Title: God among us / Zephaniah 3:14-17
God in our midst / Zephaniah 3:14-17
Verse 14 says, “Sing, O daughter of Zion; sing for joy, O Israel; Rejoice, O daughter of Jerusalem, rejoice with all your heart.” The daughters of Zion and the daughters of Jerusalem mentioned here are nicknames for the Jewish people. The problem is that I told them to "sing, rejoice, rejoice", who were not in a position to sing and rejoice and rejoice. Life in the world is difficult, then and now. Compared to the time spanning eternity, human life for 70 to 80 years is only a small point. But why are there so many problems in such a short life?
There are 100 billion galaxies in outer space. A galaxy is said to be made up of 100 billion stars. You can't count all the stars. The number of stars is usually said to be 1 trillion × 10 billion. Compared to those countless stars, humans are just dust.
However, looking at the lifetime of that life, there are many longer and more sad, painful, and frustrating years than the days of joy, joy and singing. Towards such a life, the text says, "Sing, rejoice, rejoice." Because there is good reason.
1. Because the punishment was removed.
Verse 15 says, “The Lord has taken away your punishment.” It means that you have forgiven the punishment you will receive for your sins. Amnesty granted by the president's special measures and measures is called a special envoy. It is thrilling that a person who has been sentenced to a sentence is commuted, but being released as a special envoy is more than a thrilling event. In other words, it is an event that is difficult to express in words.
The Bible everywhere reveals that God forgives our sins. The penalty for sin is death. So in order not to die, we must have our sins forgiven. “I will make your sins whiter than snow, whiter than wool” “I will blot out your sins” “I will remove your sins as far as the east is from the west” “I will cast your sins behind your back” “I will remember your sins” Saying “I will not” is a promise to forgive and forgive our sins.
not a special envoy. It erases, erases, and has no memory. However, it is only when they return to God and repent.
I have a reason to sing. It is because sins are forgiven. I have reason to rejoice and rejoice. It is because the Lord took the punishment that I deserved.
Hosea 13:9 et seq. explains why Israel will be punished. The reason was because I resisted the God who helped me, and my sins were saved. And in Hosea 13:6, it says that it was because they betrayed God.
It is said that shamans talk for a long time on public broadcasters and newspapers, establish a martial arts college (shaman college), and the martial arts academy is booming. If you look at the history of the world, there is no country that has prospered as a nation that worshiped idols. There is no country that has been blessed with superstition. In a certain province, a remembrance ceremony was held for the three thousand palace ladies, and it was even broadcast by public broadcasters.
Idolatry, unbelief, and pride are the causes of punishment, but if you repent and turn to God, you will be forgiven and receive grace. Let's rejoice and sing for the grace of the forgiveness of sins.
2. Because God has become my King. Verse 15 says, "I have cast out your enemies, and the LORD King of Israel is among you, and you will not fear any more woe." There are three lessons to be found in this verse.
First, they drove out the enemy. The enemy here refers to the devil. In the past and now, the devil uses indirect attacks rather than direct attacks. The devil's best attack is to make him sin. When a person commits a sin, he becomes an enemy to God and a neighbor to the devil. If you look at the activities of Jesus, he cast out demons, disease, and sin. In other words, he cast out the enemies who torment us.
Second, the God the King of Israel is among us. Until I cast out the enemy, the devil reigned and ruled over me, but after I cast out the enemy devil, God is with us as king. This is called Immanuel in the New Testament. We only have two paths. It is whether you are under the control of the devil or under the control of God. Not the same domination. The devil's rule is destruction, and God's rule is life and eternal life. If God is my King, let us rejoice and praise Him as our Ruler and Lord.
Third, never get angry again. Human anger comes from human error and sometimes from natural disasters. However, it is God who blocks, protects, and releases them no matter what path they come through.
If the wrath of the body is disease, failure, and pain, the anger of the soul is despair, pain, and judgment. But the text tells us not to be afraid of being angry again. This is because God is the absolute giver of blessings and woes, because God is the one who blocks the woes that come without notice, and because God is the one who can turn the anger I am experiencing into blessing.
