Zechariah 11:4-11

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4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.” 7 So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” 10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord. ~ Zechariah 11:4-11

In today's text, God asks Zechariah to play a part in this unfolding grand true story of Israel's relationship with the Lord. God asks Zechariah to play the part of a shepherd who will provide a glimpse of the Great Shephard, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the people. Zechariah symbolically carries out certain actions that draw into focus the peoples rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In v.4-6 of today's text we read, "4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them. 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands."

The Lord asked Zechariah to shepherd the flock for the slaughter. The word used here for shepherd has many meanings including "to tend", "to care for", "to feed", "to lead", and "to nurse." This word is also used in Psalm 23 to positively speak of the ministry of a shepherd. 

In today's text, the Lord told Zechariah to teach the people knowing they would reject the teaching. While obeying the LORD, Zechariah gave to Israel a picture of the True Shepherd who daily feeds us His Word. 

Notice the words, “the flock marked for slaughter.”  This flock was the covenant nation of Israel, but the covenant nation was unfaithful to hear and to embrace God's culture. They had turned their backs on the Shepherd, and, as a result, they would pay for their sin. The Lord is here predicting what was coming in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. This is why the Lord Jesus wept over Jerusalem. He said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, if only you would have known the things that make for your peace! But they are hidden from your eyes."  

The "buyers" in v.5 were the Romans who took Israel into captivity, yet again. In Jeremiah 50:17 we read, "Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon." 

God had allowed the Assyrians and the Babylonians to judge Israel. And, in 70 AD the Romans would do the same. And, notice also that the Gentile nation sold them as slaves and made money off of them. The Romans sold literally tens of thousands of Jews into slavery. And, the Colosseum in Rome was built mostly by many of these Jewish slaves.

It was sad when foreigners made merchandise of Israel. It was even sadder when Israel's own leaders showed them no pity and mercy by not teaching them the truth of God and thereby protecting them. But, the saddest thing of all is when God Himself says in v.6, "I will no longer have pity on them." 

In v.7 of today's text we read, "So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock."

Now, shepherds have two sticks or staffs: one was a rod and the other was the staff for guiding the sheep. The rod was for beating off predators to protect the sheep. The staff was primarily for keeping the sheep in line and out of danger. David wrote that both the rod and the staff of the Lord were a source of comfort to him. Metaphorically, the Lord directs and guides His people by His rod and staff. The rod was called "Favor" and the other was called "Union." But, when we do not know Him, or, if we know Him and do not walk with Him daily, we do not recognize His unique approach to life. By the way, that approach is truth.

In v.8-9 of today's text we read, "8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, 'I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.'"

This probably is a reference to the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Scribes of the Lord Jesus' day. For some time, God's providential protection of His people, Israel, ended, in 70 AD. And, the people of Israel chose another king, they chose Caesar. Pilate brought the Lord Jesus out before the Jews and said, "Behold, your king." And the Jews screamed, "Away with Him. Crucify Him." And Pilate said, "Shall I crucify your king?" And the chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." That day, they made their awful choice and just what Zechariah said would happen, came true. The people of Israel put themselves in Caesar’s hand and Caesar devoured them. 

The irony of all of this is they killed the real King to avoid a Roman takeover. And the very thing they feared and killed brought the sentence of God upon their nation. The destruction that Rome brought should not have been a surprise to the people of Israel, but their hardened hearts could not see the truth. They were unwilling.

In v.10-11 of today's text we read, "10 Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord."

With reference to those who will not turn their hearts toward God, His rod and staff are not beneficial. But, to those who have and who will turn to Him, His rod and staff are comforting. His rod and staff will lead them into the truth. The oppressed flock in v.12 is none other than that group who followed the Lord Jesus and were used by Him to write the New Testament. 

Oswald Chambers once wrote, "There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin."

Zechariah 11:1-3

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1 Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars! 2 Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! 3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined! ~ Zechariah 11:1-3

Today, we transition into Zechariah 11, and in these three verses we see three different sections of land: Lebanon, Bashan, and Jordan. This prophecy describes the descending nature of the wrath and fury of God on the sin of man which starts in the north in Lebanon and descends to the south in Jordan. Here, in today's text, God describes His judgment on those who reject His free offer of forgiveness. This prophecy, as with most in the Old Testament, has multiple fulfillments.

You'll remember that in John 3:17-18 the Lord Jesus said, "17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

Today's text is quite a contrast to what we've read in the previous chapters of Zechariah. We've read a lot about the messianic blessings that will accompany the second coming of Christ. Zechariah 11 brings us squarely to the consequences of Israel's rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ at His first coming. 

In v.1 of our text today, we read, "Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars!"

