The Lord speaks today of restoring His people. He is compassionate toward them and will strengthen and save them.
"I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph." (Zechariah 10:6a) By Zechariah's day the nation of Israel had been split apart for about four hundred years. Ten tribes seceded and formed the northern kingdom during the days of King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. The other two tribes became the southern kingdom. The Lord, however, still views Israel as a whole. He promises to strengthen Judah (the southern kingdom of Judah and Benjamin combined) and to save the tribes of Joseph (the ten northern tribes combined). Judah remained loyal to the Lord longer than the northern kingdom of Israel did; this is why Judah did not fall to Babylon until about one hundred years after Israel fell to Assyria. Judah also remained more faithful to God during captivity than Israel, so God has returned her to the land to rebuild. Her faith has been small at times, but the Lord promises to rebuild it as surely as He intends to rebuild the temple and the city. I am reminded of what the Lord Jesus said to the church at Philadelphia, "I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name." (Revelation 3:8b) The Lord is saying something similar to Judah, "I know you are feeling weak and discouraged. I know you have little strength, but I will be your strength!"
The Lord also vows to save the tribes of Joseph, meaning the ten northern tribes. The northern kingdom fell away from God faster than the southern kingdom and she fell farther from God than the southern kingdom. But nothing is impossible for God. His arm is never too short to save. (Numbers 11:23) This should be an encouragement to us about our loved ones who are living far from the Lord. Their situation may look impossible to us, and it may be impossible for any human help to do any good, but nothing is too hard for God.
Why is God going to do so much good for Judah and Israel? Because of His great love! "I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them." (Zechariah 10:6b) At one time the Lord had to say to His people, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2) For a time the Lord had to take His protective hand off the people and allow them to be defeated and taken captive. But God did not intend to reject them forever. He shut His ears until the season of correction was finished. Like a responsible parent, God had to discipline bad behavior. But like a good and loving parent, God placed a limit on the time of discipline. He's not going to leave Israel and Judah in "time out" forever.
"The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember Me. They and their children will survive, and they will return." (Zechariah 10:7-9) This promise echoes the one given through the prophet Jeremiah prior to the fall of Jerusalem, "'So do not be afraid, Jacob My servant; do not be dismayed, Israel,' declares the Lord. 'I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. I am with you and will save you,' declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 30:10-11a) This prophecy has been fulfilled in part. The ancient return to the land in Zechariah's day began the fulfillment of it. In modern times the recreation of the sovereign nation of Israel in 1948 fulfilled even more of it. But the final restoration and glory of the nation of Israel will occur when her King comes to reign over her.
"I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away. I will strengthen them in the Lord and in His name they will live securely,' declares the Lord." (Zechariah 10:10-12) The Lord is using the names of these nations as symbols for sin and idolatry and bondage. By Zechariah's day the slavery in Egypt was long past and the nation of Assyria had already fallen. The Lord mentions Egypt and Assyria to represent all He has saved Israel from and all He will save Israel from. Who can release us from the power of sin? Who can set the captive free? Who can remove the idols from our lives and make His name the only name? No one but the Lord Almighty! He vows to do for Israel what she has not been able to do for herself, just as He promises to do for you and me what we have not been able to do for ourselves.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Friday, October 6, 2017
Zechariah's Vision Of The King. Day 20, The Royal Line Of Judah
We begin a chapter regarding the Lord's care for Judah, the royal line of Israel.
"Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone." (Zechariah 10:1) The success of the crops depended on the seasonal rains. Zechariah reminds the people that it is the Lord who commands the times and the seasons. It is He who provides for them. Before their captivity in Babylon, some of the people had fallen into the idolatry of the Canaanites who worshiped the fertility god Baal, a god also known as "the Lord of Rain and Dew". They entreated this false god for the bounty of the fields rather than the living God. Now that they have been released from captivity and have been given a fresh start, they mustn't even think about backsliding.
We know the verse above has to do with idolatry (and not simply with agricultural matters) because of what the prophet says next, "The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd." (Zechariah 10:2) The Hebrew word used in verse 2 for "idols" is "teraphim", meaning "small images or cult objects used as domestic deities or oracles by ancient Semitic peoples". This implies that Zechariah is speaking not so much against overt idolatry carried out in public, but against private idolatry. We really never again find blatant idolatry among the tribes of Israel. But there is still the danger of hidden sin. A teraphim is kept inside the house where no one but the family can see it. It's a an object easily concealed if company comes calling. In Genesis 31 we find Rachel stealing her father's teraphim and when he comes looking for them she hides them inside her camel's saddle and sits on it. This shows how easy it is to harbor sin in our lives without even those closest to us being aware of it.
Zechariah suspects no one would dare set up a public altar to Baal on a street corner in Jerusalem. But since he is well aware of the fickleness of the human heart, he knows it's possible to say and do all the right things on the outside while clinging to sin on the inside. Idolatry is a lie. Anything that takes precedence over God in our lives is a lie. Zechariah compares this type of life with the image of a flock of sheep wandering the land without a shepherd. There is no true direction in the life of anyone who eschews the truth of the Lord in favor of a false belief system.
The Lord was angry with the faithlessness of the people before He sent them into captivity, but He is even angrier with the leaders of the nation who did not set a godly example for the people to follow. They bear the greater burden of sin because they were in a position to influence the people in the right direction and did not. "My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for His flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle." (Zechariah 10:3) The higher the position we hold in the community or in the church or in the workplace, the greater the responsibility we bear to live in a way that honors the Lord. When the leadership is ungodly, the people feel more at liberty to be ungodly themselves. This is why the Lord is especially harsh with the "shepherds" and "leaders" of verse 3.
