Zephaniah 3:9-20
“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
From beyond the rivers of Cush[d]
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.
On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.
But I will leave within you
the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust in the name of the Lord.
They will do no wrong;
they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
and no one will make them afraid.”
Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
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.
On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
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.”
“I will remove from you
all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
which is a burden and reproach for you.
At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.
I will give them praise and honor
in every land where they have suffered shame.
At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.
In our longer reading today, we find am absolutely beautiful description of the restoration of a “righteous remnant” after the Babylonian exile. It’s a stark contrast to descriptions of God’s judgement-anger that we read about in the last reflection. Yet the same God is the source of both judgement-anger and loving restoration. It is tough to reconcile. That is until we realize that the restoration is not possible without all that is incompatible with that restoration is first is destroyed.
In another life, I could have been a house flipper. I love the idea of taking an old house, stripping it down to the bones, and then restoring it. But before it can be restored, demolition is necessary. Demolition in a house is actually my favorite part. It’s fun to take a sledge hammer to walls, cabinets, and doors. However, perspective is everything. Being the house under demolition might not be so pleasant. That’s why we’re real uncomfortable with the judgement-anger of God. We’re the house being torn down to the bones.
It’s important though to keep the purpose of demolition in mind though. Restoration and beauty is where it’s all headed. But demolition is required for the outcome to be achieved. Israel has learned that multiple times over her history. All of us who have lived long enough know that as well. We have had times that have reduced us to the seeming minumum. Maybe some of us are there now. The good news of Zephaniah, virtually all the prophets, and more than all of them, Jesus is that restoration is coming. The result will breathtaking beauty and goodness. It can be scary, but trust the Builder/Restorer. I’m absolutely positive that you’ll love the results.
Prayer: Psalm 139:23-24, The Message – Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me. Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Prayer Focus: Pray for the family and friends of President Jimmy Carter and for our country as we honor him this week.
Song: The Story I’ll Tell (feat. Naomi Raine) – Maverick City Music | TRIBL Music
Weekday Word w/ Eric 
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