One of Zephaniah’s accusations against Judah is very fitting
for today. It is perhaps one of the chief sins of those who call themselves
Christians today. Wherever we turn, we see this manifested in so many lives of
those call themselves by the name of the Lord. We find it in chapter one verse
five: “those who bow down on the roofs
to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to
the Lord and yet swear by Milcom.” Notice the sinister syncretism found in this
verse.
These people still thought of themselves as God’s people.
They were, after all, Judah, God’s faithful portion, not like the sinful
Northern Kingdom of Israel that had been long ago overthrown by Assyria and
scattered to the four winds. No, they were still the chosen ones. But notice
what commandment they were violating: “You shall have no other gods before me”
(Ex 20:3). The very first of the Ten Commandments. In that command the word
“before” is best translated “besides.” God was not just saying you cannot have
any gods that take precedence over me. He was also saying you cannot have any
gods along with me. This was the sin of Judah that Zephaniah denounces.
What about us today? We claim to be faithful people of God
yet so often we still bow down to the other gods around us — Gods like
materialism, pleasure, greed, success, power, leisure. We say we worship the
one true God but we let other things push him out of his rightful place of
worship in our lives. Let us each examine our own hearts to see if this be
true, in any way, of us.
Prayer: Father, forgive us for letting our hearts be diluted
from the pure worship of you. Help us to resist the lure of other things that
take your place in our affection. Forgive us from trusting in anyone or
anything but you. Help us in our unbelief.
