SING AND SHOUT FOR JOY FOR GOD IS IN OUR MIDST WITH HIS POWER TO SAVE

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Zephaniah 3:14-18

In the middle of the Advent, while waiting for the coming of the Lord, we hear the call to rejoice, proclaimed by the prophet Zephaniah and repeated by Paul. 

We may ask why should we rejoice, when we live in troubled times and the future looks hopeless. The prophet gives a clear reason for our rejoicing:

“The Lord your God is in your midst.” (Zeph 3:17)

He is in our midst as a victorious king, so we have no more evil to fear (Zeph 3:15). In our struggle, we are not alone. The Lord is on our side, to protect and defend us and to lead us to joy and happiness. And the prophet makes it very clear that God rejoices in being on our side:

“He will exult with joy over you,

he will renew you by his love;

he will dance with shouts of joy for you

as on a day of festival.” (Zeph 3:17-18)

It is interesting that the whole Bible is about this relationship of God with his people. It sounds as if God is in need of us and of offering his compassion, mercy and love in order to be God. Indeed, God is love (1 Jn 4:8), and he shows his divinity in the love he bestows on us, a love that fills him with joy.

Yahweh and Allah

In these times, when we hear so much about Islam, is good to compare the God - Yahweh - who reveals himself through a personal relationship with people, which leads him to intervene in human history with Allah, the God who reveals himself in the Koran.

Yahweh - is the one who says “I AM!” I am here for you.  He listens to our cries of suffering and despair, and he is ready to take us by the hand. 

On the other side, Allah is a distant God, who cannot see to be worthy of his divinity to have a personal relationship with people. He sent his messenger, Gabriel, to another messenger - Muhammad; he remained distant and absent. He does not walk by our side, and he does not pay attention to the cries of his slaves, who must simply submit and accept whatever he decides. Far from Muhammad to claim the experience of a personal relationship like the one Moses had: “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” (Ex 33:11).

Our God - Yahweh - is a God who listens to the cries of the oppressed, because is the travel companion who never abandons us. And he “so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16).

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote:

“There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.” (Ph 4:6-7)

Being sure of God’s compassionate and merciful love, we can live in happiness. And that’s what Paul desires for each one of us:

“I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness.” (Ph 4:4)

And we may sing the praises of God with the prophet Isaiah:

Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Truly, God is my salvation,

  I trust, I shall not fear.

For the Lord is my strength, my song,

  he became my saviour.

With joy you will draw water

  from the wells of salvation. (Is 12)