Lebanon was told to open its doors, because no one ever resists the will of God. There is no sense in fighting God's plan. We might as well just throw open the doors to our hearts and let God have His way, so that we can evade the very wrath of God. 

The imagery in today's passage is of a rapid forest fire moving from north to south. This does not fit the Babylonian captivity which, at this point, was long gone. This prophecy was written by Zechariah to provide a warning of God's judgment through the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. This passage also will be fulfilled a second time at the end of the Tribulation.  

In v.2 of today's text we read, "Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down!"

Lebanon was and is on the north border of the land of Israel. The area of Bashan was an area just south of Lebanon. Bashan was populated by huge healthy oak trees. The trees are metaphoric for the people of Israel who were in danger of resisting the grace of God which would come shortly through the arrival of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. After Israel rejected their Messiah, Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem, and 1.1 million Jews were slaughtered in 70 AD by the Romans. This was the fulfillment of this prophecy.  

In v.3 of today's text we read, "Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!"

There is, here, the voice of the roaring of the lions. After the captivity of the northern kingdom, wild beasts began to multiply around the Jordan. It literally became a place where lions dwelt in the thick foliage. This refers to lions that had been weaned and they were young and they had great appetites and their roar was very fierce due to the destruction that occurred.

The point here is not that the trees got burned up and lions lost their homes. The point is that they were metaphoric of the wailing that awaited unbelieving Israel when it was devastated. Three times in these three verses the verb for destroy is used, giving the idea of permanent and devastating destruction.

The one human response in today's text is found in v.3: "the wail of the shepherds." The result of the unbelief of the people was the total destruction of the city and the people. You see, in our sinful condition, man is unable to withstand the pressure that comes when the righteous demands of the truth come calling.

All of this in today's text, refers to days after the Lord Jesus was crucified at Calvary. In addition, today's passage describes the ultimate destruction of those who reject God's free gift of salvation at the end. And the reason for this judgment is due to the fact that man is dead in his sins and trespasses. We were born as enemies of God. This means that man's sinful condition has separated him from God and all that is substantive. As a result, sinful man can not withstand the demands of righteousness and truth.

You may wonder why would God punish people. When mankind rebelled against God, man became the ownership of Satan. God's wrath is the absence of God's love. Man chose to be on Satan's team, and in so doing, we rejected God and His love. And, the love of God is the flip side of His justice. In our sinful condition, the righteous demands of God are crushing to us.  In fact, we do not understand the penalty of God's wrath and fury upon our rebelliousness. The greatest display of God's love and wrath was seen at the cross of Christ.  

The punishment of God can be evaded when we trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way that heaven will be filled with real people is through the sacrifice of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 we learn "that through Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s sins against them." It is my sincere prayer that you will be counted in on God's team in the end.

Zechariah 10:9-12

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9 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. 10 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. 11 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. 12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord. ~ Zechariah 10:9-12

Today we return to our study of Zechariah 10 where God has defined Himself as the cornerstone, the tent pet and the battle sword who will accomplish the victory over Israel's enemies at the final battle of Armageddon.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "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."

The word "scatter" is both negative and positive. It is negative because God has to use it in order to capture our wayward hearts. And, who likes pain? Being scattered is also positive because through it we are positioned to be a blessing to others. The most important thing God does for any of us is to reveal Himself to us. Sadly, most often, it takes pain to position us to that place that we can see Him most profoundly, with our hearts.

In v.10-11 of today's text we read, "10 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. 11 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."

The language Zechariah uses here in our text is very reminiscent of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt when God opened the Red Sea. Just as God opened up the Red Sea and later on the Jordan River, Israel passed through on dry ground into their new land. God had promised to remove every physical obstacle, and once again, He brought the people of Israel back into their promised homeland. 

And, during the Tribulation, Israel will come back into the land from all over the world. And their hearts will be turned toward the Lord, and they will remember Him though they will be in far off lands. God will bring them back because He will have redeemed them. 

In Isaiah 54:1 we read, "'Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,' says the Lord." 

Here, Isaiah is referencing the millennial kingdom of Christ. The barren will flourish, and the primary means by which God will draw Israel to Himself will be pain. This sort of pain, barrenness or brokenness is unwanted, however, it makes us yearn for that which is substantive. I have discovered that when I hit rock bottom, I do so, so that I will discover that He is the rock at the bottom. To really see God with our hearts, we must be stripped of our independence to the point that we embrace our utter dependence upon Him.  

In v.12 of today's text we read, "I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord."

During the Tribulation, Israel will experience total and complete spiritual revival on the heels of their greatest persecution. In the name of Yahweh, that covenant name of God, Israel will be transformed and they will learn how to love the Lord. Israel will be sealed by the Holy Spirit, and they will enter into His millennial kingdom with hearts that will have been tuned to Him. And, all of their conduct, all of their language will be permeated with the glory and honor of God. 

