ZEPHANIAH, CHAPTER 3, VERSES 14-15

As these Lesson on Zephaniah began, I observed that the Book begins with “judgment,” and ends with “blessing!” Indeed it does. As today’s Text attests:

“Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.” Zephaniah 3:14-15

Wow!

What a change of “mood!”

Gladness now.

And joy.

Punishment, judgment is gone.

The enemy is no more.

And God has “moved in” to dispel any further “evil.”

Notice this also. The people are being addressed now as “Israel,” the whole Nation of Jews! Earlier in Zephaniah she was merely “Judah,” a small fraction of all the total population. Reunification has happened!

The verb “sing” is a command, an imperative. It means to loudly express joy, music!

“Shout” is here a synonym, a “battle cry” of victory!

Then two more “matching” verbs are used, “be glad” and “rejoice.” Meaning respectively, “to shine with delight” and “to triumph.”

“Taken away” means “turned aside.” Proof God can either “deflect” or “invite” circumstances into our lives! To “cast out” means “to turn away,” again synonyms.

I think Zephaniah has just become a poet! (One of the chief characteristics of Hebrew poetry is “matching” thought patterns. Parallelism, it’s called.)

For God to be “in the midst” (in Hebrew “qereb”) is astounding. The word means the “innermost” part.

Not “to see evil” means no more catastrophes await! No more secret attacks! It could also carry the idea that her “sins” are gone! I am sure repentance has occurred, on Israel’s part.

Both verses today “reek” of Grace!

And we have only begun!

Don’t miss tomorrow’s Lesson, more good things are on the way.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell