Complete dependence upon the
Lord for all needed help this evening wish to direct your very
prayerful attention to the second portion that we read together
in the prophecy of Zephaniah And taking for our text the final
paragraph, as it were, in our chapter, which is verses 14 to
20. I shall simply read them through
the once. Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and
rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord hath taken
away thy judgments. He hath cast out thine enemy.
The King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee. Thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said
to Jerusalem, Fear thou not, and to Zion, Let not thine hands
be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty. He will save. He will rejoice
over thee with joy. He will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing.
I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly who are
of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at
that time I will undo all that afflict thee. and I will save
her that halteth. I will gather her that was driven
out. I will get them praise and fame in every land where they
have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you
again, even in the time that I gather you. For I will make
you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth.
When I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord, You may think, well, this is
rather a long text. But I may remind you of the very
wise words of the Lord's late dear servant, Mr. Ernest Rowe,
who said that in the past many of our ministers have been guilty
of simply taking a single verse from what is no doubt part of
a whole. We must be careful, we must be
diligent friends to handle the Word of God appropriately. And this here is no different. You will notice in our authorised
version the translators, I may have said this before, but our
translators very wisely have indicated where the paragraphs
are to be found. And there is indeed a final paragraph
here from verse 14 to 20. This denotes where in the original
there was a gap in what has been said, where the narrator is simply
setting forth a new argument or a new statement. And here we have that very thing. Now, you will notice those of you
that are familiar with the prophecy of Zephaniah, that the majority
of this prophecy is one of judgment. And we know, don't we, through
the way that men are, is there's no problem talking about judgment
so long as they don't think it includes them. Well here, friends,
we have a prophecy of judgment and consolation. You see, throughout
the minor prophets, we see this continual theme. We have to be
reminded that these are the minor prophets, not because their prophecies
are worth any less, but simply because they are shorter in duration
than the others. And, may we ask ourselves this
question as we continue, as we consider to continue our topic
this evening. How often do we hear a discourse
from such a prophecy? I believe, friends, as the professed
church, we are very guilty in neglecting these prophecies.
They have much to say to us. Particularly, friends, in the
causes where the supply ministry is the order of the day. I was
brought up in a chapel that had the supply ministry and throughout
probably the first 25 years of my life, I had never heard a
sermon. Certainly the first 18 years
I'd never heard a sermon from this prophecy. We are to preach,
friends, the whole Word of God and it's been my burden to bring
before the people in the places I've been favoured to preach
in recent times some of the lessons, some of the great lessons that
the prophets of old have been favoured to speak. Now, the name
Zephaniah means the one whom Jehovah hides. Names having that
tremendous significance, particularly in Old Testament days. Where
was Zephaniah hiding? Where was his trust? What did
he look to? What do we not find? The answer
in verse 7 of chapter 1. We must be very diligent to see
Christ in all the Scriptures. And here we find Him. Hold thy
peace at the presence of the Lord God. For the day of the
Lord is at hand. For the Lord hath prepared a
sacrifice. He hath bid his guests. The Lord
hath prepared a sacrifice. What was Zephaniah speaking of
here? He was speaking of the Messiah
that was to come. But by way of context, what do
we find? I read very deliberately in your
hearing from the book of the Kings, earlier in the service. And that
was to give us some indication of to what the state of the people
of Israel were in prior to Josiah's reformations. Indeed, this prophecy
was contemporary with that. Just before the Reformations
took place, we think possibly around the 610-620 AD, BC, something
like that. And indeed, the people were in
a state. They were in a mess. A real mess. And we can very readily find,
we can very readily see, that the real worshippers were but
few and far between. And it's always been that way. You see, the condition of the
worship was a disgrace, really. nothing short
of a disgrace. There were those who came to
worship, and what do we find in chapter 3? Those that came
to the temple, verse 4, her prophets are light and treacherous persons. Light and treacherous persons.
