Darkness Before Dawn
One Year Bible: Dec. 19
Zephaniah 1:1-3:20
DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN
In our Western culture, DAY begins with morning and ends in DARKNESS.
Interestingly, in Jewish culture, DAY began with DARKNESS in the EVENING. (Genesis 1:5).
That, right there, is a complete MIND SHIFT!!
What an interesting word picture for us that DARKNESS was the beginning and moved to LIGHT. That is the story of the Bible, the Old Testament, and the prophets.
To summarize the book of Zephaniah, it would be SAD SONG (Chp. 1), SAD SONG (Chp. 2), and GLAD SONG (Chp 3), or DARK, DARK, LIGHT.
The prophet Jeremiah, known as “the weeping prophet,” delivered a message like a musician singing a melody of the minor chords. His sad song was to touch the “heartstrings” of God’s people.
Zephaniah delivered the same message to the same people at the very same time, but he had a different approach. He was more like a “country western singer” singing about the hardness of hearts. He wasn’t just singing about broken trucks, broken relationships, and bottles of beer. All his verses were, “Baby, you done HIM wrong!” He was talking about a nation that had its boots on and was “walkin’ away.” They had “cheatin’” hearts, and he is letting them know that this song will end badly!
Zephaniah’s book speaks of “The Decree of the Lord” (1:1-6), “The Day of the Lord” (1:7-3:8), and “The Deliverance of the Lord” (3:9-20). His message is not just for this time but has a warning for future generations as well. However, It also brings comfort…
“O daughter of Jerusalem! For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last, your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. On that day, the announcement to Jerusalem will be, ‘Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord, your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
(Zephaniah 3:15-17)
The end of the Old Testament is the backdrop for the Christmas story. So, we need to stop and soak it in… In the background is pain upon pain, brokenness upon brokenness, and finally, silence upon silence. In this setting, Zephaniah redirects their downcast eyes…
Look up! Can you see it? Can you hear?
“The Lord will REMOVE His judgment. The King will LIVE among you. Your troubles will be over. You will never again fear disaster…He will TAKE DELIGHT in you with gladness. With his love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (3:15-17)
Do you remember the famous song “Hey Jude” by the Beatles?
Well, this one is a slight variation on the original…
“Hey Judah, Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let HIM into your heart. Then you can start to make it better….”
These words were the fulfillment of prophecy, and the answer to their SAD SAD SONG!
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring GREAT JOY to all people.” (Luke 2:10)
The angels, in their joy, sang, “Glory to God in the highest.””
Their SADNESS was being miraculously transformed into GLADNESS!
How is Christmas looking for you this year?
Do you have any “sad songs” playing on your “hard drive”?
Have you ever thought, “I’m just not feeling like celebrating Christmas”?
That’s okay because SAD comes before GLAD…
As the Jewish culture practices, “DAY begins in the evening and culminates into DAWN”; Light shines best in the darkness!
May we be reminded that He can take the sad songs of our life and make them better.
The God of the world has come down to dwell in the hearts of his people, and “He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (3:15-17)
In fact, HE did JUST THAT!!
“Yet, in thy DARK STREETS SHINETH… the everlasting LIGHT.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”
(O Little Town of Bethlehem, Phillips Brooks)
Yes, DARKNESS comes before DAWN!
