Sermon: A Mighty One Who Will Save

Well, good evening and good to see you all. Thank you for being here on this Lord's Day evening to close out our day together. Uh, we are going to open God's word together now. So would you join me in Zephaniah chapter three, Zephaniah Chapter three. If you are using a pew Bible, you can find that on page seven 90, Zephaniah chapter three tonight verses 14 through 20. As you're turning there and before we read together, just want

to maybe remind you of the context. Perhaps some of you haven't been able to be here over the last number of weeks, and so this book will seem maybe new to you or foreign to you. And so just a, a few words of context here before we read. Uh, Zephaniah is a prophet, one of the minor prophets. It's a short book, it's why it's called a Minor Prophet. And he is prophesying during the reign of King Josiah, that young king of Judah just eight years old

when he takes the throne in Judah and probably prophesying around the same time as Jeremiah, they were contemporaries in prophesying to the people of Judah and about the people of Judah. So this is sometime around 620 bc, six 20 bc. If you happen to know your Old Testament history and the dates you'll remember, this is about 30 some years before Judah, the southern kingdom of Judah is destroyed and Jerusalem is decimated.

And that's what Zephaniah is prophesying about. He's prophesying about this future judgment that is to come. And so just to recap briefly, the the book chapter one starts with the very striking word I will utterly sweep away. That's how it begins judgment, because Judah has sinned against God. Then in chapter two, Zephaniah prophesize about judgment upon the nations for their sins against God. And so Zephaniah calls the people

to repentance true full repentance. That is how you respond to the threat of God's judgment. You don't harden your heart. You respond by turning away from sin and following after God. But as we found in chapter three, there's one more pronouncement of judgment because Judah will not turn away from their sin. They will not accept correction and repent. But instead as verse seven says in chapter three, they were all the more sinful.

Their deeds were more corrupt. So really it's a book full of judgment. It is really hard in some ways to read those first chapters, so much judgment upon sin. But last week we saw hints of hope, and this week we see the full flower, the full blooming of this hope, these prophecies about restoration. So let's read in just a moment after we pray from Zephaniah chapter three, will you join me as I lead us in prayer forever?

Oh Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations. You have established the earth and it stands fast by your appointment. They stand this day for all things or your servants. If your law had not been our delight, we would have perished in our affliction. We will never forget your precepts for by them. You have given us life. Oh Lord, we thank you for your life giving word.

Would you speak to us once again through the reading and preaching of your word? And would you cause us by your spirit to hear, to believe, and to rejoice for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. Zephaniah chapter three, beginning in verse 14,

sing aloud, daughter of Zion. Shout oh Israel, rejoice and exalt with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord has taken away the judgments against you. He has cleared away your enemies, the king of Israel. The Lord is in your midst. You shall never again fear evil on that day. It shall be said to Jerusalem, fear not O Zion. Let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save.

He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you by his love. He will exalt over you with loud singing, I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival so that you will no longer suffer reproach. Behold, at that time, I will deal with all your oppressors and I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renno in all the earth at that time. I will bring you in at the time when I gather you together,

for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth. When I restore your fortunes before your eyes says the Lord, amen.

Well, dear friends and the Lord Jesus Christ, everyone loves a good story. Everyone loves a good feel good story. One of those stories that ends with a happy ending no matter what tragedies or trials the characters may have faced throughout the story at the end, there is happiness, there is joy, everything is resolved. There's a positive outcome. And so I've heard from the youth in our church, some of our favorite stories here are the lion,

the witch in the wardrobe. It ends with a great ending or the Lord of the rings. There's a happy ending. But you see dear friends, the Bible ultimately ends with the happiest of all endings, all your favorite stories with those good endings, none of them compared to that of the Bible. It ultimately ends with the happiest ever after. Now, you should absolutely read through all the way through to the end of the Bible, all of it

and see what comes at the end. But what's interesting about the Bible is that you don't have to read all the way through until the end of Revelation to see how the story ends or that it ends happily because we have foreshadows for tastes of that happy ending all throughout. And we find one of those foreshadowings here in Zephaniah, a happy ending. A happy ending to this book that tells us and anticipates the happy ending of the Bible.

