Title When That Day Comes...
When that day comes...
oracle of Zephaniah
Every time we read the Old Testament, we think of it as a distant story. Consider the history of the Near East at least 3,000 years ago. At that time, they could not have even imagined that there was an East. So did we. Therefore, it is no wonder that the Old Testament seems so far from our reality. Moreover, rather than a Bible with a narrative like a novel, a Bible in the form of a narrative like an essay or a poem is not very friendly to us. One of them is the Zephaniah we read today.
You're going to think to yourself. Who the hell is Zephaniah, and what does his story have to do with us? That's a valid argument. Zephaniah was a prophet who was active in Judea about 630 B.C.E. Northern Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrian Empire in 721 BC, and Southern Judea barely escaped destruction by paying tribute to Assyria, but it was not a nation. Southern Judea carried out a major Reformation in 621 B.C., just before it was destroyed by Babylon, a new empire in 587 B.C. The king at that time was Josiah. Zephaniah was active in the early days of Josiah's reign, and it can be said that he was the prophet who opened the door to this (Deuteronomy) reform.
Zephaniah proclaimed a theme similar to that of Amos, Micah, and especially Isaiah. It is Yahweh's day. Amos (5:18ff) and Isaiah (2:12ff) also proclaimed this day. Zephaniah's uniqueness was the 'remnant' and his emphasis on social justice and humility. For example, verses 3:12,13 say: “I will leave in you only the poor and the poor, and the surviving Israel will only believe in the name of the LORD and be at peace. They do not know how to deceive others unfairly, they do not know how to lie, and they do not know how to deceive with their deceitful tongue. But I will eat and rest well, and no one will be disturbed.” Zephaniah's oracle, in which the poor and the humble rest in peace on the day of the Lord, is in line with the traditions of other prophets. The prophets of Israel declared that it was the day of Yahweh, not the day when the prosperous would prosper, but the day when the poor and humble were treated as people.
We do not really hear the sermons of these prophets. This is because I don't think this kind of sermon is just "Confucius said" and is not realistic. Rather, we are more interested in the rich and the handsome. Although we cannot completely transcend the complicated life of this world like the masters, it is unfortunate if we believe in the Bible as the Word of God and yet accept it unrealistically or live contrary to it. Once again, focus your mind on the day of Yahweh that Zephaniah preaches. The events of Yahweh's day are alive to us today, not just in ancient Israel.
liberation day
In today's text, Zephaniah uses the expression "when that day comes" four times. These are verses 11, 16, 19, and 20. Verses 19 and 20 are translated “when the time comes”, but the content is the same as “when that day comes”. That day is Yahweh's day. According to Zephaniah, this day of Yahweh is both a day of judgment and a day of salvation. In the first part of Zephaniah, mainly judgment, and in the latter part, salvation is proclaimed. Yahweh's judgment means salvation. Zephaniah had a lot to say about what was going on on this day. The most specific content is contained in verse 19, which can be grouped into three categories.
1. “Remove the oppressor.” As mentioned earlier, Judea is now facing a very serious national crisis. The pagan culture that prevailed under Manasseh (696-642 B.C.E.) dominated both Jewish religion and daily life. When Zephaniah was active, the last great king of Judea, Josiah, was still young, so the dignitaries were regent. Externally, Assyria was losing power while Babylon was rising as a mighty power. But Judea was leaning on the toothless tiger Assyria. Zephaniah must have thought that if he continued in this state, the kingdom would eventually be eaten by Babylon. As we know, Jerusalem, the capital of Judea, was eventually captured by Babylon, and all the leaders of Judea were taken captive. Zephaniah's sermon about destroying all who oppressed means that the Jews will be liberated from the Babylonian captivity.
However, these words do not simply mean liberation from Babylon. It also means that the poor are freed from the grand magnum opus. The prophets saw the world from that perspective. Yahweh God is the One who gets rid of all those who wield oppressive power.
2. “Heals the lame.” The Babylonian captivity of Judea obviously meant that they would be crippled. The state of having people but losing diplomatic rights and without land is clearly a national lameness. On Yahweh's day, Yahweh God sets them free from lameness. That's right. Yahweh God is a healer of people with disabilities and nations. Freedom from mental and physical disabilities is brought about by Yahweh in Yahweh's day.
