Zephaniah 2:8

Zephaniah 2:8

I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

a. NLT: “I have heard the taunts of the Moabites and the insults of the Ammonites, mocking my people and invading their borders. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: “I have heard the insults of Moab and the taunts of the Ammonites, who insulted my people and made threats against their land. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. YLT: I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, Wherewith they reproached My people, And magnify themselves against their border. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.] 

d. Amplified Bible: I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites by which they have reproached My people, and magnified themselves and made boasts against their territory. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: I have heard the revilings of Moab, and the insults of the children of Ammon, wherewith they have reviled my people, and magnified themselves against my coasts.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: I have heard the taunt of Moab and the jeers of the Children of Ammon who taunted My people, and expanded [their territory] along their border. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

1. “I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon…”

a. I have heard [Strong: 8085 shâmaʻ, shaw-mah'; a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):—× attentively, call (gather) together, × carefully, × certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, × diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), × indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, × surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.]

b. [the] reproach [Strong: 2781 cherpâh, kher-paw'; from H2778; contumely, disgrace, the pudenda:—rebuke, reproach(-fully), shame.] [Gesenius: reproach, scorn, contempt, taunt, scorn (upon enemy), reproach (resting upon condition of shame, disgrace).] [Complete Word Study Dictionary Of The Old Testament: A feminine noun meaning reproach, scorn, taunt. The term can be used for a taunt hurled at an enemy…]

c. [of] Moab [Strong: 4124 Môwʼâb, mo-awb; from a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix m- and H1; from (her [the mother's]) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants:—Moab.] [Gesenius: progeny of a father, the son of Lot by his eldest daughter.]

d. [and the] revilings [Strong: 1421 gidduwph ghid-doof' or (shortened) gidduph {ghid-doof'}; and (feminine) gidduphah {ghid-doo-faw'}; or gidduphah {ghid-doo-faw'}; from 1422; vilification:--reproach, reviling, to use abusive, slanderous language about someone, to scornfully insult.] [Complete Word Study Dictionary Of The Old Testament: A masculine noun indicating insult, scorn, revilement…It describes the scorn and Israel’s enemies heap upon them.]

e. [of the] children [Strong: 1121 bên, bane; from H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.):—afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, × in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, rebel, + robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, + spark, steward, + stranger, × surely, them of, + tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

f. [of] Ammon [Strong: 5983 * ʻAmmôwn, am-mone'; from H5971; tribal, i.e. inbred; Ammon, a son of Lot; also his posterity and their country:—Ammon, Ammonites.] [Gesenius: son of my relative, or kindred, born from incest.]

1). Zephaniah 2:8-10 is a passage used by advocates of homosexuality to prove other sins besides homosexuality were the cause of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction. Daniel A. Helminiak, in his book What The Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, writes what is typical among those advocating homosexuality. “So what was the sin of Sodom? Abuse and offense against strangers. Insult to the traveler. Inhospitality to the needy. That is the point of the story understood in its own historical context…The prophet Ezekiel (16:48-49 states the case badly: “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, surfeit of food and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” The sin of the Sodomites was that they refused to take in the needy travelers…There are other less direct Biblical references to Sodom: Isaiah 1:10-17 and 3:9, Jeremiah 23:14 and Zephaniah 2:8-11. The sins listed in those places are injustice, oppression, partiality, adultery, lies and encouraging evildoers.”

2). As we see above one of the efforts of the advocates of homosexuality is to deflect the blame for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah away from homosexuality to other sins and they use Scripture in their attempt to accomplish it. This is a very common argument in materials that promote homosexuality.  In order to bolster this false theory, advocates for homosexuality say that of all the references to Sodom in the Bible, only the passage in Genesis 19 specifically mentions any form of homosexuality. All the other passages [Ezekiel 16:48-50; Isaiah 1:10-17; Isaiah 3:9; Jeremiah 23:14 and Zephaniah 2:8-11], point to other sins, and these were the real reason Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. As I began to study these other Scriptures, I found that although these Scriptures do mention ‘other’ sins that Sodom was guilty of; these ‘other’ sins are also characteristics of the contemporary homosexual movement. In their effort to do away with the Scriptures that condemn homosexuality, these apostate preachers have inadvertently pointed us to Scripture that gives us a more complete picture of the citizenry of the cities of the plain. Not only that, but as we study these “other” sins of Sodom we also get the added revelation that the behavior of those furthering the homosexual movement in 18th century B.C. Sodom is no different than those furthering the homosexual movement in 21st century America. Likewise in 7th century B.C. Israel, the same “other” sins exhibit themselves. Though I was completely surprised by this I shouldn’t have been, because a lust spirit drives homosexuality and that spirit will manifest the same characteristics wherever and whenever it manifests whether its 21st century America, 18th century B.C. Sodom or7th century B.C. Israel. 

3). Here two of the sins of Ammon and Moab that were also practiced by Sodom and Gomorrah, they were reproaching and reviling God’s people. In today’s world, Christians who stand up for the institution of marriage and godly morality are falsely accused as haters. I would rather be falsely perceived and unjustly accused of being a hater of people by man, than to knowingly disobey and compromise the word of God and stand before  God and be judged to be a despiser and hater of God and His word.

