The best way to examine dark corners and crevices is to shine a light into them. Any dirt that was once hidden will surely be revealed in the light. This is the imagery of Zephaniah 1:12: Jehovah would search Jerusalem with lamps, and everything would be revealed.

This message came to the prophet Zephaniah in the days of Josiah, the last good king of Judah. His reign featured a final glimmer of revival among the people. Why then was the Lord’s message so stern? If revival was spreading through the kingdom, why did He not give Zephaniah some words of hope and reassurance instead?

The truth was that, despite any outward revival, many were settled in complacency. The expression literally means they were “settled on the lees.” This is a winemaking term. The lees are the residue that collects at the bottom of a container during the fermentation process, imparting certain qualities to the wine as it ages. The image was used to rebuke the men of Jerusalem who were simply resting in their own satisfaction. Even worse, they believed the Lord was just as inactive, doing neither good nor evil. This false view of God became an excuse for their own spiritual laziness. By their estimation, He was disinterested in His people and uninvolved in their lives.

This picture of spiritual lethargy helps us understand why the Lord would search the men of the city with lamps. And we should expect nothing less when God’s light shines upon us today. Do we also believe that God is inactive, and therefore we simply remain at rest, accumulating flavor for ourselves while being a blessing to no one? How much better to be aroused to activity when the Lord gives us His light (Eph. 5:14)!