3. “Seeking the lost.” Even if I don't give you a long explanation here, you will know that bonds are lost. The Babylonian captivity was soon lost. Not long ago, one of the Korean Americans went missing while returning from a trip with his family. It is said that he took the wrong road while driving a car, which we do not understand, but considering the vast land of the United States, there is nothing we cannot understand. In the end, the man, who had not received help for a week, left his family in the car and went out alone to seek help in the severe cold, but it was said that he suffered a catastrophe. How difficult it must have been for him to find a way in such a situation. I think I can understand the desperate feelings of the lost. Fortunately, the American wife and children were found by a rescue helicopter and survived. On the day of the Lord, the Lord will find those who have lost their way and the meaning of life.
Today we summarize three events that will take place in the day of the Lord in verse 19. It is said that Yahweh God will remove all who oppressed, heal the lame, and find the lost. Think of those in this situation. The oppressed, the disabled, the lost. On the day of Yahweh they are set free from this situation. That is salvation. Liberation and salvation are the same event and have the same meaning. Yahweh God, the savior, sets people free.
people in need of liberation
You must have taken the sermons up to this point for granted. But don't stay here, go one step further and think of those who need the salvation and liberation of Yahweh God. They are the oppressed, the lame, and the lost. On Yahweh's day, these people are the main characters. Let's read verse 19b again. “At that time, my people will be praised and made famous in all the world.” If they are the protagonists who experience liberation on the day of Yahweh, on the other hand, it is very clear who cannot be the protagonists. They are the oppressed, those without disabilities, and those within the safety net of life.
There will probably be no complaints about Zephaniah's sermon on the Day of the Lord. Because I don't think it's a fair game to say that people who are suppressed do well unconditionally. Jesus’ parable of “the owner of the vineyard” can also be heard of this complaint. When the owner of the vineyard gave one denarius per day to the man who worked in the sun all day from morning and to the man who came late and worked for an hour, the people who worked all day complained. The vineyard owner dismissed their complaints. What this parable is teaching is not that it is okay to be lazy. A man who worked only one hour could not work not because he did not want to work, but because he had no one to use him as a servant. No matter how little you work, you need money to eat three meals a day. The vineyard owner valued the worker's human life as more important than the quality and quantity of labor. This kind of treatment of the master is an object of complaint to some and an object of favor to others.
Which side are we on? Is God's will and his actions for all people to live as human beings, is it a favor or a complaint for us? Those who have many achievements will complain, and those who do not have it will be grateful. This attitude of life is already God's judgment, salvation, and liberation. It is already God's judgment to be caught up in one's achievements and to refuse and complain about the fair order. Conversely, the attitude of life that is humbled by one's achievements, accepting God's righteous rule with joy, and waiting is already God's salvation.
Professor Heung-gyu Park of the Department of Law, Yeungnam University, said, “No thanks!” The words “crisis of jurisprudence” were written on the tap. The humanities professors who speak of the crisis of the humanities diagnosed the crisis of the humanities as trying to solve the problem in a non-humanistic, that is, material way, and dealt with the problem of regular and non-regular professors as an example. This means that regular workers should solve the problem of non-regular workers even if they freeze or cut their wages. If the salaries between full-time professors and non-regular professors are similar, who will complain and who will be grateful? More fundamentally, if we could eliminate the difference in salaries for college and high school graduates, who would complain and who would appreciate it? I am not talking about political economy and social issues that I am not familiar with, but I am giving an easy-to-understand example of Zephaniah's sermon. Those who need the liberation that God brings are the main characters in the day of Yahweh.
Toward the future of liberation!
In this regard, the proclamation of the prophets is very dangerous. Because it completely reverses the existing system. Perhaps biblical prophecies are similar to the Communist Manifestos of Marx and Engels, or to the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia based on them. There are many similarities between the logic that the proletarians, the proletarians, will rule the world and the events that will take place on the Day of Yahweh that Zephaniah speaks of today. But the Russian Revolution has historically failed. It is generally said that the bureaucracy of socialism was the biggest factor. When a revolution occurs, the subjects of the revolution change into objects to be revolutionized again. That is the human limit.
Then, is Zephaniah's prophecy about the day of liberation and salvation for all people to live like human beings forever impossible? How would I know that? Instead, I tell what the Bible says. The Bible says that God creates such a world. That is the day of Yahweh. Today we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent. The second coming of Jesus is the time when the events that should take place on the day of Yahweh are completed. God, the Lord of history, removes all who oppressed people, heals the lame, and finds the lost. Without such hope, we cannot live through these difficult times.