INTRODUCTION
“Rejoice in the Lord always,” Paul says (Philippians 4:4). How? Scripture teaches that the Lord’s presence is our joy. We rejoice because the Lord has come, and is coming.
THE TEXTS
“I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord . . . .” (Zephaniah 3:12-20); “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4-20); “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ . . . ” (Matthew 11:2-19).
YAHWEH’S JOY
Though prophesying during the reign of the faithful king Josiah, Zephaniah begins his prophecy with a terrifying description of judgment. Creation – sky, land, sea – is unraveling (1:2-3). Once Yahweh stretched out His hand against Egypt, now against Judah and Jerusalem (1:4). Yahweh’s day is coming, but it will mean wrath, trouble, distress, clouds, and darkness for His people (1:14-15). Zephaniah calls Judah to humble themselves to escape Yahweh’s wrath (2:3). By the end of this short prophecy, another “day” has dawned (3:16). A humble remnant remains, full of faith (3:12). Yahweh chases away the enemies of Jerusalem (3:13, 19) and He rescues the lame and outcasts (3:19). Yahweh Himself will rejoice and shout over His bride (3:17), and Zion and Israel are caught up in His exultation (3:14; note the fourfold expression of Zion’s joy). Yahweh’s coming as King has turned grief to joy, exchanged sackcloth to ashes.
CHILDREN IN THE MARKET
According to Jesus, this same movement from mourning to dancing takes place at His coming. When asked by John’s disciples whether He is the “Coming One” (Matthew 11:3), Jesus quotes Isaiah (v. 5; cf. Isaiah 61:1). He could just as well have quoted Zephaniah 3:19, with its promise of mercy to the lame. John’s ministry, Jesus goes on to say, was a ministry of preparation, the ministry of the Lord’s “angel” sent ahead to prepare for the Lord’s coming. Jesus quotes Malachi 3:1, but behind this is Exodus 23:20-33, which promises that Yahweh’s angel will be an advance guard to disrupt the Canaanites before Israel moves in to conquer. That’s John’s ministry: He sings a dirge to get people ready for the coming of the King. But when the Son of Man comes, mourning ends and yields to joy (Matthew 11:16-19). That generation misses both tunes. The Jews don’t mourn with John, and don’t rejoice with Jesus. They are thus cut out of the joy of the Lord, the joy at His coming.
REJOICE ALWAYS
The Philippians went to extraordinary lengths to support Paul’s ministry. They alone shared in “giving and receiving” and provided for Paul’s needs in Thessalonica (Philippians 4:15-16). Their service was a pleasing sacrifice (v. 18). Paul is grateful. But Paul also wants the Philippians to learn from his own example (v. 9), particularly His example of joy in affliction. He has learned how to live in abundance and in want (v. 12) because He knows that God supplies all needs according to His riches (v. 19). Paul is content, and even joyful, in chains, because He bears the gospel of the kingdom, the good news that the Lord has come.
