Zephaniah 3.2b-The Third and Fourth Indictments Against the Citizens of Jerusalem
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday June 15, 2016
Zephaniah: Zephaniah 3:2b-The Third and Fourth Indictments Against the Citizens of Jerusalem
Lesson # 62
Zephaniah 3:2 She heeded no voice, she accepted no instruction. She did not trust in the LORD, she did not draw near to her God. (NASB95)
“She did not trust in the LORD” is composed of the following: (1) preposition b (בְּ), “in” (2) masculine singular proper noun yhwh (יהוה), “the Lord” (3) negative particle lōʾ (לֹא), “not” (4) third person feminine singular qal active perfect form of the verb bāṭaḥ (בָּטַח), “she did trust.”
The verb bāṭaḥ means “to trust, to put one’s confidence in” since the word pertains believing in a person to the point of reliance upon that person.
Here the word’s object is the proper noun yhwh (Yahweh) “Lord,” which is indicated by the fact that it is the object of the preposition b which should not be translated since it is simply marking yhwh as the direct object of the verb bāṭaḥ whose meaning is negated by the negative particle lō(ʾ).
The proper noun yhwh is the covenant-keeping personal name of God and is used here in connection with His covenant relationship with the Jewish people.
The third person feminine singular form of this verb is a reference to the city of Jerusalem and specifically the Jews living in this city during the seventh century B.C. and those who will be living in her during the seventieth week.
The negative particle lō(ʾ) is a marker of a negative proposition.
It is not emphatic because not every single Jew living in the seventh century B.C. did not trust in the Lord.
Also, not every single Jew living during the seventieth week will not trust in the Lord.
In fact, the majority will do so at that time.
Therefore, bāṭaḥ and the negative particle lō(ʾ) indicate that the majority of Jews living in the city of Jerusalem in the seventh century B.C. and those living in this city during the seventieth week “did not trust” in the Lord.
“She did not draw near to her God” is composed of the following: (1) preposition ʾel (אֶל), “to” (2) masculine plural construct form of the noun ʾĕlōhîm (אֱלֹהִים), “God” (3) third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ (הִיא), “her” (4) negative particle lōʾ (לֹא), “not” (5) third person feminine singular qal active perfect form of the verb qārab (קָרַב), “she did draw near.”
The verb qārab means “to come near” since it pertains to making linear motion very near to a reference point.
Here it is used figuratively of drawing near to God in fellowship with Him.
The meaning of the verb qārab is negated by the negative particle lō(ʾ), which is a marker of a negative proposition.
It is not emphatic because not every single Jew living in the seventh century B.C. did not draw near to God.
Also, not every single Jew living during the seventieth week will not draw near to God.
In fact, the majority will do so at that time.
The third person feminine singular form of this verb is a reference to the city of Jerusalem and specifically the Jews living in this city during the seventh century B.C. and those who will be living in her during the seventieth week.
The noun ʾĕlōhîm means “God,” which emphasizes the transcendent character of the God of Israel, who the New Testament identifies as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The construct state of the noun ʾĕlōhîm means it is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word which is the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ, “her” which refers of course to the city of Jerusalem and in particular her citizens.
The noun ʾĕlōhîm, “God” is the object of the preposition ʾel, which expresses motion towards a person and here it expresses motion towards God.
Therefore, together, the verb qārab and the negative particle lō(ʾ) indicate that the majority of Jews living in the city of Jerusalem in the seventh century B.C. and those living in this city during the seventieth week “did not draw near” to God.
Zephaniah 3:2 She did not obey a voice. She did not accept instruction. She did not trust in the Lord. She did not draw near to God. (My translation)
This prophecy recorded in Zephaniah 3:1-7 is not only directed at those Jews living in the seventh century B.C. in Zephaniah’s day but also those living in this city during the seventieth week of Daniel.
This is indicated by the fact that the seventieth week contains the final last seven years of God disciplining the nation of Israel and her capital city Jerusalem for their disobedience.
The statements recorded in Zephaniah 3:2 are directed at the city of Jerusalem and in particular the Jewish citizens of this city who lived in her during the seventh century B.C. and those who will be living in her during the seventieth week of Daniel.
These statements serve as an indictment against these unfaithful Jews living during these two distinct time periods.
Each of these statements was not true of each and every Jew living during the seventh century B.C. since Zephaniah 2:3 affirms there were faithful Jews still living in the kingdom of Judah.
Each of these statements will not be true of each and every Jew living during the seventieth week of Daniel since Revelation 7:1-8 reveals that 12,000 Jews from each of the twelve tribes of Israel will believe in Jesus Christ.
In fact, the majority of Jews will trust in Jesus Christ as Savior at His Second Advent.
Therefore, each of these statements is a characterization of the majority of Jews living in Jerusalem.
They are true of the majority of Jews living in Jerusalem during the seventh century B.C. and those living during the seventieth week.
However, the majority of Jews will trust in Jesus at His Second Advent when He comes to deliver them from Satan, Antichrist and the tribulational armies surrounding Jerusalem.
The third and fourth statements in Zephaniah 3:2 present the result of the first two.
The third asserts that these unfaithful Jews living during these two different time periods did not trust in the Lord.
The fourth asserts that they did not draw near to God.
The fourth speaks of experiencing fellowship with God through obedience to His Word.
It also speaks of being in the presence of God in prayer.
Thus, these Jews did not trust in the Lord because they did not obey the communicators of the Word of God.
Also, they did not trust in the Lord because they did not accept instruction from the communicators of the Word of God.
Likewise, they did not draw near to God so as to have fellowship with Him because they did not obey the communicators of the Word of God.
They also did not draw near to God because they did not accept instruction from these communicators of the Word of God.
In relation to the unfaithful Jews living during the seventh century B.C., the communicators of the Word of God were Moses and the prophets of Israel who followed him.
In relation to those living during the seventieth week, the communicators of the Word of God are not only Moses and the prophets but also Jesus Christ and His apostles.
As we noted, the fourth statement in Zephaniah 3:2 asserts that unfaithful Jews were not drawing near to God which speaks of fellowship with Him.
It also speaks of being in the presence of God in prayer.
They did not experience fellowship with Him and did not go to Him in prayer because they rejected God’s Word.
Sadly, this is true of many church age believers today.