But all is not lost. The Lord promises to care for Judah and to bring a particular Shepherd and a specific King from this tribe. The royal dynasty of Judah began with David, a shepherd who was made a king. The final and eternal head of this tribe will be the one who is both the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11) and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). The people of Judah in Zechariah's day may have wondered whether their past behavior had negated any of God's promises to them, so He is going to reiterate what the patriarch Jacob prophesied about the tribe of Judah when he said, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his." (Genesis 49:10) Here is what the Lord says regarding the royal line of Judah, "From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame." (Zechariah 10:4-5)
Without a cornerstone a wall cannot stay true to form. The cornerstone must be set so that everything else falls into its proper place. From Judah will come the cornerstone, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom the Apostle Peter applies the words of the prophet Isaiah, "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame." (1 Peter 2:6, Isaiah 28:16)
The tent peg holds everything firmly in place, without which the tent would blow away on the wind. The Lord, this ruler from the tribe of Judah, is the security of His people. In the days of Isaiah the Lord used a man named Eliakim as a symbol of the One to whom would be entrusted the house of David. Eliakim served under King Hezekiah and was over his finances and his storehouses. The Lord uses him to represent a person yet to come, just as He used the high priest Joshua in the book of Zechariah to represent a person yet to come. Of Eliakim, and symbolically the coming King, the Lord says, "I will place on His shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I will drive Him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor in the house of his father." (Isaiah 22:22-23) The Lord Jesus applies these verses to Himself when He says to the church of Philadelphia, "These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open." (Revelation 3:7)
From Judah comes the battle bow, from Judah the King who crushes His enemies in the winepress of Isaiah 63, from Judah the mighty warrior whom the Apostle John foresaw like this, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God." (Revelation 19:11-13)
From Judah comes every ruler, Zechariah tells us, because this is the tribe God chose as the royal line. This is the line from which the Messiah and King will come, the Ruler of all rulers, who will reign forever from David's throne. This is the King the patriarch Jacob foresaw when he said One was coming to whom belonged the scepter and the ruler's staff. This is the King Zechariah told us about who will proclaim peace to the nations. (Zechariah 9:10) When we first met the King on the pages of Zechariah, we found Him riding a donkey, the animal a king rides when he comes in peace. The next time the King comes to the world He will be riding a warhorse, the animal a king rides when he comes to do battle. At His first advent the Lord Jesus Christ came to the world as the Lamb of God; at His second advent He will be King and Lord over the earth. He will wear many crowns, for in that day "there will be one Lord, and His name the only name". (Zechariah 14:9)
"Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone." (Zechariah 10:1) The success of the crops depended on the seasonal rains. Zechariah reminds the people that it is the Lord who commands the times and the seasons. It is He who provides for them. Before their captivity in Babylon, some of the people had fallen into the idolatry of the Canaanites who worshiped the fertility god Baal, a god also known as "the Lord of Rain and Dew". They entreated this false god for the bounty of the fields rather than the living God. Now that they have been released from captivity and have been given a fresh start, they mustn't even think about backsliding.
We know the verse above has to do with idolatry (and not simply with agricultural matters) because of what the prophet says next, "The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd." (Zechariah 10:2) The Hebrew word used in verse 2 for "idols" is "teraphim", meaning "small images or cult objects used as domestic deities or oracles by ancient Semitic peoples". This implies that Zechariah is speaking not so much against overt idolatry carried out in public, but against private idolatry. We really never again find blatant idolatry among the tribes of Israel. But there is still the danger of hidden sin. A teraphim is kept inside the house where no one but the family can see it. It's a an object easily concealed if company comes calling. In Genesis 31 we find Rachel stealing her father's teraphim and when he comes looking for them she hides them inside her camel's saddle and sits on it. This shows how easy it is to harbor sin in our lives without even those closest to us being aware of it.
Zechariah suspects no one would dare set up a public altar to Baal on a street corner in Jerusalem. But since he is well aware of the fickleness of the human heart, he knows it's possible to say and do all the right things on the outside while clinging to sin on the inside. Idolatry is a lie. Anything that takes precedence over God in our lives is a lie. Zechariah compares this type of life with the image of a flock of sheep wandering the land without a shepherd. There is no true direction in the life of anyone who eschews the truth of the Lord in favor of a false belief system.
The Lord was angry with the faithlessness of the people before He sent them into captivity, but He is even angrier with the leaders of the nation who did not set a godly example for the people to follow. They bear the greater burden of sin because they were in a position to influence the people in the right direction and did not. "My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for His flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle." (Zechariah 10:3) The higher the position we hold in the community or in the church or in the workplace, the greater the responsibility we bear to live in a way that honors the Lord. When the leadership is ungodly, the people feel more at liberty to be ungodly themselves. This is why the Lord is especially harsh with the "shepherds" and "leaders" of verse 3.
But all is not lost. The Lord promises to care for Judah and to bring a particular Shepherd and a specific King from this tribe. The royal dynasty of Judah began with David, a shepherd who was made a king. The final and eternal head of this tribe will be the one who is both the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11) and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). The people of Judah in Zechariah's day may have wondered whether their past behavior had negated any of God's promises to them, so He is going to reiterate what the patriarch Jacob prophesied about the tribe of Judah when he said, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his." (Genesis 49:10) Here is what the Lord says regarding the royal line of Judah, "From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame." (Zechariah 10:4-5)
Without a cornerstone a wall cannot stay true to form. The cornerstone must be set so that everything else falls into its proper place. From Judah will come the cornerstone, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom the Apostle Peter applies the words of the prophet Isaiah, "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame." (1 Peter 2:6, Isaiah 28:16)
The tent peg holds everything firmly in place, without which the tent would blow away on the wind. The Lord, this ruler from the tribe of Judah, is the security of His people. In the days of Isaiah the Lord used a man named Eliakim as a symbol of the One to whom would be entrusted the house of David. Eliakim served under King Hezekiah and was over his finances and his storehouses. The Lord uses him to represent a person yet to come, just as He used the high priest Joshua in the book of Zechariah to represent a person yet to come. Of Eliakim, and symbolically the coming King, the Lord says, "I will place on His shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I will drive Him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor in the house of his father." (Isaiah 22:22-23) The Lord Jesus applies these verses to Himself when He says to the church of Philadelphia, "These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open." (Revelation 3:7)
From Judah comes the battle bow, from Judah the King who crushes His enemies in the winepress of Isaiah 63, from Judah the mighty warrior whom the Apostle John foresaw like this, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God." (Revelation 19:11-13)
From Judah comes every ruler, Zechariah tells us, because this is the tribe God chose as the royal line. This is the line from which the Messiah and King will come, the Ruler of all rulers, who will reign forever from David's throne. This is the King the patriarch Jacob foresaw when he said One was coming to whom belonged the scepter and the ruler's staff. This is the King Zechariah told us about who will proclaim peace to the nations. (Zechariah 9:10) When we first met the King on the pages of Zechariah, we found Him riding a donkey, the animal a king rides when he comes in peace. The next time the King comes to the world He will be riding a warhorse, the animal a king rides when he comes to do battle. At His first advent the Lord Jesus Christ came to the world as the Lamb of God; at His second advent He will be King and Lord over the earth. He will wear many crowns, for in that day "there will be one Lord, and His name the only name". (Zechariah 14:9)
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Zechariah's Vision Of The King. Day 19, The King's Subjects
Yesterday we studied the kingdom. The day before that we studied the King. Today we are going to study the King's subjects. When this King reigns over the earth, all the nations will be subject to Him, but first and foremost He is Israel's king, so Zechariah tells us what He is going to do for Israel.
"I will bend Judah as I bend My bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword." (Zechariah 9:13) In this verse we find a united Israel. Judah and Benjamin made up the southern kingdom, but since the tribe of Judah was so enormous and the tribe of Benjamin was so small, the kingdom came to be called simply "Judah". Likewise, Ephraim was the largest of the northern ten tribes, so the northern kingdom is often called "Ephraim" in the Old Testament. Here we see all twelve tribes working together, united as one nation quite literally under God.