Now, Zephaniah is largely neglected,
as some commentators feel, because it contains within it no fresh
themes. Nothing that is different to
what may be found elsewhere. But can we not say it could be
speaking in 2015? Can we not say that the word
that Zephaniah is speaking is to the very contemporary church
at large? The political scene was one of
which the leaders lined their own pockets at the expense of
the people. They oppressed the people. It
was a heavy yoke to be living in such days. And the services were nothing but self-serving
light touch, entertainment for the benefits of those who conducted
them. Light, we read. They considered
the worship of God a light thing. A trivial thing. They brought
what they considered to be right in their own eyes to the worship
of God. Now, that indeed is a gross sin. We can only come before the Lord
with that which he has described, that which he has set forth.
In his own word, these people were self-serving, and man, we
heard of man, been at the center of religion this morning, and
at the center of life, and that's precisely what we have here. You see, the Word of God has
to sift, doesn't it? It has to divide. It has to separate. There has to be a winnowing.
There has to be that great divide as we were favoured to preach
among the brethren at Braybourne Lees last Lord's Day. There was
a division because of Him. Because of Him. Because of Him. Time and time we see that theme
throughout the Scripture. And there were those that despised,
that hated the words of Zephaniah, the prophecy that the people
would indeed come into captivity because of their idolatry. They'd set at nought, they'd
put to one side the will of the Lord to simply engage in their most vile idolatry. Israel was always apt to fall
into idolatry. And when it was so, society broke
down and the church became a laughing stock. Today, society is broken
down and the National Church is a laughing stock. Nothing
other than that. But, praise God, friends, I say
these things because, because there is always that divide,
isn't there? There is always the remnant. There is always
the remnant. And these were the people that
sought the Lord, that sought righteousness, that looked unto
Him. And we find them. In verse 12
we sang that hymn. Actually, it has particular memories
for me. It was sung at my grandmother's
funeral, who had suffered many years of affliction. Poor and
afflicted, Lord of thine, among the great, unfit to shine. And
though the world may think it strange, they would not with
the world exchange. That's what we find here in verse
12. when Zephaniah says, and I will
also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and a poor people
and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. Poor in themselves,
perhaps afflicted in body also, certainly oppressed. But what do we read in the Beatitudes?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, Blessed are they that mourn,
and blessed are the peacemakers, and so on. These are the people
that trust in the Lord. And verse 13 bears it out. The
remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither
shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth. These are the things that are
spoken of In verse 14 we see that contrast, as it were. Many
of the prophets speak like this, don't they? We have that condemnation,
we have that judgment, and then we have a turning, as it were.
Sing, O daughter of Zion, to sing in the midst of affliction. Now, do we not remember those
that sang the Lord's praises in going to the stake. Do we not remember those that
sing in the face of the enemy of the
harlot church, the Antichrist of Rome in former times. They
sung the Psalms, they sung the Lord's praises, they sung spiritual
songs. Be glad and rejoice with all
the heart. or daughter of Jerusalem. You see, the Lord had sent Zephaniah
to preach unto these people. And when the Lord ever has something
to say, He always sends a preacher. Here are the people who had received
Zephaniah. And he says this, The Lord hath
taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out Thine enemy. Cast out thine enemy. What do
we read in the 20th chapter and verse 1 of those familiar words
as they come to mind in the book of the Revelation? And I saw
an angel come down from heaven having the key to the bottomless
pit. and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the
devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. This is the
work done. This is the work done. And we
have to remember the Lord himself in that land, slain from the
foundation of the world. These things are done in eternity. Yes, in time the Lord Jesus was
to come to be born of a woman and born under the law and live
that righteous life. These things had to take place
in time but here we can see the work of salvation. Is it not
an eternal work? The Lord hath taken away thy
judgments. He has cast out thine enemy.
Oh, the enemy comes, does he not? Not only personally at times,
to tempt, not only does he come to accuse, but in the day of adversity,
he may come in like a flood, like he did here to these people,
at Jerusalem. Zephaniah says, the King of Israel,
even the Lord, is in the midst of things. what is this saying? it says
everything that happens in this world is no accident it's no
accident and all indeed all works out unto the furtherance of the
gospel the furtherance of the gospel these people were under
hardness they were under opposition if you hold the worship of God
in its purity. There may be those of whom you
have to separate from, come out from, reject. Remember Mr. Philpott of old
had to leave the established church because he said quite
simply, the church is brought out of the world, it's not part
and parcel of it. And thus here, the priests, those
that offered the worship in the name of religion, were doing
so to their own honour and glory and not to the Lord's. And that
was the difference here. That was the difference. Zephaniah
preached salvation by faith in the sacrifice. You know, people talk as though
the Old Testament prophets didn't really know what was happening.
