Sing for Joy,    Zephaniah 3:14-20             December 13, 2009
 
Everyone is a singer. At least most people think they can sing. For proof, just watch the auditions of American Idol or stop by the local restaurant on karaoke night. But did you know that God sings, too?
 
God sings a song of joy over you. What does Christmas tell us about the God’s song of joy?
 
Here’s a question for you: What does joy look like?

That’s right, joy. How would you describe it? How might you paint a picture of it? If you had to come up with a universal symbol, a kind of catch-all image for this universal experience and feeling that we call joy, what would it be?

Is it a mother holding her newborn child? That has to be joy. What about the shout of a fan when his team finally wins it all? Maybe it’s the huge grin of a groom when he catches a glimpse of his bride walking down the aisle on their wedding day? Pure joy.

Joy is an interesting emotion. It’s tough to explain and difficult to put into words, yet, when you see it, it’s unmistakable and when you feel it, it’s unforgettable. So again, how might you describe this thing called joy? What would you say is the symbol of joy?

Some people would argue that coming up with an all-encompassing image of joy is a lot easier than you’d think. In fact, some would say we already have one. It’s called the dollar sign, and — if you think about it — they may be on to something. After all, who hasn’t thought that hitting the jackpot in a Casino or being set for life by the lottery would bring about some big-time joy? 
 
Many people consider Christmas to be the most joyful time of the year. In fact, according to one popular tune it’s the “hap-happiest time of the year.”
 
But, there’s one problem. The Bible paints a different picture of joy. It’s a picture disconnected from status and success. It's divorced from the idea of piling up possessions. That’s not to say those things are bad. Giving gifts is great, receiving them is really great and money is — in God’s world — often a means for temporary peace and stability, blessing and fulfillment. That’s all fine. But that’s not joy … at least not biblical joy.

The book that bears Zephaniah's name is brief — three short chapters. It’s part of that ancient division of the Hebrew Bible known as The Twelve, or the 12 Minor Prophets. They’re minor not in significance, but in size. Zephaniah was evidently a person of considerable social standing in Judah. He was a fourth-generation descendent of King Hezekiah. "Zephaniah" means to hide, or protect.


The book of Zephaniah appears to reflect conditions in Judah, the Southern Kingdom of the divided monarchy of Israel-during the early part of the reign of Josiah (640–609 B.C). It was a time of social, political and religious corruption and much of the tone is gloomy, not unlike parts of Isaiah, Amos or Jeremiah.
 
But in the closing words of his God-given message, Zephaniah offers an incredible picture, a beautiful glimpse of real, biblical, God-style joy. He speaks of a day when God no longer has to deal harshly with his people. He speaks of a day when the judgment for pursuing false joys is no longer held against those who have been made right with God through the grace of God.

There will be a day, there will be a time, Zephaniah says, when men and women will “sing aloud” and “shout,” where they will “be glad and rejoice” with all their hearts. This true, authentic joy will well up not as a result of piling up enough money or achieving certain levels of success. No, this lasting joy will flow from the fact that God has found his joy in us, in you!

 
The lectionary reading begins with a verb translated “Sing!” (v. 14). Singing is a theme found frequently in prophetic writings especially Isaiah and in the psalms. Singing was integral to Israel’s worship, as well as a part of normal everyday life.
 
However, in contrast to singing in the modern world, singing in the ancient world was largely reserved for joyous (or at least ordinarily happy) occasions. In contrast, mourning was expressed by lamentation, dirge (more chant than song) or wail.

The command to sing here in Zephaniah is in sharp contrast to the other sounds prophesied earlier in the book: silence (1:7), a cry (1:10), a wail (1:10), a loud crash (1:10), a bitter sound (1:14), a battle cry (1:16). Compare Ch.1 to Ch. 3 and it’s clear that the prophetic command to sing reflects the dramatically changed circumstances of the Lord’s restoration on behalf of God’s people.

Who is to sing? The entity commanded to sing is “daughter Zion,” (v. 14), a phrase found in a couple of dozen places in the Old Testament, especially in the book of Isaiah.
 
Earlier translations, such as the Authorized Version and the RSV, understood the Hebrew phrase bat-tsion correctly as a construct chain but incorrectly as the first element being, in some sense, the possession of the second (possessive genitive). Accordingly, they translated the phrase famously (and misleadingly) as “daughter of Zion.”
 
However, the construct phrase is an appositional or associative genitive rather than a possessive genitive (which most Hebrew grammars recognize), with the first element functioning adjectivally. Zion had no daughter; Zion was the daughter, and the word daughter functions in the phrase as a term of endearment: “dear” or (better, perhaps, because of its “nouniness”) “darling.”[i]
 
This grammatical distinction is important insofar as it helps capture the element of pathos in much prophetic literature addressed to Zion/Jerusalem. The phrase (and its parallel at the end of the verse) should be translated something such as “darling Zion/beloved Jerusalem.”

Real joy, biblical joy, comes from knowing without fail or falter that “The Lord your God is with you” and that “he is mighty to save.” It comes from knowing that God himself delights in you and that “he will rejoice over you” — yes, little old, corrupted you and me — “with singing” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV).

You see, the real reason joy is so essential to the celebration of Jesus’ birth is because in his arrival, in the entrance of that baby born in a Bethlehem back alley, God tells us that those Zephaniah-style “joy days” have come!
 
In Jesus’ arrival, the King has come into our midst, and our sins are now forgiven. Your greatest shame, no matter what it is, can now become a cause for praise! Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus his Son, God the Father has forgiven and forgotten it all.

At Christmas, we celebrate the arrival of true joy. Listen to what the angel said,
 
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12, NIV).


A little closer to home, here's a child's view of Christmas joy, "Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Unlike everything else in this world, when your joy comes from Jesus, it’s a joy that will never be taken from you.                                                                              
 
Jesus describes the benefits of following him this way: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV).

Apart from Jesus, all the joys of life will someday be stolen, destroyed or simply die off. The money will run out, the kids will stop calling and the cancer can come back. But when we’re connected to Christ, the life he gives us lasts forever. The peace he gives us surpasses all understanding and the gifts he offers — such as an ever-flowing fountain of forgiveness and grace — will never get old, wear out, get lost fade away.


God sings a song of joy over you. What does Christmas tell us about the song God is singing for us?[ii] May we be a people who give others what they want because God has given us what we need. Let’s join together and sing with God, Zephaniah, and each other . . . for our real joy, Jesus, has arrived.. Amen.
 
Rev. Rosemary Stelz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


[i] (See further W.F. Stinespring, “Zion, Daughter of,” Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: Supplementary Volume, ed. K. R. Crim, et al. [Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1976, 985]).
 
[ii] ( CF Isaiah 65:17-19 and Jeremiah 32:38-41 )