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Zephaniah 3 (ESV)

Israel’s Joy and Restoration

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.

 

REFLECTION:

• The Book of Zephaniah finally mentions the final state of joyfulness (14-20). At that time: 1. The punishment is removed, and the enemy is driven away; 2. The disaster is no longer; 3. The wicked are punished; 4. The disease and pain are eliminated; 5. The captives are freed. All this just brought dawn to the people in distress. Under the moving of God, the prophet foresaw the scene of the final revival as a comfort to the people. All of this will be realized on the day when the Lord Jesus will come to reign as king, but this will become the driving force and hope for Christians to live a victorious life, enabling us to live bravely for God.
• “Mourn for the festival” (18) meant that the festival was suspended and could no longer be kept, and this led to sorrow, because the people could not celebrate the festival anymore. People with this emotion are blessed; on the contrary, we see that too many people are annoyed at gatherings, and they are excited because there are no gatherings. This is a very different attitude from what we should have. It is worthy of our deep reflection and review, so as to seek God’s forgiveness. Be alert again, and rejoice in gathering together to worship.
• Although Zephaniah has only three short chapters, it depicts God’s disposition incisively and vividly. In this sinful age, we must strengthen our faith, stay away from evil, and serve God as our greatest blessing.

 

PRAYER:

Dear God! Please enlighten me to examine the wrongs I have done to You, and from now on, I am determined to glorify You as the direction of my life. When the Lord Jesus comes to reign as king, I will give account to the Lord, and I will be praised by You as a good and faithful servant.

 

HYMN:

Well Done – youtu.be/-mLLz4LOfIo