Today's Readings: Zephaniah 3:1–13; Psalm 34; Matthew 21:28–32
“Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and celebrate with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you; you need no longer fear harm.” Zephaniah 3:14-15
In Zephaniah 3, the author speaks about Jerusalem and its people who knew God’s standards of holiness, yet they chose not to obey or trust in the Lord (v. 2). In His holiness, the Lord judges the sinful people and calls them to repentance. After God confronts sin, He promises to restore His people.
How does God restore His people? By coming to dwell with us. “The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you (v.15).” The Lord is King, ruling with righteousness and for our flourishing. He deals with our sin problem and comes as Immanuel—God with us.
In light of this grand story of God’s pursuit of us, our only response can be one of joy. Psalm 34 exhorts us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in Him!” In our advent, we rejoice knowing we serve a King whose presence is our good.
As a little girl, I loved singing, and I did it all the time. As I’ve grown up, I still sing, but not as often as I once did. I can so easily become caught up in my “to do” lists and the stress of each day. But, when I stop and remember how God has pursued us, how He has set us apart as holy, and how He came to dwell with us in the person of Jesus, how could we have any other response but to sing with joy?
May we as the people of God rejoice with gladness in the truth that our King has come to dwell with us, and He will come again to restore us fully one day.
