Zephaniah 1:2-6, The Sweeping Away of Wicked Humanity

When has God put an end to all wicked humans? Only in the flood. But He promised He would never do that again, by a flood that is (Genesis 9:15). Yet here, in Zephaniah’s prophecy, He speaks in absolute terms bringing all sinners to an end, as He did in the flood. So, we may deduce that He is speaking less than literally here, and in fact there never has been a time when He did that other than in the flood. He is speaking this way for effect. He wants the world, and especially Israel, to take Him seriously, to wake up! Are you awake?

² “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” says Yahweh. ³ “I will sweep away people and animals alike. I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea. I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble, and I will wipe humanity from the face of the earth,” says Yahweh. ⁴ “I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear. ⁵ For they go up to their roofs and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow Yahweh, but then they worship Molech, too. ⁶ And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for Yahweh’s guidance or seek my blessings.”

Thought Yahweh’s judgment is being announced to the whole world, His attention is definitely on Judah and Jerusalem, the only portion of His people still living in the land He gave them. The northern kingdom of Israel has already been taken into captivity, nearly eighty years earlier because of their idolatrous rejection of the worship of the true God. And Judah is following suit, betting on the queen of heaven instead of the King of kings.

Even though Josiah has outlawed idolatrous worship, he can’t prevent people going up on their roofs at night to stare at and worship the stars. They might declare allegiance to Yahweh, but in their hearts and on their lips is also the name of Molech, that despicable god who demands the sacrifice of human babies in the most gruesome way possible.

Why would we give up worship of our God? Why, when He alone gives wise guidance, made clear in His law, would we seek help elsewhere? We don’t really believe, don’t really trust Him anymore. We don’t believe that He would crush us with His fist in order to rid the world of Baal worship, or the worship of any other god besides Him. Oh, foolish, foolish hearts. God’s promise of judgment is always His invitation to repentance.