What Zephaniah looks forward to is that day when saved sinners rejoice in salvation and a saving God who rejoices in those whom he has saved. Zephaniah looks forward to the day when saved sinners rejoice in salvation and a saving God rejoices in those whom he has saved tonight. Those will be our two points. Now, before we pick up our text in verse 14, I want to prime the pump a little bit by saying that tonight we are going to to be considering

how God fulfills these prophecies more fully and finally in the person of Christ and in his comings. You have to remember, in order to understand the Bible, in order especially to understand the Old Testament, you have to remember what second Corinthians one 20 says. It says, for all the promises of God, find their yes in Christ. So all of these promises that are made here in Zephaniah, and especially here in Zephaniah three, you cannot

receive these promises. You cannot claim these promises. You will not see the fulfillment of these promises unless you find them in Christ, in his person and in his work. So we're gonna be connecting these promises to Christ throughout while our passage begins in verse verse 14, with a series of synonymous exhortations, sing aloud, shout, rejoice and exalt. And they're made to God's people who are designated also with three synonymous terms, daughter of Zion,

Israel and daughter of Judah, uh, daughter of Jerusalem. Excuse me. As you're reading through your Bible, especially when you come to the Psalms, you will find these terms often Zion, Jerusalem, Israel, and sometimes we can maybe get confused, what, who is this? What is this? So just to remind you, these terms can all refer to geographical locations. All of them are geographical in a sense, but they can also refer to a people.

So not just a place but a people. And sometimes it's used. These terms are used interchangeably. So geographically, Zion, Zion is a hill or a mountain that is within Jerusalem, within the city of Jerusalem is Zion. But oftentimes when you see and hear Zion, it's actually a reference to the entire city of Jerusalem. And we find that in verse 16, on that day it, Shelby said to Jerusalem, fear not owe Zion. They're synonymous. Jerusalem is Zion.

Zion is Jerusalem. And of course Israel, Israel is a nation with geographical bounds to it. It is a place that you can point to on a map. But in our passage this evening, all of these terms are not in reference to the place, but to the people. The people who dwell there. And what God's people are said to do called to do is to publicly, corporately, passionately and sincerely raise their voices in jubilation, in thanksgiving, in praise.

And as verse 14 says, they are to do so with all of their heart. Nothing withheld holding back nothing. They are to raise their voices in song with joyful shouts and rejoicing from the overflowing, jubilation and thanksgiving that resides in their heart. You remember that Jesus says in the New Testament that from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Our mouths are to be filled with shouts of praise and jubilation and thanksgiving because it is coming from our heart. And this is a response what we find in verse 14 to what we find in verse 15, the experience there.

But before we get to verse 15, just just observe a moment that what God is really after is not just your lips. He's not just after your words, he is after your heart. He is after every part of you. He wants all of you to be filled with praise to him. God not does not desire lip service. He wants your heart and he is worthy of it, worthy of all the praise you could ever sing. He is worthy of corporate singing, passionate singing,

sincere singing, glad singing and rejoicing. Why Verse 15 tells us, the Lord has taken away the judgments against you. He has cleared away your enemies, the king of Israel. The Lord is in your midst. You shall never again fear evil. What's your first response to that? Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Right. Verse 15 is a verse anticipating when a day when God's judgments, plural judgments, not just judgment, judgments,

all the judgments he could ever execute upon someone,

when all of God's judgments against them are removed by him, he's the only one who can remove the judgments because he is the one who can execute those judgments. And for two and a half chapters, that is all we have heard. Judgment, judgment, judgment. From verse five of chapter three, the just God who does know injustice, he has pronounced sweeping judgments against his people for their incorrigibility, their hardheartedness,

their utter rebellion, their unwillingness to turn away. But for God's chosen people, he will relent for God's chosen people. He will relent. He will again dwell with his people. When he purifies them, he will remove their enemies. He will establish peace and blessing. And this is unexpected grace, undeserved grace. And that's why verse 14, exhorts God's people sing. Shout, rejoice with all your heart, withhold nothing.

If I had thought of it sooner and there wasn't a deadline for the bulletin, I would've chosen an alternative title for this sermon. I would've entitled this sermon. The gospel according to Zephaniah

for zephaniah's prophecy here does not merely anticipate the return of Judah from exile in from Babylon. Can't you tell? Can't you see that he is anticipating the coming of Christ? Do you hear in these words the gospel message of good news?

And Jesus Christ, the grace of God has appeared. He is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Christ becomes a curse for his people. Galatians three and God therefore has forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us by nailing it to the cross. Colossians two, Christ is the one who takes upon himself the judgments upon Israel. He is the true Israel. The judgments of Israel don't just sort of

get forgotten in God's mind. No, God sends his son the Lord Jesus Christ to take away the judgment from his people. And he is the true king of Israel. That's what the wise men knew in Matthew one, right? They show up to Herod, bold move. Where's the king of the Jews? Where is he to be born? They had heard about Christ and this is what the people of of Israel knew when Jesus was getting ready to enter the city of Jerusalem at his triumphal entry,

Hosanna, blessed be the name of the Lord, the true king of Israel.

He is the true king and as the king of his people, he defeats all his enemies and the enemies of God's elect through his death, through his resurrection, and he establishes peace. Colossians tells us by the blood of his cross

in Christ, these promises are fulfilled in Christ. These promises are yours. If you would put your faith in Jesus Christ and repent of your sin, that is how you become a daughter of Zion, a daughter of Jerusalem. You enter by faith. And so those who have been made partakers of Christ rejoice verses 14 and 15, genuine gratitude is the response to God's grace in Christ.

