Zephaniah 3:20, commentary and pictures

At that time God Himself will bring His people back and gather them, openly reversing their captivity before their own eyes. He will deal with all who afflicted them, rescuing the lame and faltering and gathering those who were driven out, and give them honor and renown among all peoples of the earth in place of the shame they suffered. This is the standing He purposes for His true church beyond the judgments upon apostasy, a powerful and holy people throughout the earth, over whom He rejoices and for whose recovery He gives all heaven. Jesus has done everything to make His church this, and is able and eager to do so, yet only as it becomes this can it meet the claims of the gospel and enjoy its fullness. That promise is fulfilled as His people believe His Word, turn from sin and live by the principles of Bible truth, allowing themselves to be purified and sanctified by the grace of Christ alone and to reveal the gospel in word, purpose and action.

Gathering and Restoration Promised

At that time God Himself will bring His people again, even in the time that He gathers them, turning back their captivity before their own eyes so that their restoration is seen and not merely promised. He will end their captivity and restore their standing, bringing to a close the period of scattering and bondage. He will make them a name and a praise among all people of the earth, honored and praised among the peoples where they had endured shame. Where they had been put to shame, even in every land of that shame, their reproach is replaced with praise and honor.

The promise is deliverance for the afflicted and scattered, for He will undo all that afflict them. He will save her that halts and the lame, and gather her that was driven out. He will give them praise and fame in every land where they had been put to shame, making them a name and a praise among all people of the earth when He turns back their captivity before their eyes. He will work in behalf of His afflicted people and will not suffer them to become a reproach.

This honored standing is the position God purposes His people to occupy among the nations. It points to the glorious future of His true church beyond the judgments of apostasy, including the judgments associated with Christ's second advent. It belongs together with the assurance that God rejoices over His gathered people. In that setting it accompanies the assurance that God gives all heaven to seek and recover the lost through Christ and His laborers.

Becoming a Praise on Earth

His covenant people become a people He can bless and honor as they stand true to His honor, protect one another's interests, and live in unity. He entrusts them with resources and advantages to serve one another, and through this faithful stewardship they become such a people. When His stewards use their resources to relieve the burdens of His institutions, He cooperates in their restoration.

The verse stirs the indolent to obtain a living connection with the Source of all power and become laborers together with God. In this way they join His work of recovering the lost through Christ and His laborers. He will not suffer His afflicted people to become a reproach. Nothing in this world is so dear to Him as His church, and He will purify all who yield themselves to Him and make them a praise in the earth. He will be with those who love and serve Him and move forward courageously in what He commands, working with mighty power through humble, faithful men.

The church of Christ in the world is to be a powerful and holy people, a name and a praise throughout the earth. Jesus has done everything to accomplish this, and He is able and desires to make His church this way. Only as it becomes so can it meet the claims of the gospel and enjoy its fullness. Reaching it requires earnest, deep, sincere efforts now to redeem past unfaithfulness and time lost in wanderings and backslidings from God.

The promise that He will make His people a praise on earth is fulfilled as they believe His Word, forsake sin, and live by the principles of Bible truth. The gospel purifies them from sin and sanctifies their abilities, making them a people who bring praise to God. Believers must now pledge themselves to advance in religious experience, exemplifying truth in words, purposes, and actions, communicating their knowledge of truth, and honoring the One who died for them. They are to become not only professors of truth but men and women who live the truth and reveal the principles of the gospel. For He can make them a praise in the earth only as they allow themselves to be sanctified by belief of the truth, a change brought about by the grace of Christ alone.