He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
It’s a quiet riverside park on a Saturday afternoon. Joggers pass by, fishing rods whirl, seagulls fight over fish and chip wrappers, and my wife and I sit watching the couple. They are maybe in their late forties and are speaking a language unknown to us. She sits gazing into his eyes while he, without a hint of self-consciousness, sings to her a love song in his own tongue, carried on the breeze for us all to hear.
This delightful act got me thinking about the book of Zephaniah. At first you might wonder why. In Zephaniah’s day, God’s people had become corrupt by bowing to false gods (1:4–5), and Israel’s prophets and priests were now arrogant and profane (3:4). For much of the book, Zephaniah declares God’s coming judgment on not just Israel but all the nations of the earth (v. 8).
Yet Zephaniah foresees something else. Out of that dark day will emerge a people who wholeheartedly love God (vv. 9–13). To these people God will be like a bridegroom who delights in His beloved: “In his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (v. 17).
Creator, Father, Warrior, Judge. Scripture uses many titles for God. But how many of us see God as a Singer with a love song for us on His lips?
Restoration of Israel’s Remnant
9 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may calls on the name of the Lordt
and serveu him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cushd v
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.w
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shamex
for all the wrongs you have done to me,y
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.z
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.a
12 But I will leave within you
the meekb and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trustc in the name of the Lord.
they will tell no lies.f
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.g
They will eat and lie downh
and no one will make them afraid.i”
14 Sing, Daughter Zion;j
shout aloud,k Israel!
Be glad and rejoicel with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;m
never again will you fearn any harm.o
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.p
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.q
He will take great delightr in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,s
but will rejoice over you with singing.”t
INSIGHT
- How do you normally picture God—as Creator, Father, Warrior, or something else?
- How might your life change if you were to think of God as Lover, and yourself as His beloved?
Zephaniah 1:1 is unusual because it provides a more extended biographical background than we normally find in the Old Testament prophets. It says, “The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.” Two things are noteworthy here. First, Zephaniah was a direct descendant of one of Judah’s greatest kings—Hezekiah—giving him royal heritage. Second, Zephaniah ministered during the reign of Josiah, who, in his sweeping religious reforms, reinstituted the feast of Passover.
PRAYER
Great Singer, I delight in Your singing over me. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: Zephaniah 3:9-17 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 17-19; Mark 13:1-20
