God Will Restore His People So That They Will Trust and Obey HimZephaniah 3:9-20

Main Idea: God is rich in mercy and will restore His people to a place of prominence and blessing.

1. God Will Restore His People (3:9-10).
2. God Will Preserve the Dignity of His People (3:11a).
3. God Will Renew His People (3:11b-12).
4. God Will Give His People Rest (3:13).
5. God Will Protect His People (3:14-15).
6. God Will Grace His People (3:16-20).

God Will Restore His People (Zephaniah 3:9-10)

Up to this point, the book of Zephaniah has essentially been one withering critique after another. Arguably the most painful book in the Bible, it has not left us excited and hopeful for more. In what has surely felt like one body blow after another, God has chastised His people, called them to repentance, and threatened them with judgment. In all of this, however, we have maintained that His love and justice are the motivating factors for His behavior. While that can be difficult to see while we are making our way through the first three-plus chapters, it all begins to come into focus now as the book takes what appears to be a decidedly sharp turn, but what is, in fact, consistent with the loving message of judgment that we have heard throughout the rest of the book.

Zephaniah begins verse 9 by declaring that God will “restore pure speech” to His people. This claim of restoring pure speech means much more than just clean language. This is a reference to being purified. It speaks of repentance being accomplished in the hearts of God’s people. From rampant rebellion to penitent humility, the people of Judah have been rescued and redeemed. To be purified means to be cleansed. Purification occurs when we are both forgiven and repentant. The old sin is gone and the future behavior is not the same as the past. The result of this purification, then, will be a readiness to call on Yahweh and worship Him with their lives.

Notice two specific ways in which they will respond to His grace. First, they will call on His name. For a people who had previously struggled to trust God, this is a marvelous turnaround. By calling on His name, they are indicating trust in Him. They are affirming His character and His deity, and they are recognizing their need for Him. This is a significant departure from their previous behavior. As a people who trusted in themselves almost exclusively, this represents the kind of change that only God, through His redemptive activity, can accomplish. The call of the gospel reflects this kind of turnaround. Those who used to live for themselves are now dying to themselves precisely because they are trusting in Him. Jesus, in the gospel of Luke, clarified the expectation of the gospel: “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me’” (Luke 9:23). What we are seeing here, with the people’s purification, is their forgiveness and repentance. This opening line is just a glimpse—a taste—of the grace of God that is about to be poured out on His people, and it all begins here with their trust in Him.

Second, not only are they trusting God, they are now committed to serving Him—but not just serving Him, they are committed to doing so with “single purpose.” This is, again, far different from the message we heard throughout the rest of the book. These had been a people who were focused on themselves and whose focus was scattered across a host of different ideals and goals. Instead, they are now united in their focus on God and His commands. This, of course, is the natural response to the grace of God being applied in one’s life. We are repentant, we believe, and we are transformed. The transformation is so much more than just a concept, it is a reality, as our lives are redirected and our focus is radically changed.

As God is restoring His people, calling them to faith and repentance, He is also collecting His children back, so that they might offer to Him an offering of worship. This is the culmination of the gospel. God pursues His wandering children, bringing them into His adopted family and allowing them to enjoy His presence. This is why the Westminster Catechism begins with “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” The goal of our redemption is our enjoyment in God. Gathering us together from around the world, God is redeeming a people for Himself. This is the beautiful picture we see resonating across the book of Revelation:

After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! (Rev 7:9)

God Will Preserve the Dignity of His People (Zephaniah 3:11a)

Among the most astonishing truths about God and His creation is that God has created humanity in His image. In Latin this is referred to as the imago Dei. Unfortunately, that image was stained through Adam and Eve’s fall from grace in Genesis 3, and the stain has been passed down from one generation to the next ever since. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom 5:12). This tragic heritage of stained image—sin—has radically impaired humanity. In fact, Scripture says that because of it, all humanity is dead. However, one of the breathtaking truths of the grace of God is that God desires not only to make us alive again, but to restore us as heirs to His kingdom, as adopted children of God. Therefore, His redemption removes not only our death, but also our shame. This is the point Zephaniah is making in the beginning of verse 11.

