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"I will stretch out My hand against Judah"

Text: Zephaniah 1:4

THE FIRST JUDGMENT

The first word of judgment was directed against Jerusalem, Judah! This word had to be carefully understood in the context of the reign of Josiah.

“I will stretch out My hand against Judah,
And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place,
The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests-”
Zephaniah 1:4

1. Israel and Judah

a) Israel, the northern kingdom had been destroyed by Assyria.

i) Hoshea was the last king of Israel.

ii) A whole list of reasons was given as to why Israel was rejected (2 Kings 17:7-18).

iii) There was much wickedness that was rampant in Israel.

iv) Highlighted among the many sins of Israel was the problem of idolatry.

b) Judah, the southern kingdom was under threat.

i) Judah was also severely rebuked by the Lord.

ii) The sins of Judah were similar to that of the Northern kingdom.

iii) Judah should have learned vital lessons from the demise of Israel.

iv) Sadly, Judah continued to be idolatrous.

2. The prophetic warning to Judah

a) God would always send His servants, the prophets to warn of judgment first.

b) Zephaniah was sent to proclaim the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem.

3. The reign of Josiah had to be understood in the light of the time when Manasseh ruled Judah

a) Manasseh began as a boy-king at the age of twelve (2 Kings 21:1).

b) He did evil right from the start.

c) He rebuilt all the idol centers that his father Hezekiah had destroyed (2 Kings 21:2-3).

d) Baal worship was promoted actively.

e) He went on to build altars in the Temple of the Lord (2 Kings 21:4).

4. “I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place”

a) The priests of the Lord followed the ways of the pagan priests.

b) The temple of the Lord became polluted and greatly corrupted and had to be judged!