At Christ's first coming, Israel was called to "repent, for the kingdom of God was at hand." Their King was in their midst and He was ready to save His people from their sin. The hope of the nations had come to tabernacle with His people. The incarnate Son came to visit and redeem His people. Israel's Kinsman-Redeemer had come to earth to bring His people a knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sin.

But Israel refused to embrace the brokenness that ushers the heart to the place to be vulnerable with the Lord. Israel would not recognize Him as the only begotten Son of God who takes away the sin of the world. Had they, as a nation, turned to Christ for salvation on that first day of Pentecost, the prophecy of Joel would have been completely fulfilled. 

However, the continued unbelief of the nation of Israel dictated that they be set aside for a season. The end-times prophecy of Joel is yet to be fully and finally fulfilled, but one day soon the time of Jacob's trouble will begin the process of the people of Israel coming into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. This will be the point of the Tribulation, that Israel will out of their misery, cry out to the Lord and He will hear their cry, and they will be saved.

Zechariah 10:5-8

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5 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. 6 “I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. 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. 7 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. 8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. ~ Zechariah 10:5-8

Today, we come back to our study of Zechariah 10 which has as its theme redemption. Thus far, in this chapter, the Lord has been describing Himself as Israel's Protector and Redeemer. You see, there would never be any redemption without the Protector-Redeemer. And, it was the Lord Jesus who agreed in eternity past to come to earth to lay down His life for the willing. And, that will be the point of the Tribulation, to grant Israel a willing heart toward the God of the Bible. In fact, this is the point of all of our trials.

In v.5 of today's text we read, "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."

The first word of this verse is very instructive: "Together." In the previous verse the Lord identified Himself as Israel's cornerstone, tent peg and battle bow. The ability of God to bring people together to accomplish a task is quite remarkable. We live in a world that divides at every chance it gets. Not so with the Lord Jesus, He brings people together. And, it doesn't matter where we have come from or what we look like, we are unified in Him. And, we should never be surprised at what He can do through our yielded lives.

Think with me of all of the failures of the people of Israel throughout history. They complained in the wilderness. They followed other gods. They were delivered to foreign captors. They cried out again to God and they went through that horrible sin cycle during the time of the Judges. They were taken into captivity over and over. And, they were brought back over and over. All of the years of failure, and the Lord says to Israel, "If you are willing, I am willing to utterly forgive your sin and wipe your rebelliousness away and give you a future and a hope." This is His message to all who are willing.

The Lord Jesus will be the one who will strengthen Israel, and, as a result, their enemies will be confused and ashamed. The Hebrew word translated as "shame" here means they will be confused and ashamed. In their confusion they will be confused and ashamed of their inability to defeat Israel. The world will go into a state of shock on the day when the King of Kings comes for His people Israel. Through their yielded lives, He will, at the end, win that great and final battle of Armageddon on their behalf. 

In v.6 of today's text we read, "I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. 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."

The house of Judah is a reference to the southern kingdom of Israel and the house of Joseph to the northern kingdom. God will restore the whole nation, north and south as one. This will be amazing given Israel's history with God. You will remember that in 722 BC, the northern tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by the Assyrians, and the southern tribes of Judah were taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Taken and dispersed due to their rebellious hearts. According to this verse, God will not only bring Israel back, but He will unite them as one nation in the promised land.

This just underscores the fact that God has lost none of the tribes of Israel. He knows where every one is right now. And, He knows who belongs to which tribe. In Ezekiel 37 the Lord said, "And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one King shall be King over them: they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again."

In v.7-8 of today's text we read, "7 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. 8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before."

According to v.7, when God does all that He has promised, the natural response of the people of Israel will be a joy that will not be of their making. This will be a joy that will be so intense that those who see it will think they have had too much to drink. 

And, according to v.8, Israel, will literally hear the whistle of God for them, and He will gather them into the land once and for all. For four hundred years, they once increased greatly when they were in Egypt. As slaves, they so greatly multiplied that it irritated the Egyptians to the point that they treated them more harshly. Unbeknown to Israel, God was using the trials to not only increase their numbers but also their faith in Him. Likewise, during the Tribulation, God will protect Israel as they flee the assaults of the Antichrist, according to Revelation 12:14. And, through it all, Israel will grow in their hearts ability to see the one true living God.

In Isaiah 5:26 we read, "He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and will whistle to them from the ends of the earth; Surely they will come with speed, swiftly."

When the Lord Jesus comes at the end of the Tribulation, the Jews who will be redeemed will not die. They will go into His Millennial kingdom with physical bodies. They, for the thousand years of the Millennium, will have many children. In fact, the earth will literally proliferate with their children. This will be the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham who was known to look at the innumerable stars.

