The Prophet Zephaniah [“the Lord hides”] ministered to the people of God in the years 640-609 BC and focused on Southern Judah. Zephaniah lived in a time of wicked leadership in Judah and he spoke words of judgment. The judgment would not be the end, but salvation and restoration were promised for God’s people.

First, a little background (mixing 2 Kings and Zephaniah). 2 Kings 21:10-18 brings word from God “by His servants the prophets” (21:10) where He says King Manasseh of Judah is more evil than any before him (21:11), He will wipe Israel like a dirty dish (21:13), and he shed “very much innocent blood” (verse 16).  Manasseh dies and Josiah comes to power and 2 Kings 22:2 shares that Josiah followed God rather than idols. 

It seems based on his family mentioned in verse 1 of Zephaniah that the prophet Zephaniah was related to Josiah. Zephaniah would have been an influence on Josiah to turn from the ways of Manasseh and seek after YHWH. The people of Israel had so turned away from YHWH that when King Josiah was repairing the temple (suggested by Zephaniah?), Shaphan said he was given “a book” and Josiah had never heard the Law (2 Kings 22:8-13).  Josiah, in 2 Kings 23 then recommitted to the covenant and re-instituted Passover to follow YHWH.

Zephaniah faces a People of God who were led 55 years (2 Kings 21:1) by an idol-worshiping child- burning detestable reprobate.  Zephaniah keeps with the “total wiping away” theme from 2 Kings 21 in terms of “sweeping away” (1:2-3) and also the phrasing of “cut off” (1:4).  God will judge Israel for forgetting Him.  This is the essence of the message of Zephaniah 1 including talk about “the Great Day of the Lord” (verses 14-18).  We see this message spurring King Josiah to renovate the temple in the first place and then tear down and tear out idols all the more after he hears the actual words of the Law. 

Zephaniah includes prophecies against those west, east, south, and north of Israel in chapter 2 and then relates in chapter 3 that Jerusalem is just like Philistia, Moab and Ammon, Cush, and Assyria in terms of sin.  Zephaniah 3:1-4 is to the point and declares Jerusalem to be a hotbed of sin much like Manasseh led them to be in 2 Kings 21.  Molech and Baal as well as starry hosts are mentioned in Zephaniah 1 and also in 2 Kings 21.  Israel was an idol worshipping culture and YHWH would punish them for it.  We can imagine that this type of statement from Zephaniah became more real as Josiah heard the words of the Law which spurred him to be more faithful to YHWH.

In addition, keeping Josiah’s reforms in mind, one could say that once he heard the Law, he sought God with all his heart.  2 Kings 23:25 makes the statement that “no one turned to God” like Josiah.  2 Kings 23:26-27 also states God was still angered. 

“Seeking” is a keyword in the first two chapters of Zephaniah amidst the words of judgment against sin.  Zephaniah 1:6 and 2:3 both share the actions of seeking YHWH because the people were not seeking God at all.  Josiah was seeking and yet he was surrounded by folks who did not seek God. 

Most did not seek God based on the words of Zephaniah in his three chapters. 

King Josiah wanted to be part of the remnant (3:13) that God would save and so he sought the Lord.  Zephaniah 3:17 is a reminder that God has taken great delight in Josiah and his reforms and that these efforts are not in vain, and will lead to salvation.  God will rescue (3:19), gather (3:20), and restore (3:20) which are powerful promises amid such wickedness.

Overall, we see Zephaniah being a godly influence on Josiah away from Manasseh’s habits.  The generations after Josiah and even those after Zephaniah would see the pattern of unfaithfulness and know why it was they were sitting in exile. 

The exile was not a mystery. 

What was also not a mystery was the grace and rescue and restoration of YHWH after the punishment.  Hope is found in YHWH as He twirls with delight over His people (Zephaniah 3:17).