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Zechariah 1:12-21
Zechariah 1:12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?” Here Jesus, the angel of the Lord, intercedes for Israel. Jesus is our Great High Priest, who intercedes for us. This is one of our faith’s great comforts. He didn’t begin interceding for his people after his ascension. He has always done so. He prays to the Father, the Lord Almighty, “How long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah?” This can be stated as, “Come quickly to save your people.” The Son knows the Father will restore Israel to be God’s people. He knows his role in that redemptive plan. Thus, the question is not one of wondering desperation but one of sure promise. The Son of God revealed to his prophet and his people the Father’s intention to forgive and restore them as his people. Zechariah 1:14-15 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.’” God is a Father protecting his family. He is “jealous” to protect them from other nations’ evil. God is angry with the nations he used to judge Israel. They overstepped God’s purpose. Their wickedness raised God’s wrath to judge them. Only the Father will determine his people’s discipline and redemption. This indicates God allows a free will in our hearts and minds to do as we desire. He grants us permission to disobey. But we are without excuse. His laws are plain, and his commands are for our obedience. Zechariah 1:18-19 Then I looked up – and there before me were four horns! 19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?” He answered me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.” The animal horns represent Assyria, Egypt, Babylon and Medo-Persia. These empires warred against Israel and even destroyed the Northern Kingdom permanently. Zechariah 1:20-21 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.” “Craftsmen” is another image for the “four horns” in succession as world powers. This vision is a “Revelation-type” vision to promise that God will judge and defeat all his enemies. This is one of Scripture’s great promises. Stop and Know: Psalms 2:5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying…9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Read Zechariah 1
Zechariah 1:7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo. MOST of us relate to Revelation and Daniel as the Bible’s books pointing to the end of time. For some reason Zechariah is ignored. So we’re here to change that mindset. The visions in this book are inspiring and even joyful as they point to Jerusalem’s’ restoration after the exile, then to the first and second comings of Jesus Christ. Who is Zechariah? As the Jews return to Jerusalem from the exile – in the second year of Darius – it is in November of 520 B.C. to be more precise. God inspired two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to encourage the Jews to rebuild the temple and point them toward the Messiah and even the final triumph on God on earth. If you quicky read the two chapters of Haggai, you will see three prophecies God gives to him in successive months and weeks of that same year. And Zechariah’s visions are in this same time. God was at work to renew his promises to Israel. The first six chapters of Zechariah are a series of eight night visions. To understand the images and messages, we’ll carefully walk through these visions to know they are also God’s messages to his people and church today. We begin with the first part of chapter 1. Zechariah 1:3 “Return to me…and I will return to you. 4 Do not be like your forefathers.” God’s faithfulness to his eternal purpose remains secure. His first affirming message through Zechariah is essentially to say, “I have a way and a purpose for you. Join me. Follow me.” God invites Israel into his blessed care. Jesus has called his disciples in the same way, and he is calling you now. Following God is becoming as God, living more and more into purpose for your life. The LORD urges Israel to receive what so many have rejected. The good Father lovingly desires a close relationship with his people. Zechariah 1:8-11 During the night I had a vision – and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. 9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.” 10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.” 11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord, who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.” The man on a red horse in a grove of myrtle trees is considered an appearance of Christ as “the angel of the LORD”. There is a second angel here, too. He is the one who interpreted the vision. He tells Zechariah these horses had observed the whole world and found it at rest and in peace. But the Jews in Judah were still very oppressed and insecure. The world can often be at “rest” in its disobedience while agitating opposition to the church. How do you see yourself and/or your church in view of these scriptures? Have you responded to follow the Lord? Do you rejoice in his blessed care? Are you sure your life is purposeful toward his plan for you? God wants you to answer, “Yes!” to the questions in faith because you know his eternal purpose includes you. Read Isaiah 66
Isaiah 66:7-8 “Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. 8 Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? ISAIAH conclude with highest praise and purpose. God is a glorious creator! Read Genesis 1-2. See the glory of God shaping and creating a wondrous universe. See him lovingly create our parents, Adam and Eve, and form the precious marriage covenant. Watch as the animals come forth for Adam to name. A magnificent universe we can gaze upon each day becomes real in a week! That’s our God. No one like him! The Spirit of God has anointed Isaiah to pointedly declare the message: God will again do something magnificent and beyond our understanding. What is the marvelous wonder? He will cause “Jerusalem to give birth to a son”. This happened in Acts 2 when God’s Holy Spirit in his creative power brought forth his church in a single day. The Spirit anointed 125 disciples in an upper room. They were gifted in tongue and knowledge to “go and make disciples”. Peter preached the first sermon. In the first worship of the Christian church 3,000 souls were born again, re-created to eternal life! If you feel at the end of your rope, or even if you’re simply wondering, “How’s this issue going to get better? Can I have hope in all the hard things around me?” Then look to your Creator. The one who makes marvelous changes, even in one day. Yes, you can really trust God. He has promised all things new forever in him. Pause and Consider: The Creator can create new circumstances for you. Read Isaiah 65
Isaiah 65:17-25 “Behold, I will create a new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy…23 They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them…25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. AS Isaiah is a mini-Bible, you might say Isaiah 65 is an even more condensed outline of Scripture. The first seven verses first tell of God creating Israel. Second is the record of their disobedience. Then verses 8-16 point to God using a remnant of Israel to be the root of his righteous kingdom on earth. God will act within the remnant to change to the world through his Son’s ministry. In the Son’s resurrection and the Spirit’s power, the Father blesses first the Jews, then the Gentiles with his salvation. This, of course, is the New Testament. Isaiah’s images of peace and plenty identify the new creation to come. Still, you must know God is clear to say the disobedient such as those who worship Fortune and Destiny (false gods) will be judged. Then read the remarkable description of the new heaven and earth in verses 17-25. These are familiar words because we love to know of the coming hope and joy. God’s perfect peace returns to earth. Sin and death are gone. Even the animals will be at peace with one another. All creation will live in unity with the holy God. How good God is that The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Once sin is done on earth, no one will remember or consider sin and weaknesses any longer. The saved will live in God’s holy splendor, unfettered with any remorse, unforgiveness, anger or temptations. Our minds will be clear and free to fully worship God and to completely love one another. Just as clearly as the apostle John wrote in Revelation, the prophet Isaiah describes God’s love story completed in eternal wonder. Do you not think everyone would want this? Let’s pray we understand God’s gift, and let’s pray God’s promise comes to those who are yet to know him. Much work is to be done throughout our neighborhoods, towns, cities, states, nations and world to reveal God’s grace. We can do this work with a blessed assurance God’s purpose will be accomplished. Be eager to join with him. Psalms 67:3 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. 5 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Read Isaiah 64
Isaiah 64:1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! … 5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? ISAIAH prays for the LORD God to come in power to make his name, presence and justice known on the earth. Jesus taught us to pray for the same thing: Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Have you ever considered what would happen if God’s will is done on earth? One thing Isaiah tells us is that the mountains will tremble. We may think this is an illustration of God’s power; yet this truly happened. Mt. Sinai shook and rumbled with great thunder when the LORD came in his will to deliver the Law. The same mountain trembled in the wind when Elijah (1 Kings 19) sought refuge in the LORD’s will for his life and ministry. Earthquakes and floods, drought and good harvests have come through the generations at the will of God in Israel’s history. Do you believe such events come in God’s will today? Psalms 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Yes, God’s majesty is revealed in many forms. Are we seeing? Verse 5 then tells us some aspects of God’s will. First, we read it is God’s will to bless: You come to the help of those who gladly do right. The writer of Hebrews says it this way: 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. The prophet and the epistle writer know we can approach God in prayer, service and worship because it is God’s will to receive and bless those who are faithful to him. Yes, it’s true. Believing in God’s gracious care does not guarantee all will always be well for us physically in this world. Still we know all will be well in God’s will to bless those who love and obey him. Then comes that big three-letter word, “but” as verse 5 shifts to a second form of God’s will. This is his will to judge and condemn: But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? Our understanding of God’s love is challenged when we know God’s will is to judge and destroy the sinner. No one wants to hear or believe his sins are so bad the holy God will condemn him to eternal hell. This is God’s will of judgment to condemn the wicked as surely as it is God’s will to bless the righteous. In order to fully receive God’s blessing, we must know unrepentant sin brings God’s curse upon us. Know the Lord’s power. Know his will to bless and to judge. Mourn your sins and rejoice in God’s forgiveness. Be prepared for the LORD’s power to be fully displayed on earth and in your life. The Bible’s last verses assures us God’s will is to be done on earth: Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. Rejoice and be Glad: The LORD God has taught us the right way. Read Isaiah 63
