I think I must “speed up” in our journey through the Book of Zephaniah! If not, we’re going to be here two months! Not that such would be “wrong.” It’s just that I usually try to cover a different Text each month or so.  Most often, in a verse by verse manner.

But this Old Testament Prophecy begins so “fiercely!” God is angry, and rightly so! Judgment is coming. Jeremiah 1:3, today’s verse, clearly illustrates that fact: “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.”

Sounds widespread, doesn’t it?

Even worldwide!

Two more times here “suf,” a Hebrew verb (first used in yesterday’s lesson, verse 2) meaning “to bring to an end, to cause to perish,” appears. In fact, it’s the first word in the Hebrew sentence, verse. That fact alone gives it priority of emphasis. Our King James Bible translates “sup” as “consume.”

The third verb is parallel to the verse’s two “consumes” (“suf”), that being “cut off.” This is “karath” in Hebrew, “to destroy, to hew, to cause to fail.” Blatantly dramatic!

One Preacher thinks this verse sounds like a “reversal” of Creation week! Just as Genesis 1 and 2 depict God making the fishes and birds and beasts (animals) and then man. Here God takes them all away, in the aforenamed categories too!

The only question that remains is what are “the stumblingblocks of the wicked?” One Biblical thinker believes the phrase means something like “anything that causes others to sin.” The “traps” the wicked lay for good people. Another teaches believes it refers to “idols,” which were so prominent in Judah in those dark days. In our Bibles “makshelah” means “ruin” once as well. Yes, the ungodly do eventually “ruin” a nation, “perpetrating” further sin upon its often unsuspecting people.

This is one of the most sweeping statements of total judgment in the Prophets. Especially when considered as being preached in the days of (good) King Josiah!

But tomorrow’s verse will add even more “light” to our discussion.

I’m enjoying learning about this small Bible Book. Each Prophet of Scripture certainly has his own personality. Zephaniah being no exception.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell