27 people, including 20 children, were killed on Friday when a shooter opened fire at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. As one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, it comes after a series of shooting rampages in the United States this year. Sandy Hook Elementary School teaches children from kindergarten through fourth grade - roughly ages 5 to 10. “It was horrendous,” said parent Brenda Lebinski, who rushed to the school where her daughter is in the third grade. “Everyone was in hysterics - parents, students. There were kids coming out of the school bloodied. I don’t know if they were shot, but they were bloodied.”. (http://www.parisstaronline.com/2012/12/14/newtown-connecticut-schools-locked-down-following-shooting-report)
For the people to whom Zephaniah spoke, there 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 rejoice over His people.
How do we rejoice when there is so much hunger, violence, war and terror? 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: An era of righteousness and peace
In Zephaniah 3:14-20, the prophet wants people of all time to long for the peace of the presence of God. He calls us to see 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)
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.).
The term shout (hārîʿû) is frequently associated with the ringing outcry of a battle’s commencement. When Israel entered into battle, the trumpet blast was to be accompanied with a “shout” (Num. 10:9). The cry is one given at the beginning of a battle (cf. Num. 10:9; Josh. 6:10; 1 Sam. 17:20; 2 Chr. 13:12, 15), the outcome of which is not believed to be in doubt (Robertson, O. P. (1990). The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (336). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
• It is easy to doubt in regards to God’s prophecy on the future. We must battle this doubt like any other destructive enemy. Having this enemy get a foothold allows for the deterioration of our relationship with God and neuters our effectiveness for Him.
The opening verse of this section contains an unrestrained summons to rejoice. The command to rejoice apparently was used by town heralds calling the city to rejoice when messengers from the battlefield brought good news of victory and deliverance (Barker, K. L. (1999). Vol. 20: Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah. The New American Commentary (493). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
‘By piling up every available expression for joy, the prophet leaps across the vale of gloom into the realm of grace-beyond-devastation.’ After all that Zephaniah said about judgement, it might well have been thought that sadness and depression were a far more appropriate response to the announcements that have been made. But the prophet is looking beyond all this and urging God’s chosen people to do the same (Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, p.336.).
Please turn to Isaiah 12 (p.576)
When the destruction of Jerusalem occurred, its population was deported to Babylon (2 Kin. 24, 25). These verses refer to a remnant of dispersed and afflicted people whom God would bring back from Babylon to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile. This restoration began in 539 B.C. when Cyrus issued his decree that allowed the Jews to return to their homeland. The return of the Jews to Judah in fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy foreshadows the final redemption of the earth (Thomas Nelson, I. (1995). The Woman’s Study Bible (Zep 3:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
Isaiah 12:1-6 [12:1]You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. [2]"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." [3]With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. [4]And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. [5]"Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. [6]Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." (ESV)
Coupled as it is with gladness and rejoicing, it is also reasonable to assume that these people are being called upon to rouse their faith and, as we shall go on to see, they have every good reason for doing so. Moreover, the kind of rejoicing that is expected is not half-hearted. Each person is told to rejoice ‘with all your heart’. They are to shake off all sense of reserve and doubt. They are to rejoice as though the victory had already been won, even though its reality is still some way off.
• With so many demands on us at Christmas time, we are often just too tired to do another thing. Worship and praise of God and focusing on what He will do is something that liberates, not further burdens.
And who is it that is to rejoice in this way? It is the people of God: ‘O daughter of Zion … O Israel … O daughter of Jerusalem!’ The very mention of these names—two geographical (Zion, Jerusalem) and one ethnic (Israel)—would have brought back wonderful memories of God’s gracious dealings with his people in the past. But it is not just, or even primarily, the past that is in this prophet’s mind now. He is concerned with both the present and a most glorious future that is in store for these people. He refers to the city as ‘daughter’—the simple explanation being that the Hebrew word for ‘city’ is feminine. This daughter is, however, the reassembled remnant of Israel. As such she has a special relationship with her Lord and therefore she is entitled to the confidence that goes with such a relationship.
• It’s not too hard to understand the delight that comes with anticipation. With all the excitement that comes with buying gifts and planning special events, looking forward to something is a reason for excitement. For all the people of God, considering the coming of God helps us to look forward to His coming again.
Illustration: Angels from the Realms of Glory
When the Moravian Christians of Europe launched Protestant missions, they did it at a cost. Many of them had to leave their children behind in boarding schools across England and the Continent.
And so it was that the Montgomery family reluctantly placed six-year-old James in such an institution as they shipped off as foreign missionaries to the West Indies. When they later perished, James, left with nothing, spent his teenage years drifting from pillar to post, writing poetry and trying his hand at one thing then another.
In his early twenties, he began working for a British newspaper, the Sheffield Iris, and there he found his niche. When his editorials proved unpopular with the local officials, he was thrown into jail and fined twenty pounds. But he emerged from prison a celebrity, and he used his newly acquired fame to promote his favorite issues.
Chief among them was the Gospel. Despite the loss of his parents and all his hardships, James Montgomery remained devoted to Christ and the Scriptures.
As the years passed, he became the most respected leader in Sheffield, and his writings were eagerly read by its citizens. Early on Christmas Eve, 1816, James, forty-five, opened his Bible, and was deeply impressed by Luke 2:13. Pondering the story of the heralding angels, he took his pen and started writing. By the end of the day his new Christmas poem was being delivered to England in the pages of his newspaper. It was later set to music and was first sung on Christmas Day, 1821, in a Moravian Church in England.
Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth;
Come and worship, Come and worship,
Worship Christ the new-born King.
(Adapted from Robert J. Morgan, From This Verse (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998), installment for August 2nd.)
2) Reasons for the Prophecy (Zephaniah 3:15–17)
Zephaniah 3:15-17 [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. (ESV)
Clear reasons are now given for the call to rejoice referred to in verse 14. This is the biblical way. A call from God to do something is invariably preceded or followed by a series of reasons for doing so. True biblical Christianity is characterized by clearly articulated reasons and incentives for doing what it is called upon to do. Just as there are reasons to believe, so there are reasons to rejoice. Faith must never be reduced to mere believism, or faith in faith. In seeking to raise the tone of our worship or service we must not succumb to the temptation to employ pseudo-psychological techniques to acquire that which we desire.
The great overall reason for rejoicing here is that the things which God in his kindness has promised are as good as done. Yet He has not yet accomplished what he has promised. The people have still to go into exile; there is still much suffering that will have to be endured. Full participation in the blessings that he will soon enunciate is still a distant reality to those who are called upon to rejoice in them. So then, how can they rejoice? On what basis is it possible? The specific grounds will soon be articulated, but the most essential reason for their rejoicing is that he has promised. The fact that he has promised means that these things are as good as done. Just as every other promise that God has ever made has been fulfilled, so too will these be; there can be no good reason to doubt it. So what does he promise? What are the specifics which compel them to rejoice?
The first explicit reason that Zephaniah offers for their rejoicing is that ‘The LORD has taken away the judgments/punishment against you’ (3:15). Ancient Israel’s problems, like our own, are not simply, or even primarily, those that arise from external factors; they also arise from the sin that lives and threatens to rule in the human heart. It is this that has caused the invasions to come about in the first place; the wrath of God—whether it takes the form of an invading army sent to punish, or that accumulated outburst which awaits the impenitent at death or on the Day of Judgement (Rom. 2:5)—is His response to sin’s rebellion. Therefore to have this dealt with, to have it once and for all behind us, ought to be a great source of joy to the child of God. (2 Cor. 5:17–19). Jehovah has taken away the nation’s judgments because her sin has been punished and she has been purified.
A second reason for rejoicing is that ‘He has cleared away/turned back your enemies’ (3:15). It must be remembered that this enemy was God’s means of chastising his rebellious people. Neither the Assyrians who overthrew Israel in 722 B.C. nor the Babylonians who were destined to overthrow Judah in 586 B.C. had assailed God’s people simply at their own instigation (cf. Hab. 2:15–17). All enemies, including the spiritual enemy of idolatry which had infected the nation for so long, have been cast out.