There is some dissension regarding what is meant by the sons of Zion being roused militarily against the sons of Greece. This may have been partially fulfilled in the days of the Maccabees, during the Jewish revolt against the wicked Antiochus Ephiphanes, one of the kings who arose out of the divided remains of the Greek Empire after the death of Alexander the Great. Those of you who studied the book of Daniel with us will know that Antiochus is the "little Antichrist" of the Old Testament. He harbored an intense spirit of anti-Semitism, banning many of the Jewish religious practices, making possession of a copy of the Torah a capital offense, and even desecrating the temple. Through a series of battles and skirmishes, the Maccabees gained control of Jerusalem and the temple, cleansing the temple so worship could be reinstated. Antiochus sent a large army in reply to this, but he died before his orders could be carried out, and his successor granted the Jews their religious freedom.
There appears, though, to remain a future fulfillment of the prophecy of verse 13 that will occur when the King comes. This verse is related so closely with the kingdom age that there must be more to it than the Maccabean revolt. In the New Testament we often find the word "Greek" used for "Gentiles", meaning all the nations other than Israel. I think a clue to what this prophecy entails may be found in Luke 21:24b where Jesus tells His listeners, "Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Though Israel is a sovereign nation in the world today, it cannot be said that she holds control over Jerusalem, and she certainly does not have control over the Temple Mount. Jerusalem began to be trampled on by the Gentiles when the city fell to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and it has been trampled on by the Gentiles ever since. But a day is coming in which this city will once again fully belong to Israel and to her King. In that day when the Gentiles visit it, it will be to worship the King and to extend the hand of friendship to Israel.
Zechariah's prophecy continues, "Then the Lord will appear over them; His arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet; He will march in the storms of the south, and the Lord Almighty will shield them." (Zechariah 9:14-15a) I am reminded of what the Lord said to King Jehoshaphat of Judah when a coalition came against him. He was vastly outnumbered. In fact, Israel was vastly outnumbered in many of the battles we find her fighting in the Bible. Her victories were won because her God fought for her, as He did for King Jehoshaphat, saying, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not your's, but God's." Zechariah foresees a day when Israel will have no enemies in the world. God will "appear over them", because the Lord "is a sun and shield". (Psalm 84:11a) He is the light of Israel and the protector of Israel.
"They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar." (Zechariah 9:15b) There is a great deal of disagreement among Bible scholars over the meaning of this verse. Some ancient armies literally drank the blood of their enemies, although this cannot be the case with Israel, since the eating or drinking of blood is forbidden and is an abomination to God. Some versions of the Bible render this verse as having to do with the abundance of new wine and the prosperity of the kingdom age, but there are some problems with this as well, since the verse clearly has to do with a military victory. I think Zechariah uses this verse as a metaphor for the celebratory attitude of those for whom a battle has been won. Victorious armies in ancient times would go back to their camp and feast and drink and make merry.
I think what is in view here is the type of celebration we find David writing about in Psalm 118 when he thanks the Lord for battles won, "All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: 'The Lord's right hand has done mighty things! The Lord's right hand is lifted high; the Lord's right hand has done mighty things!'" (Psalm 118:10-16) David paints the picture of a victorious army celebrating in the camp. The victory was won not by the strength of man, but by the strength of God.
Our passage today concludes with this beautiful promise to God's people Israel, "The Lord their God will save His people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women." (Zechariah 9:16-17) In Zechariah's day the people didn't feel very beautiful after coming out of a long season of captivity and correction. The land itself wasn't beautiful, having been reduced to rubble with all its gates and fences broken down and thorns covering the fields. But a day is coming in which God's people will sparkle like diamonds in a royal crown, when the land will be restored to an Eden-like state. When the righteous King rules from David's throne, the people will rejoice like never before. As King Solomon says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice." (Proverbs 29:2a) Under the authority of the King of kings and Lord of lords, His subjects will rejoice forever.
"I will bend Judah as I bend My bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword." (Zechariah 9:13) In this verse we find a united Israel. Judah and Benjamin made up the southern kingdom, but since the tribe of Judah was so enormous and the tribe of Benjamin was so small, the kingdom came to be called simply "Judah". Likewise, Ephraim was the largest of the northern ten tribes, so the northern kingdom is often called "Ephraim" in the Old Testament. Here we see all twelve tribes working together, united as one nation quite literally under God.
There is some dissension regarding what is meant by the sons of Zion being roused militarily against the sons of Greece. This may have been partially fulfilled in the days of the Maccabees, during the Jewish revolt against the wicked Antiochus Ephiphanes, one of the kings who arose out of the divided remains of the Greek Empire after the death of Alexander the Great. Those of you who studied the book of Daniel with us will know that Antiochus is the "little Antichrist" of the Old Testament. He harbored an intense spirit of anti-Semitism, banning many of the Jewish religious practices, making possession of a copy of the Torah a capital offense, and even desecrating the temple. Through a series of battles and skirmishes, the Maccabees gained control of Jerusalem and the temple, cleansing the temple so worship could be reinstated. Antiochus sent a large army in reply to this, but he died before his orders could be carried out, and his successor granted the Jews their religious freedom.
There appears, though, to remain a future fulfillment of the prophecy of verse 13 that will occur when the King comes. This verse is related so closely with the kingdom age that there must be more to it than the Maccabean revolt. In the New Testament we often find the word "Greek" used for "Gentiles", meaning all the nations other than Israel. I think a clue to what this prophecy entails may be found in Luke 21:24b where Jesus tells His listeners, "Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Though Israel is a sovereign nation in the world today, it cannot be said that she holds control over Jerusalem, and she certainly does not have control over the Temple Mount. Jerusalem began to be trampled on by the Gentiles when the city fell to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and it has been trampled on by the Gentiles ever since. But a day is coming in which this city will once again fully belong to Israel and to her King. In that day when the Gentiles visit it, it will be to worship the King and to extend the hand of friendship to Israel.
Zechariah's prophecy continues, "Then the Lord will appear over them; His arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet; He will march in the storms of the south, and the Lord Almighty will shield them." (Zechariah 9:14-15a) I am reminded of what the Lord said to King Jehoshaphat of Judah when a coalition came against him. He was vastly outnumbered. In fact, Israel was vastly outnumbered in many of the battles we find her fighting in the Bible. Her victories were won because her God fought for her, as He did for King Jehoshaphat, saying, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not your's, but God's." Zechariah foresees a day when Israel will have no enemies in the world. God will "appear over them", because the Lord "is a sun and shield". (Psalm 84:11a) He is the light of Israel and the protector of Israel.
"They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar." (Zechariah 9:15b) There is a great deal of disagreement among Bible scholars over the meaning of this verse. Some ancient armies literally drank the blood of their enemies, although this cannot be the case with Israel, since the eating or drinking of blood is forbidden and is an abomination to God. Some versions of the Bible render this verse as having to do with the abundance of new wine and the prosperity of the kingdom age, but there are some problems with this as well, since the verse clearly has to do with a military victory. I think Zechariah uses this verse as a metaphor for the celebratory attitude of those for whom a battle has been won. Victorious armies in ancient times would go back to their camp and feast and drink and make merry.
I think what is in view here is the type of celebration we find David writing about in Psalm 118 when he thanks the Lord for battles won, "All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: 'The Lord's right hand has done mighty things! The Lord's right hand is lifted high; the Lord's right hand has done mighty things!'" (Psalm 118:10-16) David paints the picture of a victorious army celebrating in the camp. The victory was won not by the strength of man, but by the strength of God.
