Zephaniah 3
Jerusalem is full of sin verse 1- 2
Woe to her that is filthy and polluted – to the oppressing city
she obeyed not the voice – she received not correction
she trusted not in the LORD
she drew not near to her God
Jerusalem is full of unfaithful leaders verse 3- 4
Her princes within her are roaring lions
her judges are evening wolves
they gnaw not the bones till the morrow
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons
her priests have polluted the sanctuary
they have done violence to the law
Jerusalem has the LORD in her midst verse 5
The just LORD is in the midst thereof – HE will not do iniquity
every morning does HE bring HIS judgment to light
HE fails not
BUT the unjust know no shame
LORD judge other nations in front of Israel verse 6
I have cut off the nations – their towers are desolate
I made their streets waste – that none passes by
their cities are destroyed – so that there is no man
that there is none inhabitant
LORD thought this should cause Israel to fear HIM verse 7
I said – Surely you will fear ME
you will receive instruction
SO their dwelling should not be cut off
HOWSOEVER I punished them
BUT they rose early
and corrupted their doings
LORD saw their negative response verse 8
THEREFORE wait you upon ME – says the LORD
until the day that I rise up to the prey
FOR MY determination is to gather the nations
that I may assemble the kingdoms
to pour on them MINE indignation
EVEN all MY fierce anger
FOR all the earth shall be devoured
with the fire of MY jealousy
Pure language coming verse 9
FOR then will I turn to the people a pure language
that they may all call upon the name of the LORD
to serve HIM with one consent
Pure offerings coming verse 10
FROM beyond the rivers of Ethiopia MY suppliants
EVEN the daughter of MY dispersed
shall bring MINE offering
Trust in the LORD coming verse 11- 12
IN THAT DAY shall you not be ashamed for all your doings
WHEREIN you have transgressed against ME
FOR then I will take away out of the midst of you them that
rejoice in your pride and you shall no more be haughty
BECAUSE of MY holy mountain
I will also leave in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people
and they shall TRUST in the name of the LORD
Faithfulness of a remnant verse 13
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity – nor speak lies
neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth
FOR they shall feed and lie down
and none shall make them afraid
Time of singing to the LORD coming verse 14- 17
Sing – O daughter of Zion – Shout – O Israel
be glad and rejoice with all the heart
O daughter of Jerusalem
The LORD has taken away your judgments
HE has cast out your enemy – the king of Israel
even the LORD
is in the midst of you you
shall not see evil any more
IN THAT DAY it shall be said to Jerusalem – Fear you not
and to Zion – Let not your hands be slack
The LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty
HE will save – HE will rejoice over you with joy
HE will rest in HIS love
HE will joy over you with singing
Restoration coming to Jerusalem verse 18- 20
I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly
who are of you – to whom the reproach of it was a burden
BEHOLD – at that time I will undo all that afflict you
and I will save her that halts
and gather her that was driven out
and I will get them praise and fame in every land
where they have been put to shame
At that time will I bring you again
even in the time that I gather you
for I will make you a name and a praise
among all people of the earth
WHEN I turn back your captivity before your eyes says the LORD
COMMENTARY: DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 5 The just LORD is in the midst thereof; HE will not do iniquity: every morning does HE bring HIS judgment to light, HE fails not; but the unjust knows no shame. (1322 “shame” [bosheth] means confusion, ashamed, humiliation, ignominy, or embarrassment.)
DEVOTION: The LORD sends Zephaniah to describe what is happening in Jerusalem. This is the capital of the nation of Israel. This is the location of the Temple of the LORD. It is supposed to be the center of true justice. There are leaders both religious and political who are supposed to love the LORD.
This is not what is happening. The city is described as filthy and polluted. It is a city full of people who will not be obedient. It is a city full of people who will not accept correction from anyone including the LORD. They don’t even trust the LORD. She didn’t even want to be close to the LORD.
This all happened under the watch of their leaders and judges. Both groups were like wolves looking for people to devour with the sins. This not only included the political leaders but the religious leaders who were in control of the worship of the LORD.
On that note we find that the LORD is still in the midst of the city. HE is not a God who far away. HE is always close. HE never sins or causes anyone to sin. They sin on their own even with HIM right there watching. They don’t care.
Because HE is right there watching HE is handing out judgment on a morning by morning basis. Not a time period goes by that HE does not judge HIS people.
The problem is that the humiliation is not part of the makeup of those who are disobeying the LORD. They are not embarrassed by their actions. They are not ashamed of their actions.
We have to understand that we are related to these people. We are human with our own sin nature. We daily have to answer to the LORD for our actions. We need to ask ourselves if we are embarrassed by our actions. We have to ask if we are humble enough to ask the LORD’s forgiveness of our sins on a daily basis. We can’t get to the point in our life that we are following the example of our political leaders or religious leaders when they are disobedient to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Know for a fact that the LORD is in our midst on a daily basis. Our disposition should be one of humility. If this is true we won’t be confused with what is happening in our life.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call on the name of the LORD, to serve HIM with one consent. (7926 “consent” [shakem] means both shoulders, pertaining to serving in a unified or unanimous manner, or shoulder to shoulder.)
DEVOTION: In the future there is going to be one language for all peoples. Everyone will understand each other. There will be no confusion because of language. This future time will be one that all may call upon the name of the LORD together.
What will be the need to call on the LORD if HE is reigning over this group? They we call on HIM to find out how they may serve HIM. All will be servants of the LORD.
This is not only concerned with a language but also what will happen when people speak that language. They will have pure lips which means that they will not say anything that is not pleasing to the LORD.
Today it is hard not to walk down the street without hearing things that are displeasing to the LORD. It is hard to watch television programs without hearing words that are not pleasing to the LORD. This is even happening in the homes of those who claim to be followers of the LORD. The language in some of these homes is very displeasing to the LORD because the parents are training their children to use this language. Also we find that there are some things said even in church that are displeasing to the LORD. Gossip is very displeasing to the LORD. The Bible says that HE hates gossip.
Today it is common to hear things that displease the LORD in all of these locations. It will not happen in the future.
CHALLENGE: How about practicing only saying things that are pleasing to the LORD today in your house, workplace and church.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 17 The LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over you with singing. (1368 “mighty” [gibbor] strong, valiant, brave, powerful, or upright.
DEVOTION: Zephaniah expresses the fact that the long-suffering of the LORD has come to an end. Judgment is coming. All levels of leaders in the nation were corrupt. None were willing to change. None were willing to obey. None were willing to TRUST in the LORD. Every morning the LORD will bring judgment. HE alone is just. HE alone will never sin. HE alone will never fail.
All nations will be judged. However, there is a day coming when the LORD will change the language of all those living to a “pure language.” In this pure language all will call upon the name of the LORD. All will serve HIM. All will TRUST HIM. This group will not sin. They will not speak lies. They shall not be afraid. There will be singing. There will be gladness. The LORD will dwell in the midst of the people. HE will be their KING.
This verse has been turned into a song in recent years. It is a verse that gives us hope that the future is bright for Israel. There is going to be a future restoration of Israel after a time of judgment. This is not fully fulfilled yet. It is still future. The truth of this verse gives us something to rejoice over now. The LORD does not forget HIS people. HE may chasten and correct HIS people but HE never fails them.
We need to realize that we serve the same GOD that the Israelites served in the Old Testament. HE has not changed HIS attributes. HE is still powerful. HE can do anything. One day we will rejoice with HIM in heaven.
Now we can rejoice toward HIM on earth through our singing praises. We need to be singing praises every day of the week. We need the joy of the LORD in our hearts. We need to rest in HIS love.
CHALLENGE: One of the signs of the filling of the Spirit in our lives is the presence of singing. Are we singing to the LORD today? Can we sing in any circumstance? The answer is YES!! Praise the LORD. WE have HOPE!!!
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: 19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict you; and I will save her that halts, and gather her that was driven out, and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. (6760 “halts” [tsala] means to limp, be lame, to walk imeded by some physical limitation or injury or walk in faltering manner.)
DEVOTION: Only one time when I was on visitation was I mocked. It was a group of young men in a trailer in the country who were smoking something they shouldn’t have been smoking. I was going door to door in the country. We had a bus route at that time and I was making sure the bus was full each Sunday.
I have never been oppressed like those in third world countries that are beaten, killed and burned out of their homes. I have read about those countries where they take everything a Christian possesses for themselves and forces them to leave with only the clothes on their back in the name of their religion. This is going on regularly around our world today.
Those who stand up for the LORD are weak and helpless in these countries. Their government doesn’t care about those who believe in Christ only in the other false god in their land. The police will not protect them.
This happened in the past to the children of Israel who were taken captive by other nations and abused. They were laughed at. They were stripped of their clothes and made to walk as captives to their new location.
As with all of the prophets there are verses of HOPE for those who are following the LORD. The future has a time period when those who experience these types of treatment are going to be gathered by the LORD and those who are oppressing them are going to be dealt with by the LORD.
We have to be faithful during our time of testing. There will be deliverance coming either now or in eternity for those who have suffered for their faith today.
CHALLENGE: Glory and fame are coming in the presence of the LORD to those who are faithful.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Call on the name of the LORD verse 9
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sanctuary verse 4
Offering verse 10
Sing verse 14, 17
Solemn assembly verse 18
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Law verse 4
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 2, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 17, 20
Just LORD verse 5
Not do iniquity verse 5
Judge verse 5, 6
Never fails verse 5
I have cut off the nations verse 6
I made their street waste verse 6
I said, Surely you will fear ME verse 7
I said, you will receive instructions verse 7
I punished them: but they rose early and
corrupted all their doings verse 7
I said wait you upon ME verse 8
Determination: gather the nations verse 8
Pour upon the nations mine indignation verse 8
Wrath of the LORD verse 8
Jealous verse 8
I will turn to the people a pure language verse 9
My holy mountain verse 11
I will also leave in the midst of you an
afflicted and poor people verse 12
Name of the LORD verse 12
LORD has taken away all judgments verse 15
LORD has cast out your enemy verse 15
King of Israel verse 15
LORD your God verse 17
Mighty verse 17
Savior verse 17, 19
Rejoice over Israel verse 17
I will gather them that are sorrowful verse 18
Undo what afflicts verse 19
I will save her that halts verse 19
I will gather her that was driven out verse 19
Get praise and fame verse 19
I will make you a name and a praise among
all people of the earth verse 20
I will turn back your captivity before your eye verse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 2, 17
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nations verse 6, 8
Kingdoms verse 8
Ethiopia verse 10
Enemy verse 15
All people of the earth verse 20
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Filthy verse 1
Polluted verse 1, 4
Obeyed not verse 2
Received not correction verse 2
Not trust in the LORD verse 2
Drew not near to her God verse 2
Leaders are lions verse 3
Judges are wolves verse 3
False prophets verse 4
Light and treacherous persons verse 4
Violence to the law verse 4
Priests are polluted sanctuary verse 4
Iniquity verse 5, 13
Unjust verse 5
No shame verse 5
Corrupted verse 7
Transgressed verse 11
Pride verse 11
Haughty verse 11
Iniquity verse 13
Speak lies verse 13
Deceitful tongue verse 13
Evil verse 15
Slack hands verse 16
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Obey verse 2
Correction verse 2
Trust in the LORD verse 2
Just verse 5
Fear of the LORD verse 7, 16
Instruction verse 7
Wait on the LORD verse 8
Pure language verse 9
Call upon the name of the LORD verse 9
Serve the LORD verse 9
One consent verse 9
Not ashamed verse 11
Trust in the LORD verse 12
Remnant verse 13
Not do iniquity verse 13
Not be afraid verse 13
Sing verse 14, 17
Glad verse 14
Rejoice with all your heart verse 14, 17
Judgments taken away verse 15
LORD in the midst verse 17
Save verse 17, 19
Rest in HIS love verse 17
Joy verse 17
Get praise and fame verse 19
Praise verse 20
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Holy mountain verse 11
Remnant of Israel verse 13
Daughter of Zion verse 14
Israel verse 14
Daughter of Jerusalem verse 14
LORD in midst of Israel verse 15
Not see evil any more verse 15
Jerusalem: fear not anymore to see evil verse 16
Zion verse 16
Let not your hands be slack verse 16
Turn back captivity verse 20
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
In that day verse 11, 16
At that time verse 19, 20
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QUOTES regarding passage
God’s people will rejoice (vv. Zeph. 3:14–17). This is one of the most poignant passages in Scripture. It depicts the Lord as a loving mother, singing over her children and finding joy in their presence. The people of God sing and shout because of all that God has done for them. He has taken away their punishment, defeated their enemies, and come to dwell with them. Furthermore, He has guaranteed that the people of Israel will never again be afraid. Because the Lord is the King of Israel, His people have nothing to fear.
