Thursday 7 August 2025
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. (v. 17)
Background
In the previous verses the prophet Zephaniah foretold the day when God would remove the proud and leave the humble God-believers to a life of peace and contentment. But these final verses of the book suggest that does not mean a life of quiet retirement for them: their lying down like sheep in a pasture (v. 13) now makes way for a call to sing loudly and enthusiastically!
The vocabulary of this passage is similar to that in the Psalms (for example Psalms 47, 95 and 97) which were used when kings were enthroned. Many scholars think that the ancient Jews included a celebration of God’s kingship in their new year festivities which took place at harvest time. This could be the setting for which this final oracle of Zephaniah was devised.
The prophet Zephaniah is not alone in choosing to end his message about God’s judgement with a glimpse of the new order that will follow. Compare for example Joel 3:16-18 and Amos 9:13-15 with this passage. It seems that prophets understand that if they want people to take seriously their message about judgement then it is essential to make clear that such judgement is not to be God’s final act.
To Ponder:
- When have you felt you wanted to sing to God because of a joyful heart?
- Which, if any, of the promises that God makes in verses 18-20 are particularly precious for you, and why?
- How easy or how hard is it to believe that God might sing loudly with joy over you (v. 17)?
Prayer
Lord, we long for the day when the singing will be endless because there is nothing left to be sorry about. Help us to recognise that there are no short cuts and that we need first to welcome your judgement and purification of all that is imperfect in us and the society we’ve made. Make us willing for you to have your way with us. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Stephen Mosedale
Stephen is a retired Methodist minister living near Exeter. He served in West Africa and Scotland and was a New Testament tutor at Cliff College.