Wednesday night, Jael came out of Bible class beaming with excitement. Paul Schmied had given the teens a great lesson on the promises of God including one from the little-known Zephaniah.
The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. -Zephaniah 3:17
This amazingly refreshing promise comes on the heels of prophecies of God’s judgement. Historically, Zephaniah wrote in a period of relative prosperity and peace in Judah. Assyria, Judah’s most powerful enemy, was on the decline and Babylon was not yet a threat. The bulk of the book focuses on the coming judgment of Judah and Jerusalem.
Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the tyrannical city! She heeded no voice, she accepted no instruction. She did not trust in the LORD, she did not draw near to her God. -Zephaniah 3:1-2
This rebellion and lack of obedience had not only infected the royalty but the judges, prophets, and priests as well.
Her princes within her are roaring lions, her judges are wolves at evening; they leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. -Zephaniah 3:3-4
In about 30 years, God would begin carrying Judah off into Babylonian captivity. Jerusalem was to be destroyed; the Israelites taken to foreign land, many never to see their homeland again (Zephaniah 3:6-8).
However, this was not the end of God’s message to Judah. As with other condemnation and judgment prophecies, God reminds His people of His faithfulness and a coming restoration.
The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with Joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shout of joy. I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts-They came from you, O Zion; The reproach of exiles is a burden on them. Behold, I am going to deal at that time with all your oppressors, I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will turn their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you in, even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will give you renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,”says the LORD.
-Zephaniah 3:17-20
The Lord has always loved His people. That’s why the captivity was meant to punish, but also meant to turn the people back to Him so that He could bless them.
God still loves us and longs to bless us. That’s why, Hebrews 12:10 says, “He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.” Will we become the holy people He desires us to be so that He may be quiet in his love for us, exult over us in joy and be the victorious warrior in our midst?