Zephaniah 3:13 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.”
Following on the heels of verse twelve, Zephaniah informs his readership that the result of God leaving a humbled people in the midst of Israel was a righteous nation. Before delving further into this idea, however, we should skip ahead to the latter portion of this verse.
Zephaniah 3:12 I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
Verse twelve continues to explain the future fortunes of Israel and the Jewish people. God the Holy Spirit wants to make it abundantly clear with the careful use of language here that these are not possibilities or mathematical potentials; no, this is a verified certainty. God is going to do for Israel all that He stated He would.
Zephaniah 3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, the daughters 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.
God’s dispersed ones would be Israel, who, according to Joel have been, “scattered among the nations,” Joel 3:2. But also on this day it will be more than just Israel that seeks the Lord. Zechariah wrote, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you,” Zechariah 8:23.
Zephaniah 3:9 “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.
Verse nine’s context is predicated upon the prior verse. Verse eight has God telling Israel to wait for Him. He will come bodily, He will judge the nations for their cruel treatment of Israel, and He will pour out His wrath upon them.
Zephaniah 3:8 “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.
“Therefore,” in this verse, may be rendered “because of these things,” as is the case in so much of Scripture. Because of what things? Because of God’s faithful witness concerning His unfailing justice, and the peoples’ apathy toward spiritual truth.
