Saturday 4th May
Read Zephaniah 3:14-17
“Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (NIVUK)
The most commonly cited verse in Zephaniah falls at the end of today’s reading. God’s joy is greatest when we find our joy in Him. We read this through the lens of Jesus, who physically took away our punishment and banished our fear on the day of the Lord, but it is just as true a promise for the remnant of Israel who survive the coming trial. We may feel things are different after Jesus rose from the dead to prepare a place for us in the kingdom yet consider how closely Peter echoes Zephaniah’s thoughts in this passage.
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:6-9) (NIVUK)
The only response is singing all round…
