open your Bibles, if you will,
to the prophecy of Zephaniah. Just start at Matthew and turn
back a few pages past Malachi and Zechariah, and you'll come
to Zephaniah. Zephaniah's prophecy was given
during the days of Josiah. It is a prophecy of sure judgment
upon the ungodly. a prophecy declaring God's punishment
of sin, punishing men for sin who fully deserve sin or deserve
punishment because of their sin. But in the midst of this prophecy,
Zephaniah speaks continually of God's mercy and God's salvation
promised to us in this gospel day in Christ Jesus the Lord. First Corinthians 9, 15, the
Apostle Paul says, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. Certainly, he speaks there concerning
our Lord Jesus Christ, and he speaks of God's salvation in
and by Christ Jesus. You who are gods, let us ever
in our souls, from our hearts, Give thanks unto God for his
unspeakable gift. Oh, how wondrous is God's grace
to you and me. We deserve God's wrath as fully
as all the reprobate. The sins of the reprobate are
our sins. The heart of the reprobate is
our hearts. The way of the reprobate is our
way by nature. But God, in infinite mercy, in
indescribable grace, in amazing love, has snatched us from the
very jaws of hell and made us to be the sons and daughters
of God Almighty in Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, thanks be unto
God for his unspeakable gift. When we get to Zephaniah chapter
3, after these first two chapters being full of judgment, Zephaniah
speaks about God's salvation. And from verse 9 through the
end of the book, everything is grace. Grace, grace, grace. Grace heaped upon grace. Mercy heaped upon mercy, as Zephaniah
describes for us God's great salvation that's ours in Christ
Jesus. For then, verse 9, will I turn
to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the
name of the Lord, that they may all worship the name of the Lord
to serve him with one consent. I don't think I had ever noticed
the marginal translation carefully before that they may serve him
with one shoulder. What a great declaration. God
causes his people to worship him with one heart. by the gospel
of his free grace with a pure language and serve him with one
shoulder, each one putting his shoulder to the work of God's
glory in the day in which he lives. From beyond the rivers
of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed
shall bring my offering. Those who supplicate my throne
shall bring the offering that I require, the offering that
I alone can give, the offering I have provided, Christ Jesus
the Lord. The pure language he speaks of
here by which God brings to his people is the gospel of his free
grace that he sends out to the nations of the world by the outpouring
of his spirit, granting grace and salvation to his own. And
God speaks of his people and promises rich, free, abundant,
saving grace. Look what it says in verse 11.
In that day, speaking of this great gospel day in which we
live, and it's clear this is the day he's speaking of. Throughout
the Old Testament, you see those words, in that day, in that day,
in that day. They're referring to this great
day of God's grace, this day for which God made the world,
this day, the day of our salvation in Christ Jesus. In that day,
what's this? Thou shalt not be ashamed for
all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me. Thou shalt not be ashamed for
all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me. All
your sins, all your iniquities, all your transgressions, by which
you have lived with your fist shoved in God's face all your
life, which calls you to blush with shame in the remembrance
of them. God says in this great day, when
God brings his grace and his salvation, he will take away
the shame of all your sin. What a word. What a word. The
Savior prayed in Psalm 25, let none that wait on thee be ashamed.
He that believeth on me, he promised, shall not be ashamed. We who
believe take shame to ourselves while glorying in the Lord. And
yet, believing on the Son of God, we are convinced that Christ
has taken away our shame. Then shall I not be ashamed,
David said. Then shall I not be ashamed when
I have respect unto all thy commandments. When I honor all your commandments,
I'll have no reason to be ashamed. And faith in Christ is the means
by which we honor all God's commandments. Faith in Christ is the means
by which we establish the law Faith in Christ is the means
by which we bring to God perfect obedience, complete satisfaction,
and now have no reason to lift our hearts to God with shame,
but only with praise and gratitude and thanksgiving. Thou shalt
have no shame for all your transgressions. Look at the next line. I will
also leave in the midst of thee and afflicted and poor people. And they shall trust in the name
of the Lord. God's people in this world being
freed from shame before God. Freed from shame before God so
that we were no longer embarrassed to appear before God. No longer
afraid to draw near to God. Had no reason to fear punishment. No reason for shame before him
anymore. Oh, shamefulness of face for
what we are by all means. Continual repentance by all means.
