Anticipate The Prophecy Series

Zephaniah 3:14–20 [14] Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! [15] The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. [16] On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. [17] The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. [18] I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. [19] Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. [20]At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes," says the LORD. (ESV).

It's been a curious thing over the last 9 months as to what people have expected. We started with two weeks to flatten the curve. Many people were unsure what would initially happen and great fear seemed evident. People anticipated this to pass and the warm weather came, which bighted expectations. Then the cold weather hit which brought people back indoors. The lessons failed to be learned from the first outbreak, those especially in Long Term Care faced the biggest hit. We started with the slogan that we are all in this together. Now it’s snitch on your neighbour. There is little peace or joy and people are ever increasingly hostile and divided.

For the people to whom Zephaniah spoke, there as well was little peace. They were a divided nation under continued hostility. But there was a special prophecy that Zephaniah would proclaim that would amaze the people. The prophecy would revolve around the gathering together of the people of God. Peace would come and one of the most amazing elements of the prophecy is the coming of God Himself: He Himself would express joy over His people. According to Zephaniah 1:1, the prophet Zephaniah delivered the Word of the Lord during the reign of Josiah, king of Judah. Josiah reigned from 637 to 608 BC. So his reign came to an end just 20 years before Jerusalem was sacked by the Babylonians and Israel was taken into captivity. Josiah is the king, you recall, who found the long-lost book of the law in the temple and tried to reform the people who had drifted so far into idolatry and wickedness. Zephaniah, then, was a part of this effort to call Judah, and especially Jerusalem, back to God. (Piper, J. (2007). Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.).

How do we rejoice when there is so much fear, disappointment, and despair. It almost seems inappropiate and insensitive. But this is exactly what God calls for, for a very good reason. It is not because of difficulties that we are to rejoice. It is because of the one who is soverign over these difficulties. Faith is believing in God and His promises especially when it seems dark. He calls us to look beyond the difficulties of today, to the coming of the Messiah: When the Lord comes He not only is the source of joy, He brings joy for His people.

In Zephaniah 3:14-20, the prophet wants people of all time to long for the joy of the presence of God. He calls us to experience the 1) Rejoicing in the Prophecy (Zephaniah 3:14), 2) Reasons for the Prophecy (Zephaniah 3:15–17), 3) Realizing the Prophecy (Zephaniah 3:18-20).

Believers can have joy in the coming of Christ through:

1) Rejoicing in the Prophecy (Zephaniah 3:14)

Zephaniah 3:14[14] Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

The first thing that the people of God are called upon to do is to sing in triumphant song. Indeed, they are to ‘Sing … shout… rejoice and exult.’ In a tripartite example of synonymous parallelism, where the same idea is repeated three times in different words (Baker, D. W. (1988). Vol. 27: Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (116). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) ‘Sing’ is often translated ‘sing for joy’ as an outpouring of emotion at the realization of all God is and has done (Pss. 92:4; 96:12; 145:7; Isa. 12:6) (MacKay, J. L. (1998). Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. Focus on the Bible Commentary (399). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications.).