You and I, and the people of Judah, deserve shame. Through serious and persistent disobedience, we have constantly rejected God and run away from His presence. Yet God, in His grace, has been just as persistent in His pursuit of humanity. All the way back to the Garden of Eden, we find God calling out for Adam, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9). From that point forward God has been pursuing humanity, in spite of our sin, in an effort to redeem and restore us. That is breathtaking love!

For God to commit to the people of Judah that they would not be put to shame is for God to practice indescribable grace and forgiveness. It is reminiscent of what we find in Hebrews, describing Jesus’ orientation to those who have been redeemed: “For the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers” (Heb 2:11). The thought that Jesus is “not ashamed” of us is astonishing, and it helps to explain just how thorough God’s work of redemption is among us. We were lost, helpless, and rightfully covered in shame, and through the grace of God we are able to be restored and made free from shame. “Because your shame was double, and they cried out, ‘Disgrace is their portion,’ therefore, they will possess double in their land, and eternal joy will be theirs” (Isa 61:7).

God Will Renew His People (Zephaniah 3:11b-12)

Zephaniah continues on this magnificent trajectory of grace at the end of verse 11 and through verse 12. God is going to redeem the people and restore the people, not to mention remove their shame, and now Zephaniah describes one of the ways God will transform the people. Continuing the theme we heard in the previous few verses, God is restoring His people, returning them to the condition Adam and Eve were in in the garden of Eden before they sinned. The people of Judah were a proud people, as the text describes. As they trust in God, though, they are rejecting their trust in self. This rejection leads to the rejection of their pride. God confirms in this passage that He is turning them away from their pride and into something much different.

Instead of a prideful people who seek their own benefit, God is turning them into a humble people who seek Him. As we think through God’s grace and our response to it, it’s important to note that humility does not result from belittling ourselves. It is instead simply acknowledging the truth about ourselves—namely that we are not good by nature, nor are we able to save ourselves. We are mortal, fallible, and in need of help, and because of God’s grace, that help is provided.

Thankfully, as God takes away our pride and replaces it with humility, we find ourselves taking “refuge” in Him. In other words, instead of cowering before God as our judge, we now rest in His care as our provision. The psalmist understood this magnificent gift that God gives His children:

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Ps 91:1-2)

Maybe what is most encouraging—if not challenging—about God’s status as our refuge is how it positions the followers of God in the world. Consider the words of the psalmist:

God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil. (Ps 46:1-3)

This tremendous statement of trust was generated by their position under the refuge of God. As a result of their position, under God’s refuge, they were able to face whatever might come with great confidence, peace, and resolve. In a very real sense this is one of the most prominent distinguishing characteristics of the children of God. Our ability to trust in God when the world crashes around us is radically different from the response of the world. In fact, I have often considered that a theology of pain may be among the most important truths a Christian can comprehend. When we are tempted to fear, we instead place our trust in God. “When I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Ps 56:3).

God Will Give His People Rest (Zephaniah 3:13)

Not only does God promise to give His people refuge, He also promises to give them rest. Just as ours is, their culture would have been a busy culture. They would have known stress like we know stress. This reference to rest, however, is intriguing not only because it promises peace in the middle of a lack of peace, but it is even more intriguing as it describes what will lead to that peace. Peace, for the follower of God, will come not just from the removal of chaos (though a day is coming when that will happen), but from the removal of sin in our own lives. Notice the text. There will be no more wrongdoing. There will be no more lies. There will be no more deceitful tongues found among the remnant of Israel. Instead of those things, they will have peace.

This promise underlines what we ought to know but so often miss. So much of our stress and turmoil is a result of sin. As sin is eradicated from our lives, we find ourselves able to rest in the peace of God. God’s presence, His holiness, His righteousness, brings us peace. This was particularly the promise that was made regarding the coming Messiah: “But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds” (Isa 53:5). His wounds are the gateway to our peace. In the gospel our sin is transferred to Christ while His righteousness is transferred to us. In theological terms we would call this imputed righteousness. This is exactly what Paul describes for the Corinthian church: “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). It is this remarkable transfer that enables us to lie down and rest.

