“When I Return Your Captives Before Your Eyes” (Zeph 3)

(vs18-20) “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes, says the Lord”.

The time is coming when the tables will be turned, and the Lord will show us victory. He is for us, and in due time, He’ll reveal to everyone else that He is on our side (Rom 8:31).  He is cleansing us, so that we can be saved and triumphantly exalted before all creation.

The Lord Jesus was poor, rejected, and despised of men, but God is for Him, exalted Him, and soon, He shall return in clouds of glory.  Let us look upon salvation this way. God brings us painful chastisements and cleanses the pride within, but then He exalts us. One day soon, He will, “gather those who were driven out”, and, “appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame” (vs19).  The world appears to be winning, but it is not, and the WORD of God gives us strength to carry on.

Don’t fret that He deals painfully with you, because He has victory in mind in your in chastisement.  He says, “Therefore wait for Me, says the Lord, Until the day I rise up for prey; my determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.  For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord” (vs8-9).  Many people can’t be reproved. The market crashes, the home is destroyed, and the religion proves false, but they do not turn or repent. He says, “I have cut off nations, their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, with none passing by.  Their cities are destroyed; there is no one, no inhabitant. I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction’ – so that her dwelling would not be cut off, despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds” (vs5-7). Yet you are tender, touched by your sinfulness, and troubled. He puts His hand on you and you beg for mercy. He says, “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering” (vs10).  You are the people who mourn in Zion, who pray for holiness, and you are being purged inwardly continually.  Stay the course. He favors you.

The wicked appear to be prospering, but it is only because they are asleep at the wheel.  They are spiritually ignorant, heap up wrath, and yet they feel no present pain like zombies.  He says, “The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame” (vs5).  I’m told that lepers rub their eyes and noses away, not because these things are destroyed by leprosy, but because they’re unable to feel the pain.  They rub, scratch, and the end result is gross.  Paul said, “having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of god, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Eph 4:18-19). It is the same with HAPPY sinners now.  All is going well, so they think, but they really are walking off a cliff, and yet sensing no danger.  You, however, are chastised to repentance, and fruit unto salvation is the result. Bless God that He chooses to change you, or you’d never be saved in the end.

Finally, God’s grace CLEANSES before it comforts. He says, “In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me; for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall not longer be haughty in My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid” (vs11-13).  He never gives the peace of forgiveness without repentance from sin. It is always the same.  He says, “Neither do I condemn you”, and, “Go, and sin no more. Faith is no idle thought; it is active surrender to the word of God.  We lean upon Christ as the One He who died for our pardon.  He’s also the One who gives us power to live holy because of the blood He shed.

Don’t fear that He’s against you. He says, “Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more.  In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.  The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (vs14-17). He’s chastened, so that He can rejoice over us with love, even as a proud parent looks upon a well-mannered child (Prov 23:24). He looks upon us lovingly WHILE we’re sinners, but love provokes Him to clean us up, because justice demands that we be saved FROM our sins, so that we can be rewarded with the righteous.

Bless His name. He cares for you, smiles over you, and He shall exalt you in the presence of everyone, when He reveals your holiness and judges the wickedness of sinners.