A Faithful Remnant

Zephaniah 3:8-13

8 "Therefore wait for Me," says the LORD,
"Until the day I rise up for plunder;
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.

9 "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.

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers,
The daughter of My dispersed ones,
Shall bring My offering.

11 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 no longer be haughty
In My holy mountain.

12 I will leave in your midst
A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

13 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."

Again there is a pattern and foreshadowing here of the completed people of God to come in Jesus Messiah.  While these verses do not predict or prophesy exact events to come and concern mainly the people of Israel in the time of Zephaniah, still the marks are evident.  God spoke of His rising up in judgment against the nations to pour out His fierce wrath on them for their sin.  He especially did it to remind His people as it was written that He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5) who yearned for and demanded their loyal hearts (2 Chronicles 16:9) even with their imperfect ability to live according to His word.   He looked for faith and repentance as He still does, desiring obedience of belief in His working of righteousness which we find fulfilled in Christ.  Yes, He promised to restore the ability to call on Him with a united way to praise and honor and glorify His name.  This did not occur in the days of the theocracy of Israel, but has in the completed people of God in Jesus Christ; in Him we speak the same things (1 Corinthians 1:10, 2 Corinthians 13:11) because He has put His law into our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33, 2 Corinthians 3:3) as He put Himself into us, His very presence to unite us as one from Israel and out of all nations as promised to Abraham (Genesis 17:4-5, Romans 4:11, 17-18).  Then He promised to bring back a remnant of those He dispersed (Micah 4:7), those whom he refined in the fire (Zechariah 13:9) of discipline and shaping in humility to level their pride of their own efforts and accomplishments.  Such is the gospel messenger and work in us all now as well.  He calls us as a people of the unseen kingdom, not of an earthly theocracy, but of a heavenly one.  We fulfill this word together with Israel to serve and worship in humility because we trust in the LORD and His work alone (John 6:28-29).  Just as the remnant of Israel would do no unrighteousness as a practice (1 John 3:6-7), so in Christ we can all set that as our goal which we run towards (Philippians 3:12-13) as we trust in His righteousness which we are found in.  We therefore need to follow the principles of the prophecies that tell us to speak no lies or pursue unrighteousness which is sin.  He alone makes His flock lie down at peace with Him (Romans 5:1) and without fear of eternal punishment (1 John 4:18).  We then feed the flock given to us as well.  Whom then shall we fear (Psalm 27:1, Romans 8:31-33, 38-39) if God Himself is for us as His chosen people?  He is our Great Shepherd and keeper of our souls as a faithful remnant (Romans 11:5-6) on the narrow path to life (Matthew 7:13-14) out of all humanity (Ephesians 1:9-10) who hear the gospel and receive Him (John 1:12) by God-given faith (Ephesians 2:8) to the salvation of our souls.  No one then will make us truly afraid in light of eternity.  He has delivered His people as a remnant out of the world from His wrath on sin to be forgiven and forever with Him!  This is a pattern of all the remnant taken out of all the nations together with Israel as His Kingdom people.