“Promises, promises”: a shared Advent sermon series with Pastor Tim Klein from Faith, Warradale and Pastor Tim Ebbs from St Paul’s Glenelg

Week 3: The promise of peace

After exploring the promises of safety and presence under our Advent theme “Promises, Promises”, today we move to the promise of peace.

Zephaniah is tucked in between the prophets Habakkuk and Haggai, and is a mere 3 pages. But man, he packs a punch: two and half chapters of dire warning before we get to the good news that we want to hear. In fact, if it weren’t for the last half of chapter 3 we might as well throw our hands in the air, retreat, and wait for the bad ending! True to say also that the 2 ½ pages of bad news make the good news so much better!

Zephaniah is a descendant of one of the good kings – Hezekiah (Zephaniah 1:1). Although only a young man, He has experienced the dangers and consequences of a series of wicked kings, like Manasseh and Amon, kings who went their own way; opened the doors to idolatry, corruption and carefree complacency toward the Lord and his Word.

Zephaniah prophesied during the time the Lord was at work restoring His people through a good king, Josiah. Alongside Josiah Zephaniah proclaimed both destruction and judgement, and joyous restoration. And with restoration comes peace.

Zephaniah begins his prophecy with this dire warning:

“I will sweep away everything

    from the face of the earth,”

declares the Lord.

“I will sweep away both man and beast;

    I will sweep away the birds in the sky

    and the fish in the sea.”  Zephaniah 1:2-3

Right from the opening verses of Zephaniah the promise of retribution has the potential to destroy the whole fabric of Israel’s society as they know it. He moves from creation to idolatry:

“I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,

    the very names of the idolatrous priests—

those who bow down on the roofs

    to worship the starry host,

those who bow down and swear by the Lord

    and who also swear by Molek,

those who turn back from following the Lord

and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.” 

Zephaniah 1:4b-6

From idolatry to the nation’s leadership:

“On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice

    I will punish the officials and the king’s sons

and all those clad in foreign clothes”. Zephaniah 1:8 

From leadership to commerce

“Wail, you who live in the market district;

    all your merchants will be wiped out,

 all who trade with silver will be destroyed.” Zephaniah 1:11

From commerce to complacency

“At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

    and punish those who are complacent,

    who are like wine left on its dregs,

who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,

    either good or bad.’

Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished.

Though they build houses, they will not live in them;

though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine.”  Zeph. 1: 12-13

From complacency to wealth

“Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”

In the fire of his jealousy

    the whole earth will be consumed,

for he will make a sudden end

    of all who live on the earth.”  Zephaniah 1:18

Not only is God’s anger directed toward Israel, but also against other nations, like Philistia: 

Woe to you who live by the sea,

    you Kerethite people;

the word of the Lord is against you,

    Canaan, land of the Philistines.

He says, “I will destroy you,

    and none will be left.”  Zephaniah 2:5

Moab and Ammon:

“I have heard the insults of Moab

    and the taunts of the Ammonites,

who insulted my people

    and made threats against their land.

Therefore, as surely as I live,”

    declares the Lord Almighty,

    the God of Israel,

“surely Moab will become like Sodom,

    the Ammonites like Gomorrah—

a place of weeds and salt pits,

    a wasteland forever. Zephaniah 2:8,9

Cush and Assyria

“You Cushites, too,

    will be slain by my sword.”

“He will stretch out his hand against the north

    and destroy Assyria,

leaving Nineveh utterly desolate

    and dry as the desert”. Zephaniah 2:12,13

If the whole nation and social structure of Israel and surrounding nations were an intact jigsaw puzzle, God promises to destroy and scatter it into fragmented pieces. Imagine that. God’s warning to his people against their sin was serious. God hates sin. He hates it when people turn aside from him and his word because sin is destructive, divisive and separates people from him, robbing them of the true and full life he wants to share with his people. His warnings against the sin of his people today—our declaration of independence whenever we turn aside from what God says—are to be taken just as seriously.

Zephaniah warned that sin had already fragmented God’s people, separating them from him and from each other. Only final punishment awaits them. But through Zephaniah, God makes a promise.

Picture a broken jigsaw puzzle coming back together again. From chaos to peace. From broken pieces to peace!  (From pieces to peace) Is it possible that once so devastated it could all be restored and peace be established? This is what Zephaniah’s prophecy promises.

Already through the prophecies of destruction are glimpses of the remnants of faithfulness and righteousness. We can see that even though this remnant lives in a fragmented society, God is at work to restore them – to reestablish peace.

Something extraordinary is happening here. Unlike in other prophets there is no call to repentance. It’s too late. The oracles of doom – the consequence of the idolatry and other sins of God’s people is in place. But then comes a surprise – a pure act of grace.

A complete reversal as the expected judgment becomes unexpected mercy. This leads to new life as the scattered pieces are gathered together into this new peace for the people to have with their Lord.  God comes and saves His people! The warrior God comes and forces back the powers of darkness. He forces them back and sets his people free.

And then something even more amazing, God rejoices over his people:

The Lord celebrates and sings because of them and he refreshes their lives with his love!

And so the Prophet Zephaniah can say:

“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” (Zephaniah 3:14b-15).

The arrival of God’s presence dispels fear. It opens the door to a new future. Not only does God’s presence bring a joy and peace, but it also brings about new relationships. It restores justice and brings aid to the poor:

“I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth” (Zephaniah 3:19b).

God hates sin…but he loves his people. He loves his people so much to reconcile them and restore peace between them and himself. This promise brings about a whole new way of relating with God and each other: From fragmented pieces to a new peaceful whole, surrounded by songs of joy!

In fact God loves all people so much that he sends the Saviour Jesus into the world: God with us, to bring his peace to earth! Just as all of Zephaniah’s warnings against sin to be taken seriously today, so also are the promises God makes! All of the promises God makes through Zephaniah are fulfilled in Jesus. It is because God loves you and shows you the same grace as his people of old that he sent Jesus into the world. It was in Jesus that God punished all sin. It was on the Cross, with arms outstretched, that God in Christ crucified gathered all the brokenness, all the pieces together, to reconcile the world to him by his holy and precious blood—and that includes you.

So what about your lives and mine? What does this promise bring to our life and to our relationships? The Saviour has dealt sin and death a death blow. What new things might the Lord be working in your life?

We still live in a fragmented world, but the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) is working for peace and good in and through you. He expects us to lead lives of mercy and grace, lives that are the presence of the peace of God in the world. Like in today’s Gospel (Luke 3:7-18), share, give, be honest and content:

‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.’

‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them.

‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.’

 And Sing!

Sing, people of Zion! Celebrate the greatness  of the holy Lord of Israel. God is here to help you.  Isaiah 12:6

Let’s close with this wonderful word from Philippians:

Philippians 4:4-7  Rejoice the Lord is near

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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