But what did Job say? I have found a ransom. I know that my Redeemer liveth
and shall stand on the latter day upon the earth. Job knew it. And that, Job, is
probably the oldest book that has ever been written. You see, these men knew what
they were trusting in. This was a work of faith. You
see, it's always been the same. People sort of have this rather
odd idea that the Church was somehow different in the Old
Testament days. People didn't really know what
they were looking for. But friends, we know We have
that gallery of faith in Hebrews 11. These men, these women walked
by faith. Without faith, it is impossible
to please God. In that day it shall be said
to Jerusalem, fear thou not, and to Zion, let not thine hands
be slack. This is a promise that they'd
be delivered from captivity. This is a promise. But it also
speaks of the ultimate promise of the coming of the Saviour.
It speaks of also the final glory. As they often, when the prophets
spoke, they spoke in more than one sense, in more than one meaning.
And that's what we have here. Fear thou not. And to Zion, let
not thy hands be slack. Don't be cast down. Don't be
cast down. There's times we're apt to be
like that. We're apt to be honest with you
in the last month or two. In some ways we've been quite
depressed. But we're reminded of this sacred
promise, aren't we? Let not thine hands be slack. To have the countenance of those
who aren't defeated. to have the countenance of those
of whom have nothing to live for, as it were. Friends, these
people were in the covenant promise. We'll come to that in a moment. Here is a reminder that when
everything was against them providentially and ecclesiastically the Lord
knew exactly where they were. fear thou not and to Zion let
not thine hands be slapped the Lord thy God in the midst of
thee is mighty now we have to search our hearts don't we? because
we say that we believe in the sovereignty of God we say that
the Lord is over all things. We say that the Lord's hand is
not shortened, that it cannot serve. But do we really believe
it? Do we really believe it? Are
we prepared? Somebody said to me on the phone
yesterday, they said, if there was an inpouring of people from
the streets with all manner of problems and issues and he says
I don't know if we'd be prepared for it if there was a real move
of the spirit would we be ready? I speak to myself as much as
others here we who profess the Lord and may profess a measure
of maturity in spiritual things in some respects how we prepare for the Lord to
work as I go around preaching in some
of the evidence that I see is rather to the contrary and I don't say that with any
glee at all but when you see the witness in the times of our
forefathers, of which I love to read of, reading at the moment
of Mr George Wright of Beckles, who brought the Norfolk and Suffolk
Association out from Fullerism and established a new association
on High Calvinist principles. These were men that believed
they got something to preach. Friends, we've got a better Gospel
to preach than Andrew Fuller and his followers in the evangelical
churches today that have what we've heard of tonight of this
light touch religion. We don't want that. We can't
have that. We can't have that. We must have real things, friends.
Real things. And here we have it. The Lord
is mighty. He will save. He will save. This is free grace at work. and I'll tell you this, this
is a separating ministry. The other day in the Gospel Standard
Library I was favoured to meet a man who lives in West Sussex
who is a high doctrine man and he spends much time preaching
in China. He's an Englishman but he preaches
in China and he said to me that when persecution came All the
nominal Christians joined the Communist Party. Well, does that not tell us everything? And we would find the same today.