Isaiah 63:10-12 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them. 11 Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people — where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, 12 who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown. THIS chapter begins with the image of the bloodied Christ coming from the enemy’s camp to proclaim victory for God’s people. Edom is a nation founded by the rebellious Esau, Isaac’s son and Jacob’s brother. “Esau” is Edom and relates to his red hair and the red stew he traded for his birthright. (Genesis 25:30) This is one of the many ways God’s chosen people rebelled against God. Rebellion does not mean God’s people revolted against him, but, instead, they avoided God, irritated him with their disobedience, angered him with their ignorance and disobeyed him with their idolatry. God’s justice sends the conquering Christ wearing the signs of war and victory over Edom. Then Isaiah points again to Israel’s rebellious history with the LORD. Do you wonder why the Bible has so many, many references to Israel’s neglect and sin? One reason is to keep us who are called into the church to consistently ask, “Are we as Israel was? Do we rebel against God?” It’s easy to quickly say, “No.” And I’ve heard many in the church say, “Israel was a stiff-necked people.” in condemnation of the nation. But let’s remember Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Is not the church marred with much trouble and division? Why do so many reject some or many parts of God’s Word – even the entire Old Testament – to say, “We have decided what is right.” Why do so many of us do what we prefer, rebelling against God’s commands? When we look to Israel’s history, let’s learn from their rebellion. Know that God formed and molded Israel to be his own through the law and the prophets, through the promises of salvation, hope and eternal life. They were “stiff-necked” because sin dominated even the minds of God’s people. The church has become a new form of Israel, formed to live into God’s saving grace. The Bible’s lesson is this: Know who you are. The gospel message is clear: 1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. God has created the church of Jesus Christ to be your eternal nation. You are called out of death into life. Your response is not rebellion but must be obedience. You might say, “I know that.” But let’s be careful we live it. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Read Isaiah 62
Isaiah 62:10-12 Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up; build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. 11 The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” 12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. BE sure to read the entire, short chapter. These words are a beautiful outpouring of God’s grace upon his broken people, upon a lost world. Once more the LORD points Judah and the city of Jerusalem past the exile in Babylon, to see the time of physical rebuilding spiritual restoration. He promises a complete transformation will come. The city will glorify God as they come to understand his authority over the earth, their nation and their lives. When God declares, “Say to the daughters of Zion.” He is using a figure of speech that relates to all Jewish citizens. As the LORD has prophesied that the city will be deserted, God is now declaring that Zion, the mountain of God, will gain a great reputation as the Holy City. People will want to live there and enjoy fellowship with God and with one another. The city will be filled with God’s Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord. After the exile, the leaders Nehemiah and Ezra did two very essential tasks to complete Jerusalem’s reconstruction. They first led the Jews to a purposeful rebuilding of the walls and the temple. Second, they arranged for a national worship. God’s Word was read from the city’s walls. For several days during the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jerusalem’s “daughters” – a word here that indicates all Jews – stood for 4-6 hours listening to God’s Word. This was the first time many from the exile had heard of God’s creative, redeeming, restorative power proclaimed in Genesis to Deuteronomy. They did not know God’s plan to form the nation and prepared a place for them to live in comfort and peace. The Jews did not know of a coming Messiah, who would eternally restore their lives to God. What was their response? They wept over their sins, and they worshiped God. They also signed an agreement that listed the correct ways of living with each other and obeying God. Together they said, “We will do this.” to a number of requirements and stipulations. In other words, they strived to live holy lives in God’s law. This is repentance. There is no repentance until we say, “Forgive me, LORD. What must I do to live in your righteousness?” We know this didn’t last for long. As a generation and leaders passed, many Jews again forgot their parents’ convictions and vows. Yet, out of this God would use Jerusalem to point to the eternal city. One day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, and Matthew said his triumphal entry fulfilled these words: Matthew 21:5 :Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” Indeed, it was the day the king came to make the entire world a Zion, a place where God’s people dwell and worship the Holy God. Yes, you can say that each Christian today is a Daughter of Zion. We are descended from the Christ, made holy by his blood shed and his body resurrected in that city. In Christ, our desolate, empty lives become a rich harvest of the fruit of the Spirit. In God’s power his broken world will “Build up! Build up!” to become the Redeemed, the Sought After, the Holy People in Jesus. Remember the New Truth: 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone; the new has come!” Read Isaiah 61
Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor…10 Let me tell you how happy God has made me! For he has clothed made with garments of salvation and draped about me the robe of righteousness. ARE you happy today? Your immediate response to the question is to likely stop a minute and think about what is happening in your life. You might measure the good things in your life against the things that aren’t so good and then decide on your answer. Hopefully, the good outweighs the bad, and you answer, “Yes, I’m happy.” Or you might answer, “Mostly.” or “A little.” or even, “No. How could I be happy? Nothing is ever good for me.” Look, then, and see Isaiah’s answer. “Let me tell you how happy God has made me! For he has clothed made with garments of salvation and draped about me the robe of righteousness.” What is happiness? In the world’s view, happiness is a feeling based on our desires and preferences. In the Kingdom of God, happiness is knowing you belong to God. You know God has dressed you in his salvation, draped you with his robe of righteousness. Happiness is freedom from sin’s oppression. Happiness is wearing God’s crown of beauty as he graciously bestows it upon you. Happiness is eternal salvation because of the LORD’s favor – his grace – upon you. As Isaiah 60, this passage is an expression of the gospel’s purpose. God’s salvation transforms our lives into God’s holy perfection. Jesus used this scripture in Luke 4:18-19 as he began his ministry in the Nazareth synagogue. At the conclusion of his reading he said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) Jesus is the fullness of the law and the prophets. He is your release from the world’s view of happiness, which is truly an oppression of our hearts. Jesus frees us from empty striving into eternal, purposeful living in true happiness. Isaiah 61 is a wonderful celebration of God’s salvation, freeing people from their bondage of despair, dressing us in his glory. Take on that freedom in your heart. Rejoice in and enjoy God’s gift of life for you. Be truly happy! Pause and Consider: how fleeting happiness is when you rely on worldly possessions and relationships. Focus your happiness on God’s gifts to you. Read Isaiah 60
Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” ONE could say this first verse of Isaiah 60 is a topic heading for Isaiah’s final six chapters. We go back one verse to read in Isaiah 59:21 “My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the Lord. This proclaims the power of God’s Word. Then the prophet begins to reveal how God will deepen his promises of the gospel’s power to shine throughout the universe, into eternity. The LORD’s promises throughout Isaiah 60 range from Israel’s return from exile to the eternal future. Very specifically, God declares his people will have help rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. This came true when Darius of Persia supported Nehemiah’s work (Read Nehemiah). We see a promise of trade resuming, and Israel will begin to gain wealth. The people will assemble once more in Jerusalem under God’s protection. Ezra, Nehemiah and Zechariah describe the Jews fulfilling this and beginning to worship God again. The prophecy moves into the age of the church and the eternal future. Peace within Jerusalem will come in the new heaven and earth. Kings, nations and people who reject God will be gone. God “will glorify the place of (his) feet.” (verse 13) promising he will be seated on the throne of glory with worshipers at his feet. Revelation 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.” God’s people will be called the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 60:14). God promises his people will live in his peace and splendor: Isaiah 60:18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. 19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. This is God’s promise repeated in Revelation 21. This is the gospel’s purpose, to shine a light into the world, so those in faith will know the way to the new heaven and earth. Read Isaiah 59
Isaiah 59:16-17 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. ONCE more we see how the New Testament connects with Isaiah. The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Ephesus to withstand the evil around them. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-17) This is a plain visual of God’s power covering us and conquering evil. And now we can see that the “armor of God” is not simply an illustration, it is the definition and declaration of God’s power to protect his people, to deliver us from evil and to transform sin into salvation. From Isaiah 59:1-15, the LORD denounces Israel’s and the world’s sins, concluding with this: Isaiah 59:15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. What then, is his solution? God will do his own work. He will put on his own armor. His own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. Full of grace, desiring to redeem and forgive, God stretched his mighty arm with the shield of his righteousness to act against sin. He sustained Judah through the exile. He, the LORD, sent Jesus to earth and to the cross. The Holy Father received Jesus from the grave, so Jesus, the Son of Man, will come wrapped in glorious garments of vengeance against evil and the garments of praise for the salvation of his own. When Paul wrote, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” he was telling the church to be as God is. God’s power over sin is righteousness. God’s almighty strength is announcing, affirming and living the truth. Our only offense to defeat sin is to be as God. Jesus said it this way: Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Live in God’s righteousness. Rejoice in his salvation. Who or what is attacking you, your faith, your loved one or your church? The response is clear. Use God’s armor; it will defend you head to toe, heart to soul; it will attack, defeat and destroy the enemy. Be sure to see in two days our lesson from Isaiah 61. We examine further on how to dress in God’s armor. |
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November 2024
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