 |
Our Savior Presbyterian Church |
|
|
Home |
Winter 2009-10 There is what scholars call “concentric parallelism” in Zephaniah 3:14-17 which reveals an amazing truth about God. Zephaniah, like the other prophets, is letting Judah know that her days are numbered. The Lord is fed up with her continual apostacy just as he was with the northern tribes of Israel. Judgment will come. Yet in these few verses is the call to praise. Sing, shout, rejoice because your deliverance will come. God is in your midst. Have no fear. Then the same ideas are repeated in descending order. Have no fear, God is in your midst. He will deliver you and—this is where the revelation is astounding—and he will rejoice and shout and sing over you! Far from the distant, demanding God of retribution is this picture of a familiar God in our midst, dispelling fear and singing and rejoicing that we are his people. In these dark and cold days of winter, in this world where there seems to be an increase of crime and natural disasters and war and falling away from the Lord, we can rejoice in the constant love of the God who rejoices in our midst. Have no fear. Our deliverer is here.
|
|