Dr. Rodney Plunket

The prophet Zephaniah in the first section of his book, the section from which the Scripture readings were taken, warns of an impending “day of the Lord,” which would be a day of judgment and punishment.  Zephaniah makes clear that this frightening day is coming upon Judah because of her idolatry and because of the haughtiness and complacency of the rich.  The rich of Judah were so smugly confident that they, according to Zephaniah (Zph) 1:12, thought that the Lord would “do nothing, either good or bad;” they thought that they were free to behave as they pleased without fear of divine retribution.  But the day of the Lord was coming, and they would see how God deals with the proud.

In Zph 1:1 we are told that the message of this book was spoken during the reign of king Josiah.  Josiah was the son of king Amon.  Josiah was only eight years old when his father was assassinated, so he became king at that very young age.  During his early years as king, it is likely that he had very little real power; but, when he matured, he became a very devout and godly king.  In fact, 2 Kings 23:25 says, “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did––with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.”

But the book of Zephaniah mentions none of Josiah’s reforms, and, yet, Josiah removes most, if not all, of the pagan practices which Zephaniah condemns.  That is why scholars think that Zephaniah’s message was spoken during Josiah’s early period, before his sweeping religious reforms.

If you want to know how out of step with God’s will Israel was during the period before the reforms, just read 2 Kings (2 Kgs) 22-23 & 2 Chronicles 34-35 and notice all the pagan practices which Josiah’s reform had to remove.  These chapters make clear that paganism had invaded the very temple of the Lord.  Vessels used in the cult of the fertility-god, Baal, had to be removed from inside the temple as did vessels associated with the pagan fertility-goddess, Asherah, and even more vessels had to be removed––those associated with the deification of “all the hosts of heaven.”  What we discover is that the temple had become a sort of religious cafeteria.  ‘You don’t want to worship this god or goddess today, well, what about this one?  Does his or her message speak to you and meet your needs?  Why don’t you try it?’  It was, indeed, a crazy time.  Josiah even had to remove the houses of cult prostitutes which, 2 Kgs 23 says, “were in the house of the Lord.”

It is easy to see that genuine biblical faith was disappearing from Judah, and even Josiah’s reforms could not stop the punishment which Zephaniah predicted.  Not long after Josiah died, the people again turned away from the Lord which resulted in their being taken away to exile in Babylon.  The city of Jerusalem was destroyed.  Zephaniah’s prophecy was fulfilled, because Josiah’s great reforms could not change the people’s hearts.

But let’s return to Zephaniah.  During his time, paganism had taken over the hearts and lives of the people; and he was given a message from God; and most of it was a message of judgment and punishment in response to all the evil going on in Judah.  But Zephaniah, even in this section dominated by words of judgment, holds out hope to those who do the commands of God, to those who humble themselves before God.  In Zph 2:3 the prophet writes,

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land,

                    who do his commands;

          seek righteousness, seek humility;

                    perhaps you may be hidden

          on the day of the LORD’S wrath.

The second section of this book is Zph 2:4-15.  Here the prophet turns to other nations of the Ancient Near East, and he makes clear that God is going to judge them as well.  But that is not all that is communicated in this section.  In chapter (ch) 2, in verse (v) 7 & v 9, God refers to a remnant of His people––a remnant of Judah who will be preserved and blessed by the Lord.

Then, in ch 3, he says even more about this remnant.  Not surprisingly he makes clear that this remnant will be comprised of the meek and the humble.  If you have a Bible, please turn to Zph 3:9ff and see what the Lord says in the last section of this book, a book which up to this point has been dominated by words of judgment and punishment, but in these final twelve verses divine forgiveness, divine purification, divine renewal, and divine love are the central themes.  Please follow along as I read from Zph 3:9-20.

At that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord.  From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, my scattered ones, shall bring my offering.

On that day you shall not be put to shame because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.  For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly.  They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord—the remnant of Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths.  Then they will pasture and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!  Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!  The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies.  The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.  On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:  Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.  The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.  I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.  I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.  And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.  At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

Stop and sense the power of the contrast between chapters (chs) 1-2 and ch 3.  The punishment which God will send is not the last chapter.  The last chapter looks forward to a time when all will call on the Lord and Zion will shout and sing with joy.  All of the proud will be removed.  Jerusalem will be populated by those who are meek and humble.  God will “rescue the lame . . . gather those who have been scattered,” and, in v 20b, he says, “I will bring you home.”