The third reason for rejoicing is that ‘The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst/with you’ (3:15). Of course, the Lord never really forsakes them. His consistent promise to his people is that he will never do so (Deut. 31:6, 8; Josh. 1:5; Heb. 13:5). Sometimes, however, it is made to seem as if he is a long way off. This is especially (though not exclusively) so when we are consciously disobedient to him. The LORD himself reigns forever within and there will never again be spiritual defection. Because of Jehovah’s presence and purification, the nation need have no fear of enemies from without or within. They can give their time and effort wholly to the worship of Jehovah (KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1781–1782). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
Please turn to Isaiah 7 (p.572)
The emerging picture of a virgin-born son of David’s house called God-with-us (Isaiah 7:14) who also is Father-of-eternity (9:5 [Eng. 6]) gives expression to the only reality by which all human needs and the promises of God may be synchronized. Only a God-man who rules in fulfillment of the promises to the fathers can be King of Israel ruling in Zion as fulfillment of the promises given to David (Robertson, O. P. (1990). The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (338). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co).
Isaiah 7:10-17 [10]Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, [11]"Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." [12]But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." [13]And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? [14]Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. [15]He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. [16]For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. [17]The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah--the king of Assyria." (ESV)
We are immediately informed of a series of welcome benefits of having such a King in the midst of his people. First, all fear is banished: ‘you shall never again fear evil/any harm.’ When the Lord is among his people, neither disease from within nor invasion from without can meaningfully threaten them again. The reason is simple: he is with us. Now who or what could meaningfully challenge the security provided by this ‘King of kings’? At a much later date the eternal Son of God would offer similar assurances to his people, saying to them, ‘I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand’ (John 10:28–29).
In verse 16, fear is being connected with despair (cf. Isa. 13:7). The picture presented is both graphic and immediately recognizable. It is a portrait of someone who has been reduced to utter despair. His hands, the instruments by which he normally does his work, are hanging limply by his side (cf. Heb. 12:12; Isa. 35:3). It is as if he has no energy left within him, he is weak. He has been reduced to hopelessness; he doesn’t have the heart to go on.
The reason not to fear is presented in verse 17 because ‘The LORD your God is in your midst/with you’ (3:17). Once again, this opening sounds very familiar (see 3:15). But even here something very special is immediately added. It is that this God is most definitely theirs (‘your God’).
• It is not the mere awareness of Christ that comforts. It is when He is our God that is with us.
This wonderful assurance is then immediately followed by another: ‘He is a mighty one who will save.’ Differences exist among modern translators and commentators over the way the Hebrew word gibbôr should be rendered. Most prefer some variation of the rendering—e.g., ‘the Mighty One’ or ‘a mighty one’; others prefer the equally acceptable, though more dramatically descriptive, ‘warrior’, or even ‘a mighty hero’ (Palmer Robertson). It is interesting to note that Palmer Robertson also identifies this designation with the ‘mighty God’ of Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy (Isa. 9:6). (Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, p.338.)
What all are agreed upon, however, is that this person possesses formidable power. Not only is he ‘mighty’, but ‘mighty one who will save’. In some versions this is even more definitely expressed: he is the one who ‘will save’ or who ‘gives victory’; in another version he is ‘a victorious warrior’. The certainty of his victory is because of who he is. In the book of Deuteronomy he is described as the ‘God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome’ (Deut. 10:17). None can withstand this kind of being. ((Rom. 8:31–39).
The fourth reason for rejoicing according to verse 17 is that the Lord loves them and with such a love! Indeed, God is now seen to be doing that which he had previously exhorted his people to do. He is exalting, delighting, rejoicing and singing—over them! Firstly, the prophet says that ‘He will rejoice/take great delight over you.’ As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride (cf. Is. 62:4), the Lord will exult over His people with gladness and song, resting in quiet ecstasy over His people in whom is all His delight (cf. Deut. 30:9; Is. 54) (The MacArthur Study Bible. 1997 (J. MacArthur, Jr., Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Zep 3:17). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.).
