the glorious position to which we are called in the future. To do so we must use a pure language in calling upon the name of the Lord with one consent, bringing God’s offering before Him even now, the offering spoken of by the apostle when he said “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:1, 2).
The Christadelphian, 44(electronic ed.), 149–152.