In the middle of this very positive section, we get one of those delightful looks into the heart of God.  We get to see how God feels as God brings the people home, as He reestablishes the city of Jerusalem.  Please look again at Zph 3:17 and follow along as I read.  “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”  One writer has called this verse the “Jn 3:16 of the Old Testament” (Palmer Robertson in the relevant volume of New International Commentary on the Old Testament series, p 339).  This verse begins by emphasizing God’s role in behalf of His people.  He is a warrior for His people, a warrior who gives them victory.  In the previous chapters, He has been portrayed as a warrior who punishes, but here He is a warrior fighting for those who humbly follow their God.

In the last three lines of v 17 we see God’s joy at having His people back home and in real community with Him.  It says, “He will rejoice over you with gladness.”  When His people are back home in Jerusalem, God will be over them rejoicing with gladness.

The next line is difficult, and you will find it rendered in a wide variety of ways in English translations.  The most literal and most likely rendering, I think, is found in the New American Standard Bible.  It says, “He will be quiet in His love.”  But even that probably needs an addition.  I suspect that the commentator, Palmer Robertson (Ibid), is correct in suggesting that the phrase, “over you,” which is explicitly stated in the lines before and after this line, is assumed as a part of this middle line.  Let’s read it that way––“He will be quiet over you in His love.”  Do you see the picture?  It is a picture of God looking down over His people after they have returned to the city of Jerusalem.  He quietly, contemplatively looks down upon them with love.  As I saw this picture from Zephaniah I immediately visualized a mother and a father looking down upon a happy child and feeling a warm and powerful love swelling up in their hearts.  That’s how God felt as God’s people came back home to the city of Jerusalem.

But then that love swells beyond holding.  It bursts forth into song.  The prophet says, “He will rejoice over you with singing.”

My sisters and brothers, feel that love.  Hear that song.  Feel the intensity of God’s love for you.  Allow God’s song of joyful love to flow over you with its positive power of victory and redemption.  It is God who cleanses us.  It is God who makes us whole.  It is God who brings us to our true home.

Let’s feel together the power of God’s love song sung over us.  Adam is going to lead us in two songs that are taken from this passage.  You are welcome to join in the singing of these songs.  You also are welcome simply to listen and reflect, because during the singing of these songs we are all encouraged to allow the power of God’s love to flow over us.  Feel free to get on your knees before the Lord.

Let’s sing.

Invitation

A young teenage girl in Scotland grew tired of being under the authority of her parents, so she ran away.  She was unable to find a job.  Eventually she settled into a life of prostitution.

Time passed.  Her father died, and the girl did not even know it.  She was fully entrenched in her dark and dismal way of life.

The mother was getting old and wanted desperately to reconnect with her daughter.  So she got a picture of herself taken not too long after her daughter had run away.  She had multiple copies made, and she went around to the rescue missions with those pictures.  At the bottom of each picture the mother wrote, “I love you still . . . come home!”

One day, months later, the girl wandered into one of those missions because she needed a meal.  She sat through the obligatory worship service and looked around absent-mindedly.  She spotted the picture on the bulletin board.  As soon as the service was over, she went straight to it to see if it was what she thought.  Sure enough it was her mother asking her to come home.

It was late when the girl saw the picture, but she walked home.  By the time she arrived it was in the wee hours of the morning.  She went to the door of her parents’ home and knocked, but with just one knock the door flew open.  She thought something bad must have happened.  Why would the door be unsecured at this hour?

She ran into the house calling out for her mother.  Her mother woke up and called out to her.  The daughter ran to her mother, and they embraced.

The daughter asked her mother what had happened.  “Why was the door not locked?”

The mother replied gently.  “Everything is fine, dear.  From the day you left, that door has never been locked.”

God never locks the door either.  God longs for us to come home whenever we wander away.  And, when we do come home, God rejoices over us.  God rejoices over us with singing.

Please do not leave her apart from God.  Please answer God’s call.  Please allow God to rejoice over you with singing.  Please come now as we stand and sing.

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