The Pursuit of Power (1)

She did not listen to the voice; she did not receive correction; she did not trust in YHWH; she did not draw near to her God.  Zephaniah 3:2  Robert Alter

Did Not – We have been examining the end of the Empire of Rome, but the same patterns existed in biblical times.  Therefore, I believe we need to step back and hear the prophet again, and then consider why Rome fell and where we are today.  For the next four days I want to revisit the idea of power in the prophets.  This short study first appeared in 2018, but it’s probably necessary to look at it again in 2024.

Zephaniah speaks out against the oppressing city.  His words are harsh, convicting, condemning.  They are less a call to repentance than they are a proclamation of judgment.  “Woe to her rebelling and being defiled,” says the prophet.  Perhaps we need to hear his words afresh.  Everything he says about the ancient society is true of our civilization, one hundred times over.

In this verse, Zephaniah provides four accusations, each one beginning with the Hebrew word lo.  This is one of two Hebrew words meaning “no” or “not.”  It is used to express the unconditional prohibitions of the commandments (“You shall not”).  In Zephaniah’s mouth, this word strikes the hammer blows of impending doom.  “You never listened; you never took correction; you never trusted in YHWH; you never drew near.”  Now it is too late. Just as God instructs Jeremiah not to pray for His people, not to delay their chastisement, so God’s word through Zephaniah is the flash of lightning before the inevitable thunder.  Judgment is coming and nothing will stop it.

What did this oppressing city do to deserve such terrible consequences?  Nothing more than we find in our own land.  Lo shamah.  You did not listen-obey.  God’s instructions were clearly given.  Every person heard them and agreed to follow them throughout the generations.  There is no excuse.  Today we look out upon the land and see very, very few who uphold Torah.  Certainly the culture is adamantly opposed, fighting even the smallest remnant of Torah suggestions.  We did not listen.

Lo laqha.  We did not grasp; we did not seize; we did not take on the correction of the Lord.  He provided it time and again.  He reminded, cajoled, encouraged, remonstrated and engineered circumstances to bring us to our senses.  But we refused.  At every crossroad of opportunity, we chose power rather than humility, pride rather than repentance.  We did not take.

Lo vataha.  We did not trust.  Batah is a verb expressing confidence, reliance, and security.  It is the defining action of those who truly follow Him.  It is the replacement of retirement accounts, bank balances, insurance, security alarms, body guards, job guarantees, and anything else that becomes the foundation of our perceived security.  In a world demon-possessed by fears of the future, God offers safety.  But we preferred money.  We did not trust.

Lo kareva.  We did not draw near.  There is a procedure for drawing near, a ritual that brings us close to Him.  We have ignored it and created our own approach.  So we pray, “Lord, be present in this place today.”  But why should He?  We approach without purity.  We require Him to join us instead of coming to His house His way.  Across the land we act as if God draws near at our invitation while we summarily dismiss His.  We did not draw near.

And what is the result?  The oppressing city will be destroyed.  God will start over with the remnant.

Zephaniah’s proclamation is the sound of the hammer about to flatten the metal on the anvil.  When the hammer strikes its blow, none will escape.  The righteous and the wicked will perish together while God reshapes the earth.  Their ultimate destinies may be different, but collateral damage is the consequence of living in a civilization of “did not.”

Today is a great day to be alive.  We who know Him have much to do before He arrives.  There are many, so many, who need rescue.  There are many who need the favor of righteous acts.  There is light to be shed abroad.  Before judgment, there is re-collection.  Who will you rescue from the “did not” society today?

Topical Index: leadership, power, Zephaniah 3:2