In the end, the word of God will be proven absolutely correct and true. And, the Lord's trophy, among others, will be that little vulnerable country we know as Israel. In Matthew 24:35, the Lord Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." His word is powerful enough to change our stone cold hearts to hearts that respond to Him with loving faith. I trust you have done just that.

Zechariah 10:1-4

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1 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. 2 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. 3 “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. 4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. ~ Zechariah 10:1-4

Today, we transition into Zechariah 10. The theme of this chapter is the redemption of Israel. This is the theme the Apostle Paul addresses in Romans 11. There, God addresses the fulfillment of His promises to Israel, and He has not set them aside. In fact, in Romans 11:26 we read, "So all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer who shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." Then, in Romans 11:29 we read, " for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable." All this is to say, God will fulfill His promises to Israel in the Millennium, and God will redeem the nation of Israel. 

In v.1 of today's text we read, "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."

Here, the Lord redirects the people of Israel to Himself for He is the source of all blessing. The latter rain has always come in Israel around March into April, sometimes into the first part of May before the hot summer months. It was the second outpouring that the Jews looked forward to every year. There was the early rain and there was the latter rain. And the latter rain is what ripened the grain for the harvest. The Lord says, "Ask the Lord." We have not because we ask not, and experiencing the Lord's blessing begins with our desire for it.

The desired latter rain will come to Israel after the Tribulation, during the millennial kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, according to Isaiah 11, the animal kingdom during the Millennium, will be tamed. We are told the wolf and the lamb will lie down together. In Isaiah 35 we learn the wilderness will blossom like a rose. There will be streams in the desert and grass abundantly everywhere. Health and longevity is promised in Isaiah 65. He who dies at 100 will be considered a mere youth. 

In v.2 of today's text we read, "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."

Before Israel went into captivity, they gave their hearts to various gods and goddesses of the pagan nations. And they looked to these gods and goddesses to give them the prosperity that God promised them all along. The problem was, their definition of prosperity and God's definition of prosperity were not the same. Their problem was with their idols who promised falsely.

An idol is something within creation that we inflate to function as God. All sorts of things are potential idols: people, places and things. Idolatry may very well come in the form of an over-attachment to something that is, in itself, perfectly good. An idol is that which we allow to take the place of God in our lives.

In the Bible there is no more serious charge than that of idolatry. Idolatry called for the strictest punishment, and was regarded as the root cause of disbelief in God. Idolatry is the ultimate expression of unfaithfulness to God and for that reason it has to be dealt with severely. This is why in 1 Corinthians 10:14, the Apostle Paul wrote, "Flee idolatry."

You see, idolatry isn’t just one of many sins, rather it’s the one great sin that all others come from. And, if we just deal with the symptoms, eventually we will discover that underneath it all is a false god. And, until that false god is dethroned, and the Lord God takes His rightful place, we will not have victory. 

The cure for idolatry is an encounter with the true and living God. We are called to turn from our false gods and to worship Him. This was the case for Israel, and this is why He addresses them as He does here in today's text.

In v.3 of today's text we read, "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."

When we get caught up in idolatry, it angers God. We tend to think anger is sin but it is not. The first time we come across anger in the Bible is in Genesis 4, where God showed His approval of Abel’s sacrifice and His disapproval of Cain’s. And, Cain’s reaction to this was anger.

God then said to Cain, "Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." The sin God is referring to is not the anger, but the anger certainly did precede it. Sin did indeed follow Cain’s anger when he murdered his own brother.

God demands our exclusive worship, because He desires for us faithfulness. In Deuteronomy 6:14-15, Israel is warned to not pursue other gods, “for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God, lest the anger of your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.” It is not that God is greedy for our worship, He needs not our worship. But, we need to worship God because that which we worship will define us.

In v.4 of today's text we read, "From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler."

Judah’s leadership had led God’s people astray, and God was promising them that He would give them leadership they could trust and rely upon. In this one verse are three pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was of the tribe of Judah. He is the cornerstone, the only foundation that is secure enough to build our lives upon.

The Lord Jesus is also the tent peg which was attached to one of the tent’s poles to hang valuables on. The picture here is the Lord Jesus is the peg or nail where important things are to be hung. 

The third picture given here is the battle bow, speaking of a weapon, an instrument of war. In Revelation 19:19 we read, "And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army." Every ruler will be brought underneath the rule of the Lord Jesus when He returns. Everything will be and everyone will be subject to Him, the battle bow. 

