Advent Devotion • December 8
Today's Scripture
Zephaniah 3:11–20
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. (NRSV)
Reflection
Although the book of Zephaniah is dominated by oracles of judgment, these closing verses are a small glimmer of hope from the prophet — a hope established on the idea of a religious renewal that God will bring about in the midst of the people. As biblical scholar Kent Harold Richards puts it, this renewal is “one through which this world will come to reflect God’s vision of a world without violence, injustice, or oppression” — a sentiment that we surely would appreciate in our world today!
We don’t often think about Advent as a time of renewal, but perhaps we should. This season can sometimes feel as though we are biding our time until Christmas arrives; Zephaniah instead invites us to see this time as one of active preparation — reevaluating our lives and the part we must play in bringing about that world without violence, injustice, or oppression.
We may doubt our ability to make a meaningful difference in any of those three intractable problems — but that does not let us off the hook for needing to try! “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak,” Zephaniah commends us. “The Lord, your God is in your midst. ... God will renew you in love” (Zephaniah 3:16–17). In this Advent season and beyond, may we proclaim God’s love in the way we treat the vulnerable, advocate for the less fortunate, and give to those who have little — mindful of the unseen effects of our words and actions, and praying we might contribute what we can to lessen violence, injustice, and oppression in our midst.
Prayer
God of all compassion and goodness, help me do my part to bring about the world your Son came to proclaim — opening myself up for renewal where needed and committing myself once more to living in a spirit of peace, grace, and love. Amen.
Written by Matt Helms, Associate Pastor for Children, Family, and Welcoming Ministries
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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