So we find in these first two verses that loud singing and exaltation is the fitting response of a saved people. And we come to find out in maybe a surprising way that it is also the response of a saving God over his saved people. That's what we find in verses 16 through 20, loud singing and exaltation from the saving God over his saved people.

You don't have to wonder what God will say will have to say to his people on that day when he acts on their behalf. You don't have to wonder because verses 16 through 20 tell us. First we find a double command in verse 16 that is rooted in the promises of verse 17. So verse 16, those that double command fear not O Zion. And let not your hands grow weak. Those who have been delivered from God's judgment have nothing to fear, no condemnation.

Now I dread Jesus and all in him is mine. Nothing to fear and no reason for discouragement. Instead renewed by the joy of their salvation, God's people ought to serve and worship him. That's what we find in verse 16, commands not to fear not to become discouraged. And then in verse 17, we come to these words of assurance and love that come from the lips of God himself. He comforts his people by saying, the Lord your God is in your midst.

Here is the reason why God's people ought not fear verse 16, because God is with them.

Do you pick up this logic here from Zephaniah throughout the rest of the scriptures? Can you think of other places in the Bible where you find this logic? Think of that other beloved passage in Psalm 23 verse four. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me.

Why does the presence of God comfort God's people?

In part because he is mighty. He is mighty to save His arm is not shortened that he cannot save. He is strong and mighty in battle. Psalm 24, he is strong to defend. He is a refuge and strong tower, and God is greater than any enemy that you face. I have no reason to fear the Lord is with me. I remember God is speaking these words to his people, a people who would, who would be deported as prisoners of war into a foreign land by the enemy.

A people whose whose capital city would be decimated by the enemy.

But God here reminds them of something that will come after God will deliver them from the hand of the enemy. He will dwell again in their midst like a, a father's presence in a dark room quiets the fears of a scared child. So God's presence with his people quiets the fears of his people.

Not only is God with his people, verse 17, but get this dear people of God. God delights to have you in his presence.

He delights to have you in his presence. Can you believe it? Believe it. Believe it. I think sometimes we imagine God to be something like that dad who waits up for his child who has missed curfew,

Displeased, and that's how he looks at you.

But verse 17 tells us that God actually looks upon his people. His saved people more like a dad who is holding his infant for the very first time. He can't believe it. The the widest smile upon his face, sheer happiness and joy as he looks upon you and has you in his presence. But not only that, verse 17 tells us that God will rejoice over you with gladness.

He will quiet you by his love. God's love is free. It is boundless. It is unchanging. And God's love is the source of peace and rest and satisfaction that every single human being in the world is looking for, whether they know it or not, whether they know it or not, God's love is what they are seeking. And it is God's people who are the recipients of this quieting love through Christ. Romans eight, I am sure that nothing can separate us from

that love of God in Christ our Lord. But not only that, verse 17, God promises to exalt over you with loud singing.

God is not shy about singing in public.

God sings in jubilation over the people He has saved, not in piano, but in forte, loud singing, joyful singing. If you turn to Luke 15, later on when you have the opportunity notice, notice what happens in heaven when that lost sheep is found, there is rejoicing over that one sinner who repents and comes home. And notice how the Father responds to the prodigal, his prodigal child who has forsaken him and has gone off and wasted his inheritance and he comes home.

How does the Father respond? Joy, utter joy. I'm withholding nothing. Go get the fat in calf slaughter it. Today is time for feasting and celebration.

God promises to exalt over his people with loud singing.

God's love is not forced. It is not reserved. God's love has no expiration dates.

Verse 17 might seem to some of us to be over the top undignified human even. And in some ways it is. These are human expressions. The reason why they are human expressions, dear friends, is because we cannot understand or comprehend God's love in any other way. God has to condescend to speak to us in a way that we understand He, he treats us like we are children. He he stoops. Do you, do you understand these plain words?

These simple words? Do you understand?

And this is the very reason that God, the Son became incarnate and dwelt among us took on flesh. He took on flesh and lived and died for us so that we might know the glory of God's love. It's still incomprehensible. We will never plumb the depths of that love. But God communicates to a way to us in a way that we can understand, in a way that we can con comprehend

dear friends, those of you who have, who love God, who have love for God in your hearts. You have truly experienced the love of Christ. You have truly experienced. But there is yet a fuller experience to anticipate that is yet to come. There's a fuller experience of God's love in Christ to anticipate in the new creation. Isaiah connects God's jubilation in his people with the new creation. He says in Isaiah 65, for behold,

I create Jerusalem to be a joy, her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. No more shall be heard in in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. This is when he will create new heavens and a new earth. Even now, you are truly experiencing the love of God for you in Christ, but there is a fuller experience yet to come. There is yet more to enjoy in God's plan of salvation for you.

