Fred Wright turns to the Prophet Zephaniah and his message against those who 'leap over the threshold'.

Zephaniah, the ninth of the minor prophets, focuses upon the Day of the Lord. In spirit, Zephaniah was akin to Isaiah (Isa 2:11, 17, 20) and Amos (5:18, 8:9), prophesying judgment upon Judea first and then the nations, climaxing with a hope for the future restoration of Judea. His warning to those who 'leap ever the threshold' has a particular relevance today.

Background: A Godly Influence on Josiah

Zephaniah may be assumed to have been of the royal house (Zeph 1:1) and probably included an Ethiopian in his ancestors ('Cushi' is a generic term for Ethiopian rather than a proper name). In the rabbinic writings he is on occasion referred to as an Ethiopian. Zephaniah was prophesying during the reign of Josiah and it may be assumed that, along with Hilkiah the high priest, he had a profound influence of godliness in the life of the young king.

After the death of Hezekiah, religion in Judea had rapidly deteriorated. The reign of Hezekiah's son Manassah was marked by the re-establishment of pagan worship abolished by his father. Zephaniah's name (literally YHWH has hidden) may indicate that he was born during the turbulent reign of Manasseh, who is credited with committing atrocities against the faithful including the sawing asunder of the Prophet Isaiah.¹

Zephaniah's presentation of the Day of the Lord illustrates the beginning of the genre that would develop into the apocalyptic writings of the inter-testament period.

Zephaniah probably had Ethiopian ancestry and was a Godly influence in the royal court.

Zephaniah's Cry

The key passage speaking to the modern Church is found in the address to the offenders in Zephaniah 3:1-7, where they are described as rebellious and defiled. They obey no-one and will receive no correction (Zeph 3:2); the officials are 'evening wolves' who leave nothing for the morning, the prophets are arrogant, and the priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.

We may observe the following comparisons today, in the hope that the prophet's cry may be heard, lest the Church be considered among the rebellious and defiled upon the Day of the Lord. The rebellious and the defiled are they who have leapt over the threshold (Zeph 1:9a) or gladly served their own idols of self-interest - attempting to conform the faith to their own perceptions (leaping over the threshold refers to the practice of mounting the steps of a platform upon which an idol was enthroned).

Leaping Over the Threshold 1: Rebellion in the Church

The first manifestation of leaping over the threshold is the rebellious lack of proper submission and authority within the Church. Whereas there is a wonderful unity that may be found in diversity, and whilst often practice has more to do with taste than theology, there is a responsibility within the body to be in submission to each other. By submission we may offer the following definition: preferring one another in honour (Rom 12:10) and seeking fraternal dialogue with mutual reference that will lead to biblical consensus concerning the theology of the Church. If Church leaderships are to exercise their function of protecting the flock, there must of necessity be a consensus of opinion, based upon the scriptures as to what the minimum standards are that may be taken to represent the faith.

The Anglican Church's recent acceptance of its first openly gay bishop is a prime example of the rebellious (people) and defiled (sanctuary and law). It is no longer just the gay and lesbian Christian movement that will not accept the biblical teaching upon this important matter – it is the entire established Church. Needless to say that, once a compromise is reached upon any one particular issue, there inevitably commences a downward spiral into a form of pragmatism that ultimately leads to an unbiblical, post-Christian religion.

In the modern era of mass communication, deviant ideas and theologies may be promulgated at an amazing speed. There has been a sad lack of responsibility to protect the flock; leaders have 'leapt over the threshold' and followed fashionable, often unbiblical practices.

Zephaniah's strong words against those who 'leapt over the threshold' – those who worship idols – are highly relevant to today's Church.

Whereas there was a damaging trend toward theological intellectualism from the period of the Enlightenment, the reverse trend which started within parts of the Charismatic movement, has led to a departure from study and a move away from the scriptures. Consequently, the elevation of the experiential, along with the creation of private canons, pave the way to heresy and apostasy.

Unbiblical Worship and Preaching

The practice of elevating worship in music to the extent that on occasion it is the sole content of a weekly meeting can have adverse effects, particularly if the content of the music does not major on the Lord but upon the individual; the worship itself can become an idol.

Worship in music and dance are beautiful expressions of one's devotion to the Lord and as such should be highly valued - not brought down to the level of light entertainment. Let us not confuse worship with other forms of Christian music, which have inestimable value in the edification of the believer. Whereas both meet each other at various points, worship focuses upon the Lord only.

The practice of unbiblical preaching, and by this is meant the littering of unbiblical teaching with a few texts (although some now no longer even find this necessary), creates a situation where there can be little possibility of effecting any meaningful operation of Church discipline - as there is little or no common ground. Church discipline should be understood as the practice of approaching one in error in a loving manner to enable them to be restored to a right position with God. Discipline is not a punitive, or vengeful action, it is the act of discipling.

There is a rebellious lack of proper submission to authority in the modern Church.

If the body is united, the exercise should be easily transferrable and capable of being effective in most situations. Church discipline by its nature as well as having a beginning, needs an end. The circumstances surrounding the event(s) that lead to the instance, may by their nature be incapable of being processed in one church, or the subject better served in another church location.

The rebellious stance of some Christian leaders and the elevation of personal opinion over the scriptures has caused a raft of difficulties, not in the least that the process becomes non-transferable. Those who have found themselves in a situation that has needed correction often prefer to remain in their error and simply shop around for a fellowship where either there is no communication with other parts of the body or their particular error is either tolerated or tacitly approved.

Leaping Over the Threshold 2: Alien Practices

Secondly 'threshold leaping' has allowed alien practices to insinuate their way into both the practice and the theology of some parts of the Church. We are called to look to the Rock from which we were hewn (Isa 51:1); a clear call to build our faith upon that which has been entrusted once and for all to the saints (Jude v3). This faith was that which we refer to as the Old Testament, along with the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, which at the time Jude was writing were not contained in a single volume.

Since the formation of the state of Israel in 1948 there has been an unprecedented opportunity to learn more about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. A generation of both Jewish and Christian scholars have worked tirelessly to formulate a renewed understanding of the message of Jesus and attempt to find what that message meant the first hearers of that message.

Unbiblical preaching prevents the meaningful operation of Church discipline - as believers begin to drift apart.

There is nothing wrong with cultural distinctives in Christian worship - but these cultural distinctives must not replace or compromise the biblical basis of the faith. We have as a role model the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. James the Just, when faced with a presentation of Paul's work, simply required that the Gentiles observed the Noachide laws which were seen as being incumbent upon all mankind as they preceded the laws given to Moses: namely to abstain from the worship of idols, to maintain sexual morality and not to commit murder (or more correctly, not to shed blood unrighteously).

Many leaders have become like the 'evening wolves' promoting their personal canons; they are in danger of leaving the followers with absolutely nothing left to live by that has its foundation in the scriptures. Prophecy in similar manner must conform to biblical standards and not simply be a spiritualised 'quick fix' where one leader or other dispenses wisdom. The believer is called to study the scriptures and seek the Lord - not visit an oracle!

Leaping Over the Threshold 3: No Fear of the Lord

The third problem caused by 'threshold leaping' is that there is little or no fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7, 2:5 and many others). Absence of the fear of the Lord leads to a state of deception and, often, an inappropriate attitude of over-familiarity with God, expressed in both lifestyle and worship. In consequence the Day of the Lord is seen a naive and rosy way. Amos declares clearly that the day of the Lord is a day of darkness and not of light (Amos 5:18).

Zephaniah's graphic descriptions of the Lord sweeping away everything from the face of the earth and the cutting off of mankind should fill the reader with a healthy fear of this particular event (see also Joel 2:30-32 and many passages in the Book of Revelation).

The Lord says he will search out with lamps and punish those who are complacent. Judgment of course starts with the household of faith (1 Pet 4:17) and with the elders at the threshold (Ezek 9:6). The Lord, because of his impartiality, judges all of mankind - believer and unbeliever (Heb 9:27).

Today there is little or no fear of the Lord, which breeds deception.

Leaping Over the Threshold 4: Works and Faith

The final judgment will be founded upon two issues: works and faith in Messiah (Rev 20:13-15). The disturbing element in the picture of judgment is that it will be in accord with light. Those who did not receive the light of the Law of Moses will be judged outside the Law of Moses (Rom 2:12); their judgment will be on general revelation as instanced by Paul (Rom 1:20) and that which is written in the heart (Rom 2:15).

Believers who have little regard for the biblical precepts and have leapt over the threshold to worship extra-biblically are in the position of those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth. For them there will be wrath and anger (Rom 2:8).

In the tradition of Israel's great prophets, Zephaniah's pronouncement of judgment carries with it the remedy (Zeph 3:9). Using the figure of Jerusalem, which in biblical terms (often in addition to a primary application) stands as a figure of God's dealings in salvation, the prophet declares that the Lord will purify the lips of those that call out his name (in repentance). The reconciliation between the Lord and his people brings the prophecies to their close, with a great festal gathering where the Lord and his people rejoice together.

In conclusion, the Church will not attain the dynamic needed to be an effective tool in the Lord's hand until there is a unity of the Psalm 133 type. The early Church was empowered by their being of 'one accord' (Acts 1:14, 2:1, 2:43, 5:12). This accord may only be brought about by a return to biblical faith and mutual accountabilities.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 13 No 2, March/April 1997.

Notes

1 Martyrdom of Isaiah 5, cf. Heb 11:37. See here.