Third cousins once removed. One is a King, the other a prophet. They both love the Lord and He uses both to bring a nation to repentance. Yet it lasted less than 40 years. The prophet warns of the coming destruction the King when reading the laws of God realizes how far they have fallen and brings them to repentance. However, we have to wonder apart from these two how real was the repentance of the rest. The King's name was Josiah who when he understood the law tore his clothes in sorrow. The prophet was Zephaniah who prophesied the destruction that would come in just over 40 years and it happens. Why do I ask if the repentance was real? 1st the short time it lasts. 2nd are our verses today. Zephaniah 1:4-6 “So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, And the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, And those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom, And those who have turned back from following the Lord, And those who have not sought the Lord or inquired of Him.”
God will punish Judah and ALL the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Why all of Jerusalem? They had the temple and the Word yet they ignored it and allowed it to be overcome with evil. As scripture tells us in Luke 12:48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
God will cut off those who worship false Gods and idolatrous priests, along with priests (see Luke 12:48 above). He will also cut off those who worship stars, the sun, and the moon (astrology, horoscopes). He will cut off those who worship Yahweh along with other gods which are false. He will cut off those who say they repent but don't mean it (those who have turned back from following the Lord). Last He will cut off those who have never sought the Lord.
The Prophecy came to pass after the death of Josiah. This tells me two things. 1st you can't force someone to truly worship God and 2nd. We need to make sure our worship is REAL. We have been given the Word, this is MUCH, so we should know God expects and requires all the more. Love Bro. Scott