If open persecution came, nominal professors would disappear. Overnight. Like that. Friends, we must have reality. Zephaniah was preaching in the
face of adversity. He says the Lord is mighty. He
will save. He will save. There's no hint
of duty faith here, is there? There's no hint of a free offer
of the gospel. There's no hint of free will, universal atonement,
or anything of that nature. God has done His bit, now you've
got to do yours. He says He will save. He will
save. And He will save. And He does
save. And He does save. This is the mercy. This is the
mercy. And here we enter into covenant
promise in the following text. He will rejoice over thee with
joy. You see here we have a wonderful
testimony. to free and sovereign grace that
the Lord delights in His Church. He delights in His Church. He delights in His Church. The
representation that we have in the epistles and even in Ephesians
and chapter 5 we can see Christ is united to His Bride. He cares
for Watches over it. Is jealous for it. And you see Christ is a real
husband. Those of us that are natural husbands, we have faults,
we have failings. Our wives know them well. Some
of them are quite obvious. But friends, Christ, the real
husband, The bride of Christ is never failed. The Lord never
fails his people. What we have in the natural marriage
is but a picture of that which is found in heaven. He will rejoice over thee with
joy. There is joy in heaven. over
one sinner that repenteth. You see, mercy is free. It's
free. It's free. It's for debtors. It's for those who have no hope
in and of themselves. We say these things often, but
we can't say them glibly. And I love the line in that hymn
we quoted it in prayer, free grace to such as sinners be and
say my soul, why not for me? Why not for me? This is for sinners. He will rejoice over thee with
joy. Joy. There's a joy to be found
in the Gospel. This is a joy that's imparted.
It's set forth. The presence of the Holy Ghost.
Is this not what we mourn? We can be so lifeless, can't
we? We can be so indifferent. Oh, that the Spirit would move
in our souls, enliven us. We read those solemn warnings
in the book of Revelation. The fault of the church is that
they were lukewarm. Lukewarm. If we find lukewarmness
in the pulpit, friends, we'll find it in the pew. Oh, that
we will be delivered from lukewarmness. He will rejoice over thee with
joy. Why? Because the righteousness of
Christ is enough. That's why. It's enough. He will rest in His love. Now
friends, I don't need to dwell on this. We've heard many sound
sermon from this pulpit by our own pastor in his own ministry. One of his strengths, we can
say these things because we're to speak well of others, not
of ourselves, but one of his strengths is the position of
the covenant and the position of the believer and how he is
found within the covenant. Oh, covenant love cannot be undermined. It cannot be undermined. It will
rest in His love. This love is found in covenant
bounds. Chosen of the Father, set forth
and redeemed by the Son. The Lord is in covenant promise
at God the Father with the Son. And the work of the Spirit is
that which brings these things about. He will rest in His love. Isn't the work of Christ enough?
It's enough. It's enough. Nothing else will
do. We can't add anything to it. And we can't take anything
from it. It's enough. He will joy over thee with singing.
We've covered part of that in verse 14. But singing is not
that which speaks of joy. We're more apt to sing when we
are joyful, or to sing when we are to render some praise unto
the Lord. But we see here that He will
joy over thee with singing. Very interesting. and a very intriguing clause. Does it not
in some way indicate the victory that the children of Israel have
when been set free from captivity? Some people try and set these
words in the context of some kind of future restoration of
the Jews, but we can't say we find that anywhere within the
context at all, can we? It's utterly ridiculous. I will
gather them that are sorrowful from the solemn assembly. The
context here is essential. They were those who were separated
from the true Word of God. I'm always sad I'm always sad
when I find people, real believers in the Lord, who are isolated
and cannot find a suitable place in which to worship the Lord
on the Sabbath day. I'm not talking about those people
who willfully neglect the Lord's house. We always find these people
isolationists, one-man denominations. They're not to be commended.
We're to be wary of them, actually. And we find here that there are
those who, through providence, may be separated from the Lord's people. They're sorrowful for the solemn
assembly. They can't unite with those who
disgrace the Lord's name through idolatrous worship. Who are of
thee, whom the reproach of it was a burden. They can see the
hand of the Lord going out against the worship that was offered.
And thus they desire something better. Oh friends that you and
I would always desire that which is only to be found in the Lord's
Word, that worship which He has set forth. And we've said it
before, we simply repeat it for emphasis, that they continued
steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine, the preached Word,
in the breaking of bread, the ordinance of the Lord's Table,
and prayers, the prayer meeting. And as soon as we move away from
that, As soon as we have a Sunday school, as soon as we have a
ladies meeting, we're on a wrong tack. Oh friends, that we would
keep the solemn assembly. Notice it's a solemn assembly.