4). Moab and Ammon were the offspring of the incestuous relationship of Lot and his two daughters.

a). Genesis 19:30-38 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

19:33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

19:35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

19:37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

5). The people of Moab and Ammon slanderously heaped up shame, disgrace, scorn and contempt on God’s people and in this case Judah, but what the prophet was reflecting upon is how what happened to Israel mirrored what happened in Sodom. They slandered, taunted, and heaped shame and disgrace on God’s people. In light of Jesus’ statement in Luke 17:28-30 “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot… Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed”, we can expect that God’s people, the church can expect the same attacks upon them. True to the accuracy of the Word of God that is exactly what is happening. Are there examples of this in contemporary America? Here are three of them.

a). The first example is demonstrated by a homosexual group called Soulforce. In the Spring of 2006 this group traveled across the United States to Christian Colleges and Universities protesting the schools Biblical stands on homosexuality. In their effort though, Soulforce mimicked Moab, Ammon, Sodom, and Gomorrah by using “abusive and slanderous” language. On April 24 of 2006, Soulforce issued a press release telling Christian Colleges and Universities to “Repent of your homophobia”. In the press release, the group accused the Church, i.e., “the people of the LORD of hosts” of discrimination against homosexuals, because of their Biblical stand against the sin of homosexuality. www.soulforce.org/article.php?article_id=778&action=print.

b). Another example is that of Dan Savage, a homosexual activist who started the It Gets Better Project, a web page to encourage homosexual teenagers. Savage viciously attacked the former Senator and Presidential candidate Rick Santorum for his stand against homosexual marriage. Mr. Savage created a website called Santorum.com where he redefines Santorum’s last name as “the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the by-product of anal sex.” This is the same Dan Savage who was giving a keynote address about anti-bullying to students at a journalism conference in late April when he said the following: "We can learn to ignore the bullshit in the Bible about gay people… the same way we have learned to ignore the bullshit in the Bible about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming, about menstruation, about virginity, about masturbation…We ignore bullshit in the Bible about all sorts of things." Dan Savage is a perfect example of the slander, the reproach and the reviling of the Moabites and Ammonites towards God and his people and as we will discover in the next verses.

c). A final example of the homosexual community slandering and reproaching God’s people similar to Moab and Ammon and Sodom and Gomorrah occurred in July of 1998, when a group of Christian organizations launched a campaign called “Truth in Love”. These groups placed a number of ads in national newspapers proclaiming the Biblical truth that Jesus can set free and forgive the homosexual. It was done in a very loving and gentle way. Many former homosexuals set free by the power of God, contributed and took part in the ads. The homosexual community responded to the Christian ads in exactly the same way the nations of Moab and Ammon responded to Israel, the people of God. They scornfully insulted the Christian groups and used slander against them. On July 27, 2000, Family News in Focus, a website of Focus on the Family, reported that in San Francisco, the city Board of Supervisors said the ads contributed to “horrible crimes against gays and lesbians”. They even claimed the ads were partially responsible for the death of Matthew Shepard. www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/A0011944.html. 

Folks, to say that presenting the gospel in a loving way contributes to “horrible crimes' ' is slander. Concerning these same ads, the Washington Times reported on July 15, 2000, that a group called the Interfaith Alliance, a group of apostates, issued a press release. In it, several spokespersons said the following: Rev. J. Phillip Wogaman, this “narrow agenda…threatens the sanctity of religion, the integrity of the political process, and our on going struggle to create a more just society.” The Rev. C. Weldon Gaddy said, “These ads offer a false choice to gays and lesbians.” Sister Maureen Fieldler called the ads ``psychologically destructive, anti-family, anti-biblical and anti-Christian.” Mel White, a leader in the homosexual movement and founder of the group Soulforce, characterized the ads on his website as “attacks on lesbian and gay Americans”. The site went on to say, “anti-homosexual rhetoric leads to intolerance, suffering, and death for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered Americans.” www.melwhite.org/AntiAdvert.htm.

2. “…whereby they have reproached my people…” 

a. whereby [Strong: 834 ʼăsher, ash-er'; a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:—× after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.

b. [they have] reproached [Strong: 2778 châraph, khaw-raf'; a primitive root; also denominative (from H2779) to pull off, i.e. (by implication) to expose (as by stripping); specifically, to betroth (as if a surrender); figuratively, to carp at, i.e. defame; to spend the winter:—betroth, blaspheme, defy, jeopard, rail, reproach, upbraid.]

c. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

d. [my] people [Strong: 5971 ʻam, am; from H6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:—folk, men, nation, people.]

1). The Moabites and the Ammonites without reason taunted defied and railed against God’s people. The Almighty considered it personal when He says “my people.”

2). Within the context of this section of the verse, the nations of Moab and Ammon were guilty of the following sins. They scornfully insulted the people of God, using abusive and slanderous language against them, and finding fault with them without reason. As we shall see Sodom and Gomorrah were guilty of the same sins. We will tie all this together in the next two verses. 