Finally, in Washington DC stands the Washington Monument. Engraved on its metal cap are two Latin words Laus Deo which are positioned on the highest monument, over the most powerful city, of the most powerful nation on earth. Laus Deo means "Praise Be to God." Sadly, our nation’s leaders have moved far away from the godly example that we received from some of our forefathers. They are like Judah’s leadership, they have led the people away from God. We should pray daily for our leaders, that they would turn to God and follow Him. But ultimately, we look forward with eager anticipation to the day when Jesus Christ, our perfect King, will sit upon His throne. It will be amazing to have Him rule over us. His government will be faithful and true and we will completely trust and rely upon Him. 

Zechariah 9:14-17

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14 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, 15 and the Lord Almighty will shield them. 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. 16 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. 17 How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women. ~ Zechariah 9:14-17

Today, in our text, we find ourselves at the final battle when God will conquer those who oppose His definitions of all things. This will happen when the Lord appears over them, His people, Israel. This description is consistent with the Second Coming of the Lord as described in the New Testament. The picture here is that of a sovereign guarding his people. When He appears, there will be a spectacular lightening show, and no one will be able to miss it.

The appearance of the Lord Jesus will happen with the sound of the trumpet. This will be the trumpet that will be sounded at His Second Coming. This can not be the trumpet that will be sounded at the Rapture because the Rapture will be unexpected, whereas this trumpet will be calculable due to the fact that we know the Tribulation will be seven years in length and we know that at the middle of the Tribulation, Satan will set himself up as God in the Temple in Jerusalem. And, then the Lord will return to His own. So, from the beginning and the middle of the Tribulation, we can calculate the Second Coming of Christ. This is not possible with the Rapture of the Church.

In v.15 of today's text we read, "and the Lord Almighty will shield them. 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."

The enemies in those days used to hurl stones, sometimes little slingstones, sometimes huge boulders with which they would crush the huge walls that often surrounded the cities. Whatever the enemy shoots at Israel, in that day, will bounce off and fall to the ground. 

It will be at this point that Israel will know for themselves the victory of the Lord and the joy that will accompany this moment. The battle being described here is Armageddon. And the armies of the world will amass themselves against little Israel, but Israel will overcome the stones, shouting with great joy.

The bowls here in v.15 harken to the bowl used to catch the blood of the sacrifices in the Temple which were splashed against the altar in the Old Testament. Israel will see the splattering of the blood of the godless before their very eyes. 

This description is consistent with what we read in Revelation 14:20 which reads, "They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the winepress as high as horses’ bridles for a distance of about one hundred eighty miles." 

The bloodshed will be visible from one end of Israel to the other, from north to south. As visible as the blood that would drip off the corners of the altar when the animals were cut by the priests for sacrifice. 

In v.16 of today's text we read, "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." 

Whenever a new monarch came to power, the people always wondered what type of King would the new king be. Scripture reveals the Lord Jesus Christ will be a different kind of a King, He will be the Shepherd King. 

The occupation of shepherd was not prestigious in biblical days and usually left to the lowly in the culture of the Bible.  Male shepherds were usually on their own, away from other human beings. In biblical days, shepherds very often cared for sheep that were not their own. 

The shepherd metaphor appears in 2 Samuel 5:2 where the Israelite people say to David “Yahweh said to you, you will shepherd my people Israel and you will be a leader over Israel.” 

King David was a type of the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament. At the end of time, as we know it, the Lord Jesus, in all His glory, will lay aside His crown and He will pick up the shepherd’s staff. Ezekiel tells us He will search for His sheep and seek us out. Interestingly, sheep have very poor eyesight. The good news is the Lord Jesus will guard His sheep all the day long.

In v.17 of today's text we read, "How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women."

God is so good and so loving that He sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to save us. The Lord Jesus, Himself, became the path of salvation for the broken. He took our sins and removed them from us. Sin made us very unattractive, but the Lord Jesus has clothed us with His righteousness through the shedding of His blood. Through Him, we became attractive and beautiful to the most important One, the Father. And, in His kingdom, there will be an abundance of food and drink that we will never thirst or hunger again.

We are told in Revelation 21, in the New Jerusalem the foundations of the wall of the city will be made of precious stones and the twelve gates of the city will be twelve pearls. We are told the foundations and the gates represent God's people from the Old Testament and the New. In Christ there is a beauty that only the dwelling place of God explains. Having believed on His Son, we will be for eternity, the dwelling place of God. Thus, the beauty described here by Zechariah.

In Isaiah 57:15 we read, "And this is the reason: God lives forever and is holy. He is high and lifted up. He says, “I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are sad and humble. I give new life to those who are humble and to those whose hearts are broken."

Truly it is the goodness of God that leads us to turn from our way to His. This is the posture that has enabled us to access the very presence of God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zechariah 9:9-13

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9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. 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. 11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. 13 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 9:9-13

As we come back to our study of the Old Testament prophetic book of Zechariah, we notice the attention goes from the promised conqueror, Alexander the Great, whom we considered in our last blog and podcast, to Israel's coming King riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. It is as if God is saying, "If I can use a pagan monarch to protect my people, wait til you see what I'm going to do through the Messiah." In today's text, the focus is off of the King of the Greeks and it is on the coming King of the Jews. 