Our passage today concludes with this beautiful promise to God's people Israel, "The Lord their God will save His people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women." (Zechariah 9:16-17) In Zechariah's day the people didn't feel very beautiful after coming out of a long season of captivity and correction. The land itself wasn't beautiful, having been reduced to rubble with all its gates and fences broken down and thorns covering the fields. But a day is coming in which God's people will sparkle like diamonds in a royal crown, when the land will be restored to an Eden-like state. When the righteous King rules from David's throne, the people will rejoice like never before. As King Solomon says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice." (Proverbs 29:2a) Under the authority of the King of kings and Lord of lords, His subjects will rejoice forever.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Zechariah's Vision Of The King. Day 18, The Kingdom
Yesterday at last the King rode into view. Today Zechariah tells us some things about His kingdom.
"I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken." (Zechariah 9:10a) The King makes this promise in His own words. He promises peace to Israel (called "Ephraim" here, a common expression in the Old Testament in which the name of the largest of the ten northern tribes is used interchangeably with the name "Israel").
We must keep in mind that most Biblical prophecies are twofold without any clear demarcation between the first half and the second half. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled verse 9, which we studied yesterday. At His first advent, the King rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of praise and thanksgiving, but He did not fulfill verse 10 by bringing military and political peace to Israel. He couldn't, for as the Apostle John sadly states, "He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him." (John 1:11) The kingdom would have come if the religious leaders of Israel had accepted the King rather than shouting out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" (Luke 23:21)
The scribes and Pharisees and teachers of the law rejected Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, but lest we shake our heads judgmentally at them, let's keep in mind that many of us (like me) are of Gentile ancestry. Where would we be if the kingdom had come in the days of Jesus of Nazareth? We were not a part of Israel. The promises of God were not made to us. As a Gentile, I have to assume my forebears were ignorantly bowing down to graven images instead of to the living God. The Apostle Paul, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin and a former Pharisee, reminds those of us who are Gentiles that "at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:12-13)
God always intended to bring the Gentiles into His family. We've been studying His promise to Abraham, in which He declared that all nations would be blessed by Abraham's offspring (literally "seed"). The covenant promises were not given to the Gentiles, but to the Jews. But through Abraham's seed, "who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16), the Gentiles have been given the opportunity to share in the blessings of Abraham and in the family of God. At His first advent, the King did not bring political or military peace on the earth, but He brought peace between man and God and peace between Jews and the Gentiles who believed in Him, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility." (Ephesians 2:14) This is why Christians have such love toward the nation of Israel, why we consider them our friends, and why we feel as if we share a common ancestry.
At His second advent, Zechariah tells us what Christ will do. "He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth." (Zechariah 9:10b) When He came into the world the first time, the Lord orchestrated a peace treaty between man and God by His own blood. He also made peace between the Gentiles who believed on Him and the Jews. But when He comes the second time, He will bring political and military peace on the earth. His reign will be worldwide and "He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)
The King speaks again, "As for you, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit." (Zechariah 9:11) Commentators are divided over which blood covenant verse 11 refers to. Our passage today appears to be exclusively for the nation of Israel (Ephraim), and that leads us to believe that He means the blood covenant God made with Abraham. On the other hand, it is Christ who speaks these words, who made a new covenant with His own blood. I feel that since the Lord is speaking to Israel here, He is referring to the Abrahamic covenant and is promising to keep His side of the bargain. He is reminding the nation that He has not set these promises aside. But either way, we can safely say that only the Lord can set us free from the dry cistern of sin in which we were trapped. Only He can give us newness of life.
This King continues, "Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you." (Zechariah 9:12) The people of Zechariah's day have been through many hopeless decades. Sitting captive in a foreign land, they must have wondered whether God's covenant with Abraham had been made null and void because they had strayed from the God who made the promises. But the King is still coming and His kingdom is still coming. They are to be held captive now by hope, not by the chains of foreign invaders or by the chains of sin. It is the hope of the coming King and His eternal kingdom that holds them fast. They are to cling tightly to this hope and never let it go. The Lord promises to restore Israel, not simply to her former glory, but to give her twice as much as she had before. The prophet Joel foretold of the day in which the King will reign over Israel and when all the promises of God to Israel will be fulfilled, "Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will My people be shamed." (Joel 2:27)
"I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken." (Zechariah 9:10a) The King makes this promise in His own words. He promises peace to Israel (called "Ephraim" here, a common expression in the Old Testament in which the name of the largest of the ten northern tribes is used interchangeably with the name "Israel").
We must keep in mind that most Biblical prophecies are twofold without any clear demarcation between the first half and the second half. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled verse 9, which we studied yesterday. At His first advent, the King rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of praise and thanksgiving, but He did not fulfill verse 10 by bringing military and political peace to Israel. He couldn't, for as the Apostle John sadly states, "He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him." (John 1:11) The kingdom would have come if the religious leaders of Israel had accepted the King rather than shouting out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" (Luke 23:21)
The scribes and Pharisees and teachers of the law rejected Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, but lest we shake our heads judgmentally at them, let's keep in mind that many of us (like me) are of Gentile ancestry. Where would we be if the kingdom had come in the days of Jesus of Nazareth? We were not a part of Israel. The promises of God were not made to us. As a Gentile, I have to assume my forebears were ignorantly bowing down to graven images instead of to the living God. The Apostle Paul, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin and a former Pharisee, reminds those of us who are Gentiles that "at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:12-13)
God always intended to bring the Gentiles into His family. We've been studying His promise to Abraham, in which He declared that all nations would be blessed by Abraham's offspring (literally "seed"). The covenant promises were not given to the Gentiles, but to the Jews. But through Abraham's seed, "who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16), the Gentiles have been given the opportunity to share in the blessings of Abraham and in the family of God. At His first advent, the King did not bring political or military peace on the earth, but He brought peace between man and God and peace between Jews and the Gentiles who believed in Him, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility." (Ephesians 2:14) This is why Christians have such love toward the nation of Israel, why we consider them our friends, and why we feel as if we share a common ancestry.
At His second advent, Zechariah tells us what Christ will do. "He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth." (Zechariah 9:10b) When He came into the world the first time, the Lord orchestrated a peace treaty between man and God by His own blood. He also made peace between the Gentiles who believed on Him and the Jews. But when He comes the second time, He will bring political and military peace on the earth. His reign will be worldwide and "He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)
The King speaks again, "As for you, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit." (Zechariah 9:11) Commentators are divided over which blood covenant verse 11 refers to. Our passage today appears to be exclusively for the nation of Israel (Ephraim), and that leads us to believe that He means the blood covenant God made with Abraham. On the other hand, it is Christ who speaks these words, who made a new covenant with His own blood. I feel that since the Lord is speaking to Israel here, He is referring to the Abrahamic covenant and is promising to keep His side of the bargain. He is reminding the nation that He has not set these promises aside. But either way, we can safely say that only the Lord can set us free from the dry cistern of sin in which we were trapped. Only He can give us newness of life.
This King continues, "Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you." (Zechariah 9:12) The people of Zechariah's day have been through many hopeless decades. Sitting captive in a foreign land, they must have wondered whether God's covenant with Abraham had been made null and void because they had strayed from the God who made the promises. But the King is still coming and His kingdom is still coming. They are to be held captive now by hope, not by the chains of foreign invaders or by the chains of sin. It is the hope of the coming King and His eternal kingdom that holds them fast. They are to cling tightly to this hope and never let it go. The Lord promises to restore Israel, not simply to her former glory, but to give her twice as much as she had before. The prophet Joel foretold of the day in which the King will reign over Israel and when all the promises of God to Israel will be fulfilled, "Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will My people be shamed." (Joel 2:27)
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Zechariah's Vision Of The King. Day 17, The King
The entire book of Zechariah has been moving toward this revelation: the King is coming! He is known as the Branch of the line of David in Zechariah 3:8, the One who says He can remove sin. He is symbolized in Chapter 6 when the high priest Joshua wears the turban of a priest and the crown of a king in the same time, representing His dual role of both a king and a high priest. He is the Word of God who spoke with Zechariah in yesterday's passage, promising to turn the mourning of the people into dancing, assuring them He will vanquish their every enemy, and vowing that people from every nation will someday come up to worship at Jerusalem. We have been provided with some powerful declarations regarding this character up to now, and finally today He comes more fully into view.
Whenever a great king would visit a city in ancient times, he would send someone ahead of him to announce that he was on his way. This allowed the people time to prepare themselves to meet him. We find the Lord making just such an announcement now. The King is coming and the people must prepare themselves to meet him. The coming of this King is good news. The last time a king rode toward Jerusalem it was to wage war, but this King is coming to bring peace. What dread must have filled the hearts of everyone at Jerusalem when they heard that King Nebuchadnezzar and the armies of Babylon were on their way; what a difference it must be to hear that the King of their own people, of the tribe of Judah, is coming. "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)
The Lord says, "This is your King! This is not Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who I allowed to take you captive to a foreign land because you were serving false foreign gods. This is not Cyrus the Great of Persia, who in obedience to Me (though he did not know Me) wrote the decree that set you free. This is not Darius, a man of violence who became a king by force and not by birthright, who has guaranteed protection for you by My will while you rebuild. This is not Alexander the Great, the mighty conqueror I told you is coming to bring My judgment upon your old enemies. This is your King. This is My servant the Branch, this is the Man of the royal line of Judah who has the right to reign from David's throne. You have been ruled over and oppressed by foreign kings, but someday your King will rule over you forever in righteousness."
This King enters the city riding a donkey, the animal kings rode when they came in peace. On the day David crowned his son Solomon king of Israel, he instructed that Solomon be set on his own donkey and that a trumpet be blown before him and that his men cry out, "Long live King Solomon!" (1 Kings 1:32-36) We find the Lord Himself doing these things for His chosen King in the book of Zechariah. He places this King on a donkey and makes the joyful announcement ahead of Him, "Long live the King!" He urges the people to rejoice with Him that at last the King has come. Today's Old Testament prophecy of Zechariah was fulfilled in the New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Luke, a Greek convert to Christianity who wrote the books of Luke and Acts, tells us something that happens on the Sunday before the crucifixion as Jesus goes up to Jerusalem. Jesus instructs two of His disciples, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.'" (Luke 19:30-31) Jesus refers to Himself in this passage as "the Lord" and He is orchestrating an event that is intended to proclaim Himself the king of Israel. He purposely sets up the scene from the book of Zechariah. (The colt He rides is identified as the foal of a donkey in Matthew 21:2.) Jesus intends there to be no mistake about who He is saying He is. The people at Jerusalem know the Scriptures and there will be no doubt in their minds what Jesus is saying about Himself when He comes into Jerusalem in this manner.
After obtaining the donkey, we are told that the disciples "threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When He came near the place where the road goes down to the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'" (Luke 19:35-38) Matthew describes for us what the crowds, who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, do as Jesus approaches, "The crowds that went ahead of Him and the crowds that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Hosanna in the highest heaven!'" (Matthew 21:9) The gospel writers Mark and John share the same details with us in Mark 11 and John 12. The people are calling Jesus by the Messianic title of "Son of David" and are quoting Psalm 118 in reference to Jesus when they say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Matthew points out, "This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'Say to Daughter Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" (Matthew 21:4-5) As we know, the "prophet" here is Zechariah and the passage Matthew quotes is the passage we are studying today.
The disciples clearly understand that Jesus is declaring Himself the king of Israel. The people who throw their cloaks in His path and spread palm branches in the road (Matthew 21:8) clearly understand that Jesus is saying He is the king of Israel. The Pharisees are the only ones who appear a bit confused as to whether Jesus is proclaiming Himself the king of Israel or whether the disciples and the people in the crowds are taking it upon themselves to make such a bold statement. The Pharisees can't believe Jesus is allowing the disciples to announce His approach as if He is indeed the reigning king of Israel. These religious leaders are outraged and some of them approach Jesus and say, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" (Luke 19:39) These men not only reject the idea of this rabbi and miracle-worker as their promised King, but because they are under the iron boot of Rome they fear what Rome will have to say about a Jewish man being publicly proclaimed the king of Israel. This is why these religious leaders will fervently declare their allegiance to Rome during Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate, crying out, "We have no king but Caesar!" (John 19:15)
These men want Jesus to order the crowd into silence, but instead He says, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:40) What does He mean by this? He means that the prophecy of Zechariah must come true. The Lord, through Zechariah, ordered the people to rejoice at the arrival of the King. If they do not, the very stones on the ground will take up the hallelujah chorus. The Lord commanded the people to rejoice, and they were going to rejoice, and no power of man or even of hell itself could prevent them from shouting hallelujahs at the approach of the King.
The disciples and the people in the crowds are broadcasting the arrival of the King promised in the book of Zechariah. Will He be accepted at Jerusalem or not? More to the point, will He be accepted by us or not? This Jesus who displayed all the credentials of the Messiah: teaching the Scriptures with an authority no other teacher ever possessed, speaking as no other rabbi ever spoke, prophesying as no other prophet ever prophesied, who gave sight to the blind, who granted hearing to the deaf, who made lepers clean, who made the crippled walk, who made the speechless talk, who raised the dead, who Himself was raised from the dead.....is He the King of our hearts, or not?
