"In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me…" [Zeph 3:11]
In Isaiah, The LORD says,
“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of The LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” [Isa 40:1-2]
The LORD speaks comfortably to us that our “warfare is accomplished,” and in conjunction with this, that our “iniquity is pardoned.” And why is this? “For [we have] received of The LORD’s hand double for all [our] sins.” Because Jesus Christ has overcome and conquered all our enemies – because He, “The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle,” The LORD, who “is a man of war;” [Psa 24:8, Ex 15:3] – yes, because Christ has overcome through the cross, defeating all our enemies, our warfare is accomplished. The war is won; Jesus reigns victorious. And through His victory we have been utterly pardoned of our sins. Every transgression has been covered by the blood of Jesus, for we have been “forgiven [of] all trespasses” [Col 2:13] and “though [our] sins [were] as scarlet, they [have been made] white as snow.” [Isa 1:18] As The LORD says through Isaiah, “for all [our] sins,” we have been given by His hand “double;” that is, a double inheritance. The inheritance of the firstborn – the inheritance of Christ Jesus – for we are “joint-heirs with Christ,” and “shall inherit all things” alongside Him. [Rom 8:17, Rev 21:7] This is why The LORD calls these words in Isaiah comfortable. They are good words; pleasing words; encouraging words: that for all our wickedness and sin, we should be given an inheritance and a complete pardon. But is this not what Paul/The New Testament agree to? Saying, “the free gift [of salvation] is of many offences unto justification;” and, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” [Rom 5:16, 20]
The same words are spoken in Isaiah elsewhere, as well as Zechariah.
“For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.” [Isa 61:7]
And,
“Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee.” [Zech 9:12]
Instead of shame and confusion, The Lord promises us inheritance, blessing, and joy. And in our verse for today, we see the same: “in that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me…” The grace and love and mercy of God know no bounds. For we have come to Him with nothing; nothing except shame and sin, and for those He has taken and exchanged, given to us, for no righteousness of our own, every heavenly blessing available.
The Lord does not desire for us to be ashamed of what we have done, of our past. He calls us not to Himself to humiliate and shame us. No, but The Lord calls us to Himself for the greatest exchange: our sin for His spotless, shame-free righteousness. And if we come to Him, as we often do, trembling and low for our sins and wickedness, anxious that we have lost His ear or our good standing before His throne, He reminds us of His glorious perspective: “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel: The LORD His God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.” [Num 23:21]
Do you come today, dear Christian, with shame? Ashamed of your bad attitude, ashamed of your recent failures, ashamed of your past? Do you come to Christ heavy with such things? Fear not, nor be discouraged: for as it is said to Israel, “in that day,” so too it is said for us in that day that we accept Christ, (and forevermore after that), “thou shalt not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed…”
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