But no reason to be ashamed before God. For we bring God what God
requires in the person of his son. But those people, they have
no shame before God now. are afflicted and poor people. Afflicted by reason of their
sin more than anything else. Yes, in this world we have tribulation. Yes, in this world we have heartache
and trouble. Yes, in this world we have pains
and temptations and trials, one upon the heels of the other.
But the affliction he speaks of here, I'm certain has referenced
more to inward affliction than to outward. It is affliction
by reason of ourselves, by reason of this old man that yet lives
within us and raises his monstrously evil head all the time. This
old man from whose influence we can never escape. An afflicted
and poor people. Not poor in purse, though that
may be the case. Not poor in pocket, though that
may be the case. But poor in spirit. Poor in spirit. A people who know themselves
sinners. Nothing but sin. Incapable of
doing anything else but sin. An afflicted and poor people. An afflicted and poor people
who adore God our Savior. and adorn the doctrine of God
our Savior in all things. Look at the next line. The remnant
of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies. Neither shall
a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed
and lie down and none shall make them afraid. Well, how can this be consistent
with what he just said? An afflicted and poor people.
A people poor in spirit because of their sin. And now he says
these are people who do not iniquity, who speak no lies, who have nothing
deceitful in their tongue. The people who are holy and without
sin. Obviously, he's not talking here
about the old man of flesh, but the new man of grace. You see,
grace makes sinners holy people in Christ Jesus. Grace makes
us new creatures in Jesus Christ. God in his saving grace doesn't
change the old nature. You know that from experience.
Your corruptions are not less now, Oscar, than they were when
you were a young man. The vile lust of your heart have
not changed at all. The grace doesn't repair the
old man. Grace puts in us a new man, a
new man created in righteousness and true holiness. Christ in
you, the hope of glory, so that the believer is one who walks
before God, these two natures, one nothing but sin and one that
can do no sin. The flesh and the spirit, these
are the people of God who walk in this world constantly at war,
one against themselves within their own hearts. Being spiritually
led, God's people are spiritually fed, sustained and nourished
with a body and blood of the Lord Jesus. Christ himself is
both our shepherd and our food. We lie down in safety under the
assured blessing of pardon and mercy and peace in him, washed
in his blood and made the very righteousness of God in him.
And none shall make them afraid. None shall make them afraid. You mean God's people don't ever
have any fears? Oh, yes. Yeah. But no reason
for it. No reason for it. And Satan,
though he roars against us and cast accusations in our teeth,
accusations with which we must take sides and say the accusations
are true. Satan roars against us and throws
Moses up in our face and would condemn us and there we stop
and say no No condemnation the accusations are true. I am guilty
of all that you've said but not guilty before God There's no
condemnation Christ has put my sin away So the roaring lion
who seeks to devour us all he can do is roar his messengers
those false prophets who would corrupt us from the simplicity
of Christ and do not cause us fear. Self-righteous Pharisees
who seek to bring us again to bondage cause us no fear. The
old man of flesh, Adam, who would turn us away from our blessed
God and Savior causes us no fear. Even death and judgment, the
terrors of all men now have become our friends and give us no fear. Now, look at verse 14. In the
light of this, Sing, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O Israel. Be glad and rejoice with all
the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Sing, be glad, rejoice. Sing, be glad, rejoice. He tells us in the midst of this
crooked and perverse generation in which we live. He tells us
in these days of darkness, days of darkness endured by God's
church in all the ages of time. Please understand this. Please
understand this. We live in the same world in
which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived and served God. We live
in the same world in which the apostles served our God. We live
in the same world that put to death the Son of God and those
who served Him. Torturing them to death and then
in time burning them at stake in various parts of the world
The world has not changed if these men and these women Could
live with the joy of faith in Christ Certainly you and I ought
to do so We live in this world of darkness, but we walk in the
light of God our Savior with confident joy and peace. That's
what Zephaniah is here telling us. That's what the Spirit of
God commands of us in this passage. Sing, O daughter of Zion. Shout,
O Israel. Be glad and rejoice with all
the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. And we get Through this passage
here as we read it, John Gill very accurately describes these
last words of Zephaniah and says, every word carries in it something
very encouraging to the church and people of God and is an antidote
against all those fears and faintings to which we're subject. Here
is an antidote to fear, an antidote to discouragement, an antidote
to those sinkings of heart we often experience. Children of
God, no matter what the trouble is that breaks your heart, no
matter what the difficulty is that weighs upon your soul or
dampens your spirit, the Lord God commands us now to sing,
to be glad and to rejoice. And he gives us good reasons
for it. Look at this. The Lord hath taken away thy
judgments. From Zephaniah chapter 1 verse
1 down to chapter 3 verse 8, Zephaniah is talking about judgment.