Whenever a great king would visit a city in ancient times, he would send someone ahead of him to announce that he was on his way. This allowed the people time to prepare themselves to meet him. We find the Lord making just such an announcement now. The King is coming and the people must prepare themselves to meet him. The coming of this King is good news. The last time a king rode toward Jerusalem it was to wage war, but this King is coming to bring peace. What dread must have filled the hearts of everyone at Jerusalem when they heard that King Nebuchadnezzar and the armies of Babylon were on their way; what a difference it must be to hear that the King of their own people, of the tribe of Judah, is coming. "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)
The Lord says, "This is your King! This is not Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who I allowed to take you captive to a foreign land because you were serving false foreign gods. This is not Cyrus the Great of Persia, who in obedience to Me (though he did not know Me) wrote the decree that set you free. This is not Darius, a man of violence who became a king by force and not by birthright, who has guaranteed protection for you by My will while you rebuild. This is not Alexander the Great, the mighty conqueror I told you is coming to bring My judgment upon your old enemies. This is your King. This is My servant the Branch, this is the Man of the royal line of Judah who has the right to reign from David's throne. You have been ruled over and oppressed by foreign kings, but someday your King will rule over you forever in righteousness."
This King enters the city riding a donkey, the animal kings rode when they came in peace. On the day David crowned his son Solomon king of Israel, he instructed that Solomon be set on his own donkey and that a trumpet be blown before him and that his men cry out, "Long live King Solomon!" (1 Kings 1:32-36) We find the Lord Himself doing these things for His chosen King in the book of Zechariah. He places this King on a donkey and makes the joyful announcement ahead of Him, "Long live the King!" He urges the people to rejoice with Him that at last the King has come. Today's Old Testament prophecy of Zechariah was fulfilled in the New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Luke, a Greek convert to Christianity who wrote the books of Luke and Acts, tells us something that happens on the Sunday before the crucifixion as Jesus goes up to Jerusalem. Jesus instructs two of His disciples, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.'" (Luke 19:30-31) Jesus refers to Himself in this passage as "the Lord" and He is orchestrating an event that is intended to proclaim Himself the king of Israel. He purposely sets up the scene from the book of Zechariah. (The colt He rides is identified as the foal of a donkey in Matthew 21:2.) Jesus intends there to be no mistake about who He is saying He is. The people at Jerusalem know the Scriptures and there will be no doubt in their minds what Jesus is saying about Himself when He comes into Jerusalem in this manner.
After obtaining the donkey, we are told that the disciples "threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When He came near the place where the road goes down to the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'" (Luke 19:35-38) Matthew describes for us what the crowds, who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, do as Jesus approaches, "The crowds that went ahead of Him and the crowds that followed shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' 'Hosanna in the highest heaven!'" (Matthew 21:9) The gospel writers Mark and John share the same details with us in Mark 11 and John 12. The people are calling Jesus by the Messianic title of "Son of David" and are quoting Psalm 118 in reference to Jesus when they say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Matthew points out, "This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'Say to Daughter Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" (Matthew 21:4-5) As we know, the "prophet" here is Zechariah and the passage Matthew quotes is the passage we are studying today.
The disciples clearly understand that Jesus is declaring Himself the king of Israel. The people who throw their cloaks in His path and spread palm branches in the road (Matthew 21:8) clearly understand that Jesus is saying He is the king of Israel. The Pharisees are the only ones who appear a bit confused as to whether Jesus is proclaiming Himself the king of Israel or whether the disciples and the people in the crowds are taking it upon themselves to make such a bold statement. The Pharisees can't believe Jesus is allowing the disciples to announce His approach as if He is indeed the reigning king of Israel. These religious leaders are outraged and some of them approach Jesus and say, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" (Luke 19:39) These men not only reject the idea of this rabbi and miracle-worker as their promised King, but because they are under the iron boot of Rome they fear what Rome will have to say about a Jewish man being publicly proclaimed the king of Israel. This is why these religious leaders will fervently declare their allegiance to Rome during Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate, crying out, "We have no king but Caesar!" (John 19:15)
These men want Jesus to order the crowd into silence, but instead He says, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:40) What does He mean by this? He means that the prophecy of Zechariah must come true. The Lord, through Zechariah, ordered the people to rejoice at the arrival of the King. If they do not, the very stones on the ground will take up the hallelujah chorus. The Lord commanded the people to rejoice, and they were going to rejoice, and no power of man or even of hell itself could prevent them from shouting hallelujahs at the approach of the King.
The disciples and the people in the crowds are broadcasting the arrival of the King promised in the book of Zechariah. Will He be accepted at Jerusalem or not? More to the point, will He be accepted by us or not? This Jesus who displayed all the credentials of the Messiah: teaching the Scriptures with an authority no other teacher ever possessed, speaking as no other rabbi ever spoke, prophesying as no other prophet ever prophesied, who gave sight to the blind, who granted hearing to the deaf, who made lepers clean, who made the crippled walk, who made the speechless talk, who raised the dead, who Himself was raised from the dead.....is He the King of our hearts, or not?
Monday, October 2, 2017
Zechariah's Vision Of The King. Day 16, Judgment Of Israel's Enemies
Yesterday we completed a two-day study of Chapter 8 having to do with God's certain blessings for Israel. God's judgment upon Israel's enemies is just as certain, as He vowed to Abraham. "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse." (Genesis 12:3a)
It is generally believed that the remainder of the book of Zechariah was written in the prophet's older years. In the first half of the book we learned he was a "young man" when the temple rebuilding was taking place. (Zechariah 2:4) The temple was completed in the sixth year of King Darius, so in his older age Zechariah would have had little need to discuss it in detail. Instead, in the last half of the book, he presents us with visions of a more eternal temple, of another King far more powerful than Darius, and of a kingdom that will never end.
The beginning of the fulfillment of these things is the judgment of Israel's historical enemies. "A prophecy: The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak and will come to rest on Damascus---for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord---and on Hamath too, which borders on it, and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful." (Zechariah 9:1-2) According to Bible scholar Barry G. Webb, when the prophet Zechariah says "the word of the Lord", he is using this phrase as a title for the Lord and it should be rendered more like "the Word of the Lord". Considering that in Chapter 9 the King whom Israel awaits comes into view, it is natural that Zechariah should tell us that these prophecies were given to him by the Word, by the One whom the Apostle John later called "the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us". (John 1:14)
The promises of Chapter 8 were given to Israel by "the Lord Almighty", meaning "Lord of hosts" or "God of angel armies". By this it would appear that these promises were given by God the Father who is the first person of the Trinity. The promises of Chapter 9 are given by God the Son, the Word of God, the coming King. He begins by assuring Zechariah that He will judge all the enemies of Israel. When the armies of Greece under Alexander the Great conquered the region, the cities mentioned in Chapter 9 are the cities that were affected by Alexander's conquest. Tyre was considered unconquerable after both Assyria and Babylon attempted to overtake it and failed. But Alexander the Great did in a very short time what two other enormous empires could not do. Judgment is not always swift, to our way of thinking, but it comes on God's timetable. He chooses the times and seasons. He makes kingdoms to rise and kingdoms to fall according to His purposes.
"Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire." (Zechariah 9:3-4) Many nations and cities throughout history have made the mistake of believing they were too great to fall. Tyre was one of them.
The people surrounding Tyre will be shocked by her destruction. If a powerful city like this can fall, what hope is there for the rest of them? "Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod, and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines." (Zechariah 9:5-6) These are all territories conquered by Alexander the Great. When Zechariah speaks of Gaza losing her king, some scholars believe this is a reference to the governor of Gaza who was dragged around the city behind a chariot when the city fell. Zechariah could have been using the term "king" because he viewed this man as the leader of the city, just as the Apostle John uses the term "kings" for the ten world leaders who will ally themselves with the Antichrist in the last days.
