Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
[17] 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.
Zephaniah was a prophet of God who did his ministry in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. On record, it would appear that Josiah was the last king of Judah who was considered righteous by God's standard. As we know, every king in Judah and Israel had records of how they begun their reign, and how they ended. In the final analysis, it does not matter what the views of men are; what really counts is how God sees me. If God applauds what I am and do, it will not matter the quality and quantity of the opposition against me are. If God is not pleased with me, it will also not matter how many people are on my side. As we also know, God does not punish without warning. He sent many prophets to His people in both Israel and Judah, but the people would not heed or listen. They had found convenience in rebellion, and God had also found justification for punishment, in line with His standards.
Be sure that God has no favourites when it comes to sin, and He will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. Josiah is on record for his radical religious reforms, which included centralizing worship in Jerusalem, as well as eradicating idol worship after he discovered the Book of the Law in the Temple during repairs. He initiated a national spiritual revival, but his efforts were ultimately undone by his sons who came after as successors, leading to Judah's downfall. Of course, God punished the nation of Judah, but when you read the verse above, you would think God was speaking to a different nation. This is the peculiar thing about God's mercy: you cannot earn in by right or entitlement, and you cannot predict its reach or scope. You will never be able to explain how it works, yet there will be no doubt as to the impact in your life. Where would any of us be without the work of God's mercy in our lives?
The verse above speaks about God's mercy in forgiveness and restoration. His mighty power is displayed in His salvation, as He brings His people back into the land He promised them. Yes, things were bad, and the strong and mighty men of the land had been taken away, but when did God ever need human strength to do what He wants to do? He is Mighty all by Himself, and if He decides to leave in the midst of the nation only the afflicted and poor people, who will trust in the name of the Lord, then so be it. Picture the scenes of God rejoicing over His people with joy, resting in His love, and joying over His people with singing. It is a picture you just have to see. He loves the sinner, but hates the sin. He will punish sin, but His joy is to heal, restore and revive. Heaven rejoices when a sinner repents and returns to God. Still the same God of love, whose arms are still open wide, and whose heart is large enough to take as many as would turn to Him for restoration. Would you? God's time of favour is here.
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