1Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city! 2She didn’t obey the voice. She didn’t receive correction. She didn’t trust in Yahweh. She didn’t draw near to her God.
3Her princes within her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day. 4Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. 5Yahweh, within her, is righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He doesn’t fail, but the unjust know no shame.
6I have cut off nations. Their battlements are desolate. I have made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant. 7I said, “Just fear me. Receive correction,” so that her dwelling won’t be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her. But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.
8“Therefore wait for me”, says Yahweh, “until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on Yahweh’s name, to serve him shoulder to shoulder. 10From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering. 11In that day you will not be disappointed for all your doings in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out from among you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be arrogant in my holy mountain. 12But I will leave among you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in Yahweh’s name. 13The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”
14Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. 15Yahweh has taken away your judgments. He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel, Yahweh, is among you. You will not be afraid of evil any more. 16In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, “Don’t be afraid, Zion. Don’t let your hands be weak.” 17Yahweh, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. 18I will remove those who grieve about the appointed feasts from you. They are a burden and a reproach to you. 19Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you; and I will save those who are lame and gather those who were driven away. I will give them praise and honor, whose shame has been in all the earth. 20At that time I will bring you in, and at that time I will gather you; for I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says Yahweh.
Zeph 2:13 “destroy Assyria” – Article on how God keeps His promises.
No prophecy illustrates God’s intention to keep His word any better than Zephaniah’s comforting word to the people of Judah that the Lord would soon destroy the cruel Assyrian empire; epitomized by the conquest of its dominant city, Nineveh.
The Assyrian empire had conquered and exiled the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. and placed the southern Israelite kingdom of Judah under forced tribute from that time forward. The kings of Judah had paid enormous sums to the kings of Assyria to stave off the invaders for nearly a century. All the while the God of Israel, speaking through his prophets (e.g. Is 37:21-29), had encouraged His frightened people to place their trust in Him and promised that He would protect them and remove the Assyrian threat.
With the rise of good king Josiah to the throne of Judah in Jerusalem (640 B.C.), God brought a fresh word against Assyria through the lips of Zephaniah, promising to return the hated empire’s evil upon its own head and annihilate its chief city so thoroughly that there would be virtually nothing left but ruins. Zephaniah’s divine word was soon historically fulfilled when a Medo-Babylonian coalition brought the city to its knees in 612 B.C. The destruction was so complete that the city has remained abandoned to this day. It has indeed become a ‘heap of ruins’ and as ‘barren as the desert.’ (Zeph 2:13 Net Bible)
This stark fulfillment of judgment against this hated enemy nation was intended to drive the people of Judah to repent and return to their covenant keeping God, who was warning his own people of their impending doom for their sin and unfaithfulness (Zeph 3:6, 7).
Tragically, God’s people refused to learn from the severe judgment God poured out upon Assyria, and in 586 B.C. Judah also suffered conquest (including the destruction of the temple) and exile at the hands of those same Babylonians. They too became a sterling illustration of how God does indeed keep His promises. The good news is that the God who keeps His word to discipline also keeps his promise to restore and renew according to his covenant. Almost exactly 70 years after being exiled, the Jews of Judah were allowed to return to Israel - just as God had promised (Jer 29:10). Like the people of Old Testament Israel, those who place their faith in the person and work of Christ can rely on His promise to save. -DP