The worship of God is a serious business. To take the Lord's
name upon our lips is a serious thing. He is to be honoured. He is to be revered. And we would
endeavour to be kept in that way. Behold, at that time I will
undo all that afflict thee, and I will save her that halteth,
and will gather her that was driven out." The Lord will bring
to naught those that afflict you. I have seen in my short
life people who have opposed me brought to nothing. I've not had a hand in it. But
when we touch the Lord's people, we touch the apple of His eye.
Touch not mine anointed, do my prophets no harm. It were better
for them than a millstone to be cast around their neck, than
for them to harm one of these little ones. Here we have the
truth that the Lord will avenge His own. You won't have to take
up arms against them. You won't have to You won't have
to engage in ecclesiastical battles with such people, because the
Lord will bring them to nothing. He'll bring them to nothing.
We have to be very careful how we deal with others, because
the Lord's judgment may very well go out against us, if we
harm the Lord's people. And here, those in civil and
ecclesiastical positions of power did just that. Those that feared
the Lord were marginalised, they were oppressed. The people here, God's elect,
could see the judgement that was coming. But the Lord cheers
them, He gives them this promise. The Lord will undo all that afflict
thee, those that cause you harm, those that cause you pain, the
Lord will deal with them. and gather her that was driven
out. Those that halteth the lame,
those that can't fight for themselves, the Lord will fight for you.
The Lord will fight for you. Gather her that was driven out.
The Lord gathers in His people, He gathers in His elect, He brings
them to Himself. This is His sovereign work, this
is His sovereign purpose. and I will get them praise and
fame in every land where they have been put to shame. This is a real comfort to sinners
who are oppressed and at that time I will bring you again this
is not only speaking of the deliverance from captivity at the hand of
the Babylonians But this speaks to God's elect. Again, we can't
simply say, well, this is for the Jews and none other. Friends, we make a gross exegetical
error in setting forth that view. These are the promises that are
fulfilled in the Lord's Church. Israel being that very type of
the Church, all of the promises to Israel, are they not ours?
Are they not ours? This Lord's spiritual Israel? All these are spiritual lessons
that are to be learnt. They're experimental lessons,
are they not? I will bring you again. Do we
not see that similar language? It is amazing, isn't it? Here we have the Prophet Zephaniah. He never met Isaiah as far as
we know. They were born in a different
time. But we have that language, it
is very familiar, "...and the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall
flee away." Similar language, isn't it? Similar language. Two men, born of a different
generation, born of a different time. God's servants, God's prophets. They're using this language.
Oh, it is precious. It is precious, so that it would
be made precious to us. It would be made precious to
us. You see, he speaks of gathering
in his people. for I will make you a name and
a praise among the people of the earth what happens when the
Lord brings his people together? well they come to worship his
name they build preaching places like this don't they? and my
heart is always warmed and when I walk into a a house of the Lord. And the pulpit is at the centre,
with the Bible set at the very front. And not the altar, not the confessional,
not some other man-centred or priest-craft invented form of
worship all that the Lord would exalt His Word, that He would
bring His people together to hear it, and hear it gladly,
and hear it gladly. Can we not say today that we've
been brought together, favoured to be brought together? When
the Lord gives His people a name and a praise among the people
of the earth, that does not mean natural fame, does it? That does
not mean natural success. It means a name among the people
of God. It means a name among His elect. It means a name among
the Church. A name among the Church. To know that the Lord has died
in our place. To know that He is ours. To know
that He has been our substitute. And you know the Lord performs
these things. I remember being quite a deflated state in my
late teens and very early twenties. And I read Acre's Gloomy Vale. It was the testimony of the late
James Wells of the Surrey Tabernacle. And I remember reading the testimony, he said, I'd come
to the end of myself. He'd been working hard as a labourer
with his wheelbarrow all day. He said, I'd come to the end
of myself. He said, I'd been told all manner of things by
all manner of people. I collapsed on my bed. He said,
I read Isaiah 54 of the barren woman and I came to verse 8. And I read, in a little wrath
I hid my face from thee in a moment. But with everlasting kindness
will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord my Redeemer. He said,
and I could say that I was a child of God and that my name was written
in heaven. And never forget it. Never forget
it. This is the Lord's redeeming
mercy. This is being given a name in Zion. This has been set forth
as His dear children. And oh friends, if we've been
granted these things, we can do nothing but bring praise and
honour unto our God and say, from free grace alone, from first
to the last, He has won my affections and bound my soul fast. This is the work of the free
grace of God. And now we are favoured to hear
it and we are favoured to preach it and we are favoured to know
it within our own souls. He will gather you. The Lord
brings His people together. See that's what I'm saying about
people who isolate themselves. Friends, If we come into contact
with the people of whom we can unite with, we go, don't we?
