Zephaniah 3:18 Commentary and Bible Study

‘I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly’, or as the NKJ has it, ‘I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly.’ The preposition ‘for’ is the Hebrew meaning ‘from’ or in context ‘over’ or ‘on account of’, and they mourn not at the nature of it, but at their absence from it. This is probably the future exiles who long to be back in Jerusalem, attending the worship and the religious feasts appointed by God. They have been deprived of this for too long while in Babylon, and the believers among them greatly desire God to bring them back to their own land again, particularly in order to worship him. The reproach of having Jerusalem and the temple destroyed was very painful to them, especially because it seemed to bring dishonour on the Lord. Why had he allowed the one place on earth which he had appointed for the offering up of sacrifices, to be destroyed? Was he not able to defend his own people, and the worship he had appointed for them? It was a tremendous reproach when the enemy taunted them with this apparent failing. But in truth they knew why this had happened, for their prophets had explained it to them, and warned them again and again that it would happen if they did not turn back to God. But they had ignored the warning, and God had needed to chastise them, even though his honour was reproached in the process. It was then the godly who felt the burden of this reproach, those who were zealous for the name of the Lord.‘Behold, at that time I will undo [deal with] all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out.’ There will be a great reversal, because the Lord’s discipline has achieved what it was intended to achieve. The nation has been humbled and purged of its idolatry, the godly pine for a return to their own land and the pure worship of God, the world has been taught that God disciplines his people when they go astray, and that he uses even the sword of his enemies to inflict punishment. Now that Babylon has done this service to the Lord, it will be set aside, for God has no love for it and indeed he hates its cruelties. The Lord’s attention will be entirely on his people, to bind up their wounds and restore comfort to them who have been afflicted. He will make up for the reproach and the shame they have suffered, by bringing them back to their land, contrary to all expectation and to the amazement of the onlooking nations where they have been driven. These will have to conclude that God has not forgotten them, and that if he took them from their land for a time, it was not because he had abandoned them.This physical restoration is in its turn a picture of the gathering in of the elect from all the nations of the world during the gospel age. They will be gathered not to a physical location, Jerusalem, but to Christ their King, and they will worship him in the places where they live, many never going near literal Jerusalem. ‘At that time’ – from the first to the second coming of Christ and then forever – ‘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 people of the earth.’ This is the whole of the gospel age, as well as the end of time. Jews and Gentiles in every nation will love Zion, and love the word, and love the Lord. ‘When I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.’ That is the New Testament church.