3. “…and magnified themselves against their border.”

a. [and] magnified [themselves] [Strong: 1431 gâdal, gaw-dal'; a primitive root; properly, to twist (compare H1434), i.e. to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride):—advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax), great(-er, come to... estate, things), grow(up), increase, lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly (spoken), tower.] [Gesenius: To twist together, to bind together, to be or become great, it is applied to riches and power, to be celebrated with praises, to cause and take care that anything should grow and become great.] 

b.  against [Strong: 5921 ʻal, al; properly, the same as H5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications:—above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.]

c. [their] border [Strong: 1366 gᵉbûwl, gheb-ool'; or גְּבֻל gᵉbul; (shortened) from H1379; properly, a cord (as twisted), i.e. (by implication) a boundary; by extension the territory inclosed:—border, bound, coast, × great, landmark, limit, quarter, space.]

1). In this section it declares they magnified themselves against the border of God’s people. They want territory, real estate, ecclesiastical real estate, and since this is the kingdom of darkness, they want souls.. In the last 50 years many churches and denominations have fallen to homosexual propaganda. Presbyterian Church (USA); Society of Friends (Quakers); United Church of Christ; Evangelical Lutheran Church are just some of the denominations that have become apostate  

2). The Amplified Bible says Moab and Ammon, “…magnified themselves and made boasts against their territory.”  The King James said they “…magnified themselves against their border.” Again it all comes down to territory of some kind, above it is ecclesiastical real estate, but there are other kinds of territory. They want to change the border because borders determine jurisdiction, they wanted Israel’s land. Culturally, in this arena the biggest land grab in recent memory took place in the Landmark case (pun intended, landmarks determine boundaries, Proverbs 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.), Lawrence v. Texas, 2003 that decriminalized homosexuality on the Federal level by invalidating homosexual behavior on the state level.

3). In the last few decades or so, homosexual advocates have come up with strategic plans to change America’s view of homosexuality.  From their book After The Ball, published in 1989,Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen put forth their strategies, one of which is to make those opposed to homosexuality look bad.  “At a later stage of the media campaign for gay rights-long after other gay ads have become commonplace-it will be time to get tough with remaining opponents. To be blunt, they must be vilified. (This will be all the more necessary because, by that time, the entrenched enemy will have quadrupled its output of vitriol and disinformation.) Our goal is here is twofold. First, we seek to replace the mainstream's self-righteous pride about its homophobia with shame and guilt. Second, we intend to make the anti-gays look so nasty that average Americans will want to dissociate themselves from such types.”  This is devilish wisdom that any negative reaction to homosexuality be packaged as an emotional and mental weakness or sickness in order to intimidate people from giving a negative reaction to homosexuality because they don’t want to be seen as mentally and emotionally weak or sick. This is one of the strategic efforts homosexual advocates planned to    Hence we get the word ‘homophobia’, the fear of homosexuals or homosexuality. This “slanderous language” and “fault finding” is being marketed to intimidate modern culture to accept sexual perversion and used as a sledgehammer to intimidate the Church from calling homosexuality a sin. 

 a). I have to admit that the term “homophobia” and the definition are very accurate, but it is directed at the wrong people. What the true Church is exhibiting in resisting this immoral rebellion is Theophobia, a God-fearing reaction to what the Bible says is an abomination and hopefully responding with the love and compassion of God in declaring that Jesus can forgive and set free from any sexual sin and bondage.

b). What homophobia really looks like is being demonstrated by cities such as New York, whose leaders ordered police officers not to enforce public nudity laws on June 26, 1994, for the Stonewall 25 parade. As a result, along with 120,000 plus marchers, were marchers from the group ‘Radical Faeries”, who marched down Fifth Avenue totally naked in full view of police officers (World Magazine, 7/2/94). The real reason for the orders was fear that the homosexual community would react violently to enforcement of the law. After all, the parade was a celebration of a riot 25 years previous, by homosexuals against police enforcing the law.

 

c). Another example of genuine homophobia was reported by the San Francisco Chronicle in a letter to the Editor in its 9/30/93 edition. The letter was from a San Francisco police officer who was assigned to patrol the city’s ‘Folsom Street Fair. In the letter, the officer wrote, “Being in full uniform and walking the streets of the Fair, I observed couples in bondage attire, men and women displaying their body parts, i.e., bare breasts, bare genitals and buttocks. There was also a flogging demonstration. Worst of all, I observed male couples, totally naked, engaging in acts of mutual masturbation and oral sex.” When repeatedly asked why he wasn’t arresting these people, he writes, “At least a dozen times I had to painstakingly explain that we were to take a position of “high tolerance” and not create an incident.”

 

d). It is not difficult to find on many homosexual websites, where they accuse Biblical Christianity of hate speech simply because they believe and teach what the Bible says about homosexuality. In all these developments we are seeing a prophetic word spoken by Jesus being fulfilled before our very eyes. “…as it was in the days of Lot…Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” 

e). It was the Apostle Peter who wrote in 2 Peter 2:1, 2 warning of this kind of apostate teacher. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Jude also writes about these same individuals in Jude 4. “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” One of the things that Jude writes of in regard to these ungodly teachers is homosexuality. Jude writes in verses 7 & 8: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh,…Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh,…”