Daily Devotions
Zephaniah
"I will gather those who sorrow"
Text: Zephaniah 3:18
GATHERING OF THE FAITHFUL
God’s plan was to build a strong and powerful community called “Zion”. One of the tasks would be to gather “the sorrowful” and help them become part of Zion.
“I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.”
Zephaniah 3:18
1. “I will gather”
a) God Himself will do this work of gathering people back to Zion.
b) These would be the ones who had been exiled.
c) These would be the survivors who had found grace from the Lord.
2. “Those who sorrow”
a) Sometimes sorrow can hurt deeply and adversely.
b) But the sorrowful need to remember that personal sin was the cause of their predicament.
3. A special problem cited
a) There was some reluctance and sorrow at the prospect of returning to their homeland for some.
b) The reason was given.
i) The appointed assembly.
ii) Some of whom would return first, then followed by others.
c) These had expressed “sorrow”.
4. Possible deeper problems
a) These were not actually stated.
b) But the following misgivings may have been felt:
i) Some may have become adjusted to life as diaspora people.
ii) They could have been successful in their professions or businesses and were reluctant to start all over again in their homeland.
iii) Others were not confident that they would be successful in re-establishing their homeland.
iv) Many knew the difficult challenges that lay ahead in the task of re-building.
v) Some would not have the faith and the spirit to start re-building work.
5. A specific problem highlighted
c) These would be the survivors who had found grace from the Lord.
2. “Those who sorrow”
a) Sometimes sorrow can hurt deeply and adversely.
b) But the sorrowful need to remember that personal sin was the cause of their predicament.
3. A special problem cited
a) There was some reluctance and sorrow at the prospect of returning to their homeland for some.
b) The reason was given.
i) The appointed assembly.
ii) Some of whom would return first, then followed by others.
c) These had expressed “sorrow”.
4. Possible deeper problems
a) These were not actually stated.
b) But the following misgivings may have been felt:
i) Some may have become adjusted to life as diaspora people.
ii) They could have been successful in their professions or businesses and were reluctant to start all over again in their homeland.
iii) Others were not confident that they would be successful in re-establishing their homeland.
iv) Many knew the difficult challenges that lay ahead in the task of re-building.
v) Some would not have the faith and the spirit to start re-building work.
5. A specific problem highlighted
b) But the sorrowful need to remember that personal sin was the cause of their predicament.
3. A special problem cited
a) There was some reluctance and sorrow at the prospect of returning to their homeland for some.
b) The reason was given.
i) The appointed assembly.
ii) Some of whom would return first, then followed by others.
c) These had expressed “sorrow”.
4. Possible deeper problems
a) These were not actually stated.
b) But the following misgivings may have been felt:
i) Some may have become adjusted to life as diaspora people.
ii) They could have been successful in their professions or businesses and were reluctant to start all over again in their homeland.
iii) Others were not confident that they would be successful in re-establishing their homeland.
iv) Many knew the difficult challenges that lay ahead in the task of re-building.
v) Some would not have the faith and the spirit to start re-building work.
5. A specific problem highlighted
b) The reason was given.
i) The appointed assembly.
ii) Some of whom would return first, then followed by others.
c) These had expressed “sorrow”.
4. Possible deeper problems
a) These were not actually stated.
b) But the following misgivings may have been felt:
i) Some may have become adjusted to life as diaspora people.
ii) They could have been successful in their professions or businesses and were reluctant to start all over again in their homeland.
iii) Others were not confident that they would be successful in re-establishing their homeland.
iv) Many knew the difficult challenges that lay ahead in the task of re-building.
v) Some would not have the faith and the spirit to start re-building work.
5. A specific problem highlighted
4. Possible deeper problems
a) These were not actually stated.
b) But the following misgivings may have been felt:
i) Some may have become adjusted to life as diaspora people.
ii) They could have been successful in their professions or businesses and were reluctant to start all over again in their homeland.
iii) Others were not confident that they would be successful in re-establishing their homeland.
iv) Many knew the difficult challenges that lay ahead in the task of re-building.
v) Some would not have the faith and the spirit to start re-building work.
5. A specific problem highlighted
i) Some may have become adjusted to life as diaspora people.
ii) They could have been successful in their professions or businesses and were reluctant to start all over again in their homeland.
iii) Others were not confident that they would be successful in re-establishing their homeland.
iv) Many knew the difficult challenges that lay ahead in the task of re-building.
v) Some would not have the faith and the spirit to start re-building work.
5. A specific problem highlighted
Reproach as a burden was specifically mentioned as a major difficulty for some. The generation that was exiled bore a name that stigmatized the exiled. Their sins were listed by a number of prophets (Jeremiah and Ezekiel described their sins). This reproach was a difficult burden for some to bear and it became their special sorrow.