Furthermore, His people are able to lie down and rest without fear. This, again, speaks to the eradication of sin—the restoration of all things. God has redeemed us personally from sin and is also redeeming the whole world from sin. He will ultimately set everything right. Both His redemptive work—individually and corporately—and His provision as our security allows us the freedom to lie down with no fear of danger. This is what the psalmist was trying to convey in that most familiar of psalms, Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me. (vv. 1-5)

That God would love us so much that He would go to the lengths He did in order to secure our redemption, and then would go on to secure the restoration of all things, allowing us to lie down in peace with no fear of danger, speaks to His infinite grace and mercy. However, all of this becomes even more meaningful when you realize that God had to satisfy His own justice in order to extend grace, which means that God Himself would suffer, through His Son, in order that He might accomplish this grand work of redemption among His people and the rest of His creation.

God Will Protect His People (Zephaniah 3:14-15)

The Lord has redeemed His people. He has called them to repentance and has provided refuge and rest for the people of Judah. In the face of that, God encourages the people to celebrate. What has predominantly been a book that is both painful and low on hope has dramatically turned a corner. The appropriate response to the redemptive work of God among His people is to throw a party. This is precisely what God is communicating. What’s more, this is not just a momentary celebration. The understanding here is that this is their new way of life. This is not just a fleeting, volitional choice to “sing for joy” or “shout loudly.” This is a transformation of the heart. Israel was heading toward certain judgment and death, but instead they have inherited the grace of God. There is much to be excited about!

Verse 15 will explain the source of their joy. Their punishment has been removed, their enemies have been turned back, and their king is among them. We have reflected on this over and over throughout this book, but this is the story of the redemptive work of God on display for us to see. This is a picture of the gospel doing its good work in their hearts. It begins with their punishment being removed. This is in such stark contrast to the message we walked through six verses earlier:

Therefore, wait for Me—this is the Lord’s declaration—until the day I rise up for plunder. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, in order to pour out My indignation on them, all My burning anger; for the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy. (3:8)

They had earned God’s wrath, and rightly were in the crosshairs of His judgment. However, because of His grace they were now freed from that impending punishment.

Not only have they experienced freedom from judgment, but their enemies have been turned back. Of course, the greater image here is the turning back of the greatest enemy. Just as God turned back the enemies of Israel as He accomplished His redemptive work among His people, so too Satan, the great liar and enemy of our soul, will be turned back completely and forever. In fact, in the death of Christ his death was made certain.

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil—and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. (Heb 2:14-15)

The defeat of the enemy, coupled with the freedom from judgment, is enough to send anyone into an ecstatic celebration. However, these are joined together with one final reason for celebration.

The king has come! This simple little declaration is so powerful. Their king, Yahweh Himself, is among them. Those who had turned their back on God and had wandered far from Him were now gathered back together, and God was among them. This brings to mind Jesus, the Immanuel, the God who is with us: “See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated ‘God is with us’” (Matt 1:23). This, then, is the ultimate celebration. Far too often in contemporary evangelicalism we suggest that heaven is the goal of the gospel, which is simply not accurate. The Bible is clear that our sin separated us from God and that the goal of the gospel is reconciliation with God. Heaven is a benefit, not the goal, of the gospel. God is the goal of the gospel. This beautiful statement, that God is with them, is to confirm the greatest gift one can receive, that is, God.

God Will Grace His People (Zephaniah 3:16-20)

This chapter, and the book, now closes with what is one of the most stunningly beautiful passages in all of Scripture. In fact, even as I write, I struggle to describe adequately the breathtaking beauty of this passage. The vast majority of this book has been filled with condemning language. By the time the reader gets halfway through chapter 3 it feels as if we have been beaten up, along with Judah, over and over again. This is not to suggest that they did not deserve the judgment, because they did, but this book levels the judgment in ways no other book does. It is swift, it is intense, and it is certain. On the heels of that comes the end of the book, particularly verses 17 and following. God is with them. God is for them. God is celebrating over them. These would seem the most unlikely of thoughts after the vast majority of the book, but these are exactly what God communicates through Zephaniah here.