When Pilate presented a suffering Jesus to the Jewish leaders, they rejected Him and shouted, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). But now the Jewish people will joyfully acknowledge that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords (Phil. 2:9–11). Instead of standing dejectedly like defeated prisoners of war, the Jews will enthusiastically shout God’s praises.
What do they have to sing about? To begin with, they have God’s presence with them and God’s power working for them (Zeph. 3:17). Even more, their God holds them next to His heart like a loving mother holds a baby; He quiets them with His love, and He even sings to them! This image of “the motherhood of God” assures forgiven sinners that God is with them, that He loves them, and that they have nothing to fear.
Our God is a “singing” God. God the Father sings to the Jewish remnant entering the kingdom (v. 17). God the Son sang at the close of the Passover Feast, and then went to the garden to pray (Matt. 26:30). He also sang after His triumphant resurrection from the dead (Ps. 22:22; Heb. 2:12). God the Spirit sings today through the hearts and lips of Christians who praise God in the Spirit (Eph. 5:18–21). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be concerned (pp. 136–137). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor.)
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3:16–17. Verse 16 amplifies the theme of calm from fear in the last line of verse 15. They (apparently converted Gentiles) will encourage Israel not to be fearful or in despair. Hands that hang limp picture despair through alarm and anxiety (cf. Jer. 47:3). Instead, Israel will lift her hands, symbolic of triumph, because of the Lord’s presence (He will be with you; cf. Zeph. 3:15) and power (He is mighty to save). In addition to being with His redeemed remnant and delivering them, He will … delight in them. The nation will again be the object of God’s great love, not His wrath. The Millennium will indeed be a time of peace for His troubled people; Israel will rejoice (v. 14). But more than that, God will rejoice! (v. 17) In fact He will be singing with delight and joy because His Chosen People will be in the land under His blessing. (Hannah, J. D. (1985). Zephaniah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1534). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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17 Since the Lord “is with” (lit., “in the midst of”) his people, they need no longer be in fear; he is a “hero” who delivers or saves. “Mighty to save” (cf. Jer 14:9) is an expression in Hebrew that can be understood in an active verbal sense (cf. NEB, “a warrior to keep you safe”; RSV, “a warrior who gives victory”), or as a noun with a modifier (JB, “victorious warrior; NAB, mighty savior”). Isaiah 10:21 mentions the remnant that would return to the “mighty God.”
The Hebrew “he will quiet you with his love” was translated by the KJV “he will rest in his love” (KJV mg. is “he will be silent [in his love]”). This reading of the text has been understood and interpreted in various ways: (1) because of his love, the Lord will keep silent regarding his people’s sins; (2) the Lord’s love will be so strong and deep as to hush motion or speech; there will be silent ecstasy; and (3) the Lord’s silence is due to his planning of good deeds toward Israel.
Some commentators and versions (NAB, NEB, RSV, JB), however, read the Hebrew form from the root ḥdš (“to renew”) instead of ḥrš (“to quiet”); and this has yielded various ideas: (1) he will do new things; (2) he will renew his love; (3) he will renew himself in his love; (4) he will renew Israel through new life; and (5) he will show you his love. Luther caught the sense when he explained, “He will cause you to be silent so that you may have in the secret places of your heart a very quiet peace and a peaceful silence.”