Secondly, the prophet says that ‘He will quiet you by his love.’ It is possible to translate this clause in different ways. Many prefer to see God as the one who is ‘quiet’ (or who ‘rests’) in his love for his people: ‘he will rest in his love’, or ‘he will be silent in his love’. They see here the Warrior, ‘mighty to save’, now resting in the satisfaction of his victory and the loving relationship that exists between him and his people. The war is over, and a new people acknowledge his rule and trust his name (cf. 3:12). In other words, this is a picture of great contentment in the heart of God over what he has achieved on behalf of his people.
Finally, the prophet says, ‘He will exult/rejoice over you with loud singing.’ Having exhorted them to rejoice, it is now time for God to rejoice over them. None other than the elect of God are the objects of such all-consuming love. Not in them or for anything in them is to be found the reason for his love. In the nature of God himself may be discovered the only explanation of this love (cf. Deuteronomy 30:9-10)(Robertson, O. P. (1990). The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (341–342). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
• Even on the brink of judgement, promises of love and mercy are held out to a needy people. And those promises will still be in place even when these people find themselves in exile.
• Immediately for us, we can delight and rejoice that Advent is a time not only when we celebrate what God has promised, but with great awe come to realize that God Himself delights to celebrate with us.
Illustration: (Love That Will Not Let Go)
George Matheson was only fifteen when he was told he was losing what little poor eyesight he had. Not to be denied, Matheson continued straightaway with his plans to enroll in the University of Glasgow, and his determination led to his graduating at age nineteen. But as he pursued graduate studies in theology for Christian ministry he did become blind. His sisters joined ranks beside him, learning Greek and Hebrew to assist him in his studies. He pressed faithfully on.
But his spirit collapsed when his fiancée, unwilling to be married to a blind man, broke their engagement and returned his ring. He never married, and the pain of that rejection never totally left him. Years later, as a well-loved pastor in Scotland, his sister came to him, announcing her engagement. He rejoiced with her, but his mind went back to his own heartache. He consoled himself in thinking of God’s love which is never limited, never conditional, never withdrawn, and never uncertain. Out of this experience he wrote the hymn, O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.
O love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths it flow
May richer, fuller be.
(Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed.) (356–357). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
3) Realizing the Prophecy (Zephaniah 3:18-20)
Zephaniah 3:18-20 [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)
In the final three verses of the book, a first-person speech describes the salvation Yahweh will bring to the restored remnant. The speech emphasizes the future actions of Yahweh with the repeated first-singular verbs generally translated I will (Ham, C., & Hahlen, M. (2001-). Minor Prophets. The College Press NIV Commentary (243). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.).
What is it that God promises to do for his people? What incentive to perseverance does he set before them that they might be encouraged to press on? In a nutshell, he repeats his promise to restore a state of blessedness to his people. He sets this out in a number of ways.
The first thing that the Lord does is to assure the people that he will remove the main cause of their sorrow. First among them is a sense of loss: morn for the festival/The sorrows for the appointed feasts’ As a people, they have been dispersed (‘scattered’, 3:19) among the nations, with all that this would mean in terms of a denial of access to the religious festivals. ‘The city is ruined, and the palaces are demolished; trade is at an end, and the administration of public justice; but all these are nothing to them in comparison with the desolations of the sanctuary, the destruction of the temple and the altar, to attend on which, in solemn feasts, all Israel used to come together three times a year. It is for those sacred solemn assemblies that they are sorrowful.’ (Matthew Henry, Commentary, vol. 4, p.1092.)
• As families are more and more scattered, the Christmas season more than any other time, affords itself for being together with family. More than mere physical unity, the true unity centers on a common worship of Christ.