Confirming what we saw in Verse 15, God reiterates that He is among them. In other words, He is with them. This alone is the crown jewel of all the gifts that God can give, but God goes on to bless them with more. God is a “warrior who saves.” We see this description referenced in a number of other OT passages, but Job 16 is particularly helpful as we try to understand it: “He breaks through my defenses again and again; He charges at me like a warrior” (Job 16:14). Job is in the middle of one of his complaints when he says this. He is describing how God has behaved toward him. In the verses preceding it he claims that God has essentially assaulted him and left him helpless. In this verse he describes God as a warrior who cannot be stopped. Of course, our reading here in Zephaniah is a radically different picture of God. He is not harming Israel in any way but is instead bringing them grace. He is, however, battling. But His battle is with the enemies of Judah. This hard-charging behavior that Job describes is consistent with God’s behavior, only here it is on behalf of His people. His pursuit as a warrior is to save them. What a tremendous picture! It reminds us that our salvation, like the salvation of Israel, is not just a gift of grace (though it is), but is a hard fought victory over the forces of evil. Ephesians 6 is a good reminder here:

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (Eph 6:12)

Salvation is accompanied by a bloody price tag. Forgetting that can make it easy to dismiss or diminish salvation.

He is a warrior, but also, in a great contrast, we see a loving Father who rejoices over the return of His child. Just as He called His children to celebrate, He too joins in the celebration. We are told here that His celebration of us is filled with rejoicing, gladness, love, delight, and joy. It sounds much like a child at Christmas, this generous love of God. What makes this love stand out, aside from its face value, is that it is given to those who have so grievously rejected Him over and over again. The disobedient people of God have repented, so God celebrates with rejoicing. Israel dishonors God by living as if He does not exist but they turn back, so God pours out His love on them. The people of Judah chase after their own happiness, trusting only in themselves, but then become humbled and contrite before God, so God shouts with joy over their return. This is like the climax of a powerful movie. It is also much like the story of the prodigal son: “But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). This is a beautiful picture of affection from a father for his children.

As we consider God’s response to Israel, we have to recognize that God’s response to us is much the same. His people, made in His image, turned from Him, rebelled, and did not look back. For millennia now they have been running from Him, but some of them have returned. They have recognized their sin and come back to walk with God. Over each one of them God celebrates their return.

As the chapter concludes with verses 18-20, God promises Israel the hope of eternity. He brings them back together. He brings them back to Him. He pursues those who attack His children and vanquishes them. He takes those who have been broken and restores them to health. He takes those who have been shamed and restores their dignity. He gathers them to His kingdom and gives them places of honor and distinction. He then concludes the entire book with these three words: “Yahweh has spoken.” These three words affirm that what He has promised will come to fruition. He will make this happen for His people. He will show grace.

Such is the kingdom of God. It is the domain of the king—a place of righteousness, justice, and grace. A place for which those of us who bear His image were intended, but we marred that future with our choice of sin. In response to that, He sets the balance of the universe upright by allowing His own Son to take on His judgment, so that we might once again have a place in His kingdom as co-heirs with Jesus. This is the promise of Zephaniah. For those who will repent—who will hear His voice, and return to Him—to them He promises grace and restoration. So that raises the question, what should we do now? First of all, we should have faith in Him. Beyond that we should repent. Finally, we should live now as we will live then. We who have repented and believed have been adopted into His family. We are His children and we are now residents of His kingdom. Let us rejoice!

Reflect and Discuss

1. Do you find yourself struggling to trust in God? Have you repented recently of your tendency to trust in yourself?
2. In what ways does your trust in God lead to changed actions for God?
3. God is not ashamed of us, and He is removing our shame. How does that affect the way you view God?
4. In what areas do you still struggle with pride?
5. Do you struggle with stress? God has gone to great lengths to destroy sin, and one of the benefits is that we can “lie down in peace.” How do you need to trust God with your life and so experience His peace?
6. Our God is a God who is “among us” meaning that He is with us. Have you considered that being brought together in relationship with God is the purpose of your salvation? Have you thanked Him recently for His presence?
7. God is the conquering warrior who has defeated our enemies. How does this change the way you view your life, particularly when you have struggles?
8. God celebrates over you like a child at Christmas. Do you respond to God differently as you contemplate His love for you?
9. We have an eternal home awaiting us as believers in Christ. How does your anticipated return to paradise shape the way in which you live now?