Salvation Through Judgment

One of the Minor Prophets, the short prophecy of Zephaniah is often overlooked because we are unfamiliar with its context and setting. But rightly understood, it succinctly contains the entire biblical storyline in 53 verses, namely sin, punishment, and restoration, leading Martin Luther to write, “Among the Minor Prophets, (Zephaniah) makes the clearest prophecies about the kingdom of Christ.”

Through Zephaniah, God opens his indictment against the kingdom of Judah due to their syncretic religious practices and worship of false gods. Idolatry is when a created thing becomes an ultimate thing and therefore starts to distort everything. The temptation of idolatry, be it through new ages practices, worship of success, or self-defined religion, is that we feel we are in control and have the power to manipulate the gods to get what we desire. But in that process, we discover that the gods control us. When created things become stumbling blocks, judgment and destruction are the only recourse. Though God declares judgment, he will also bring salvation through it.