Ben Fourie
The Lord your God is with you; his power gives you victory. The Lord will take delight in you, and in his love he will give you new life. He will sing and be joyful over you ... Zephaniah 3:17, GNT
It has been a long time since I read the book of Zephaniah. When I did so some weeks ago, I found this beautiful verse that God, in his love, will give his people new life. One can hardly believe that God will sing and be joyful over the people who have forsaken him. To understand why this is so, we need to know something about the era and circumstances in which the prophet operated.
According to the first verse of this book, Zephaniah received his calling in the time when Josiah was king, approximately 640 B.C. It was probably at the very beginning of Josiah’s reign and before he started his big reforms of all religious practices. Josiah’s father, Amon, and his grandfather, Manasseh, brought idolatry into Israel. This was the reason that God wanted to destroy everything and this was the message that Zephaniah had to bring to the people of Judah.
Fortunately, this was not the whole message. God will not completely destroy his people. He is planning a new dispensation for a remnant of Israel, for those who will turn away from idolatry and come back to the Lord. In our verse from today, God made a promise that his power will give them victory. He is actually pictured as a warrior who will save them from destruction.
The translation of this verse is not easy. Other translations, instead of saying God in his love will give them new life, say that God will quiet them with his love. I have read different Bible commentaries on this verse and to me, the most satisfying explanation is that God loves them so much that he will take away their fear when the time of danger arrives and after that, he will give them new life. I see in my mind’s eye a picture of a Father who is holding the hand of his little child when danger threatens and walking forward to a new life when the danger has passed.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that I can walk hand in hand with you in times of danger. Amen
Ben Fourie
Die Here jou God is in jou midde, 'n held wat verlos. Hy verheug Hom met blydskap oor jou, Hy maak jou stil met sy liefde. Hy sal oor jou juig met jubelkrete.” Sefanja 3:17, 2020-vertaling
Ek het baie jare laas die boek van die profeet Sefanja gelees. Toe ek dit onlangs doen, ontdek ek hierdie juweel van 'n vers. God maak sy volk stil met sy liefde. 'n Mens kan amper nie glo wat jy hier lees nie. God jubel en juig oor sy volk. Om die volle impak van die vers te verstaan moet ons iets weet van die tyd en omstandighede waarin die profeet opgetree het.
Sefanja kry sy opdrag volgens die eerste vers van die boek in die tyd van koning Josia. Dit is ongeveer 640 v.C. Waarskynlik was dit heel aan die begin van Josia se regering, nog voordat hy groot hervormings op godsdienstige terrein aangebring het. Josia se pa, Amon, en sy oupa, Manasse, het afgodediens in Israel ingevoer. Dit is teen veral hierdie afgodediens wat Sefanja profeteer wanneer hy praat oor die groot dag van die Here wat op hande is. Dit is die groot dag van afrekening en verwoesting.
Te midde van hierdie doemprofesie skyn daar egter 'n helder lig in die donker. God gaan nie sy volk geheel en al verwerp nie. Hy beplan 'n heel nuwe bedeling vir die “oorblyfsel van Israel”, hulle wat geluister het en hulle verootmoedig het. Vir hierdie oorblyfsel sê God in ons teksvers dat Hy by hulle sal wees. Hy word voorgestel as 'n krygsman wat hulle sal uitred uit die komende oordeel.
Die vertaling van die vers is nogal moeilik. 'n Mens kan byvoorbeeld vertaal dat God deur sy liefde vir hulle nuwe lewe gee. Ek het verskillende kommentare oor die vers gelees en as ek kan saamvat is vir my die bevredigendste antwoord dat God die oorblyfsel so liefhet dat Hy hulle sal stil maak of anders gesê, hulle vrees sal wegneem wanneer die dag van afrekening opdaag. Dan sal Hy vir hulle 'n nuwe lewe gee. Ek sien in my verbeelding 'n prentjie van 'n Pa met sy klein kindjie aan die hand wanneer die gevaar dreig en wanneer die gevaar verby is stap hulle die nuwe lewe tegemoet.