And Zephaniah wants God's people to know that he loves his people.

Then in the final three verses of our passage, God continues to make promises to to those he has determined to love and to save. And it seems to me that there are two basic themes that show up in these concluding verses. The first is that God will gather his people. You see that in each of these final three verses 18, 19, and 20, I will gather verse 18, I will gather the outcast. Verse 19, verse 20. At that time, when I bring you in, at that time I,

when I gather you together, that's the first basic theme. God will gather his people. And the second is that God will change the circumstances of his people. That's all throughout this concluding section of Zephaniah, but it's especially clear in these last verses. Part of the judgment that Judah and Israel were to experience is, is that they would be scattered in exile. No longer would they be living as a people in the land

of promise, under the blessing of God and under the rule of God. Now, they would be in a foreign place under foreign rule and they would experience not the covenant blessings but the covenant curses. But what God promises for the remnant of his people in these verses that he will gather them again. He will reconstitute his people in his place under his blessing.

If you read the the remaining books of the Old Testament, you see, but a partial fulfillment of this. When Nehemiah rebuilds the wall of Jerusalem, all the people gather together in the square. There's a fortas, there's a partial fulfillment, but there's a final fulfillment which has been inaugurated in the first coming of Christ. Listen to this prophecy from Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest in John 11, Caiaphas prophesied that Jesus quote would die for the nation

and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. Jesus comes to earth to gather his elect ones both the, the remnant of believing Jews and also as Zephaniah seize. And as we heard last week, also his elect from the nations. Jesus would, would come to gather them and he would come to accomplish it through his death. Caiaphas prophesize of this.

But that is just merely the, in the inauguration of this final fulfillment for you. See, when Jesus returns, we find that he is yet again gathering the nations before him, gathering the peoples. And this time it will be for final judgment. Matthew 25. When the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate one from another.

As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The cursed will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. And this is what Zephaniah foresees. This is what he is prophesying about. Both the the in gathering of, uh, of a faithful remnant for glory in 18, 19 and 20. But also verse eight, God declares that his decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them his indignation,

all his burning anger. There'll be a great gathering. And Christ fulfills this in his death and inaugurates this final fulfillment in his death. And he will come and return to gather his people to himself and to gather a people in unfaithful people, in unrepentant people for eternal punishment. But Zephaniah also sees for his people a great change in circumstances. There will no longer be reproach to suffer. Verse 18, instead, God will make them a renowned people.

Verse 20, the oppressors will no longer oppress. Verse 19, the weak and the marginalized and the forgotten will be remembered and delivered and gathered. Together they will belong. God will once again cause his people to experience and enjoy the blessings of the covenant that he made with them long, long, long ago. As verse 20 says, in summary, he will restore before their eyes, their fortunes, and again, Christ inaugurates the final fulfillment

of these changes and circumstances. When he comes, he comes healing the lame Mark two and the sick. He delivers outcasts from leprosy, Luke 17, and he sets the prisoners free.

But remember, Christ only changes the circumstances for his people by first experiencing a change, a great change of circumstances for himself.

Christ who was rich, became poor Christ, who enjoyed all the glories of heaven, traded them for the miseries of this world.

But you see, Christ will return once again and he will return in his glory and then he will change every sour circumstance for his people into a sweet, an eternally sweet circumstance. Revelation 21 tells us there will be no enemies, no sin, no death, no tears, nor nor pain for the former. Things will pass away and God will dwell with his people.

They will be His people. Revelation 21 says, and God himself will be with them as their God forever and ever.

Dear people of God, this is the happiest of all endings and zephaniah foreshadows this the happiest of all endings. And it is the ending that you will experience and enjoy because of Christ. Because of Christ. But it's not really an ending. It's not really an ending. It's it's more like as CS Lewis has written so memorably in that book, the Last Battle. Now at last, they were beginning chapter one of the great story, which no one on Earth has read,

which goes on forever in which every chapter is better than the one before.

That is the ending, the beginning, which you will experience and enjoy because of Christ. And God will do this for the good of his people, for their happiness, because of his love for you, and also for the glory of his most praiseworthy name. Amen. Will you join me in prayer?

Lord, we thank you for your word. We pray that you would take its truth and that you would plant it deep into the soil of our hearts. With this word testify to our spirits of your love, of your grace, of your mercy to us in Christ. Would you help us, oh Lord, to be joyful as we contemplate your love for us? Would you help us to be overflowing with gratitude, that we share this love with others, we share this good news

with others, and oh Lord, we ask that in this world of trials and temptations and this world of trouble, would you keep us? Would you defend us? Would you guard us until that day when Christ returns for us to take us home, to live with you forever? Oh, what a day that will be. We look forward to it and we ask, oh Lord, that you would come quickly for we asking Jesus' name. Amen.