The LORD 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.
Consequently, I thought it good on this Lord's Day to extract some select sweet meditations on this most excellent scripture passage concerning the love of God for his people.
Matthew Henry on Zeph. 3.14-20:
What makes a people holy will make them happy of course.
Richard Baxter, The Saints' Everlasting Rest, p. 36:
"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, He will save thee, He will joy over thee with singing." Well may we then rejoice in our God with joy, and rest in our love, and joy in him with singing.
Ralph Erskine, Sermon 18: Preventing Love; Or, God's Love to Us the Cause of Our Love to Him, in Works, Vol. 1, p. 463-464:
God's love to his people is a resting love, Zeph. 3.17. "He rests in his love;" when it comes it never thinks of removing any more; "This is my rest, here will I stay:" so where true love to God is, it is a resting love; it stays, "Return to thy rest, O my soul." Ps. 116.7. The true lover of God hath no resting place but a God in Christ.
Robert Traill, Sermon XIV (on the Lord's Prayer), in Works, Vol. 2, pp. 282-283:
Christians, think justly, and think joyfully, of this great and notable day of the Lord, when he will make the greatest and most public representation of his church unto God, as the glorious head of his glorified body. See what food your faith can gather from that scripture, which, whatever fulfilments it hath had, or may yet have in time, is to be perfectly fulfilled (as many other scriptures) at the last day, Zeph. iii. 17. The Lord 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. Who of you hath faith to believe this? Where is the believer who dare apply these words with the confidence of faith to himself? Who is so bold as to say, (and yet all in Christ ought to say so), "The blessed day is coming, and will surely come, when Jesus Christ will be as glad to see me in heaven, as I can be to see him, or myself there? He will rejoice over me with joy; that is, he will exceedingly rejoice: he will rest in his love; that is, he will love for ever, without wearying or change: he will joy over me with singing: that is, his love and joy will break forth into a song." And indeed the joy of Christ in heaven is the best part of heaven's music.
George Hutcheson on Zeph. 3.17:
Though Christ's bride is of no worth in herself, nor does he need her, yet because he has chosen her to be his bride, he will not come behind in any duty which such a relationship promises or engages to among men; but he will take pleasure to be her God, will esteem, commend, cherish and delight in her, not according to her worth, but according to the dignity which he has called her unto, and as his wife, for his love put comeliness upon her; and he will express his delight by doing for her, as if her well-being were a sufficient recompense of all his pains. "He will rejoice over you with joy," which points at his inward delight; "he will joy over you with singing," which notes the outward expression of it; and both are borrowed from the carriage of a bridegroom to his bride. See Isa. 62.5.
The Lord's love so acquiesces in his people, whom he has chosen, that he does not only cherish them by many expressions of love when he takes up his rest in and with them, but he also answers all objections that might be against them, with his own free love, which has chosen them. He reckons that having loved them, he will always love them; and having let out his affection upon the unworthy, he will bear with their frailties, and not give a bill of divorce, nor chide continually. Thus "he will rest in his love," or her whom he loves, as having gained his end when he obtains her; and in "his love" or affection toward her, which is sufficient to make him not weary of her nor reject her. Yea, as the word signifies, "he will be deaf and dumb in his love"; his love (to speak after the manner of men) will guard his ear from hearing and his mouth from uttering accusations against her, so as to cast her off or to deny her marriage entertainment, though otherwise he may humble her.
Robert Hawker, The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions (Evening June 12 on Zeph. 3.17), pp. 477-479 :
My soul! look at this old testament promise, through the medium of the new testament dispensation, and behold what a cluster of rich blessings it contains; and which, like all the other promises of the bible, is "yea and amen in Christ Jesus!" And observe how it opens. The Lord thy God, that is, Jehovah in his threefold character of person, in rich covenant engagements, is "in the midst of thee;" hath set up his throne in Zion, and lives, and reigns, and governs in the hearts of his redeemed. So said Jesus, and so that dear Lord explained it in after ages: "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him;" John 14.23. "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth;" John 14.16-17. Mark these blessed, precious truths, my soul, in the most lively characters, on thine heart; and hence learn, that the Lord thy God, in covenant engagements, dwelleth in the midst of his people, and in the hearts of his people; that, like the sun at midday, in the centre of the heavens, he may enlighten, warm, refresh, and give forth all his blessings to bless thee. Next mark what the prophet saith of this covenant Lord God, who is in the midst of his church and people: "He is mighty!" Shout aloud at this, my soul; for if he be mighty, then he will support thy weakness, and subdue thy foes. What can bear down, or destroy the soul, whom this mighty God upholds? What shall arise to distress a child of God, as long as God is almighty? And if he hath engaged to be for thee, who can dare to be against thee? sweet consideration! What signifies my weakness, while Christ is strong? Yea, his strength will be made perfect in my weakness. Go on farther, my soul, in looking over the many blessed things spoken of in this verse. "He will save." Yea: he hath saved, and doth save, and will save. And this is the very cause, the angel said, for which his name should be called Jesus: for "he shall save his people from their sins." Matt. 1.21. Think of this, when at any time, sin or sorrow, trial or temptation, would cast thee down. Jesus is still Jesus, still on his throne: yea, thy Saviour. Amidst all thy changeableness, there is no change in him. And observe yet farther, how the prophet chimes on those sweet words: "He will rejoice over thee with joy: he will rest in his love: he will joy over thee with singing." Pause, my soul, over this most gracious account. Jesus not only saves, not only pardons, but he doth it as God, as Jesus. It is his joy, his delight, his pleasure, to do so. As he saith in another scripture, "Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly, with my whole heart, and with my whole soul;' Jer. 32.41. And as the poor timid believer, from feeling such coldness and deadness, as at times he doth in himself feel, is but too easily prevailed upon by the enemy, and by his own unbelieving heart, to suppose the same of Jesus: that he might not give way to this temptation, the Lord adds, "he will rest in his love:" will abide in it unmoved, and without change; for, as he saith in another scripture, "the Lord God of Israel hateth putting away:" Mal. 2.16. Oh! what a multitude of sweet things are folded up in this verse! Jesus rejoiceth over his people; yea, Jesus joys over them with singing. How often have I seen, in some lovely evening, like the present, that sweet bird of the air, called the skylark, mount aloft from her nest, still looking at her young as she ascends; and when advanced to her height, warbling in the most delightful notes over her brood; until at length, with all the rapidity of love, she darts down to cover, to feed, and to protect them! Thus, but in an infinitely higher degree, doth Jesus joy over his children with singing, resting in his love; and is ever near, ever mighty to defend, to bless, to keep, and to make happy, those who rest in his strength; while he rests in his love, being their God, and they his people.