In v.9-10 of today's text we read, "9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. 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."

In these two verses, we have the first and second comings of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is seen here in v.9 as the One who was lowly. In v.10, He is seen as the One who will conquer all. In the book of the Revelation, the Lord Jesus is presented, in Revelation 4, as the Lion and the Lamb. It was at His first coming that He died as a lamb led to the slaughter for the forgiveness of sin. At His second coming, He will be the Lion of Judah who will conquer all foes of righteousness.

When the prophets wrote their prophecies, it was as if they saw the prophecies only, they didn't see the valleys between the prophecies or the mountain peaks, and valleys represent time. For them, it was like looking at a mountain range from a distance and it looked like all one solid peak. So, as in the case here, the first and second comings of the Lord Jesus were prophesied together, and Zechariah didn't see the gap of 2000 years that existed between these two verses. 

At His first coming, the Lord Jesus arrived on the eastern side of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. On that day, this prophesy in Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled. In fact, Daniel 9:26 provides the exact timetable of the Lord Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem riding on a donkey. It was at His first coming the Lord Jesus came as a Lamb to provide forgiveness of sin to all who would receive the free gift through His death on the cross.

As mentioned before, v.10 is a prophesy of the second coming which will happen at the end of the Tribulation. At that time the Lord Jesus will rule like a Lion, and He will conquer all opposed to righteousness.

In v.11 of today's text we read, "As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit."

In ancient times, prisoners were kept in dried cisterns. You will remember Joseph's brothers threw him into a waterless pit in Genesis 37. That waterless cistern speaks of our hopelessness without a Savior, and those willing to admit their lost estate are primed to receive His free gift of eternal life.

This verse, v.11, is written in the perfect tense, meaning, it is as if it has already happened. And, because of the blood covenant that God made with Abraham in Genesis 15, which the Lord Jesus fulfilled at His cross, the battle has already been won. God's rescue services were garnered the day the Lord Jesus went to His cross. And, during the Tribulation, many Jews will turn to the Lord Jesus for the first time and they will be saved. And, in the Millennium, they will live in perfect peace.

God says Israel has been in a dry well a long time but because of the blood of the covenant, they’re as good as out.  When the King comes, Israel will be freed from the pit of trouble, war, and suffering to know the liberty of the Kingdom of His peace and the reign of the Prince of Peace Himself. 

Then in v.12-13 of today's text, we read, "12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. 13 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."

This prophesy, as most, has a double fulfillment. Not long after that day this prophecy was given, there was a group of Jews that were able, in 167 BC, to mount an attack against the Syrians who, under Antiochus Epiphanes, had subjugated and devastated that whole area and turned the temple into a false system of worship. And it was under the Maccabean revolt, under Judas Maccabeus, that they were able to withstand these sons of Greece, and the hosts that had come in to destroy their land. But the ultimate fulfillment will be when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again and strengthens Israel in the last days against the Antichrist. So the Maccabean revolt was just a preview of coming attractions.

There is always more with the Lord Jesus. More in this sense is that which pertains to life, righteousness and godliness. In Romans 4, the Apostle Paul tells us the first step toward life is that we, by faith in the atonement, have righteousness reckoned to us without having done a single righteous act. Only then will we begin to practice righteousness, as the new man is created according to the image of God in true righteousness and holiness. And, it will be natural in His kingdom for us to think and to live righteous and godly lives. That will be glory for sure.

Zechariah 9:1-8

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1 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—2 and on Hamath too, which borders on it, and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful. 3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. 4 But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire. 5 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. 6 A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod, and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines. 7 I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. 8 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 9:1-8

Today, we transition into Zechariah 9. In v.1-8, we discover the one who is described, as a conqueror, turns out to be none other than Alexander the Great. This prophecy was written centuries before Alexander was born. That’s why it doesn’t name him. He didn’t exist at the time of the writing of this prophecy. And yet, every detail of his crusade is clearly described in today's text. The Bible is God's word and it is true. We can thoroughly depend upon it. 

In v.1-2 of today's text we read, "1 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—2 and on Hamath too, which borders on it, and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful."

In these verses God isolates Hadrak which is grouped with Damascus, Hamath, Tyre and Sidon. Many try to discount the Bible because it appears this city, Hadrak, can not be found in history. Yet, Hadrak appears in the inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser III who indicated that it was located just to the North of Lebanon. This prophecy predicted the crusade of Alexander the Great, yet it was given some two hundred years before it was fulfilled.

