You Cushites, too, will be slain by my sword. – Zephaniah 2:12

Today's Scripture Reading (May 5, 2023): Zephaniah 2

Zephaniah has given a prophecy against the powers of the day. All of them have fallen short of God's expectations for them. Paul would later write, quoting from various Psalms as well as Ecclesiastes, that –

"There is no one righteous, not even one;
     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one" (Romans 3:10-12).

Zephaniah understood this truth. No one was righteous; therefore, no one would walk away from God's judgment. Unless the nations repented, they would, at some point, have to pay for their sins. Once again, Zephaniah understands that his God is not a Jewish God; he is the God over all of the world's governments, whether they recognize that or not. And so, Zephaniah has prophesied against Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, and even against Judah. Then Zephaniah makes this statement against the Kingdom of Kush (Cush); you too will fall to God's sword. Don't rest on your laurels just because you seem to have skipped judgment for now. Repentance is still needed.

For the Cushites, the first part of this prophesy came true with the defeat of Assyria in 612 B.C.E. That event changed the power structure in the area. Part of the new reality was that Egypt, which had been freed of the oppressive oversight of Assyria, was able to re-establish itself. Psamtik I  had already unified Egypt, and now the Kings that followed him, recognized as the Twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt or the Saite Kings, would sever every link Egypt had with their Cushite southern neighbors. The Kingdom of Kush survived and was even able to fight off attacks against their land, but they were weaker. Over the next couple of centuries, the Cushites would fight a war of existence against the Ptolemaic Empire and even the Romans. The Kingdom of Kush continued to decline until it disappeared 400 years after the time of Christ. The once great Kingdom had simply vanished from the pages of history.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zephaniah 3

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my Daughter, Alyssa.