I have been studying Zechariah this week and some really interesting things have captivated my mind. Cyrus the Persian King had freed the captives from Israel to resettle their homeland. Zechariah was a priest and he joined Haggai in rousing Israel out of her indifference. They challenged Israel to rebuild the temple. Haggai’s primary purpose was to rebuild the temple; his preaching had a tone of rebuke for the people’s indifference to sin and lack of trust in God and at the same time encouraged them. God would use Haggai to start the revival and Zechariah was used to keep it going strong with a message of hope. Zechariah called the people to repent while at the same time assuring them of future blessings. He encouraged the people to build the temple with their hope fixed on Messiah coming one day to dwell there. The people were not simply building for the present but with the future in mind. He encouraged the people still beaten down by the Gentile powers with the understanding that the Lord remembers His covenant promises to them and that He would restore and bless them.
As I began to study the first two chapters I was intrigued by visions, prophecies, signs and angelic beings and the voice of God. Things even Stephen Spielberg would be proud of. (Actually I was wondering what in the world Zechariah ate before going to bed J )Yet at the same time it deals practically with things like repentance, God’s loving care, salvation and living like you belong to God.
Zechariah starts out chapter 1:1-6 by giving them a message. Zechariah’s message was “Don’t be like your fathers. Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds so that I may return to you. They didn’t listen or give heed to Me” In other words He was telling them:
You better listen! Your fathers didn’t and you are suffering the consequences
God had sent word to their fathers time and time again through His prophets because He had compassion on them (2 Chron 36). In Zechariah 1:6 God says His word overtook their fathers. In other words he was saying “What I told them would happen, did! So you better listen to My words!”
God’s word accomplishes all that He designs (Is 55:10-11), in blessing and in judgment. His warnings were fulfilled exactly as He had said and overtook the fathers who recognized God’s hand of judgment. The exile was positive proof that God punishes those who sin and reject His warnings. The people in Zechariah’s time repented and rebuilt the temple.
As I thought about where many of our churches are I wondered if we aren’t a lot like Israel. Whether we too are comfortable in the ruins of our culture and indifferent to the things of God? We want therapeutic messages, not redemptive messages. David’s been preaching at our church for a while as we are without a pastor, recently he met with someone who complained because they wanted him to preach more “therapeutic” messages and less “redemptive” (my words, not theirs). As I listen to preachers, teachers and speakers it is sad to see how many have fallen into this trap. What we really need to do is to listen and take heed so that God can once again bless our churches!!! God has sent some great men and women of God to us time after time, preaching and teaching His truths but what are we doing with it? Are we simply listening and walking away? Perhaps we are even critiquing the message. But we need to be doing what God’s word says we are to do, not what we think is right in our own eyes. If we do so, we will be a great example to the generations behind us and not cause them to suffer the consequences of our disobedience.
On a personal level, perhaps the generation before you has not listened and heeded God’s words. You don’t have to be like them!!! Wow, now that is encouraging! Our choices are not determined by the example or training we have received. We are free to choose for ourselves by not continually looking back on our but rather to change our focus to the future. (We’ll talk more about this in our next note.)
So what are you going to choose? If you choose not to be like dad then you need to spend some time with your Heavenly Father and ask Him if there is any evil way in you/if you have committed evil deeds. Don’t misunderstand; the word evil doesn’t necessarily describe something out of a horror movie. Evil is anything which contradicts God’s word. If He shows you something, don’t discount it. Take it seriously and 1 John 1:9 it.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
According to 1 John 1:9 how do we repent (return to God)?
What does it say will happen when we do?
Hmmm, that sounds a lot like what we saw in Zechariah. Actually, it goes all the way back to Deuteronomy.
Keep your eyes open for more about Zechariah. In the mean time why don’t you read Zechariah 1-2, there’s some crazy stuff going on in those chapters. (If you can’t find Zechariah go to Matthew and turn left towards the front. You’ll pass Malachi and then there is Zechariah)