William Jay, Morning Exercises, For Every Day in the Year (March 21 on Zeph. 3.17), pp. 138-139:
It is obvious he can save, for he is in the midst of them, and mighty. Here is nearness and power; he is therefore able to save to the uttermost, Heb. 7.25, whatever be the heinousness of guilt, or the depravity of nature, or the extremity of danger, or the depth of distress.
But he will save; he is inclined, he is engaged, he is bound by promise and oath and blood.
Neither does he repent of the obligation under which he has been pleased to bring himself: neither does he perform the work with reluctance: he will save, he will rejoice over them with joy.
Are they his vineyard? I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. (Isa. 27.3) Are they his sheep? "The Lord shall save them in that day, as the flock of his people: neither shall the beast of the field devour them; but they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods." (Ezek. 34.25)
But what is this salvation? It does not exclude temporal preservation and deliverance. He knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation. (2 Pet. 2.9) If he does not find a way, he can easily make one. Thus he saved Joseph from prison, and David from the paw of the lion and the bear, and the uncircumcised Philistine, 1 Sam. 17.37, and Elijah from famine, 1 Kings 17.4, and Jonah from the belly of hell. (Jonah 2.2)
We are not to look for miracles, but we may look for him who performed them, and who has said, I will be with thee in trouble. He has all events at his control; he is always the same: his hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. (Isa. 59.1) A distinction, however, is to be here observed. Temporal deliverances are promised conditionally. He could not have promised them otherwise. It would be rather a threatening than a promise, were he to engage to relieve and indulge you, whether it be good for you or evil. And it might be evil; and though you may not be aware of it, he can foresee it, and will prevent it. He has therefore said, They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. (Ps. 34.10) As to your property, he can make a hedge about all that you have. As to your reputation, he can hide you in the secret of his pavilion from the strife of tongues. (Ps. 31.20) As to your body, he can keep all your bones so that not one of them shall be broken; (Ps. 34.20) and if it be good for you, he will, he must do it. But if it should be otherwise, he will disappoint your wishes and hopes, and make the privation the privilege.
But as to the soul. Ah, what did you mean when you first asked, "What shall I do to be saved?" (Acts 16.30) when you first prayed, "Save me, and I shall be saved?" (Jer. 17.14) You thought of nothing earthly then, but of redemption from the curse of the law; (Gal. 3.13)of deliverance from the powers of darkness; (Col. 1.13) of freedom from the sting of death; (1 Col 15.56) of release from the dominion and being of sin. And it was said unto you, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16.31) And this salvation is insured; this salvation is begun. You are already justified by his blood, and saved from wrath through him. (Rom. 5.9) You are already renewed in the spirit of your mind. (Eph. 4.23) You have already the earnest of your inheritance, (Eph. 1.14) and taste some of the grapes of Eshcol. (Num. 13.23-24) And as to the completion, now is your salvation nearer than when you believed. (Rom. 13.11) The night is far spent: the day is at hand. (Rom. 13.12)
And what is every thing besides? All well with the soul; all well for eternity; a smiling God; an opening heaven!"A hope so much divine
May trials well endure."
Octavius Winslow, Morning Thoughts: Daily Walking With God (February 8 on Zeph. 3.17), p. 46:
The marginal reading of the passage is exceedingly beautiful and expressive: "He will be silent because of His love." Divine wrath is silent, because love has hushed it. Divine justice is silent, because love has satisfied it. Sin is silent, because love has condemned it. Satan is silent, because love has vanquished him. God's love has silenced every voice but its own. When an accusation was brought against a poor sinner in the presence of Jesus, and He was called upon to adjudicate in the case, it is recorded that He "stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not" (John 8.6). He was silent, because of His love! And have we no accusers? Ah, yes! Many and just. Conscience accuses, Satan accuses, sin accuses, and the world accuses—but Jesus accuses not; He is silent, because of His love. They condemn loudly, fiercely, justly, but He never condemns. "And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground" (John 8.8). Still not a word of condemnation breathed from His lips. He had been wronged, He had been sinned against, His own holy law had been broken, and the witnesses, many and malignant, are there to testify in truth against the sinner. But Jesus is silent, and silent in His love.
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