Their sorrows are aggravated by an accompanying sense of burden and reproach. In the first place, their lack of access to ‘the appointed feasts’ would be a constant reminder of the reasons for their exile. Successive generations had been disobedient to the covenant that the Lord had established with them. They had neglected and abused their ritual obligations. Now, following judgement and exile to a strange land, their very distance from the place where those rituals were once celebrated would bring the burden of their disgrace home to them. But, secondly, just living as a despised and disgraced people among their conquerors would be a further source of discomfort to them. They would undoubtedly suffer the taunts of their conquerors (cf. Psalm 137)
• Once a people forget the reason for delight in the Father sending the son, their worship becomes a mere ritual. Successive generations see this empty ritual and question any participation. Any subsequent so called celebration, has its meaning dictated by the world around it and not the God of it.
We are seeking an answer to the question: when will these promises be fulfilled? No less than three times in two verses, the Lord assures them that these promises will be brought to pass ‘at that time’ (3:19, 20)—that is, at the same time that he does all the other things that are mentioned in these verses. The time of the return of the King, Messiah, when the Jews will be regathered and become a source of blessing to the world, fulfilling Israel’s original destiny (Deut. 26:18,19; Is. 62:7). (The MacArthur Study Bible. 1997 (J. MacArthur, Jr., Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Zep 3:19). )
This immediately suggests two things: first, that God has a purpose and that it will certainly be accomplished. His sovereignty shines through once again. There is a ‘fixed time of deliverance’; there is ‘a predetermined time’ and an ‘appointed’ time (Heb. 9:27, NKJV), or a ‘fulness of time’ (Gal. 4:4, ESV). No matter how bad things may seem to be from a human perspective, there is nothing haphazard about the ways of God: ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time’ (Eccles. 3:11). This, again, should constantly inspire the believing heart with confidence. Finally, this is His time, not ours. (John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 15, p.307.).
Not only would these people experience a sense of loss, but they were under oppression. At the appointed time, God will step in and lift the oppression. He will do so by dealing with the oppressors themselves: ‘Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors.’ This has already been assured (3:15) but, under the torments of the oppression itself, the temptation to despair must have been very strong. This repetition is therefore intended to counter that tendency. There is, however, an additional factor here. The blessings of ‘that time’ will not be confined to the removal of oppressors. There is to be a gathering too.
What immediately follows is an almost exact repetition of Micah 4:6. The Lord says, ‘I will save/rescue the lame and gather the outcast/those who have been scattered.’ This is almost certainly intended to reinforce the truth that no condition—not even lameness—will hinder God’s rescue of his people and their restoration to the promised land. The gathering implies more than a simple restoration to the land. ‘They shall be assembled as a reconstituted community of God’s people.’ The law had threatened banishment, but there were promises of restoration too (Deut. 30:1, 4) (Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, p.345.).
• The real beauty of the Advent season and Christmas itself is seeing more than a gathering of people to celebrate the birth of Christ. It is seeing God’s prophetic promises and how He perfectly orchestrated events to accomplish His marvellous ends.
In addition to this, there is the promise of a change in the way in which these people will be viewed by those around them. No longer will they be the objects of reproach. Instead they will be objects of praise and honour. God: ‘will change their shame into praise and renown/honor in all the earth”. This statement harks back to the promise made in Deuteronomy 26:19: ‘He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honour high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.’ Outside the books of Deuteronomy and Zephaniah, this precise combination of ‘praise and renown/honor/a name ’ is to be found only in Jeremiah 13:11. This observation may well point to the book of Deuteronomy being a source for both prophets. Its main thought is that, as a result of what has happened to them, the once-despised people of God now find themselves the objects of awe and respect from the surrounding nations. This sudden elevation has nothing to do with any supposed merit in themselves. It is entirely due to the activity of God.
• Why on earth are we spending several weeks in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ dealing with Advent prophecy. Why not just tell simple heart-warming Christmas stories and sing simple jingles. It’s the difference between a superficial sentimentality and a God exalting, praise and honour that comes from the magnanimity of the glory of the one who brings this wonder about.
