The Pulpit Commentary — Zephaniah — Section 68

idols that oould not eave to that of the living and true God. So it is in the very iri.milar prophecy given here. It is not certain whether ver. 8 is to be understood as a warning given in solemn irony to the ungodly Jews, or an encouragement addressed to the faithful remnant among them; and so the precise connection of ver. 9 with the preceding context is not quite clear; but in general it is plain that it speaks of the conversion of the peoples to God RB the result of the terrible revelation of his judgments against them. Thus we see how true it is that the Lord delighteth not in judgm,mt, but in the midst of wrath remembers mercy. Now, this is no isolated or exceptional ea.Re, but an instance of the general principles on which God acts in his dealings with men. It may therefore be taken to illustrate the conversion of sinners to God at any time and in any circumstances, We may notice two things that it shows us: (1) the cause; (2) the results of conversion. f. THE CONVERSION OF THE PEOPLES 1B HERE TRACED VERY DIRECTLY TO THE AGENCY oF Gon. It is his doing, and that not merely indirectly, by the influence of the jud:rments that he has been threatening to send, but by an inwanl work of renewa wrought in the people, The jndgments of God may convince the heathen of the vanity of their idols, or even show them that they should call on the Name of the Lord, and that they must do so if they are to be delivered; but then bow shall they do so? The Lord is revealed as the just God, who will not do iniquity, and every morning doth he bring his judgments to light; but their lips, with which they should call upon him, are impure, they have taken up the names of other gods, they have been fnll of cursing and bitterness, May they not well feel as Isaiah did, when he saw the vision of the Holy One, that they are undone, for they are men of unclean lips, and dwell among a people of unclean lips? Who can enable such peoples, whose lips are accustomed to falsehood and profanity and uncleanness, to worship the God who is a Spirit, and eeeketh such to worship him as will worship him in spirit and in truth? Who but that very God himself, who purged Isaiah's lips, who touched the lips of Jeremiah and put his words in his mouth? It must be he himself who enables them to call on him, by an act of gracious will and mighty power, purifying their lips and opening their mouths. The nature of this act of Divine power and grace is not more particularly described, but the language used suggests a comparison with what is said of Saul after he had been anointed by Samuel to be king over Israel, "God gave [Hebrew, 'turned '] him another heart" (1 Sam. x. 9), It is the same phrase as is used here, and so the meaning is that God will give to the peoples another lip, which shall be pure, instead of their former unclean lip. But a change of lip or language cannot be couceived apart from a change of heart, as, on the other hand, the new heart that God gave to Saul showed itself at once in his language, for when a company of prophets met him, he prophesied among them (1 Sam. x. 10). Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; and so, if the lips are to be pure, filled with the praises of God and calling on his Name, the heart must be changed. Now, this renewal of heart, showing itself in the utterance of the lips, is everywhere in the Bible traced to the Spirit of God as hie special work. So it .was with Saul. "The Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied." This working of the Spirit, too, is of God's sovereign and free grace. It comes on the most unlikely and unworthy objects. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit." So it was with Saul. He seemed an unlikely person to receive such a gift, and men said. "Is Saul also among the prophets?" and the answer was," But who is their father?" Men receive not the gift by descent from any human ancestry, but by the direct bestowal of God; and so it may come upon any, and is to come at last, as Joel prophesied, on all flesh, even on the servants and handmaidens, Thus this prophecy is connected with those that point to the great manifestation of the grace and power of God's Spirit that was made at Pentecost, ~hen the disciples of Jesus, speaking with new tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, testified of the new and pure language that the Lord was to turn to the nations. He will pour out his Spirit on all flesh; and even those nations that were most alienated fr~m ~im, and sunk in impurity of heart and life, may receive the heavenly gift. But this, hke all the promises of God, is given in Christ, He it is that seuds the gift of the Spirit, as he is exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and rernissiun of sins. Listen, then, to him aa he graciously and freely offers it, aud comply with b1~ ZEPHANIAH, l' 66 THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH. [en. m. 1-20.