“…He will quiet you with his love…”

Things were ready. Everyone was still. The praise band had finished playing. Then a man began the service by saying, “This morning we want to worship the Lord, and our focus for today is ‘Quieter’ God is quieter”. So far, so good. “And the first thing that came to my mind”, he continued, “was, Quieter than what?” No, not that kind of quieter, but quieter. You know, one who quiets or makes someone quiet. That kind of quieter. After checking with a few other translations, he got it.

We find this particular description of the Lord in the seemingly hidden book of Zephaniah. This prophet ministered in the reign of King Josiah. Josiah, you may know, was a man who led one of the most significant reforms in Jewish history. In fact, his Passover celebration was unparalleled among any king of Judah before or since (2 Chronicles 35:18). It is quite likely that Zephaniah was somewhere in the mix, if not the center, of such changes. Despite all of their combined efforts at turning Judah around, these reforms didn’t even endure beyond Josiah’s life. Previous wickedness had piled up for too long, and there was no stopping its momentum now. Things began deteriorating again before Josiah died. Four brief puppet kings followed before Nebuchadnezzar swept Jerusalem from the history books for seventy years.

As a writing prophet, Zephaniah followed the typical pattern of most of his Old Testament colleagues, namely, that along with the predicted judgments came a section of hope that pointed to a glorious future. Quoting the Lord, Zephaniah started pretty strong and spoke of ubiquitous judgment: “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth…I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth” (1:2-3). Not a pretty picture, is it? The book goes on to issue judgments against Judah and her surrounding neighbors, Jerusalem and finally all nations (3:8). But he closes his letter with some of what we might call, “prophetic relief”. He finishes with a picture of restoration and hope. And what a restoration it is!

In 3:14 the whole tone of his letter abruptly shifts to “Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.” Here we read of a coming time — specifically the fulfillment of the restored Davidic Kingdom — when the “King of Israel”, or Messiah, will rule the nations. “On that day”, verses 16-17 continue, “they will say to Jerusalem, ‘Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save’”. This is a far cry from how Zechariah described Jerusalem as “a cup that sends all the surrounding nations reeling” (12:2). No, Zephaniah says this time will be different: “He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing”.

So what is the source of this future time of glory and blessing? The Lord says it twice: “the Lord…is with you”. That’s it? That’s all? Nothing more? Well, let’s not miss what he’s saying from skimming over it too hastily. He describes what other prophets more fully point out, namely, the reality of a married couple in each other’s presence. It may be that they are holding each other, or sitting next to each other. They are close, and their mutual presence communicates, “With you at my side things will be fine, things will work out”. If you are married you know what I mean (or you should know!). You are his bride, and the Lord your God is with you! Let that sink in, let it wash over you. But that is the real problem, isn’t it? We don’t spend enough time allowing the presence of our Lord to have its intended effect. We miss the fact that he takes “great delight in you”, that “he will quiet your heart with his love”, calming those internal storms that are frequently much worse than those outside. Ask yourself this: “What does it sound like for the God of the universe to sing over me? What does the joy of his divine voice sound like?”

God wants to quiet your heart. That’s one reason why Jesus came to die. Have you been enjoying or missing the immense joy, the sheer delight God has for you? Are you anticipating his song for you?