“The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.”
Into the Text
After graphically describing what the Day of the Lord would look like for Jerusalem, Babylon, and the nations around Judah, Zephaniah provides hope for the restoration to come. God promises to restore Jerusalem and the peoples of the earth so that they will be one, unified family.
Notice what is different in this promise. It is not that God would restore Jerusalem so that it would be a little bit better than before with a better king. No, God would make it completely new because He would be the king.
Zephaniah wasn’t the only one to write of this promise. As we continue reading in Scripture, God continues to reveal more of what this will look like. Revelation 21-22 gives an incredible picture of what the new Jerusalem would be like with God at the center.
God will once again be with His people face-to-face (Revelation 21:3). There will be no more pain or tears (21:4). We will never again have to deal with the evil of this world (21:8). We will have no need for lamps or lights because God’s glory will provide all the light we need (21:23). It will be glorious beyond anything we have ever seen (21:26-27). All tribes, tongues, and peoples will be together praising God for eternity (22:3-5).
The day is coming when God will make all things new. He will be our glorious king. What we see and experience today will not last forever. While we wait, we wait with hope. We also wait with a mission, to proclaim the gospel boldly so that all those walking in darkness can see the light of Jesus and be brought into the kingdom of God.
Prayer
God, thank you that this is not all that there is. I long for the day when you will make all things new. Help me to keep the end in sight and to wait with hope. While I wait, help me to make you known to those around me. Amen.