Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
7 Be silent before the Lord God,
for the day of the Lord is at hand!
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated his guests.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the people
who settle like dregs in wine,
those who say in their hearts,
“The Lord will not do good,
nor will he do harm.”
13 Their wealth shall be plundered
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.
14 The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
the warrior cries aloud there.
15 That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
17 I will bring such distress upon people
that they shall walk like the blind;
because they have sinned against the Lord,
their blood shall be poured out like dust
and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath;
in the fire of his passion
the whole earth shall be consumed,
for a full, a terrible end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
This very stereotypical “fire & brimstone” Old Testament passage from Zephaniah might not be the one you need to hear today, but hopefully this reflection makes it easier to digest.
Zephanaiah begins liked you’d expect an Old Testament prophecy to begin, with angry judgment from God about false worship of idols and other gods. But more than that, Zephaniah calls out injustices between peoples, like the wealthy care only for themselves and not the poor.
In response to their wrongdoing, ol’ Zeph gives a full description of the destruction that awaits them on the Day of the Lord. But as dire as the outcome is for what lies ahead, it is not the end of their story. Zephaniah goes on to guide the people toward restoration and rejoicing in what God can build up from the ashes.
God calls us to trust that God is the sole guarantor of faithfulness and security in our lives, which mean we should also trust God’s mission to that end. As well as being in constant discernment about how to engage with God in that mission.
– Pr. Kyle
Gracious God, guide us in our trust of your promises and work in the world. When we get in the way, gently direct us back into line so we can better serve you and your mission in this world. Amen.