In v.3-4 of today's text we read, "3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. 4 But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire."

Tyre was built on a fortified rock, a half-mile off the coast. It was also built with a huge wall around the entire island which was 150 feet high. As a result, there, the Phoenicians felt fairly secure. When this prophecy was written, many scoffed at it, thinking Tyre was impenetrable. But, God knew otherwise. 

Israel had good relations with Tyre. In fact, King David and Hiram, the King of Tyre, were friends and they developed a deal where they would trade supplies. Hiram would give wood and some of the supplies of Lebanon for some of the grain and the olive oil that was grown down in Israel. When Solomon built the temple, it was Hiram who furnished the great cedar timbers that furnished the temple there in Jerusalem. 

Because both Jerusalem and Tyre were on the major trade routes, they competed in business. And, much later on, when Jerusalem finally fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, the people of Tyre rejoiced, because now they would get the business that they had wanted for so long.  

In v.5 of today's text we read, "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." 

History tells us that exactly what Zechariah predicted, happened. Alexander the Great, after taking the city of Tyre, which he had taken after Damascus, now turned south on his way to Egypt and stopped in the area of the Philistines. And these are the cities of the Philistines that are mentioned. And he overtook the Philistine cities, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron. 

History tells us that Alexander had the King of Gaza chained to a chariot, and they drug him around the city of Gaza until he died. And, when the people saw this, they were completely deflated and their hopes were completely dashed.

In v.6 of today's text we read, "A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod, and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines."

It was the policy of Alexander to mingle conquered peoples together. To not let them go back to their land, but to bring in people from different lands and and mix it up so that there wouldn't be an independent group that would develop out of it. It would hinder their independence because there would be a mingling of languages and cultures and customs. And so a mixed race settled in Ashdod.  

In v.7-8 of today's text we read, "7 I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. 8 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."

God uses imagery here that depicts the Philistines as a man who has just come back from a pagan sacrifice. He still has the bloody meat of something that has been offered to an idol in his mouth. Notice at the end of v.7 that Ekron will be like the Jebusites. Jebus was the ancient name for Jerusalem. The Jebusites occupied that city. And then, Israel, under the leadership of David, overtook the city, and eventually all of the Jebusites were just assimilated into Israel. God predicted this would happen to Ekron of the Philistines and it did at the hands of Alexander the Great. 

History also tells us is that when Alexander came to Jerusalem, he treated those in Judea with great kindness and respect. Having subjugated Egypt and taking over that area, when he returned through Israel again, Alexander had a whole different mindset. The Jewish historian, Josephus, tells us that there was a high priest by the name of Jeduah who met Alexander with a company of priests. And Jeduah brought the scroll of the Book of Daniel and showed Alexander the prophecies of his crusade from Daniel. Alexander read how God had predicted his victories in advance. This so impressed Alexander that not only did he spare Jerusalem, but he also offered a sacrifice in the temple of Jerusalem and worshipped the God of Israel there.

This is the whole point of prophecy. Not that we would be amazed by the prediction, but that we would be amazed by the predictor, God Himself. Worship is unlike every other Christian experience, it is an end in itself. Worship is ascribing worth to God, and any time we do things His way, we are worshipping Him. Worship that glorifies God must be expressed in conscious awareness that this is the ultimate goal for which He created and redeemed us. We do not worship God in order to attain some higher end, or to accomplish some greater goal. We worship Him because it is the point of our existence. Worship is merely a door through which we proceed into something more important, knowing God personally.

Zechariah 8:16-23

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"16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord. 18 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me. 19 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.” 20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 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.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.” 23 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 8:16-23

We are justified in the sight of God only through the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Justification is a one time event in the life of the believer. In fact, after being justified by Christ, the believer becomes "Born Again" because the Holy Spirit has moved in and awakened the believer's spirit to God.

On the heels of believing in Christ, the believer enters into Sanctification which is different than Justification. Whereas Justification is a one time event, Sanctification is a process whereby God is inculcating His culture into our being. This is what God is doing in today's text, He is teaching the children of Israel about His culture His way of thinking and living.

A careful study of Old Testament history reveals Israel got caught in a cycle of their own sin. This process can be seen in the book of Judges. Once Joshua died, and every man did what was right in his own eyes, they started going through this cycle of sin. The first stage marked the people's rebellion against God. They did not want God to rule over them. So, God brought them into the second stage whereby He allowed their enemies to rule over them. The third stage started when they cried out to the Lord for help. It was at that point that they entered fourth stage when God sent them a deliverer who was used of God to bring them back to Him.  

In v.16-17 of today's text we read, ""16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord."