Finally, this gathering and renown/honouring are reiterated, and their application expanded, in the closing verse (20) of this prophecy. The emphasis is still upon that which will happen ‘at that time’—that is, on the day appointed for judgement and restoration. Three things are stressed. Firstly, ‘I will bring you in/gather you.’ As was said before, this simple reiteration of the statement made in the previous verse is probably in order to underline the fact that this gathering will really happen. When the Jews were in exile they were like people who had been cast into a grave; the last thing in the world that they could imagine is that they would ever be delivered. Nevertheless, the promise, though difficult to believe, would be fulfilled (John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 15, p.311.).
Secondly, God adds a particularly encouraging touch of comfort ‘At the time I will bring you in/home.’ Not only are the remnant to be ‘gathered’, but brought ‘in/home’. What else could this possibly suggest but a restoration to Jerusalem, with all the joys promised by that designation?
• Through a time a concerted Advent preparation, the celebration of the birth of Christ is so much sweeter. Instead of a foreign gathering once or twice a year with strangers, we come together to celebration the birth of Christ as a family, truly at home.
Thirdly, although the words are not specifically used again, ‘at that time’ is clearly envisaged. This time it is to reiterate what had been said in the previous verse: ‘I will make/give you renowned/honour and praised among all the peoples …’ The most important thing to notice is the widening expanse of those from whom they will receive this acknowledgement. Not only will this acknowledgement be found ‘in every land where they were put to shame’, but ‘among all the peoples of the earth’.
• The wonderful prophecy of the coming of Christ is not something to be just celebrated ourselves but we are called to invite our colleagues, neighbours, family and everyone to whom we come into contact to celebrate together.
The final clause of this prophecy provides a general answer to the question: when will all that has been prophesied in this book take place? When will ‘that day’ which will bring both judgement and restoration arrive? When will ‘honour and praise’ be lavished upon the people of God ‘among all the peoples of the earth’? The answer is ‘when I restore your fortunes/return your captives’ The words that immediately follow, and which also form part of the promise, speak of its details being fulfilled ‘before your eyes’. ‘Neither Zephaniah’s contemporaries nor those who lived to see the restoration of Israel to Palestine experienced all that the prophet promised.’ (Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, p.346.)
Please turn to Isaiah 61 (p.620)
The prophecy ends with the words, ‘says the LORD’. These words were not only meant to reassure the people of the identity of the true author of the words spoken, but of the trustworthiness of the content of the messages themselves. This was the final confirmation that all that had been said would come to pass. Therefore, those final reassuring words, ‘says the LORD’, take us back to where this entire prophecy began (1:1). But they do so with a difference. The initial stages of Zephaniah’s message contained almost nothing but doom and disaster. Nevertheless, another side of what will transpire on ‘the Day of the Lord’ is also allowed to emerge from this book. While it is true that ‘that day’ will be one of inexplicable horror to those who have opposed God and his covenant, it will also be one that will usher in an unparalleled and unsurpassable state of everlasting blessedness for the people of God. It will be a glorious day of bodily resurrection, perfect freedom from all the debilitating effects of sin and death, complete harmony throughout a rejuvenated universe and, the greatest prize of all, Christlikeness.
As we approach the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we are reminded that:
Isaiah 61:1-3 [61:1]The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; [2]to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; [3]to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. (ESV)
In these dark moments, we understand our need for a Savior. We are sure of the world’s need of His light and love. The heaviness experienced by those who have lost loved ones, including innocent children can only be understood by our heavenly Father whose Son did not deserve to die. As we “Anticipate the Prophecy of God” we are even more resolved to teach the authority of God’s Word. Without it, there would be no hope, no peace. When the ways of our world do not make sense, we are only sure of God. We are sure of our eternity with Him. And we are sure that many still do not know Him or believe His Word is truth. Lord Jesus, move us. Use us to help those who are hurting to know Your love, Your hope, and Your peace. (http://nlpgblogs.com/2012/12/14/school-shooting-a-columbine-fathers-perspective/)
(Format note: Outline from. Some base commentary from Webber, D. (2004). The Coming of the Warrior-King: Zephaniah Simply Explained. Welwyn Commentary Series (153–185). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.)
