Read Zephaniah 3:14-20 and Matthew 23:37
“The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
Here in Zephaniah, we encounter a powerful series of statements about God’s powerful intervention and intimate love for His people in the midst of sin, evil and brokenness. This series of statements begins with a picture of God as “the Mighty Warrior who saves.” This is a picture of power in battle that is sufficient to accomplish the task to which it applies itself. God will do what He says He will do.
But it is not only that God will accomplish something, but that He will do so toward a certain end. What is that end? Well, salvation is the expected answer, and that is correct. However, we do well to ask what salvation looks like? Zephaniah tells us that salvation is characterized by God delighting greatly in His people, bringing them into peace with His love, and rejoicing over them with singing. The strength of the image of victory in battle is matched by a strength of tenderness in care and love.
God’s victory and love are brought into powerful focus through Jesus’ death and resurrection. There we see the power of God to defeat the forces of evil and overcome the reality of our sin with forgiveness. There we also see just how far God will go to rescue humanity because of His great love and joy over us.
I don’t know where you are right now when you are reading this. Perhaps racing through a day in the midst of a busy time of work or preparing for your day. Perhaps you are quietly reading it in your room. Perhaps catching it through a link on your smartphone as you have a moment between errands.
Stop for a moment. In our hectic world and restless interior lives, take a moment of peace and rest in these strong words about God’s victory and love for His people.
DIG DEEPER:
- What does the victory of Jesus’ death and resurrection mean to you?
- How does Jesus’ death and resurrection confirm the value of humanity to God and the joy of God in you specifically?
written by Matt Erickson
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