"I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth." (Zechariah 9:7a) It will appear, in the second half of verse 7, that the Lord will spare a remnant in Ekron who will repent in the face of these calamities. They will give up their idolatry and their abominable practices. "Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites." (Zechariah 9:7b) Jebusites were living at Jerusalem when David took the city and he did not destroy them but made them a part of Israel. The people at Ekron who repent and turn to the Lord will be incorporated into the family of the Lord, just as David incorporated the Jebusites into the nation of Israel.
Zechariah foresees the rise of the Greek Empire and the fall of many cities. He naturally worries about the safety of the rebuilt temple, so the Lord assures him He will protect it. "But I will encamp at My temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun My people, for now I am keeping watch." (Zechariah 9:8) The ancient historian Josephus wrote that Alexander the Great claimed to have seen a vision of the high priest in a dream. The high priest and a multitude with him dressed in white met Alexander as he approached the city, and instead of assaulting the high priest or destroying the temple, Alexander gave honor to the high priest and made sacrifice to the God of Israel.
The first half of verse 8 was fulfilled when God protected His people and His temple from the Greek Empire. Israel, however, has indeed been overrun time and time again since the days of Alexander. The church, also a part of those whom God calls "My people", has been overrun and oppressed. A great deal of persecution has come against both Jews and Christians, but it has not overcome them and it will never be able to overcome them. God will have the final word. The Lord will keep His promise to judge every nation that has ever oppressed the Jews. He will also keep this promise to the church, "The gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18b)
A King is coming. His kingdom is coming. In tomorrow's study He will at last appear on the world stage in Zechariah's vision. As we continue on in Chapter 9 we will find the King presented to us in two different ways, symbolizing both the first and the second advent of Christ. At His first advent He will conquer not by waging war, but by extending an offer of peace. At His second advent He will conquer by war all those who refuse to bow their knees and their hearts to Him.
It is generally believed that the remainder of the book of Zechariah was written in the prophet's older years. In the first half of the book we learned he was a "young man" when the temple rebuilding was taking place. (Zechariah 2:4) The temple was completed in the sixth year of King Darius, so in his older age Zechariah would have had little need to discuss it in detail. Instead, in the last half of the book, he presents us with visions of a more eternal temple, of another King far more powerful than Darius, and of a kingdom that will never end.
The beginning of the fulfillment of these things is the judgment of Israel's historical enemies. "A prophecy: The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak and will come to rest on Damascus---for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord---and on Hamath too, which borders on it, and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful." (Zechariah 9:1-2) According to Bible scholar Barry G. Webb, when the prophet Zechariah says "the word of the Lord", he is using this phrase as a title for the Lord and it should be rendered more like "the Word of the Lord". Considering that in Chapter 9 the King whom Israel awaits comes into view, it is natural that Zechariah should tell us that these prophecies were given to him by the Word, by the One whom the Apostle John later called "the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us". (John 1:14)
The promises of Chapter 8 were given to Israel by "the Lord Almighty", meaning "Lord of hosts" or "God of angel armies". By this it would appear that these promises were given by God the Father who is the first person of the Trinity. The promises of Chapter 9 are given by God the Son, the Word of God, the coming King. He begins by assuring Zechariah that He will judge all the enemies of Israel. When the armies of Greece under Alexander the Great conquered the region, the cities mentioned in Chapter 9 are the cities that were affected by Alexander's conquest. Tyre was considered unconquerable after both Assyria and Babylon attempted to overtake it and failed. But Alexander the Great did in a very short time what two other enormous empires could not do. Judgment is not always swift, to our way of thinking, but it comes on God's timetable. He chooses the times and seasons. He makes kingdoms to rise and kingdoms to fall according to His purposes.
"Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire." (Zechariah 9:3-4) Many nations and cities throughout history have made the mistake of believing they were too great to fall. Tyre was one of them.
The people surrounding Tyre will be shocked by her destruction. If a powerful city like this can fall, what hope is there for the rest of them? "Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod, and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines." (Zechariah 9:5-6) These are all territories conquered by Alexander the Great. When Zechariah speaks of Gaza losing her king, some scholars believe this is a reference to the governor of Gaza who was dragged around the city behind a chariot when the city fell. Zechariah could have been using the term "king" because he viewed this man as the leader of the city, just as the Apostle John uses the term "kings" for the ten world leaders who will ally themselves with the Antichrist in the last days.
"I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth." (Zechariah 9:7a) It will appear, in the second half of verse 7, that the Lord will spare a remnant in Ekron who will repent in the face of these calamities. They will give up their idolatry and their abominable practices. "Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites." (Zechariah 9:7b) Jebusites were living at Jerusalem when David took the city and he did not destroy them but made them a part of Israel. The people at Ekron who repent and turn to the Lord will be incorporated into the family of the Lord, just as David incorporated the Jebusites into the nation of Israel.
Zechariah foresees the rise of the Greek Empire and the fall of many cities. He naturally worries about the safety of the rebuilt temple, so the Lord assures him He will protect it. "But I will encamp at My temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun My people, for now I am keeping watch." (Zechariah 9:8) The ancient historian Josephus wrote that Alexander the Great claimed to have seen a vision of the high priest in a dream. The high priest and a multitude with him dressed in white met Alexander as he approached the city, and instead of assaulting the high priest or destroying the temple, Alexander gave honor to the high priest and made sacrifice to the God of Israel.
The first half of verse 8 was fulfilled when God protected His people and His temple from the Greek Empire. Israel, however, has indeed been overrun time and time again since the days of Alexander. The church, also a part of those whom God calls "My people", has been overrun and oppressed. A great deal of persecution has come against both Jews and Christians, but it has not overcome them and it will never be able to overcome them. God will have the final word. The Lord will keep His promise to judge every nation that has ever oppressed the Jews. He will also keep this promise to the church, "The gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18b)
A King is coming. His kingdom is coming. In tomorrow's study He will at last appear on the world stage in Zechariah's vision. As we continue on in Chapter 9 we will find the King presented to us in two different ways, symbolizing both the first and the second advent of Christ. At His first advent He will conquer not by waging war, but by extending an offer of peace. At His second advent He will conquer by war all those who refuse to bow their knees and their hearts to Him.
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Zechariah's Vision Of The King. Day 15, Blessed To Be A Blessing
God made an awesome and unbreakable promise to the patriarch Abraham, "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me." (Genesis 22:17-18) Today the Lord reminds the nation of His promise not only to bless them, but to bless the world through them.