And more importantly, luck and woe are determined by what you do. God's salvation is a one-sided grace and event, but it should be noted that blessings and woes are the result of actions. In other words, if you serve, love, and draw near to God, you will receive blessings. On the other hand, if you oppose and turn away from God, you will be angry and cursed.
3. Notice the lesson not to let your hands hang down.
Verse 16 says, “Zion, do not let your hand hang down.” Hanging hands means despair and abandonment. Those who should raise their hands to pray and sing praises are in despair with their hands hanging down. People who have to work diligently by moving their hands are giving up with their hands hanging down. You are saying to them, "Don't let your hands hang down.
One day, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand. When your hands are dry, it means your hands are not working. Stretch out your hands, move your hands. Let's look to the Lord who says, Raise your hand high. Verse 17 tells us why we should sing with joy and not let our hands hang down.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, the Almighty who will save you; he will rejoice over you with joy, he will quietly love you and will rejoice over you with singing and rejoicing.”
It is truly a wonderful blessing. Let us rejoice and sing praises, not fear, because God is among us and He brings salvation. This is a matter of faith. Whether you believe or not believe that God is with you, whether you believe or doubt that He is helping you, depending on your belief, you may be happy or you may despair.
I went to a seminar in Chicago last week. I met many immigrant church leaders and met members of the church. Their concern was the IMF cold wave that Korea was experiencing. "How is it going?" "How's the outlook?" "When do you think the strands will come out?" I am neither a politician nor an economist. And not even a government official. So I couldn't give them an expert opinion. But there was something I could say. It says, "God is with us. The Korean church is praying." The answer was, “God will not forsake us.”
Early on, Sparta was a nation centered on the armed forces, and Greece was a nation centered on knowledge. Sparta fell first. Early on, the Roman Empire built a nation on human knowledge and power, and Israel built a nation on faith. The Roman Empire fell. Early on, the Soviet Union built a nation on atheism, and the United States built a nation on the Puritan faith. In the Soviet Union, the red flag that I hung for 70 years was dropped.
Even now, there are people who believe that with the power of money, the power of knowledge, and the power and experience of force, the country will prosper and individuals will prosper. On the other hand, there are people who believe that it is only when they believe in God that they will prosper and live well. Who will end first and who will succeed first?
Kang Kyung-ran, a director of the Korea Management Consultants Association, who has been running the “Husband Raising Movement” since 1995, is drawing attention by revealing the 8 commandments to save her husband. ① Make your husband laugh once a day. ② Praise once a day. ③ Speak kindly. ④ Don't compare yourself to other men. ⑤ Give your husband time and space. ⑥ Give him an extra 100,000 won per month. ⑦ Get your license. ⑧ Make a lot of time for yourself as a couple. It's a simple, civic proposition, but the important thing is to bring joy. It is the growth that creates joy lies in the background. And it should be noted that there are more important commandments than the above eight.
It means, "Let's go out to God together." For there is no way greater than this and there is no way more important than this. Today, our society is experiencing unspeakable trials and tribulations due to economic ordeal. However, it should be noted that there are two bulwarks that we must defend to the end.
One is family and the other is faith. When families are shaken and broken because of money, business, and work, the country is shaken. We must work together. So, you have to keep your home. Not only that. Faith is what we have to keep until the very last moment. If your faith is shaken, your life, your family, your hopes, and your future will all crumble.
Every famous city in the world has skyscrapers. Buildings over 100 floors, such as the Empire State Building in New York and the Sears Building in Chicago, are said to be designed to shake when the wind blows. It is said that building mechanics is designed to shake so much that humans cannot feel it. But when the foundation shakes, the house collapses.
These events can shake your mind, your mood, and your emotions. But your faith must not be shaken. Notice the end of verse 17 of the text. “Even God will not overcome joy over you; he will love you silently and silently, and he will rejoice over you with singing and rejoicing.”
If I love God, God loves me too. If I please God, God is pleased with me. If I please God, God also pleases me. When Paul and Silas rejoiced and sang praises to God while in prison in Philippi, a miracle occurred when the prison doors were opened.
Let us sing of God in our midst. Let us worship and praise the God who loves us quietly and silently. Let's love and depend on God who is with us and keeps us every day and forever. Amen