The prophet continued his description of this saving God as one who “will take great delight in you” and “rejoice over you with singing” (cf. Isa 62:5). (Walker, L. (1986). Zephaniah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, p. 563). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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3:17 Verses 17 and 18 make the transition from speaking about God in the third person to God’s speaking in the first person. The first word of 3:17 is the divine personal name for the Lord. The reason why the people can rejoice is that the Lord is in their midst. Here “all tension built over the threatened judgment is relieved as the foreshadowing changes to fulfilled promise. By using this method of interrelating promise and completion the book’s structure is tightly bound by allusion and concrete image.”
The word translated “mighty” is gibbôr, an adjective usually used as a noun, often translated “hero” or “warrior” as in 1:14. It is used most frequently with military activities to describe one “who has already distinguished himself by performing heroic deeds.” In this case the word speaks of God who is “a warrior who brings salvation.”122 In other contexts as well, God is spoken of as a “mighty God” (ʾēl gibbôr; cf. Isa 9:6 [Hb. 5]; 10:21). So here the Divine Warrior has declared peace. He will issue no more battle cries. He will wreak no more havoc. His people have no reason for fear except a healthy “fear of the Lord” (see 3:7, 15–16). He has accomplished his purpose. He has vanquished the proud. The holy, humble remnant now seek him in righteousness. The cultic cry has become reality: “The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice” (Ps 97:1). “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy” (Ps 99:1–3).
The remainder of the verse speaks tenderly of God’s love for his people. “Three parallel lines each containing three phrases express the deepest inner joy and satisfaction of God himself in his love for his people … that the Holy One should experience ecstasy over the sinner is incomprehensible.” Robertson called the verse the John 3:16 of the Old Testament. Here we have the “reasons for their deliverance,” namely God’s satisfaction with the remnant and Yahweh’s own power to save.”125
The last three lines should be taken together. The general sense of the verse is plain: God’s delight in those whom he has redeemed. The middle phrase has presented particular difficulty. How is it that God will “quiet you with his love?”127 Without changing the MT as do some, the best alternative seems to be to follow the flow of the verse: God delights, he quiets, bursts into song over you. Robertson explains the meaning in the following way: “he will be quiet (over you) in his love. The only essential difficulty with this rendering is found in the vividness of the phraseology. To consider Almighty God sinking in contemplations of love over a once-wretched human being can hardly be absorbed by the human mind.” But that is exactly the point of the verse—God delights in you. The verb is most often intransitive, depicting the inward condition of the subject rather than depicting quietness conveyed to another. “Yahweh joins the people’s singing and soothes them by expressing love.”130 This amazing love of God for human beings is inexplicable. Human minds would never dream up such a God. Human actions or human character could never deserve such love. God’s love comes in his quiet absorption because this is who God is. In the core of his being, God is love (1 John 4:8). Zephaniah thus sings the prelude to the cross kind of love Jesus reveals, a love that “surpasses knowledge” (Eph 3:19). How can this not cause God’s people to praise! “Surely the greatest reason for them to offer praise is found here. They are to rejoice in Him because He, their gracious King and Savior, rejoices in them.” (Barker, K. L. (1999). Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Vol. 20, pp. 495–497). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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3:17 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. Dt 30:9; Is 54). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Zep 3:17). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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In the last part of our chapter the book comes to a fitting close (vers. 14–20) by setting forth the day of display, when the hitherto despised remnant will be enjoying the unalloyed favor of the Lord for whose name they had borne reproach in restored Jerusalem, with Himself in their midst. For us, faith appropriates this now, and enters into the enjoyment of it in spirit.
Zion is called upon to sing; Israel, to shout. The day of gladness and rejoicing has arrived for Jerusalem; for the Lord will then have taken away her judgments and cast out her enemy. He Himself, the glorious King of Israel (once crucified outside the gate, on a felon’s cross, beneath the title, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”), will then dwell in the midst of the restored city and people, and they shall not see evil any more.
This will be their joy and blessing throughout the Millennium. To Jerusalem it shall be said, “Fear thou not;” and to Zion, “Let not thy hands be slack.” Loving service will follow full deliverance from all her foes. Again it is stated, “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty.” To Him salvation is ascribed. He will rejoice over them with joy and rest in His love, joying over them with singing. It will be “the time of the singing” spoken of in the Canticles (2:12), when all redeemed creation, heavenly and earthly, will resound with songs of praise and exultation.
