Zephaniah 3:14 “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart O daughter of Jerusalem!”

I love it. Right in the middle of wrath and destruction there comes hope; a reason for rejoicing. As you read through Zephaniah you won’t see much for the people to rejoice over. It’s gloom and doom writing that is for sure. By the time you get to the middle of chapter three you may well be in the depths of depression. There is no escape it seems. God was warning and they were ignoring His warnings. Look at chapter three and verse seven.  God says that surely the people will fear him and accept his correction, “…But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt.”

Why are some in Zion told to rejoice then? It is because God is removing evil from among them. These haughty people are going away and those who are left will be humble and obedient. Because of their obedience God will take away any judgment against them. He has removed their enemies. He has removed evil so that they never have to be afraid of evil again. They have every reason to sing and rejoice. They have every right to do that from the bottom of their hearts.

This is exactly what God has accomplished for you through the cross of Jesus. The death of Jesus removed evil from your life. It separated you from an unholy people and made you holy. There are no longer judgments against you for He has taken judgment away. All of your enemies have been removed including the last one, death. God offers a new life if you will accept it by obeying the good news of Jesus.

Task for Today: First, make sure you have obeyed that form of doctrine Paul spoke of. He that believes and is baptized will be saved. He that believes and repents will be saved. Repentance leads to changed behavior which is demonstrated in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus through baptism. If that is the case with you, then the next thing is to rejoice. Sing with joy for your deliverance. Speak no lies, do no injustice, seek refuge in the name of the Lord.