Rev. Michael Piazza in Liberating Word says of Zephaniah “Like Nahum, Zephaniah is a three-chapter book that talks a lot about the judgment and wrath of God. However, though he talks about how God is going to punish the surrounding nations for their wickedness, Zephaniah’s main theme is how the Jews have gone astray and the pain their evil will bring upon them. His major focus is the city of Jerusalem, which was supposed to be the city of God, but had become corrupt.
Zephaniah saw the unifying religion of Judah as diluted with shrines to other gods that serve the cravings of the people. His writings are not just a pronouncement of judgment, but they are a warning of the consequences and a call to repentance. In classic prophetic voice, Zephaniah even predicts a day when all will be made right. He ends with a psalm of rejoicing….
In Zephaniah’s day, God got the credit or blame for everything. While we understand things differently today, we should not neglect the message of judgment: our choices have consequences and, if we believe we are all connected as a human family, when others bear the consequence, we do too. Zephaniah wants judgment to bring about a change and offers hope that change can bring a new day when we can live together without fear of God or of one another.
When bad things happen in our world or in our lives, I do not believe God is responsible, just as we are not always responsible either. However, the healthiest alternative is for us to pause, look within, and change anything for which we are responsible. That is how we are able to end our lives as Zephaniah ended his book, with a song of joy."
Rev. Michael Piazza in Liberating Word says of Zephaniah “Like Nahum, Zephaniah is a three-chapter book that talks a lot about the judgment and wrath of God. However, though he talks about how God is going to punish the surrounding nations for their wickedness, Zephaniah’s main theme is how the Jews have gone astray and the pain their evil will bring upon them. His major focus is the city of Jerusalem, which was supposed to be the city of God, but had become corrupt.
ReplyDeleteZephaniah saw the unifying religion of Judah as diluted with shrines to other gods that serve the cravings of the people. His writings are not just a pronouncement of judgment, but they are a warning of the consequences and a call to repentance. In classic prophetic voice, Zephaniah even predicts a day when all will be made right. He ends with a psalm of rejoicing….
In Zephaniah’s day, God got the credit or blame for everything. While we understand things differently today, we should not neglect the message of judgment: our choices have consequences and, if we believe we are all connected as a human family, when others bear the consequence, we do too. Zephaniah wants judgment to bring about a change and offers hope that change can bring a new day when we can live together without fear of God or of one another.
When bad things happen in our world or in our lives, I do not believe God is responsible, just as we are not always responsible either. However, the healthiest alternative is for us to pause, look within, and change anything for which we are responsible. That is how we are able to end our lives as Zephaniah ended his book, with a song of joy."