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will save My people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be My people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.'" (Zechariah 8:7-8) This ingathering began when many of the exiles returned from Babylon, but the prophecy won't be fulfilled in its entirety until the kingdom comes. In that day God's promise to Abraham will be fully realized, when both Jews and Gentiles worship the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Because all these wonderful things are going to come to pass as surely as the sun is going to rise in the morning, God speaks a word of encouragement regarding the rebuilding of the temple. "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Now hear these words, 'Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.' This is also what the prophets said who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. Before that time there were no wages for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,' declares the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 8:9-11) As Solomon once said, there is "a time to tear down and a time to build". (Ecclesiastes 3:3b) God allowed a time of discipline and testing in the people's lives. Their enemies opposed the rebuilding and for a while the Lord allowed the people to struggle against the opposition. The Lord knew better than to make the task too easy for His people because no one builds spiritual muscle without having to push against resistance, just as no one builds physical muscle without pushing against resistance. But now is the time to build, not to tear down. God is clearing the way for them.
A season of prosperity is coming. "The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of the people. Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." (Zechariah 8:12-13) He assures them, "I intend to bless you. I intend to bless you for your own sake because I love you, and I intend to bless you for the sake of others, whom I also love. I am blessing you so you can be a blessing."
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Just as I had determined to bring disaster on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered Me,' says the Lord Almighty, 'so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,' declares the Lord." (Zechariah 8:14-17) The Lord isn't teaching salvation by good works, but He is teaching blessing by good works. As Bible scholar James Coffman states, "This stresses the fact that there are conditions Israel must meet if God is to bestow a blessing. It seems nearly incredible that Israel missed the point on this, but then it is just as incredible that the vast majority of modern clergymen have overlooked it. The ancient Jews went right on preaching that nothing mattered except being a literal, fleshly son of Abraham; and the modern theologians have gone right on preaching that nothing matters except faith in Christ." Our salvation is indeed by faith alone, but our blessings and rewards come from obeying the word of the Lord.
"The word of the Lord Almighty came to me. This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'" (Zechariah 8:18-19) The men who came from Bethel wanted to know if they still needed to observe the fast of the fifth month which commemorated the fall of the temple. All four of the fasts mentioned here in verse 19 commemorated sad days in the lives of the Jews, but God says these fast days will turn into feast days. King David once wrote a song to be used at the dedication for the first temple, and in it he praised the Lord for this: "You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." (Psalm 30:11) It is fitting that the Lord should remind the people during the rebuilding of the temple that He is able to turn their wailing into dancing.
We conclude today's study with the Lord's certain promise that not only will He bless the Jews, but He will bless the world through them. This began to be fulfilled when the people returned from captivity, and He promises this will be completely fulfilled "in those days", meaning when the kingdom comes. As always, Zechariah keeps the coming King, and His kingdom, in view. "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat Him.' This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'" (Zechariah 8:20-23)
In verse 23 we find ten people taking hold of one Jew, perhaps indicating the vast number of Gentiles who will believe on the Lord. These Gentile believers will join themselves with the nation of Israel and, with Israel, will worship the one true God. When reading verse 23 we can't help thinking of the woman who was made whole because her trembling hand reached out to grasp the hem of the garment of a particular Jew, Jesus of Nazareth, because she said to herself, "If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed." (Matthew 9:21) Jesus Christ of the tribe of Judah, of the line of David, will be the reason the Gentiles who have believed on Him will cling to Israel and to the God of Israel. They will reach out and take hold of His garment and be made whole. Bible scholar James Boice sums up verse 23 with this beautiful observation, "We are all clinging to the seamless robe of that one Jew, Jesus of Nazareth, because His work on the cross is the only basis on which anyone may approach God and entreat Him for spiritual blessings."
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will save My people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be My people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.'" (Zechariah 8:7-8) This ingathering began when many of the exiles returned from Babylon, but the prophecy won't be fulfilled in its entirety until the kingdom comes. In that day God's promise to Abraham will be fully realized, when both Jews and Gentiles worship the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Because all these wonderful things are going to come to pass as surely as the sun is going to rise in the morning, God speaks a word of encouragement regarding the rebuilding of the temple. "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Now hear these words, 'Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.' This is also what the prophets said who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. Before that time there were no wages for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,' declares the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 8:9-11) As Solomon once said, there is "a time to tear down and a time to build". (Ecclesiastes 3:3b) God allowed a time of discipline and testing in the people's lives. Their enemies opposed the rebuilding and for a while the Lord allowed the people to struggle against the opposition. The Lord knew better than to make the task too easy for His people because no one builds spiritual muscle without having to push against resistance, just as no one builds physical muscle without pushing against resistance. But now is the time to build, not to tear down. God is clearing the way for them.
A season of prosperity is coming. "The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of the people. Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." (Zechariah 8:12-13) He assures them, "I intend to bless you. I intend to bless you for your own sake because I love you, and I intend to bless you for the sake of others, whom I also love. I am blessing you so you can be a blessing."
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Just as I had determined to bring disaster on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered Me,' says the Lord Almighty, 'so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,' declares the Lord." (Zechariah 8:14-17) The Lord isn't teaching salvation by good works, but He is teaching blessing by good works. As Bible scholar James Coffman states, "This stresses the fact that there are conditions Israel must meet if God is to bestow a blessing. It seems nearly incredible that Israel missed the point on this, but then it is just as incredible that the vast majority of modern clergymen have overlooked it. The ancient Jews went right on preaching that nothing mattered except being a literal, fleshly son of Abraham; and the modern theologians have gone right on preaching that nothing matters except faith in Christ." Our salvation is indeed by faith alone, but our blessings and rewards come from obeying the word of the Lord.
"The word of the Lord Almighty came to me. This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'" (Zechariah 8:18-19) The men who came from Bethel wanted to know if they still needed to observe the fast of the fifth month which commemorated the fall of the temple. All four of the fasts mentioned here in verse 19 commemorated sad days in the lives of the Jews, but God says these fast days will turn into feast days. King David once wrote a song to be used at the dedication for the first temple, and in it he praised the Lord for this: "You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." (Psalm 30:11) It is fitting that the Lord should remind the people during the rebuilding of the temple that He is able to turn their wailing into dancing.
We conclude today's study with the Lord's certain promise that not only will He bless the Jews, but He will bless the world through them. This began to be fulfilled when the people returned from captivity, and He promises this will be completely fulfilled "in those days", meaning when the kingdom comes. As always, Zechariah keeps the coming King, and His kingdom, in view. "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat Him.' This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'" (Zechariah 8:20-23)
In verse 23 we find ten people taking hold of one Jew, perhaps indicating the vast number of Gentiles who will believe on the Lord. These Gentile believers will join themselves with the nation of Israel and, with Israel, will worship the one true God. When reading verse 23 we can't help thinking of the woman who was made whole because her trembling hand reached out to grasp the hem of the garment of a particular Jew, Jesus of Nazareth, because she said to herself, "If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed." (Matthew 9:21) Jesus Christ of the tribe of Judah, of the line of David, will be the reason the Gentiles who have believed on Him will cling to Israel and to the God of Israel. They will reach out and take hold of His garment and be made whole. Bible scholar James Boice sums up verse 23 with this beautiful observation, "We are all clinging to the seamless robe of that one Jew, Jesus of Nazareth, because His work on the cross is the only basis on which anyone may approach God and entreat Him for spiritual blessings."
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