The Pulpit Commentary — Zephaniah — Section 70

ever go bond-in-hand with nationol exclusiveness and mntual hostility. Each people is supposed to have ite owu patron gode, each land its own local deities, and the servant of one god naturo.lly becomes lhe enemy of the people of another. Religion, in this corrupt form, tends to separate men, and set one against another. Ungodliness, too, has much the same tendency. When men recognize and worship no god or power above the earth, their selfish passions and interests set ea.eh one against his fellow. But when the one universe.I Lord and Maker of all is recognized as God, then the consideration that we have all one E'ather, and that one God created us, forms a tie of brotherhood among all nations. .And this is strengthened by the fact that, when hi.~ judgments are abroad on the earth against all nations alike, all are invited and encouraged to trust in his mercy and call on his Name. "For the same Lord over all is rich unto all who call upon him." '!'his does away with every ground of separation, as if there were many local or national deities, as the heathen thought; it does a.way even with the special privileges of the seed of Ja.cob, which the Jews were apt to abuse, so ns to foster a selfish and exclusive pride ; for " in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Greek, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, nor free, but Christ is all and in all." True conver- sion, also, by taking away the ungodliness of the natural heart, removes the great root of selfishness, and gives a ground, a motive, and an example for love to all men. In proportion as men are brought nearer to God are they brought nearer also to one another. He is the Centre and Sun of the universe, and the more the paths of any of the creatures depart from him, the more will they diverge from one another; while the nearer they come to God, the closer will they find themselves drawn to their fellows, who may have started from very distant points and been led by very different ways. 'l'hese things, then-prayerfulness, diligence in God's service, and brotherly love-may be taken as genuine and sure evidences of that great chan~e that must be wrought in every mau ere he can see the kingdom of God-a change that is secret and mysterious in its own nature, though known and recognized by its fruits.-C. Vers. 1-5.-.A religious city terribly degenerate. "Woe to her that is filthy a.nd polluted, to the oppressing city ! She obeyed not the voice; she received not correc- tion; she trnsted not in the:Lord; she drew not near to he1· God," etc. "'l'o give still greater emphasis to his exhortation to repentance, the prophet turns to Jerusalem age.in, that he may once more hold up before the hardened sinners the abominations of this city in which Jehovah de.ily proclaims his right, and sbjws the necessity for the judgment, as the only way that ib left ,by which to secure salvation for Israel and for the whole world" (Keil). We have two things here to look .at. ,I. .A PBOFESilEDLY RELIGIOUS CITY TERRIBLY DEGENER.I.TED. Jerusalem is lis- tinguished not so much for the beauty of its architecture, the extent of its population, the measure of its trade and resources, as by its being religious. There the one temple stood; there the worship, with its imposing ritual, was daily performed; there the priests lived and God was specially manifested. But how morally degenernte it became I She is here represented. as "filthy," " polluted," and "oppressing." "She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God." In this degeneracy all classes of the community seemed to be involved. 1. The "princes" are mentioned. "Her princes within her are the roaring lions." Like rapacious beasts, they preyed on all about thorn, they lived on peoplo, they devoured their property. As a rule," princes" have too often lived upon the people; they are devourers of their means; they consume everything, and produce nothing. 2. 1'he "judges" are mentio11ed. "Her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow." Or, as Henderson renders it, "they gnaw no bones till the morning." So insatiable are they, that they leave not a sin)!.le bone till the morning, of the prey th11t they h11ve caught in the cvtuing. 3. The "prophets" are mentioned. These " prophets are light and treacherous persons." In their life and teaching there was no truLh, gravity, or steadfastness. They were" treacherous," false to man, e.nd false to God (Jer. xxiii. 32; Ezek. xxii. 28). 4. The "priests" are mentioned. These" 1,olluted the sanctuary" by de~ecrating the sacred place, and out- raged the "Law" by distorting its meaning and misrepresenting its genlus and aim. Like Hophni and Phinebas, their wicked lives made the sacrifices of the Lord to be abhorred. , Such w~s the degener11,te condition info which. this holy city is represent~c  68 THE DOOK OF ZEPHANIAH. [oH. m. 1-20.