In Zephaniah 3, the prophet says this of Jerusalem: “Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the tyrannical city! She heeded no voice, she accepted no instruction. She did not trust in the Lord, she did not draw near to her God…†Zephaniah is composed of several prophecies against Judah and her enemies. Judah has played the harlot and devoured the poor while her enemies have exalted themselves over her. The result of these two types of sin looks pretty much the same: the nations bear the anger of the Lord (Moab especially), and Judah’s predicament doesn’t look much better.
Or does it? The Lord is against the nations for misusing His chosen People. Moab tricked Israel way back when they were traveling to the promised land, and YHWH never seemed to let that one go. In Zephaniah 2:9 He says that Moab will be brought down to nettles and salt pits like Sodom and Gomorrah. And “this they will have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts.â€
But when YHWH speaks of the judgment of Judah, there is a different tone. This is His people. Their judgment will not be light or any easier than that of the nations, but it does end. More importantly, it comes for a different reason. Judah is judged for not heeding the voice of the Lord, not remembering that He was the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt. And their judgment is designed to cleanse them, to root out the bad and strengthen the good not wipe their name off the face of the earth. God’s judgment of His people is much like excommunication, it’s for their own good.
And this is the God we serve. He is jealous for us and He will rise up as a witness in our favor against the nations. So remember Zephaniah. Remember it when you are being corrected, when you are being driven into a corner, when you are growing rich, and when you think back on what He has led you out of. Because He is jealous, He will not let you return to your bondage. “The Lord is righteous within her; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings justice to light; He does not fail.†(3:5)