First Baptist Church, Somerville, NJ

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Created: 28 February 2020

 Throughout the history of God’s people in the Old Testament we see a pattern of provisions, rebellions, and exiles! The prophet Zephaniah spoke about this pattern of spiritual exile in the sixth century B.C. when Israel had fallen into rebellion against God. God called Zephaniah to speak out against this religious and moral decay.  Zephaniah delivers a series of doom and gloom prophecies of judgment and exile. The prophet who is speaking for the Lord tells the people that after 70 years of exile if they reflect and change their attitudes and actions, there would be a period of restoration. The prophet says “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).  

Unfortunately, it is the same pattern that we see at work in today’s society. God provides us with everything we need for life and happiness, but sometimes we reciprocate in our arrogance and rebellion and turn to our own ways of hate, violence, and anger toward others. God sends us into various forms of spiritual and sometimes physical exile to humble and help us to think about ways to alter our rebellious behavior. This Season of Lent is a great opportunity for us to go into our spiritual exile with the Lord for forty days. 

In the midst of the people restoration, he commands Zion to sing with joy and rejoice with gladness. Their gloom would be turned into gladness, their despair into delight, their dejection into joy! As Christians, we look forward to this future joy of restoration and we can rejoice now because of what will happen in the Second Coming of Christ. So, I say to you now, Sing O daughter of Zion—exile is coming to an end! Shout Aloud, O Israel–we will be restored to God’s presence again! Be Glad, God’s people—he will take your sadness away! Rejoice Christians, your conflicts will cease, your diseases will be healed, your needs will be met, your fears will fade, and your worries will be washed away! This is the joy of restoration!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Loreno R. Flemmings