Tuesday 30th April
Read Zephaniah 3:3-5
“Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her rulers are evening wolves,
who leave nothing for the morning.
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.
5 The Lord within her is righteous;
he does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,
yet the unrighteous know no shame.” (NIVUK)
Sometimes it is good to just reflect on the poetry. Why would Zephaniah compare the leaders of Jerusalem to wolves and lions? In the context of creation it paints an ignoble picture, they have lost their humanity, they are beastly in every way. In the immediate context, Nineveh is the city of revelry (Zephaniah 2:15a) that has become ‘a lair for wild beasts’ (v15c). Or has she? Perhaps Zephaniah has shifted to speaking about Jerusalem even earlier than we thought? Perhaps Jerusalem is the city people will ultimately walk by and scoff at (v15d)? At the very least, Zephaniah wants us to ask the question – is there any real difference between Nineveh and Jerusalem?
That Zephaniah wants us to compare Nineveh and Jerusalem is also hidden at the beginning of the oracle. Literally, the chapter begins with ‘Woe to the city of ‘yona’’ – translated ‘oppressors’ (Zephaniah 3:1a). But ‘yona’ is also a common name you may be familiar with. A name linked with Nineveh. Ironically enough, the only difference between Nineveh and Jerusalem may be their response to the word of Yahweh. When Jonah preached to Nineveh, the city repented…
The question is then asked – where is God? The boundary between the sacred and the profane has been broken down from within and without (v4-5). Is God simply silent in the face of this violence and oppression? The poet says He remains present and His standards have not slipped. That untainted part of creation, the rising of the sun each day, bears witness. It bears witness though to a wrongness at the heart of the world.
Reflecting on the poet’s powerful words makes us ponder indeed. For those with the time today, consider listening to this recent podcast reflecting on many of the same questions Zephaniah asks but through the prism of the recent tragedy in Bondi.
