Our Lesson today studies one of the most unusual Texts in the whole Bible. Due to the fact that here … God is “singing!” Not humanity singing, but the Lord Himself!

Here is Zephaniah 3:16-17, in the King James Bible: “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Wow, what a list of blessings!

First of all, God wants to remove the anxieties of His people, “fear not.” Remember how many times Jesus said “Peace be unto you?” God’s Nature is “Peace, peaceful!” Paul once even called Jesus our “Peace!” Ephesians 2:14 … “For He is our peace.”

Then He (the Lord) also wants to encourage, strengthen them, “let not thine hands be slack.” The writer of Hebrews picks up this expression and uses it skillfully. “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:12-13, don’t quit. Stay faithful!

Then in our Text God (still in their “midst,” not having “left them”) reminds Israel of His Strength, of His Might. The Hebrew word here is “gibbor,” meaning “Champion, Chief, Brave!”

Note yet again what happens next: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save.” God as Saviour! And the Hebrew noun standing behind the verb used is essentially “Joshua” or “Jesus!” Spelled “yasha” or “yeshuah” in Hebrew.

God is going to some day “save” Israel! Paul again in Romans 11:26. “And so ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”

Next come three glorious things the God of Salvation will do over His newly redeemed people: “He will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Look at the total “joy” expressed here, three different Hebrew words, 2 verbs and a noun! Here they are: “sus” (to leap for joy) and “simchah” (gladness, gaiety, mirth) and “giyl” (to twirl round and round, literally).

The clause “He will rest in His love,” paints a word picture. He will make Love a Habit, God just loving and loving and loving and loving! No more judgment! No more chastening! Implying (which we shall see tomorrow) no more sin!

I must put the pieces of our Text back together now and let you read it in its entirety. What a Day this will be! “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell