Joy in Place of Fear

God will remove fear from those who humble themselves before Him.

Zephaniah 3:9–13 (CSB)

For I will then restore pure speech to the peoples so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with a single purpose. From beyond the rivers of Cush my supplicants, my dispersed people, will bring an offering to me. On that day you will not be put to shame because of everything you have done in rebelling against me. For then I will remove from among you your jubilant, arrogant people, and you will never again be haughty on my holy mountain. I will leave a meek and humble people among you, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or tell lies; a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will pasture and lie down, with nothing to make them afraid.

introduction

Not too much is known about Zephaniah “Yahweh sheltered or stored up”. It appears that he may come from a royal lineage. He lists 4 generations going back to Hezekiah, who could have been King Hezekiah who ruled Judea from 727-686 BC. Hezekiah was alive during the life and ministry of Isaiah.

Some scholars say that the name Hezekiah was popular and doesn’t necessarily mean he was referring to the king. Zephaniah’s father’s name was Cushi, which carries the meaning that he was probably a Cushite or Ethiopian. Because of this inferred blended ethnic lineage, it would resonate with the theme of the book that addresses all nations and not just Israel.

This book is dated roughly around 640-609 BC, which was the time of King Josiah of Judah. In this book, after the condemnation, everyone would be held accountable, but by exposing the sin, it led to redemption. Fear was replaced with hope. Woe turned into hope as God heralded His people into a future of forgiveness and restoration.

Zephaniah 3:9–11 (CSB)

For I will then restore pure speech to the peoples so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with a single purpose. From beyond the rivers of Cush my supplicants, my dispersed people, will bring an offering to me. On that day you will not be put to shame because of everything you have done in rebelling against me. For then I will remove from among you your jubilant, arrogant people, and you will never again be haughty on my holy mountain.

So Zephaniah just finished prophesying about God’s wrath on the rebellious nations. But then the mood changed drastically. He focusses on a future promise of spiritual and national renewal and restoration.

What does he mean by pure speech?

Their language had been defiled by their words of worship to their false gods. They would be purified so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord. Worshipping God verbally is only the first step and that we should also serve Him with a single purpose. In Hebrew, the word “Shek-em’” is used. This means “with one shoulder”, like two oxen in a yoke. We should be unified in our faith.

God’s people will bring gifts to Him. They would come from as far away as Cush, or the current Ethiopian region. This represented the farthest known parts of the world at that time. But since God brought judgement on all the world’s nations, He would extend his grace to them as well. When it talks about the dispersed people, it could mean 2 things. Either the gentiles all around the world who will one day bring their offerings to the Lord or the Israelites who were dispersed.

On that day, is a reference to the day of restoration promised in the previous two verses. You will not be put to shame, is focused on Jerusalem and that those who repent will not be subject to dishonor despite everything you have done in rebelling against me. God asserted that he would remove the jubilant, arrogant people. These were the rebels who were full of pride and would not submit to the reign of the true God. As a result, they would never desecrate my holy mountain by worshipping false gods.

Zephaniah 3:12–13 (CSB)

I will leave a meek and humble people among you, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or tell lies; a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will pasture and lie down, with nothing to make them afraid.

God said he would replace the haughty and arrogant people with the meek and humble. There was no room for pride in the lives of either of these groups. They would take refuge in the name of the LORD.

Satan fell because of pride (see Isa 14:12–15; Ezek 28:17). He wanted the glory that was God’s alone. And he’s been leading humanity in the same direction ever since. But God “resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6). There’s room for only one deity, and the role is taken.

Then God spoke about the remnant of Israel. They were the righteous people of Israel who had remained faithful after the judgment. They are characterized by several qualities.

First, they will no longer do wrong. Evil deeds is the essence of sin. These would be eradicated from God’s people.

Second, they would not tell lies. God is a God of truth, and lying is totally opposed to His character.

Lastly, they will pasture and lie down. What does this remind you of? Like sheep laying down after a meal in a grassy meadow. The remnant will be safe with nothing to make them afraid.

God’s presence delivers His people through all harm.

Zephaniah 3:14–17 (CSB)

Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and celebrate with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed your punishment; he has turned back your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you; you need no longer fear harm. On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:14–15 (CSB)

Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and celebrate with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed your punishment; he has turned back your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you; you need no longer fear harm.

God gave 4 positive commands to his people:

First, sing for joy. When people are joyous, a common way to express it is by singing. This is true today and was true then.

Second, shout loudly. This is a normal way of demonstrating joy. Think of sporting events or concerts. What happens when your team scores or your favorite artist takes the stage.

Third, be glad or extremely happy.

Finally, celebrate with all your heart. God intended for all of these dimensions of a person to delight in the Lord’s goodness and mercy.

In verse 15, the person speaking changes from God to Zephaniah. He reminds them of the reasons they should be joyous. Although this prophesy is about a future event, his belief that God will come through is applied by him using past tense. The Lord has removed your punishment. This is the harsh judgement sentence the Lord had passed on the city and nation but has now been taken away.

When we understand the love and grace of God should automatically result in joy for a unrepentant sinner.

Zephaniah also reminded then he has turned back the enemy. Although this could mean physical enemies, it could also mean the Great Enemy, Satan.

He reminded them the King of Israel is among them. This meant they no longer needed to fear harm.

Zephaniah 3:16–17 (CSB)

On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.”

On that day God’s judgment would be completed and He would bless His remnant followers. They would hear God’s comforting words, “Do not fear.”

When it says “do not let your hands grow weak” This a picture of someone in despair just letting his arms and hands hang limp. Since hands were a symbol of strength and courage, letting them droop down was a sign of hopelessness, weakness and powerlessness.

Their security was guaranteed by God Himself. They were reminded again that He was among them. He is described as a warrior who saves. When the day of the Lord comes, He will declare victory as he removes the haughty and arrogant rebels.

God will celebrate over them in three specific ways. These are ways he shows his deep inner joy for his people.

First, he will rejoice over you with gladness. He will take great delight in these spiritually renewed followers.

Second, He will be quiet in his love.

Third, He will delight in you with singing. Who would have thought of this. I’ve never heard of God singing but here it is. When his people are living rightly with him, it brings joy to his heart. This is like when we are happy, we sing and shout.

We will experience eternal restoration in God’s kingdom.

Zephaniah 3:18–20 (CSB)

I will gather those who have been driven from the appointed festivals; they will be a tribute from you and a reproach on her. Yes, at that time I will deal with all who oppress you. I will save the lame and gather the outcasts; I will make those who were disgraced throughout the earth receive praise and fame. At that time I will bring you back, yes, at the time I will gather you. I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes. The Lord has spoken.

Now we are back to God speaking. How does verse 18 read in your Bible? This is a difficult verse to translate accurately.

But God’s intent was to convey that in the future all reasons for judgment will be removed and that those for whom Israel’s sin was a burden and reproach will find relief.

In 19 the Lord promised several blessings he would bring about at that time.

First, He said, that he will deal with all who oppress you. These are anyone who brings tyranny on Israel. This included Assyria and Babylon.

Second, the lame will be rescued.

Third, he will gather the outcasts. He will bring all His dispersed peoples who were in exile back home.

Not only will they enjoy their return, but they will also experience a restoration of their national status. They would receive praise and fame.

He again said he would bring them back. He told them that he would bring them back to a restored Jerusalem. He will restore their fortunes and grant them prosperity. He will fulfill the covenant he made with Abram.

Genesis 12:2–3 (CSB)

I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

We know that the ultimate fulfillment of these promises will occur when Jesus returns at the end of the age.

We don’t know when that will be, but we know Jesus promised it. In the meantime, we are to live our lives with the expectation of that glorious day when His eternal kingdom is established. That will be the day that all our fears will be banished and we will live in his presence forever.