Once more Israel will keep her solemn assemblies, and her griefs will be changed to gladness. All who have afflicted her will be undone, and she who was driven away in weakness will be regathered in power. In every land where the people of the wandering foot had been put to shame, they will become objects of praise and fame when the Lord Himself shall make them “a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord” (ver. 20).
Thus are we brought again to the end of the ways of God with Israel on the earth; who, whatever their failures, are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
Their portion is earthly. Ours is heavenly. But both alike are to contribute to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, and both alike shall be vessels for the display of the matchless grace of our God throughout all the ages to come. (Ironside, H. A. (1909). Notes on the Minor Prophets. (pp. 317–319). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, &c.] Every word carries in it something very encouraging to the church and people of God; and is an antidote against those fears and faintings they are subject to; Christ is in the midst of them; near at hand to support and supply them, to assist and strengthen them, to protect and defend them; he is not only near by his essential presence, which is everywhere; and by his providential presence, which is concerned with all his creatures; but by his gracious presence, peculiar to his church and people; and which gives them unspeakable joy, and is a sufficient security from all fears and dismayings; see Isa. 41:10 and he, who is in the midst of them, is the Lord, Jehovah, the Being of beings, eternal, immutable, and all-sufficient, possessed of all divine perfections; and their God, God in their nature, Immanuel, God with us; and who is mighty, the Almighty God, the mighty Mediator, who has all power in heaven and earth; and, as man, the man of God’s right hand, made strong for himself, and so able to save his people to the uttermost; to deliver them out of the hands of every enemy; to raise up his interest when ever so low, and to maintain and support it; to help and assist his people in every duty and service he calls them to: he will save; he is as willing to save as he is able; he readily undertook in counsel and covenant to save the chosen ones; he came in the fulness of time to seek and to save that which was lost; he has wrought out salvation for them, and sees that it is applied unto them, and will come again to put them into the full possession of it: he saves them freely, fully, and everlastingly; he saves them from sin, Satan, the law, hell and wrath, and every spiritual enemy; nor has the church of Christ any thing to fear from any temporal enemy; the converted Jews will have no reason to fear the Turk that will come against them with a vast army; for Christ, who will be in the midst of them, and at the head of them, will save them from him; to which salvation this passage has chiefly a respect: he will rejoice over thee with joy; with exceeding great joy, not to be conceived of, or expressed; as a bridegroom rejoiceth over his bride: this will be the time of the open marriage of the Lamb with the Jewish church; and there will be strong expressions of joy on this occasion; Christ will rejoice over them to do them good; and there will be such singular instances of his goodness to them as will abundantly shew the joy he will have in them: he will rest in his love; continue in his love, without any variation or change; nothing shall separate from it; it shall always remain the same; he will take up his contentment and satisfaction in it; he will solace himself with it; it will be a pleasing thing to him to love his people, and to shew it to them; he will take the utmost complacency and delight in expressing his love by words and deeds unto them: or, as some render it, he will be silent because of his love; and not upbraid them with their sins; or reprove, correct, and chastise them in his hot displeasure; or say one word in a way of vindictive wrath: and he will make all others silent; every enemy, or whatever is contrary to them; such is his great love to them; he will forgive their iniquities, and cover their sins, and in love to them cast them behind his back: or, will be dumbt; and not speak; as sometimes persons, when their affections are strong, and their hearts are filled with love at the sight of one they bear a great regard unto, are not able to speak a word. The phrase expresses the greatness of Christ’s love to his people; the strength, fulness, and continuance of it: words seem to be wanted, and more are added: he will joy over thee with singing; there is a pleonasm of joy in Christ’s heart towards his people, and so a redundancy in his expression of it; he rejoices with joy, and joys with singing; which shews how delighted he is with his people, as they are his chosen, redeemed, and called ones; as they have his own righteousness upon them, and his own grace in them; they are his Hephzi-bah, in whom he delights; his Beulah, to whom he is married; and it is his love of complacency and delight, which is the source of all the grace and glory he bestows upon them; see Isa. 62:3, 4, 5; Luke 15:23, 24, 25. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 662). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
After pronouncing judgment on Israel for sin, Hosea prophesies restoration and blessing.
