Zephaniah 2:13 Commentary and Bible Study

The Lord God will stretch out his hand against Assyria, and cause his servant Nebuchadnezzar to stretch out his hand to conquer this most powerful nation in the region. This prophecy about Assyria’s destruction uses the most graphic language to describe the ruined state she will be brought to. At the time when Zephaniah spoke these words Assyria was still dominating the area, and extending her influence far beyond her borders. It was inconceivable to the ordinary man that such changes could take place and the prophecy be fulfilled, but the word of God stands, and its predictions of judgment are greatly to be feared, for what comes out of the mouths of the prophets is like an invincible weapon to bring down the strongest from their high position. God allows this situation to develop in which it seems impossible that his word should come to pass, just so that men learn that nothing is impossible for him, and no one knows the future but him, and his word ought to be feared exceedingly. Even the scorn with which the unbelieving mind receives the word of God becomes a tribute to its power when it is fulfilled. That scorn is a true testimony to the unlikelihood of its fulfilment, which brings glory to God when it proves to be true. Only God knows the future, and at times he makes it extremely difficult for men to see.Nineveh will become ‘a desolation, and dry like a wilderness’. She was anything but that when Zephaniah spoke. The city was ‘situated by rivers, particularly the river Tigris; so that it was formerly a pool of water, Nahum 2:6,8’ (Gill). The prophet Nahum majors on the downfall of Assyria. She was the capital of a proud nation that feared no one, the centre of activity and the place to which booty was brought back from distant subjugated lands who provided her with their best treasures. She was ruthless in the conquering of the nations around, and all trembled to think that she might turn her attention in their direction. God allowed this awesome reputation to be built up, as another picture of the kingdom of this world that opposes his cause, and seems to be invincible. His people are to think back to previous great powers, which were dealt with by God in such an awe-inspiring manner, and know that what he has done before he will do again. God is our great teacher and some of his lesson come through what he has done in the past. By placing such events on the record through secular and inspired history, he has assured us that what he has done before he will do again.It is as if God’s judgment mocks the previous rejoicing and optimism of the city. It had been a city filled with the sound of singing and untroubled by any sense of threat from without. That confident sound will be replaced by the deep croak of the cormorant, and the doleful cry of the bittern, birds renowned for their solitary behaviour. The reversal could not be more obvious. What can Nineveh do to stop this? Nothing. It is powerless to prevent the word of God coming to pass. Those wild creature will come and occupy the place from which they would have been driven out before; no one will be left to prevent it. The ruins are initially still there and the birds occupy them as if they now owned them, for the people are gone. Desolation at the hands of the enemy will expose the fine workmanship carved into cedar, and previously covered and protected from the elements. This great turnaround is God’s answer to the pride and cruelty of this empire which gave no thought to him, and arrogantly assumed that its own power had given it its place of pre-eminence. The truth was that God had raised them up for his own purposes, and would dispense with them once they had carried out the role he had assigned them (Isaiah 10:5-12). It is nothing to the Lord that his enemies prosper for a time and so misread their destiny, boasting of their elevated position, for he knows their triumph will be short lived.‘How is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.’ When men think of their future glory, do they yield their place to a beast? Is that a fitting tribute to their once greatness? No, it is a mark of shame. But that is all that will be left of Nineveh. How greatly reduced they are! How irresistibly God is able to displace them from their lofty pinnacle! The beasts do not remember what once existed there, and people who pass by deride her greatness, unafraid to scorn the one they would once have cowered before. They wag their hand, with a careless gesture, calculated to show how little they now fear her. All this, at the hand of God who judges the world, and takes away the glory which men gather to themselves and which does not belong to them.