Creative Worship: I AM Has Spoken

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"For then I will restore

pure lips to the peoples,

that all may call upon the name of the LORD

and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.

10From beyond the rivers of Cush

My worshipers, My scattered people,

will bring Me an offering.

11On that day you will not be put to shame

for any of the deeds

by which you have transgressed against Me.

For then I will remove from among you

those who rejoice in their pride,

and you will never again be haughty

on My holy mountain.

12But I will leave within you a meek and humble people,

and they will trust in the name of the LORD.

13The remnant of Israel

will no longer do wrong or speak lies,

nor will a deceitful tongue

be found in their mouths.

But they will feed and lie down,

with no one to make them tremble.”

Israel’s Restoration

14Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion;

shout aloud, O Israel!

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

O Daughter of Jerusalem!

15The LORD has taken away your punishment;

He has turned back your enemy.

Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you;

no longer will you fear any harm.

16On that day they will say to Jerusalem:

“Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands fall limp.

17The LORD your God is among you;

He is mighty to save.

He will rejoice over you with gladness;

He will quiet you with His love;

He will rejoice over you with singing.”

18“I will gather those among you who grieve

over the appointed feasts,

so that you will no longer suffer reproach.

19Behold, at that time,

I will deal with all who afflict you.

I will save the lame

and gather the scattered;

and I will appoint praise and fame

for the disgraced throughout the earth.

20At that time I will bring you in;

yes, at that time I will gather you.

For I will give you fame and praise

among all the peoples of the earth

when I restore your captives

before your very eyes." Yahweh has spoken.

Happy Tuesday, Friends!
This passage is from Zephaniah 3, starting in verse 9 and tracking all the way to the end.
All the bolding and highlights above are mine. Sometimes, this is how I Bible Journal in my study Bible. Leaning in to any section, I look for repetition, similes, Christophanies, etc. So something like seeing the name of God (e.g. LORD, God) urges me toward simple highlighting, which then helps me to better track references to His person - His heart.

Now...
It's in our character to grab verses (like these highlighted in pink) and keep them for our very own, holding tightly to dispersed promises throughout. I know, because I did that, and do it still, from time to time. The Old Testament is interwoven with instances where - even through their rebellion - the Israelite nation is given blessings, or promises of a specific blessing, promise, future, etc.
Now...

I believe there's nothing wrong with using these scriptures for personal growth and intimacy with God. Nothing. God expects that when you read His Word, there will be areas that we need to wrestle with to better understand the entirety of the meta-narrative of Scripture, WITH the inherit blessing of growing and maturing in knowledge and grace. That's awesome! Yielding to the Teacher to help us understand His inspired Word is the point of our Bibles: to come to know HIM.

So what do we do then with this?

Why can't we look at passages like Zeph. 3 and directly apply these promises to ourselves as New Testament believers? As post-resurrection, Spirit-filled saints?

I have a thought - a semblance of an answer - that may help.

The whole Bible is about God.

The Old Testament points to the New Testament in "shadows," and prophecies. The New Testament picks up where the Old left off and carries some of these prophecies straight into fulfillent (e.g. the birth of the Messiah). They work hand in hand, to be sure, and we shouldn't neglect study of and memory-commitment to either of them. As said before, they work together to form the entire story of God. HIS story.
Zephaniah is no different.
God speaks through a prophet, foretelling future events of God, and God relations to Israel, much like other books of prophecy. And just like other books that proclaim the coming of something or someone, Zephaniah speaks a word inspired by God, about God, and about God's person.

When you read texts that are sweet, lovely to behold, soothing to ingest, peaceful to think on, you should take a quick step back and realize why it is that we are so drawn to - so driven to embrace - the things inspired for each and every reader.

God.

It's God.

We're driven to God.

HE'S sweet.

HE'S lovely to behold.

HE'S soothing to ingest.

HE'S peaceful to think on.

Right? Think about it for just a moment. Is it possible that we were made to read scripture for more than a quick one-liner encouragement about what God can give us? Is it possible that we were meant to read the Holy Bible - the Word - to actually get God Himself?
I submit with a hearty "yes!" This was a difficult stance for me to take; I am guilty of passively turning to a place in scripture from which I could get the next "pick me up."

Friends, the Bible is not about us, nor is it about the Israelites.

It's about God. The Bible is where we will gain the most definitive position of God's heart and mind toward all else - every person, every creature, every situation.

Now read Zephaniah 3 again, knowing just this little bit more about the Word.
God is compassionate.

God is comforting.

God is protective.

God is kind.

God is faithful.

God is merciful.

God is loving.

God is strong.

God is just.

God is God.

And this all-knowing, all-present, all-understanding, all-seeing Protector - the I AM that has always been and will always be, has spoken.