Gebed: Dankie Here dat ek hand aan hand met U kan stap wanneer gevaar dreig. Amen
Ben Fourie
Some Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such people?" Matthew 9:11, GNT
I was amazed to read about research, based on the 2022 census, which showed that South Africa is one of only three countries in the world where it was possible to statistically prove growth in the Christian faith. The census does have a margin of error due to the fact that it was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, but according to the researchers, it is still accurate enough to trust the results.
A total of 85% of South Africans called themselves Christians. Add to that other religions that also follow an ethical and moral way of living, and our country should be one of the safest and most corruption-free places in the world. Why, then, my amazement?
I, unfortunately, love to read newspapers and watch different news channels on TV. Violence, murder, bribery, lies, thievery and many more are front-page news every day. I am an anachronism when it comes to the use of social media. Except for WhatsApp, I am not involved in any other social media, but my children are, and they tell me how very crude and without love some people can be in what they share on social media. All of these negative things do not correspond with a population where only 2,9% said they do not have any religious affiliation.
Somewhere, there was a big mistake by either the census or the research, or maybe a lot of people misunderstood the great commandment of love. The Pharisees in the time of Jesus were very religious, but looked askance at Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners. Unheard of! God’s love for the world and the love among people did not feature very much in their everyday lives.
And I? I am one of the 85%. Can other people see something of the love of God in me or is there also a hint of a hidden Pharisee within me? Only God and I will really know.
Prayer: Our heavenly Father, please help me to show so much love towards others that they will see something of your love in me. Amen
Ben Fourie
Die Fariseërs het dit gesien en vir sy dissipels gevra: "Waarom eet julle leermeester saam met tollenaars en sondaars?" Matteus 9:11, 2020-vertaling
Ek lees onlangs met verbasing van navorsing gegrond op die 2022-sensus wat aantoon dat Suid-Afrika een van net drie lande in die wêreld is waar statisties bewys kan word dat die Christelike godsdiens groei toon. Omdat die sensus gedurende Covid-19 gedoen is, is dit nie so akkuraat soos kan wees nie, maar tog genoegsaam dat sekere tendense waarneembaar is.
Daar is 85% van Suid Afrikaners wat hulleself as Christene beskou. Tel hierby ook nog mense van ander godsdiens groeperinge wat 'n hoë morele en etiese lewenswyse van hulle volgelinge verwag en Suid Afrika behoort een van die beste lande te wees om in te woon. Waarom dan my verbasing?
Ongelukkig lees ek ook baie graag koerante en ander Internetnuusdienste en kyk gereeld daarna op televisie. Geweld, moord, omkopery, lieg, steel en nog alles wat, kom daagliks voor. Ek is 'n anakronisme omdat ek uit eie keuse, behalwe vir Whatsapp, glad nie op sosiale media betrokke is nie. Tog hoor ek by my kinders en lees in die gewone media hoe uiters onbeskof en kru mense op sosialemediaplatforms kan wees. Hoe rym al hierdie negatiewe dinge met 'n bevolking waarvan net 2,9% aangedui het dat hulle geen godsdienstige betrokkenheid het nie?
Iewers was daar 'n groot fout met die navorsing of die sensus, of anders het baie, baie mense in ons land die groot gebod van die liefde misgelees. Die Fariseërs in Jesus se tyd het ook baie hoog opgegee oor hoe godsdienstig hulle is, maar 'n etery saam met tollenaars en sondaars? Ongehoord! Van die liefde van God vir die mensdom en van die liefde van mens teenoor mens het hulle weinig in hulle daaglikse lewe gewys.
En ek? Ek is ook een van die 85%. Sien mense in hoe en wat ek doen iets van die liefde van God wat alle verstand te bowe gaan of skuil daar dalk diep in my 'n stuk fariseër? Net ek en God sal werklik weet.
Gebed: Hemelse Vader, help my asseblief om so in liefde teenoor my medemense te lewe dat mense elke dag kan sien ek behoort aan U. Amen