Page 74 - The Minor Prophets - Student textbook

Milcom = There are a number of Canaanite gods with names based on this root, which became
summarily associated with Moloch, including biblical םָכְּל ַמ Malkam "great king" (KJV Milcom), which
appears to refer to a god of the Ammonites, as well as Tyrian Melqart and others.

"What does it mean to worship the starry host or the host of the heavens (Zephaniah 1:5)?"

Zephaniah’s opening verses include a strong judgment on Judah because of “those who bow down on
the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear
by Molech” (Zephaniah 1:5).

To “worship the starry host” is a clear violation of God’s law in Deuteronomy 4:19. There we read,
“When you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars – all the heavenly array – do not
be enticed into bowing down to them.” The “starry host” includes the sun, moon, planets, and stars.
These celestial bodies were worshiped by the pagan cultures of the day, but God had commanded His
people to worship Him and not bow down to other gods (Exodus 20:3-4).

The Ten Commandments specifically says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above. . . . You shall not bow down to them or serve them”
(Exodus 20:4-5). The violation of this command became a perennial problem in Judah. Zephaniah
prophesied against it during the reign of King Josiah. Later, during Manasseh’s reign, we are told that
the king “worshiped all the host of heaven and served them” (2 Kings 21:3).The prophet Jeremiah
condemned the same practice: “The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah—all the
houses on whose roofs offerings have been offered to all the host of heaven” (Jeremiah 19:13). God’s
people were frequently tempted to worship heavenly bodies, and their rulers often led the way.

The apostle Paul speaks of those who worship created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25).
These created things include the stars, planets, and other heavenly objects. Today, many people seek
wisdom from the stars instead of from God. Astrology, including the use of horoscopes, is simply
another form of worshiping the “starry host” and should have no place in a Christian’s life. The heavens
point to the majesty and glory of their Creator (Psalm 19:1-6); they are not to be the focus of worship.

Zephaniah 1:18, "Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's
wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of
all who live in the earth."

Zephaniah 2:3, "Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek
righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger."

Zephaniah 3:17, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in
you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

"What does it mean that God will rejoice over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)?"

Zephaniah 3:17 includes an interesting description of God singing over people.

Two important observations regarding this passage: first, singing represents God’s joy. The Hebrew
phrase translated “he will rejoice over you with singing” can also be translated literally as “he rejoices

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