Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)

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.

Every book in the old testament is about the foreshadowing of Jesus. Even the lesser known books like Zephaniah, Hosea, Habakkuk etc. 

Zephaniah is prophesying about our Lord and Savior Jesus. He is calling him the Lord our God who is in the midst of us. This means literally that God will come down and dwell among us. He adds that he will save, be happy over us, will rest in love, and will praise with singing. Jesus is also known as Emmanuel, meaning God with us who came into the world to save us from our sins and to bring us into a right relationship with God.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have been made perfect forever.

This perfection is not something we achieve by our own efforts or works, but something that has been accomplished for us by Jesus. When we believe in Him, we are clothed in His righteousness, and God sees us as holy and blameless.

The verse continues, "he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." God rejoicing over His people reveals the deep love that He has in those who have salvation. When we place our faith in Jesus, we are not only saved but also embraced by God’s love. He rejoices over us as a parent rejoices over their child. People often say you need to have humility but it is not our humility that brings about transformation. It is Christ who humbles us. Jesus taking on human form and dying for our sins is the ultimate act of humility, and it is through His work that we are brought low before God, recognizing our need for a Savior.

Zephaniah’s message and the entire gospel make it clear that our salvation is not based on our works or our ability to humble ourselves.

It is God who saves us, God who humbles us, and God who perfects us. Our role is simply to believe in the finished work of Christ, to trust in Him alone for our salvation. Trust in him for our happiness, trust in him for our peace, and trust him for all things.

All God wants from us is to rest in his love, his son, and his salvation. This rest comes from knowing that our salvation is secure, that we are perfected and made righteous by Jesus.

Don't strive or labor to earn God’s favor, just believe in the savior. (BARS)

Zephaniah assures us that God delights in us and rejoices over us because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

I truly hope we can embrace the fullness of our salvation through Christ. I also hope that none of us try to add to Jesus' works. Amen!