#1170 Zephaniah 2 Shameless

 

Gather together, yes, gather,

O shameless nation,

2 before the decree takes effect

—before the day passes away like chaff—

before there comes upon you

the burning anger of the Lord,

before there comes upon you

the day of the anger of the Lord.

3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,

who do his just commands;

seek righteousness; seek humility;

perhaps you may be hidden

on the day of the anger of the Lord.

4 For Gaza shall be deserted,

and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;

Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon,

and Ekron shall be uprooted.

5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast,

you nation of the Cherethites!

The word of the Lord is against you,

O Canaan, land of the Philistines;

and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.

6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures,

with meadows for shepherds

and folds for flocks.

7 The seacoast shall become the possession

of the remnant of the house of Judah,

on which they shall graze,

and in the houses of Ashkelon

they shall lie down at evening.

For the Lord their God will be mindful of them

and restore their fortunes.

8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab

and the revilings of the Ammonites,

how they have taunted my people

and made boasts against their territory.

9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,

the God of Israel,

“Moab shall become like Sodom,

and the Ammonites like Gomorrah,

a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,

and a waste forever.

The remnant of my people shall plunder them,

and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”

10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride,

because they taunted and boasted

against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11 The Lord will be awesome against them;

for he will famish all the gods of the earth,

and to him shall bow down,

each in its place,

all the lands of the nations.

12 You also, O Cushites,

shall be slain by my sword.

13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north

and destroy Assyria,

and he will make Nineveh a desolation,

a dry waste like the desert.

14 Herds shall lie down in her midst,

all kinds of beasts;

even the owl and the hedgehog

shall lodge in her capitals;

a voice shall hoot in the window;

devastation will be on the threshold;

for her cedar work will be laid bare.

15 This is the exultant city

that lived securely,

that said in her heart,

“I am, and there is no one else.”

What a desolation she has become,

a lair for wild beasts!

Everyone who passes by her

hisses and shakes his fist. Zephaniah 2 ESV

Zephaniah 2

Before the decree takes effect - They have already heard the warning of the previous chapter, so God is calling to them, through His prophet, to come to repentance. 

Before the day passes away like chaff - There is no going back, each day is a loss, and you don't know which is the last.

12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.… Hebrews 3: 12-14

Seek righteousness, seek humility - Don't go with the herd, stop following your feelings, obey God rather than man, and see yourself realistically, as a sinner in need of forgiveness, don't be puffed up.

…2All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. 3To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice. 4Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the guides of the wicked—are sin.… Proverbs 21: 2-4

…18For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.… Matthew 5: 18-20

…15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.… 2 Timothy 3: 15-17

Gaza shall be deserted - The land of the Philistines, Judah's ancient enemy.

The nation of the Cherethites: The name Cherethites is “a reference to their early geographical links with Crete.” (Baker)

I have heard the taunts of Moab - The Moabites were descendants of  Abraham's nephew, Lot. They were known for their pride, and at one time they hired a seer, Balaam, to curse Israel, but God would not allow it, so Balaam instead instructed them to lead Israel into sin with the Moabite women, for he knew God was not a respecter of persons, and He would punish the sin regardless of which camp it was in.

Against Moab

Shall become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah - Utterly laid waste, a dead zone. Oddly, Lot, the father of the Moabite nation, was saved out of Sodom, yet his wife looked back in longing for that wicked city, and she was turned to a pillar of salt.

To Him shall bow down - It is difficult to interpret any of a number of the Major and Minor prophets' references to the remnant, and to the nations bowing down to the Lord, outside of an understanding of a future Millennial kingdom. When Christ returns, the promises made to Abraham will be fully realized and accomplished, Messiah will reign and the remnant shall dwell in the land. 

…8O Lord, there is none like You among the gods, nor any works like Yours. 9All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name. 10For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God.… Psalm 86: 8-10

You also, O Cushites - This is the land which includes present day Ethiopia.

Isaiah's burden against Cush

He will make Nineveh a desolation - This is the capital city of Assyria, founded early on by Nimrod, and the city that had enjoyed one of the most thorough and encompassing revivals in history, involving one of the worst missionaries ever, Jonah.

"I am, and there is no one else" - She was pretty secure in herself, proud of her walls, her prowess at war, but no army stands against God, no purse is so deep as to buy Him off, and pride only brings on your destruction