INSIGHT
Hosea is instructed by the Lord to take a wife whose name is Gomer and who later becomes unfaithful to him. Though Hosea loves her steadfastly, her infidelity compounds and she finally leaves him. Sometime later—as Hosea is walking down the street—he sees his wife being sold as a slave on an auction block. In a profound gesture of unconditional love, Hosea redeems (buys back) his wife and restores her to her former position of honor and comfort as his wife. In doing so, Hosea sounds a warning to Israel and plays out a moving example of the unconditional love of God for His people. If they sin, He will judge them; but after judgment, He will restore them to His grace.
(Quiet Walk)
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GOOD ANGELS
…as the angels of God in heaven. Matthew 22:30
We must see what we are told about good angels. We are told that they dwell in heaven. We are to be “as the angels of God in heaven,” our Lord says. The statement in Matthew 18:10 reads, “…their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” It is clear, therefore, that the dwelling-place, the place of existence, of these good angels is in heaven around the throne of God.
What is the business or purpose of these good angels? We are told that they spend their time adoring God and the Lamb. We read in Revelation 5 that they are singing His praise and worshiping Him and adoring Him. That is what they delight in. That is what, as it were, they live for.
There is something else that the angels are very busy doing. I have never read this next point without having a still more glorious understanding of my salvation. We are told that they spend a good deal of their time looking into this question of our salvation. Let me give you my authority. Peter, talking about our salvation, says, “which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12). It is something so marvelous and so wonderful that these created angelic spirits, always in the presence of God, are, as it were, looking on at this thing that is most astonishing to them and that surpasses everything else.
The angels not only behold the face of God, they are not only looking into salvation, but they are looking at us. In 1 Corinthians 11:10 Paul uses these words: “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.” A woman should have her head covered to show that she is under the authority of the man; and in addition to that, Paul says, she should be covered because of the presence of the angels. In other words, when Christians gather together in prayer, the angels of God are present.
A Thought to Ponder: Good angels spend their time adoring God and the Lamb.
(From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 109 – 110, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Born into God’s Family
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” (1 John 3:1)
One of the most motivating truths of the Bible is the doctrine that we become sons of God when we are born again through faith in Christ. God then deals with us as a father does with his beloved children. We should therefore respond as obedient children who love their father.
The little epistle of 1 John has many references to this relationship and our consequent responsibilities. In the first place, “ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (2:29). “Whosoever is born of God doth not [habitually] commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (3:9).
Another attribute of our sonship is brotherly love: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (5:1). “Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God” (4:7). Furthermore, each child of God should have a victorious faith. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (5:4).
All who are truly sons of God will never lose that holy relationship. “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (5:18). This is because of the fact that “greater is he that is in [us], than he that is in the world” (4:4).
There are many such references in the Bible. All stress that we should reflect the character of the Father in our lives as His children. The glorious, ultimate promise is this: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (3:2). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Second, he keeps his life open to God and His truth. Arthur F. Holmes remonds us that “all truth is God’s truth,” so the opportunities for learning and growing are infinite and no doubt will continue when we’re in eternity. People who grow read widely and aren’t afraid to read authors they disagree with, for maturing people realize that in this life “we know in part’ (I Cor. 13:9). When it comes to understanding God’s truth, nobody has a corner on the market.
So, what should we do? How about tackling a tough book and working your way through it as though you had to pass an exam? That means taking notes, thinking about what’s written, and examining your own ideas in the light of what the book says. Your choice may be a classic you’ve always wanted to read, or perhaps a new book on theology or some other aspect of ministry. Just be sure it’s a book with meat and bones so your mental muscles will have something nutritious to chew on. Read a theologian whose views are different from yours, or a biography of somebody outside your usual sphere of interest. A book that doesn’t challenge us isn’t likely to change us, so be courageous in your selections.
(10 Power Principles for Christian Service by Warren W. & David W. Wiersbe)
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