Going back 15 years and pulling something from the early archives — the days when my morning posts were morning e-mails. What triggers it? The CSB’s alignment with the NASB, both speaking of a God in our midst who not only rejoices over us and delights in us but who, sometimes it would seem, is also content to just be quiet over us. Here’s how I noodled on it in 2008 . . .

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So . . . because my reading plan has 4 different passages to read each morning, it’s not uncommon that each year something different will “grab me” from the readings so that one year I might jot down a few thoughts from one of the passages and the next year a few thoughts from another. But, in some cases it’s the same passage, year after year, that ignites my imagination. I checked back on today’s reading and sure enough, for the third year now, it’s Zephaniah 3:17 that impacts me from my set of readings.

“The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

(Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV)

The NIV translates it very much the same. But the NASB, which is reported to be the most literal of the major translations, is slightly different:

“”The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

(Zephaniah 3:17 NASB)

Now, I know that there is some danger in “mixing and matching” from different translations in order to convey the meaning that suits your particular bias, but I also think that, removing bias to a single translation allows you to gather from a wide range of insight as to how the original languages might be set forth in English. With the little “behind the scenes” work I did this morning with my handy dandy Bible program, the NASB rendering of Zephaniah 3:17 has a lot of merit. Enough with the academia . . . onto the wonder . . .

The context is God’s promise to establish a faithful remnant out of His judgment of Israel, “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord . . . a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord” (Zeph. 3:9, 12). And that’s my connect point . . . part of a people chosen by God . . . given a new song . . . calling upon the name of the God I once shunned . . . desiring to serve Him . . . humbled by His great love and the sacrifice paid for my sin . . . trusting in His name.

And to such a people the Word says, “The LORD your God is in your midst.” And that in and of itself is amazing enough. That God would seek to “hang out” with His creation. Paul tells the Ephesians that, as God’s people, they were being formed into a holy temple in order to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit (Eph. 2:21-22). God in the midst . . . we often are seized with awe at the thought of entering the holy of holies to be in His presence . . . but to realize that He desires to come into our presence starts to open up just how much God loves us. But Zephaniah’s prophecy gets better . . .

And here’s what really impresses me this morning . . . sometimes this victorious warrior — this Mighty One who has done battle to save us — sometimes His love for us causes Him to “be quiet” . . . I know the NKJV and NIV say His love will “quiet you” but the word “you” is not specifically in the original . . . the idea of God quieting Himself in His love is also a possible rendering. And so, could it be that God sometimes sits back in awe of His people? Not that we command any “awe factor” in and of ourselves . . . but that the Mighty Victor is captured by the wonder of the prize purchased by the blood of the Lamb. Or as an earthly father will sometimes sit back and dote over his children, “That’s my girl!” . . . could God in the same way be so overwhelmed by His love for us that He simply just quiets Himself and enjoys just being in the midst of those who He has called out of darkness and into His marvelous light?

And, if God will from time to time be quiet in His love, check out the contrast as the prophet also says that He will rejoice over us with shouts of joy or with singing. Oh, that God is so crazy in love with His people that He would shout to the heavens with joy . . . that He would sing a song of gladness . . . it’s almost too much to imagine. What does it sound like when God shouts? How beautiful the voice of God must be when He sings! And it’s all over His people . . . amazing!!!

He deigns to be in our midst . . . He quiets Himself as He loves on us . . . He lifts the roof off of heaven with shouts of praise and with singing because of His joy and exultation over us . . . oh, if God be for us! . . . who can be against us!

Father, I really don’t fully grasp the meaning of this small verse hidden within this somewhat obscure prophet’s writings . . . but it does capture my imagination . . . and lifts me to respond . . . to desire to come into Your presence . . . to quiet myself as I consider Your love for me and price paid for my redemption . . . and to shout the song of a redeemed soul, offering glory and honor and adoration to the Godhead who alone is worthy of my sacrifice of praise . . . be in the midst, O God . . . thank You . . . amen!