#DailyDevotion Are You Mourning For The Festival?
Zep 3:18-20 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. (19) Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. (20) At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the LORD.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is returning one day with salvation in his hands for those who waited for him. Zephaniah speaks of that day. There were those in ancient Judah before the exile who mourned for the return of the festival. There were three feasts where all of Israel were to gather together, but I believe the festival here would be the Passover festival where the Lord gathered his people and delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians. As a people getting ready to go into exile, they would need this promise to suffer through the suffering they were about to go through because of the sins of the people.
While this was partially fulfilled when Judah returned from Babylon, we can see that this is yet to be fulfilled. Judah and Israel together are to be gathered to celebrate the festival. But we should not see this as the physical descendents of Israel only. Rather it is the children of Abraham according to faith who the Lord is speaking about. It is those who put their trust in the blessed seed of Abraham who is a blessing to all nations and those who put their trust in the seed of David whose kingdom is the whole world in whom the nations put their trust. That seed is Jesus of Nazareth.
He has given to both Jew and Gentile a foretaste of the festival with his supper wherein he gives us the tokens of the new covenant, his body and blood. Jesus is our Passover wherein all who put their trust in him has Passover from death to life for he is the life and light of the world. But on the day of coming, Jesus will gather all those who put their trust him both Jew and Gentile to the festival which is the wedding feast of the Lamb. Those who trusted him under the old covenant and those who then put their trust in him under the new covenant shall be raised from the dead. In the festival of the wedding of Christ and his Church, Death shall indeed not only Passover the people of God, the Church, but it shall be cast into the Lake of Fire along with the Anti-Christs, Satan and all who believed his lie.
On that day, when the Lord Jesus Christ sends forth his angels to gather up all the unrighteous, those who did not trust in him and they will gather up all the righteous from the earth, those who trusted in good news of Jesus Christ. Then we will be exalted in the eyes of the world. The world looks down upon the children of God and despises them. It counts them foolish for believing in Jesus. When and where it can it inflicts trouble upon God’s chosen ones, those who trust in the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth. But then we will be praised with renown by all peoples of the earth and not only have our fortunes restored but will be given the kingdom of our God.
Gracious God and Father, ever keep forth your promises before our eyes that we may remain faithful unto the day we celebrate the festival with Christ in his kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.