I came from Yorkshire, here, to unite with you here, because
I hold dear the same truths, the same high doctrine, the same
experimentalism. These are the things that I had
to come to, that I had to see. Friends, we'll say this, when
the Lord brings us to a people, we never regret it. We never
regret it. He brings us out, He gathers
us under His name. For I will make you a name and
a praise among all the people of the earth. All the people of the earth. Think of this. You could have been born anywhere. You could have been born in the
most God-hating God-defying, blasphemous, rebellious family, and perhaps you were. But the Lord, in His providence
and by His grace, has brought you into His house today. And
for some of you, I know, has brought you to a real understanding
and a real appreciation of these things. the Lord makes a name
and a praise among all his people in the earth, all the people
in the earth, all these people that pass by the doors of this
chapel the doors of this chapel they don't refrain from coming
in because we've not tried hard enough to get them to come in they don't come Because they
say I have no need of these things. I have no need of your hostile
religion and your serious services. These are the separating truths
of free grace. Friends we want men and women
to come in. We want those hungry souls, those
who seek, are anxious to know and hear the Lord at work, again,
that we would be prepared for such. Genuinely so. Genuinely
so. For I will make you a name and
a praise among all the people of the earth. To know that we
are the Lord's. To be brought out of darkness
and into light. All these people, they had their
afflictions, they had their sorrows, their outward circumstances,
their proneness to sin, the lack of a suitable place to worship
the great God of Israel, as it were. And we notice, those that
were converted, they have the harlot. name and the leper they
joined with the people of God didn't they in worship and that's
what the Lord's people will do that's what they'll do they won't
come in and want to change us they won't come in and want to
change us they will come in and join in with the people of God
they will love his worship a name and a praise from all the people
of the earth think of it think of it the Lord's mercy is to
you His providence is to you And if you've come in tonight
into this cause of truth, Providence has brought you here. Perhaps
you've been favoured into being brought up in a household where
the Lord is worshipped and where His name is honoured. And we're
unmoved. It's one of the things that was
such a burden and such a concern to me. To whom much is given,
much shall be required. Much should be required. Oh, that the Lord would open
our eyes and make us to feel our need of Him. The Lord says this, when I turn
back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord. The Lord, He made, He gave these
people a name, didn't He? He gave these people a name.
They were known for worshipping the Lord. But the enemies of
Israel took notice. This little nation, this small
nation here, the Lord has gone with them. The Lord has gone
before them. The Lord has undertaken for them. They feared the great
God of Israel. They feared Oliver Cromwell when
he smashed the idols in the established church. or that the Lord would raise
another Cromwell in our day. You see, men fear the name of
the Lord. And the Lord raises up those
in civil, political, and in, more importantly, in ecclesiastical
office for His great name's sake. The Lord has raised men over
several hundred years in this nation we have to we can't be
simply look to the past and rest on the past we have to acknowledge
what the Lord has done but oh what about our day? what about
our day? do we really believe that the
Lord can work and will work? do we really believe? do we really
believe? that the Lord is suffering, that
his hand is shortened, that he cannot save. Do we really believe
it? I'll come back to this again. Do we really believe it? Do we
really believe it? Oh that the Lord would turn our
captivity. As he turned the captivity of
Job when he prayed for his friends. The people here were in a low
place. But oh friends they could say that even in the midst of
all of this He would leave an afflicted and a poor people.
But they would trust. In the name of the Lord. Our
time is gone. We'll leave it there for this
evening. Amen.