Moab and Ammon (Zephaniah 2:8-11).
“I have heard the reproach of Moab,
And the revilings of the children of Ammon,
With which they have reproached my people,
And magnified themselves against their border.”
Judgment is to come on Moab and Ammon, not only because of their sinfulness, but also particularly because of their attitude and antagonism towards God's people. Note that their sin is reproach and revilings, not invasion, although they are clearly threatening the border. This fits the fact that it occurred at this time, and not later when invasion had taken place. There was clear hostility indicated in all their dealings with Judah. This would later reveal itself in taking advantage of Israel's condition once the invader had done his work, by occupying their territory (Jeremiah 49:1), but that is not mentioned by Zephaniah. The fact that Edom is not mentioned here confirms that this is not written after the event, for it was Edom which incurred the greatest wrath from Israel once the exile had taken place.
Moab and Ammon were in Transjordan, east of the Jordan, to the south and east of Israelite territory there (Gad). They had a record of constant enmity against Israel (Numbers 22; Numbers 24:17; Judges 3:12-14; Judges 10:7-9; Judges 11:4-6; 1Sa 11:1-11; 2 Samuel 10:1-14; 2 Kings 3) and always worked closely together, with first one and then the other in ascendancy.
“Therefore as I live,” says YHWH of hosts,
the God of Israel,
“Surely Moab will be as Sodom,
And the children of Ammon as Gomorrah,
A possession of nettles and saltpits,
And a perpetual desolation.
The residue of my people will spoil them,
And the remnant of my nation will inherit them.”
This will they have for their pride,
Because they have reproached and magnified themselves,
Against the people of YHWH of hosts.'
Moab and Ammon were to be made as Sodom and Gomorrah, permanently destroyed and turned into wasteland. Moab occupied territory that had once been the surrounds of Sodom and Gomorrah. This should have been a continuing warning to them. Nebuchadnezzar in fact devastated both areas. Both territories suffered for a period of over two hundred years when there was no sedentary occupation (Jeremiah 48:42), and when resettled it was by different peoples. These consequences were put even more strongly by Jeremiah, Moab was to be destroyed from being a people (Jeremiah 48:42), and Ammon was to perish out of the countries and be destroyed (Ezekiel 25:7).
‘The residue of my people will spoil them, and the remnant of my nation will inherit them.' Compare Isaiah 11:14. This probably refers to a period we know little about when Ammon and Moab were sparsely populated and partly taken over by a residue of Israelites. Later Judas Maccabaeus (second century BC) fought against the Ammonites and occupied Jazer and its surrounding towns (1Ma 5:6) and Alexander Jannaeus subdued the Moabites in the second/first century BC, taking tribute from them. But these would be different peoples.
‘This will they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of YHWH of hosts.' The judgment that is coming on them is because of their pride in reproaching and assuming themselves as greater and more important than God's people, and with it have reproached YHWH Himself. But this will lead on to them recognising His power and glory in the eschatological future and being in awe of Him.
‘And YHWH will be terrible to them,
For he will famish all the gods of the earth,
And men will worship him, every one from his place,
Even all the coastlands of the nations.'
God had promised that one day he would ‘bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days', and spoke similarly of Ammon (Jeremiah 48:47; Jeremiah 49:6 compare Jeremiah 49:39). This must mean in the eschatological future and be part of the idea that in that day all nations would worship YHWH, because in the end none can be outside His offer of mercy (Isaiah 2:2). He cannot be promising restoration to their land, for they are unidentifiable. They have ceased to be a people. There is no pure blood Moab today. And the same applies to Ammon. The idea is rather that they will be restored as part of the worldwide peoples who turn to YHWH at the spread of the Gospel.
‘YHWH will be terrible to them.' This must mean that one day even some of these enemies of Israel will acknowledge YHWH, and will be in awe of Him, recognising that He is the great and terrible God (Nehemiah 1:5; Nehemiah 9:32). They will have recognised Him for what He is. Then the ‘gods' of the earth will starve because no one takes any notice of them. So much for the gods of the nations. All His own will worship Him in all lands, even the furthest known, ‘the coastlands'.
So this further eschatological promise confirms that in the end the residue of all nations will worship YHWH (Malachi 1:11). One day God alone will be God, and He will be all in all, worshipped by some of all the nations who have responded to Him. The final fulfilment of this awaits the new heaven and the new earth in the eternal state when all the redeemed will serve Him, every one from his place. Idealistically they will have their own place there as well.