Zephaniah
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Introduction[i]
Zephaniah
sets before us the judgment of the Spirit of God with respect to the condition
of the testimony rendered to the name of God in this world, at a moment when there
was some outward restoration by means of a king who feared God.
God
has granted this favour more than once to His people, even as He has endured
with longsuffering their rebellion and revolt; and in both cases He would have
us see the true moral condition of that which bore His name-the judgment which
a spiritual heart would form, which His Spirit formed, with respect to that
condition: a judgment which should be authenticated by that which God would
execute upon His people and upon the Gentiles, when longsuffering should no
longer be of any avail.
These
two subjects constitute the two principal divisions of the prophecy: the
announcement of God's purposes with respect to the judgment that He would
execute, and the display of that condition which led to the judgment. This, as
always, is accompanied by the revelation of His counsels in grace, and of the
coming of the Messiah, in order to encourage and sustain the faith of the
believing remnant of His people.
Israel
having been appointed the witness for God, when the nations had given
themselves up to iniquity and idolatry, the general judgment of the world could
be delayed, so long as (that testimony being maintained) the true character of
God was presented; for God is slow to anger. Accordingly He raised up prophets,
beginning with Samuel, to remedy the wanderings and unfaithfulness of His
people, when they themselves had failed. So long as this extraordinary
testimony of grace, and the warnings and chastenings that accompanied it,
served to maintain some glimmerings of truth and righteousness on the earth,
Jehovah withheld His hand ready to destroy that which dishonoured God and
oppressed man. We have seen elsewhere, in the transfer of sovereignty to the
empire of the Gentiles, the introduction of a new system, as we find in the New
Testament the establishment of the assembly. I do not dwell upon it here. As to
the government of the world, in view of the testimony rendered to the name of
Jehovah, when Israel-who maintained this testimony amid the nations that were
apostate and rebellious against God-had so failed that there was no more
remedy, then those nations also had to undergo the judgment they had long
deserved. They will bring this judgment upon themselves by filling up the
measure of their iniquity and rebellion against God, and by manifesting hatred
to God's people, in the joy with which they come forward to accomplish the
chastisements which that people had deserved: for God is longsuffering unto
them also. He even sends the gospel-whether that of full grace, which we enjoy,
or the announcement of His coming judgments-in order that all who have ears to
hear may escape these judgments. But, in principle, the definitive failure of
Israel's testimony left the nations exposed to the judgment their sinful state
deserved, this judgment having been suspended, because a true testimony was
rendered to God. This is the reason why we have constantly found in the
prophets the definitive judgment of Israel. The establishment of the Gentile
empire, represented by the image and the beasts, the introduction of
Christianity, the apostasy which breaks out in its bosom, bring in other
objects of the judgment of God, but do not alter the judgment to be executed
upon the nations apart from these objects.
The
judgment of the apostasy and of the Gentile empire comes immediately from
heaven, whence flowed the authority of that empire, and the blessing of those
who are become apostate; and against which they are in rebellion. The judgment
of the nations, as such, has Zion for its starting-point -Zion, now under the
judgment, but then delivered through the judgment executed upon the beast that
oppressed her (see Psalm 110). The events spoken of in Daniel, the New
Testament prophecies, and, in part, Zechariah, are omitted by those of the
prophets who have for their subject the proper relations of the earthly people
with God in Zion; and the judgment of Jerusalem and the Jews is connected in
their prophecies with that of the nations-the judgment of the latter being
involved in that of the people, who no longer rendered any testimony to
Jehovah, but caused His name to be blasphemed. This judgment commenced, in
regard to the Jews, with Nebuchadnezzar himself. Afterwards, on the decline (at
the end of the age) of the empire which commenced originally with him as golden
head, the nations, resuming their strength, use it against Israel, then
connected with, and subject to, the apostate empire; a yet more terrible
judgment. Thus all the nations will be gathered against Jerusalem, and filling
up both the judgment of the people and their own iniquity, will occasion the
intervention of the God of mercy in favour of His people, according to His
promises and purposes of grace-the deliverance of Israel being accomplished in
the judgment executed upon those who come up against them, and who, in coming
against them, are against Jehovah and His Christ also. This will be the
judgment that shall go forth from Zion, while the beast will have been
destroyed by Him who came forth out of heaven.
The
dates attached to the books of the prophets are connected with the different
characters of this series of events. Isaiah and Micah, as well as Hosea and
Amos (although the latter two less directly), are occupied with the revelation
of the Son of David, the Deliverer and Defender of His people in Jerusalem.
Hezekiah, raised up after the miserable reign of Ahaz gave occasion for these
revelations, which taught the faithful (while unveiling the iniquity and the
real condition of the people), that they must look forward and rest only in
God's thoughts, who had raised up this pious king for the temporary restoration
of His people, and who would grant them a complete and eternal deliverance by
the true Emmanuel. Isaiah (in the first three, as well as in the last, chapters
of his prophecy) dwells on the connection, of which we have spoken, between the
judgment of Israel and that of the nations. Josiah did not present in the same
manner the coming Redeemer. Spared the sight of the ruin of Jerusalem on
account of his piety, he falls himself by the hand of strangers. The glory and
peace, the hope of Jerusalem for the time being, disappear with him, and its
judgment succeeds.
Zephaniah
prophesied under his reign. The prophet takes no notice of the temporary piety
of the people, who (see Jer. 3) at heart were not changed. He takes the general
ground of Israel's condition and consequent judgment, in connection with its
effect on the nations. We have seen that Nebuchadnezzar is the first who
executes this judgment; although both the judgment and the prophecy that speaks
of it go much farther.