God's going to destroy the nations. God's determined to destroy the
nations. God's going to judge the world. God's going to punish
all sin. But the Lord hath taken away
What a word. What good news. This is not what
he wants to do, what he hopes to do, what he may do in time,
what he's tried to do. This is what the Lord has done.
He has taken away thy judgments by the work of his free, almighty,
sovereign grace. The Lord Jesus Christ, our great
God and Savior, has taken away our judgments. Now, this is what
that means. He's taken away our sins, the
cause of judgment. By the sacrifice of himself,
he put away our sins. The Lord God has, by his great
work of redemption, taken away the curse of the law, the sentence
of judgment upon sin. And our great God has taken away
that spiritual death in which we were born, the consequence
of sin, and that eternal death that awaits all men by nature,
the sure wages of sin. Gift of his spirit in sovereign
regeneration. He's raised us up from the dead
in the first resurrection Blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection Against such the second death has no
power. Oh Rejoice then sing and be glad
the lord has taken away thy judgments He hath cast out thine enemy
the Lord has cast out thine enemy. You read in Revelation chapter
12 of a war that took place before this world as we now know it
ever existed. A war in heaven between the Lord
Jesus and the prince of darkness, Satan. That horrible event described
in the scripture as the fall of Satan and a third of the heavenly
host led astray by him. And the serpent led a war against
the Son of God, against our Savior, and against his church and people.
And Satan was cast out of heaven and is furious because he knows
he has but a short time. But the world was kept under
the influence and power of Satan. All the world except one nation. All the world except one nation.
Satan deceived the world with his deceptive religious lies. All of our forefathers, I talked
a little bit about the Gentile world and how despicable the
Gentile world was, especially to the Jews of the Old Testament
era. Gentiles, our forefathers, were absolute heathens and pagans. Absolute heathens and pagans.
The barbarians in New Guinea and in Africa today don't hold
a candle to our Gentile forefathers. Read about the Vikings and their
religion and their filth. Read about our Gentile forefathers
in history, their idolatry and their filth, blinded by Satan
until the Lord Jesus Christ came and he by his gospel, by his
accomplishment at Calvary says, now is the prince of this world
cast out. He's described in Revelation
20 as a great angel who comes down from heaven with a great
chain in his hand and he bound Satan. The prince of darkness,
Lucifer, Apollyon, he bound him for a thousand years. For thousands
of years, he bound him that he should deceive the nations no
more. And he sent the gospel into the four corners of the
earth. So that now the gospel taken from the Jews goes to the
Gentiles and God gathers his elect from all the corners of
the earth according to his purpose and grace. And in the last day,
In great judgment, his final triumphant act of judgment, our
Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, shall bind the serpent
again and cast him into the bottomless pit. But he comes in grace and
mercy to chosen redeemed sinners, and it binds the strong man and
cast him out of his house. Turn to Isaiah 49, Isaiah 49. Our mighty, omnipotent Savior
cast Satan out of the hearts of his people in the new birth
by omnipotent grace, so that we're no longer in bondage under
the rule of the Prince of Darkness. God describes the unregenerate
this way. They're taken captive by Satan
at his will. taken captive by Satan at his
will, so that men without Christ have absolutely no power against
Satan. Many women without Christ have
absolutely no power to resist any satanic influence. Not you,
not me, not anyone else. Taken captive by Satan at his
will. All the days of our lives before
God saved us by his grace, we were under the continual heart
dominion and willfully so of Satan, the prince of darkness.
