What does it mean that God will rejoice over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)?

What an insight we get here into the very heart of God Himself, Israel's God and ours! Again and again He had mourned over the unfaithfulness and sin of His people. He had, times without number, entreated and warned them. But they had turned a deaf ear, and had run eagerly in the paths of pride, lust and idolatry. But at length God takes His place "in the midst" and shows Himself mighty, not to judge, but to save. Instead of mourning over His wayward people, He will rejoice over them with joy. Instead of continually entreating them, He will be silent (as the margin reads) in His love. It is the deep silence of a love that is perfectly satisfied, a silence broken only by the sound of joyful singing. Whose joyful singing? Ours? Israel's? Nay: God Himself "will joy over thee with singing."

No doubt this too is Christ. We have thus viewed Him, as Zephaniah presents Him, in the midst of His people in three different ways: As the just Jehovah, acting for righteousness' sake, maintaining truth. As Israel's King, acting for His people's sake, ensuring their unspeakable blessing. As Jehovah-God, acting for His own sake, bringing to pass His designs of grace that He might satisfy His own love, and rejoice over the objects of that love with singing.

It is a wonderful thing that we should be able to speak of rest on our way through such a world. But there is something more wonderful still in the first passage before us (Zeph. 3:17), that God should speak of finding rest for Himself in the thoughts and ways of His love as to us. Yet so it is. It is not merely that God has been seeking rest for us in the revelation He has given us of Himself in the gospel. He had been satisfying Himself. He saves, but it is to "rejoice over thee with joy." And this is the great leading thought of that parable of His heart in Luke 15. He was reserved, we cannot but feel, in the Pharisee's house (Luke 14); but now in the company of sinners He throws off all reserve, and reveals that it is the perfect blessed joy of God, not only to receive and eat with such, as the Pharisee said, but deliberately to seek that He might have them to receive, and that to eat with Him. Nor will He rest until the poor convicted prodigal, now kissed, embraced, and clothed with the best robe, sits at His table — "and they began to be merry." "He will joy over thee with singing." He rests in His love. It satisfies Himself, or, as the beautiful word of the original expresses it (see margin), "He will be silent in his love" — silent because He has no more to do, no more to reveal of what He has done, and of the place into which He has brought us before Him. He has us out before His gaze in the perfection of Christ and is satisfied. What amazing blessedness for us! But the first-fruit of it is for Him. And this gives us the source of all rest for us; it is found in the rest there is for God, in the thoughts of His love, and in their accomplishment. Primarily, the passage belongs to the yet future of Israel, but much more fully to us.

Restored, and under the care of the Shepherd of Israel, who makes them to lie down in green pastures and leads them beside the still waters, the end is reached 'in the consummation of all their hopes and blessing. Hence the cry, "Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem." For their judgments have been taken away for ever; the enemy has been cast out; the Lord once more, and in a much more glorious way, dwells in the midst of His people, who shall therefore see evil no more. It is an exquisite picture of perfect happiness flowing from the presence of the Lord their God - a picture only surpassed by the description of God's own joy over His long-loved and now restored and happy people. First He is presented as the everlasting security of His chosen: the One "in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save." Then "He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love; He will joy over thee with singing." At last He can gratify the affections of His heart, His love can flow out unhinderedly, and in the joy of this He sings as it were with delight. It is the joy of God over the return of His prodigal son

The close of the prophecy is a call to rejoice and exult. The daughter of Zion is summoned to shout for joy. "Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem." This confirms what has been said already, that it is the general place of future blessing, and not a special one. When we hear of the peculiar position of Judah, as brought back from captivity and subjected to a fresh test to which Israel was not, then the rejected Messiah is brought in. Such is not the case with Zephaniah. We should not know from Zephaniah but that Messiah would come and bring in His glory as Jehovah all at once. In fact we do not hear Him called Messiah as such, but rather the king Jehovah. Verses 15-17 explain why they should thus rejoice. "Jehovah has taken away thy judgments, he has cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. Jehovah thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." What indeed is lacking? There is no finer description in the Bible of His complacent satisfaction when mercy has done all for the people that He loved. But the dark and cold night of oppression is supposed in verse 18. God does not disguise that up to the time of deliverance their position will be desolate, as in other respects, so especially in relation to the solemn assemblies. "I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden." Now He appears for their exaltation from the dust as well as putting down their oppressors. "At that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halts, and gather her that was driven out: and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time 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 the peoples of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, says Jehovah." Most gracious promise! Jehovah will remember all the sorrows and bring the Jews in for a name and a praise among all lands and tongues of the earth, when He reverses their captivity in their own sight as also before the eyes of all men.

Thus the types of the wicked and fruitless generation in the Lord's sojourn on earth, will become the fruitful blessings of the restored people. Then also the prophecy of Zeph. 3:14-17 will be fulfilled, especially the last verse, closing with "He shall be silent in his love, he shall rejoice over thee with singing," as though — with deepest reverence we suggest it — His delight for the moment was too deep for utterance; and then, unable to restrain it, He bursts forth in a glorious strain of joyful melodious song.

Some Christians, in the selfish enjoyment of their own assured salvation, may be inclined to say, "This doesn't concern us." But, beloved brethren, if God is going to "rejoice over Israel with singing," because of His great love for His earthly people, is it nothing to you, whom the Lord has redeemed with His own blood, that He should have other glories, and other joys besides those He has in you? If He rejoices with you, cannot you rejoice with Him?

So will the King, reassure the trembling remnant who draw near to Him in the dark midnight hour of trial and persecution. The joy of His own heart in their faith will be greater far than their own. "He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing." Who indeed can measure that joy, save He who wept over Jerusalem? Who can know the delight of seeing them turn to Him, save the One who was rejected by His people? "As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee."

Jehovah, thy God is in the midst of thee, A mighty One who saves; He rejoices over thee with gladness; He rests in His love; He rejoices over thee with singing.

What a glorious day that will be! It will be glory for Him and glory for His people. The great prophetic song recorded by Isaiah (chapter 12) will then be heard in the midst of His redeemed people. The great Psalms of praise and worship will fill Jerusalem. Judgments are forever gone; no enemy will threaten them again. He Himself is in their midst, none other but He whom their fathers delivered once into the hands of the Gentiles, over whom they cried, "His blood be upon us and our children." He is King. The throne of His father David is now filled. The Mighty One saves, and rejoices over His redeemed people. He has the travail of His soul to the full and is satisfied.

How great will be His joy in this day of harvest when He shall see of His soul's deep travail on behalf of Israel, and will rejoice over them with joy, and rest in His love, when He will joy over them with singing; yes, even as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall He, Jehovah-Jesus, rejoice over them.

How great will be His joy in this day of harvest when He shall see of His soul's deep travail on behalf of Israel, and will rejoice over them with joy, and rest in His love, when He will joy over them with singing; yes, even as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall He, Jehovah-Jesus, rejoice over them.

Then indeed the time will have come when Israel, as God’s Nazarite, can drink wine, i.e. can rejoice. Then enjoyment will replace deprivation. Then Christ will look upon His people with joy, the nation that once had played a significant part in His rejection, and will be able to rejoice over that nation: ‘Jehovah thy God is in thy midst, a mighty one that will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will exult over thee with singing’ (Zeph. 3:17); and He will share this joy with His people. He will say, ‘Eat, o friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, beloved ones!’ (Song of Songs 5:1). As one once wrote[9]: ‘The prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi, are full of the most glowing and soul-stirring allusions to that bright and blissful day. To quote the passages would literally fill a volume.’