Zephaniah 3:14-17, The Joy of the Kingdom

The appropriate response to the bringing in of God’s glorious kingdom of peace and safety, of proper worship and service, is joy and rejoicing.

¹⁴ Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! ¹⁵ Yahweh has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. Yahweh, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. ¹⁶ On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. ¹⁷ Yahweh your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; he will be quiet with you in his love, and will rejoice over you with singing.”

Singing is the purest expression of joy that the heart has devised. It expresses in emotion and words the overflowing feeling of joy. Joy also evokes a shout. Joy can be silent, but Zephaniah is calling for a loud expression of gratitude and happiness. It should be communicated with all our hearts. It is Israel who is being called to these expressions of joy. Though Zephaniah has declared that all the nations will be in this kingdom, Israel is the jewel in the crown of the nations, is the focus of all the prophecies, the cradle of the Messiah who will rule as Yahweh in this kingdom.

Yahweh has taken away Israel’s punishment. And not just Israel’s punishment but the whole world’s punishment. Yet it is Israel whom He directs this declaration because she, who had the revelation of Yahweh, who had the greatest responsibility because she had the truth, who has been most severely judged.

And now Yahweh is with them, dwelling among them, in fact, a reality that means there can be no fear from any enemies ever again. No hands limp with fear need ever hang down. The Mighty Warrior, the Hero and Mighty One of Israel, is her savior and with her.

He will take “great delight” in His people. It will be expressed in quiet love, the quiet contemplation of one whose love is now safe in his arms, and in joyful singing, the out-loud rejoicing of the one whom He has loved forever. May we ever see how clearly God loves us.