Look at Isaiah 49 verse 25. Shall the prey be taken from
the mighty? Are the lawful captive delivered?
But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall
be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered.
For I will contend with him that contended with thee, and I will
save thy children. Now turn to Matthew 12 and let
me show you the fulfillment of the prophecy Matthew chapter
12 The Lord Jesus comes in the day of his earthly ministry casting
out devils Casting out devils and the Pharisees said he cast
out devils by Beelzebub He cast out devils by the devil and the
Lord Jesus said that can't be that can't be Oh No, that's not
taking place Explains what he come what he does when he comes
to a center and dispossesses Satan He dispossesses Satan of
those he's taken captive. Look at verse 28 If I cast out
devils by the Spirit of God Then the kingdom of God is coming
to you Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house and
spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man, then he
will spoil his house. God comes in, in the holy violence
of saving grace, and he binds the strong man. He binds Satan,
the one who sat on the throne of our hearts and cast him out. And he sets up his throne in
our hearts and spoils Satan of his unlawful possession. Look back at Zephaniah 3 again. The king of Israel, even the
Lord is in the midst of thee. The Lord Jesus Christ, the king
of Israel, the king of his church, is in the midst of us. Oh, child of God, the Lord is
with you. How that ought to fill us with
unspeakable joy and peace. What blessed security is ours
in Christ Jesus the Lord. Again, I'll ask you to turn to
two very familiar passages in Isaiah. I think we looked at
these just the other day, but look back at Isaiah 41. Isaiah
41. I don't think you'll get tired
of hearing this. Verse 10. Fear not, for I am with thee. No qualifying words will give
it. Fear not, no matter what it is that you're dealing with,
no matter what enemy you face, no matter what trial you're enduring,
no matter what fire, no matter what deep waters you're in. Fear
not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed. Don't be confused. Don't don't be in a turmoil. Don't don't let your don't let
your soul your heart be disturbed be not dismayed for I am What
a wondrous word thy God The God of glory is thy God now, what
was it you were gonna be afraid of? What is it that terrifies
you? I will strengthen thee, yea,
I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee. I love the way he
speaks this, with the right hand, the hand of my power, the right
hand of my righteousness. God says, because I am thy God,
the righteous God, I will uphold you wherever you are. With the
power of my right hand, the hand of my righteousness. Look at
chapter 43. Now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob. He that formed thee, O Israel. Fear not. Fear not. Now, he told us in chapter 41,
because I'm your God. I'm your God. If he's everybody's
God, then Nobody has any reason to fear. He is God over all,
but he is distinctly your God, Bob Dove. More your possession
than anything you possess. I am thy God. You got that? Watch
what else he says. Don't be afraid. I have redeemed
thee. I bought you. I have called thee
by thy name. I called you by my grace. Thou
art mine. Oh brother Don, I wonder if the
Lord has called me. When he calls you, you'll know
it. You won't need me to tell you. When he calls you, you'll
know he's called you because he calls by name. And you will
know that he's called you. You're mine. When thou passest
through the waters, And you will. Oh, yeah. Life in Christ is not a bed of
roses. Life in this world for a child
of God is not a life of ease. As all other men pass through
waters of woe, so you and I must go. That's a part of the curse. That's a part of what's the result
of Adam's fall and our fall in him. Don't ever expect that you
should find life any better in this world than anyone else does.
It's not going to happen. For believers, the troubles become
aggravated because these troubles we know are designed by God our
Father intentionally. But when you pass through the
waters, you will pass through them. And I will be with thee
through the rivers. They shall not overflow thee.
When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned.
Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. What's he say? All
these troubles, all these heartaches, all these trials that cause us
so much turmoil, so much disturbance in our hearts and souls that
disturb our peace so much, they're not going to hurt you. The flame
not going to kindle upon you. For I am the Lord thy God, the
Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. Christ is always near us. He
is our God at hand, here to support, supply our needs, to assist us
and strengthen us. to protect and defend us. The
Lord is in the midst of thee. What does that mean? Look at
the next line. If he's taken away your judgments,
and he's your God, and he has cast out your enemy, and he has
promised that he is with you in the midst of you, thou shalt
not see evil anymore. Oh, what a promise. thou shalt
not see evil anymore. There shall no evil happen to
the just. Isaiah has a word from God. The Lord God says, say ye to
the righteous that it shall be well with him. Robert Hawker
made this observation. The redeemed soul is a soul secured,
a safe soul, a happy soul. Even his afflictions are angels
and messengers of sanctification and wisdom, all tending to his
good. would ever wish to be freed from
anything that he knows is good. Who would ever be desirous of
avoiding anything that he is assured and he knows absolutely
is for his good, the very best good that could possibly be for
him. But no one would, preacher, understand
this. God sends the black dog of trouble
to drive his sheep into his arms to do us good. They are messengers,
angels from God to bring us nothing but good. Read on. In that day
it shall be said to Jerusalem, fear thou not? And to Zion, let
not thy hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty. The Lord is in the midst of thee,
and the Lord in the midst of thee is mighty. He who is in
the midst is Jehovah, the being of beings, the eternal, immutable,
all-sufficient God. He is here described as the Lord
thy God. By his own covenant grace, he
is my God. By his marvelous incarnation,
he is God with us, and he is ours by his own gift of faith,
so that we look up to heaven and cry out to him, my God. Oh, my God. My Father. Oh, my Father. My Savior. My Redeemer. My God. And all He is, is mighty. Mighty. Mighty to save to the
uttermost. Mighty to deliver us from the
hand of every enemy. Mighty to keep us in the midst
of all temptation. Mighty to sustain us in every
trial. Mighty to bring us safely home
to glory. Look at the next slide. He will
save. He will save. Preacher, will God save me? He
delights in mercy. He will save to the uttermost
all who come to God by him. He will save. There's never been
a sinner There's never been a sinner. There's never been a sinner to
seek mercy from God through Jesus Christ, the Lord, who did not
obtain mercy. There's never been a sinner.
There's never been a sinner to seek God's salvation by faith
in Christ Jesus, who didn't obtain God's salvation. There's never
been a sinner who needed mercy, who did not obtain mercy. He
delights in mercy. Our Lord Jesus, God, the son
Readily undertook to save in the covenant of grace He gladly
came into this world in the fullness of time to save his people from
their sins He set his face like a fit to go up to Jerusalem to
suffer and die in our room instead He willingly took the cup of
damnation and drank its bitter dregs So that he might put away
our sin by the sacrifice of himself he arose on high and has power
to give eternal life to as many as the father has given him and
Yes, He is mighty, and He is mighty to save. Stay with me. He will rejoice over thee with
joy. Turn back to Isaiah's prophecy
again. I'll hold you here in Zechariah, but turn back to Isaiah
again. I've got to show you this. The inspired prophet seems to
be searching for words to describe God's joy over his people. He
will rejoice over thee with joy. That almost sounds redundant,
doesn't it? He will rejoice over thee with
joy. Isaiah 62 verse 3. Thou shalt
also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal
diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed
forsaken Neither shall thy land any more be termed desolate,
but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, my delight. And thy land, Beulah,
married, for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be
married. For as a young man marrieth a
virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee. And as the bridegroom rejoiceth
over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. You fellas remember the day you
got married? I was just a boy. I was 18 years
old. Back in the office, church building
came out. They started playing that stuff
they play when the bride's fixing to come in. Looked back, those
doors opened up, and I saw that gal walking down that aisle to
me. I didn't do it outside, but my
heels were clicking together on the inside. rejoicing because
of my bride coming to me. And that's nothing. That's that's that's nothing. That's nothing. Jesus Christ,
my God, rejoices over me like a husband rejoices over his bride. He rejoices over you. A young man rejoices over the
bride of his youth. Look at Isaiah 61 10. Isaiah
61 10. I will greatly rejoice in the
Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He
hath covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom
decketh himself with ornaments and as a bride adorneth herself
with jewels. Read Revelation chapter 19 when
you go home tonight and rejoice to hear how he rejoices over
us in the last day when he's made all things new and trampled
all his enemies and our enemies beneath our feet. Look at the
next line here in Zephaniah. He will rest in his love. Every time I read this statement,
I pause for a long time. He will rest in his love. What is the prophet of God saying
to us by divine inspiration? The Lord Jesus finds great complacency,
delight, and satisfaction in loving us and in expressing his
love to us. It's pleasing to him to love
us. He soullesses himself in loving
us. He will rest in his love. There is not a greater Fuller
verbal expression of Christ's love for us in all the Word of
God than this He will rest in his love This is what he says to you who
are his You can read it for yourself in the psalm of Solomon chapter
4 verse 9 thou hast ravished my heart Thou hast ravished my heart. Oh, my soul. Thou hast ravished
my heart. I see a young man fall in love
with a young lady and his heart's just ravished by her. That's
understandable. I said to Colin this morning
again, I said, don't you forget son, you married up. She ravished
his heart and he did. I understand that. Beautiful,
sweet, delightful young lady. Ah, I understand that. But for
the son of God to say to you, you've ravished my heart. What an expression of love. He
will rest in His love. God, our Savior, not only loves
us, He loves to love us. Oh, my heart then be ravished
with His love. The word might be translated
this way. He will be silent because of His love. I've told you this
before but in a bare repetition. I don't know of a better way
to state it. When Shelby and I were engaged, the last year
we were engaged, I saw her at Thanksgiving and I saw her at
Christmas, and then we were separated by a thousand miles and I didn't
see her again until the week before we got married. I came
home from Springfield. I was in college out there. You'd
think, well, man, you've got a lot to talk about. And we did.
We still had a lot of plans to make. We sat out on the street,
at the house, and just sat there and held hands and looked at
each other for the longest time. Just looked at each other. Because
words couldn't express that which welled up in our hearts. So the
Lord God says, he will be silent in his love. So ravished with
his love for us, that he's silent. He brings the sinner to himself,
reveals himself in his chosen. And there's not a word of reproof, not a word of scolding, not a
word of hesitation, not a word about his past, not a word about
all of his iniquity. Not a word about all of his sins,
not a word about all of his transgressions, not a word about all the weakness
he's going to find himself in through the days of his pilgrimage
on this earth. Just silent in his love. Particle said, came
to his father and he said, this is what I'm going to do. I'm
going to, I'm going to come to my father. I'm going to say to him, I'm
I'm not worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired
servants." And the prodigal son came to his father and he said,
father, I see him. And the father ran and met him
and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the prodigal didn't
have anything else to say. Nothing else to say. How come?
Because God saves sinners freely and fully and he is silent in
his love. He will joy over thee with singing. Imagine that. He rejoices over us with joy
and he joys with singing. There's joy in the presence of
the angels of God over one sinner that repents. Rejoice with me. My son was lost and now he's
found. Rejoice with me. He was dead
and now he's alive. He will joy over you with singing. Then in verses 18, 19 and 20,
let me just read it. I've got to quit. I will gather
them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly. Who are thee
to whom The reproach was a burden. Behold, at that time, I will undo all that afflict
thee, and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that
was driven out. And I will set them, or I will
get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put
to shame. at that time I will bring you
again even at that 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 Zephaniah's
name means Jehovah has treasured Oh, how we ought to thank God
for the words by which Zephidiah declares that we are God's treasure. His name also means the secret
of the Lord or the revealer of secrets. What precious secrets. Oh, what precious secrets he's
open to our souls. Hawker points out a similarity
between Zephidiah and Joseph. Joseph was given the name Zeph-Nath-Padilla
by Pharaoh, which means treasury of glorious rest. And Zephaniah, by the Spirit
of God, teaches us that Christ is our glorious rest. Rest weary sinners in Him. But it teaches us more than that.
Save sinners. You and I are His glorious rest. And His rest is His glory. Oh, thank God for His unspeakable
gift. Amen.