Here, God gave to Israel His culture. Through this teaching, God reminded the people of Israel to speak the truth, to be honestly just, to not deliberately hurt one another, and to not lie about one another. These four rather easy disciplines bring the culture of God to bear on any group of people. 

In v.18-19 of today's text we read, "18 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me. 19 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."

As we have pointed out before, these four fasts were all added by the people, they were not prescribed by the Lord. But, notice what God says here, "(They) will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah." 

The fourth month fast reminded Israel of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The fast of the fifth month was the fast that reminded the destruction of the temple. The fast of the seventh month reminded Israel of the murder of Gedaliah who was the governor at that time. And the fast of the tenth month reminded Israel of the mourning for the day the final siege of Jerusalem. All these fasts rendered much weeping and mourning. And, God is saying here, "All things work together for the good of those who are learning to give their hearts to the Lord and are the called according to His purposes." 

In v.20-22 of today's text we read, "20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 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.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.'"

The context of these verses will be the Millennium. After the Tribulation will be over, people all over the world will come to the Lord Jesus as He will sit on His throne in Jerusalem. The pilgrimages are going to come from every corner of the globe. The whole world, at that time, will seek the Lord. 

In v.23 of today's text we read, "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." 

When this verse was written, the Jews were highly despised. In that day, this prediction was looked upon as most improbable. The idea that the Jews would be so elevated that people all over the world would want to be in their presence because God will be with them was unheard of at that time. But, in the future, in the Millennium, God promises Israel will be the center of the world.

And, notice the word "ten" used here in this verse. "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.'" 

You will remember that the number ten represents completeness. The whole world will ardently seek out the influence of the Jews because they will embrace God's culture. But, there will be some conditions. The four things mentioned in v.16-17 of today's text, honesty, justice, love, and trust, will be the means by which the world will be drawn to Israel. This will be the reason their culture will be so inviting because to those who have it not, it will be golden.

Zechariah 8:9-15

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9 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. 10 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. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the Lord Almighty. 12 “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 this people. 13 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.” 14 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, 15 “so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. ~ Zechariah 8:9-15

We return to our study of Zechariah 8 where God reminded the children of Israel that if they walk in His culture, they will experience His great blessing. In our last blog and podcast, we highlighted the promise that God made to His people to restore them back to the promised land. And, as we have noted before, this regathering of the people into the land was a glimpse of the work that God will yet again do for Israel at the end of time. 

Ezekiel 20:33–38 speaks of a regathering of the people to the land, which must take place before the Tribulation. Ezekiel 20:34 describes God bringing the remaining people of Israel back “from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out.” 

The phrase “with wrath poured out” is a descriptive reference to the Tribulation. Thus, in order for this to occur in history, Israel must be back in the land before the Tribulation. This passage clearly says that it is the Lord who will bring them back. The current nation of Israel is in the process of fulfilling this passage. It is said that nearly half of the world's population of the Jews is currently in America. It is my guess that when the treaty is forged that will allow Israel to rebuilt its Temple in Jerusalem that God will use that to get the remaining Jews back into the promised land.

In v.9-11 of today's text we read, "9 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. 10 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. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the Lord Almighty."

These Jews who had returned to the promised land had no money to pay men or to provide for animals. And, there wasn’t any peace in the land. There was all kinds of conflict and strife among the people. In these verses, Zechariah described the hassles of the people trying to rebuild the city. The first group came back with Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest, and they immediately built the altar. As a result, they began to perform sacrifices once again. Then, they laid the foundation for the Temple, but then everything went bad. They had outside enemies, the Samaritans, who were hassling them. And, as I noted before, the work on the Temple halted for a short time.

Then, in the second year of Darius, a new commitment began in Israel and they began to work again and then Zechariah wrote his prophecy just as they began the new work. God used Zechariah to encourage and comfort the people as they tirelessly worked. And so, in v.11, God reminded them that hard times precede God's blessing, if we walk in God's culture.

In v.12-13 of today's text we read, "12 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 this people. 13 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."

In these verses God reminded Israel of the law of reaping and sowing. God, in His faithfulness, rescued Israel and brought them back into the land in which they were now living. And, He had a plan for them to return to living under His blessing, but, they had to have willing hearts. The people of Israel had to choose to be defined by God and His culture rather than their culture or the culture of this world. Choosing to be defined by God is choosing to obey His word. 

One of the most popular means by which the enemy uses to get us to not be defined by God is materialism. We are told in this world that the accumulation of stuff makes us important. The world tells us if we acquire the best of things, we will be happy. 

The Lord Jesus once asked, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Then He continued, "For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done." Clearly, the answer is to be defined by God. We do this by giving safe haven to His word in our lives and allowing it to define us.

In v.14-15 of today's text we read, "14 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, 15 “so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid."

God's preference of us is influenced by the willingness of our hearts to invite Him to define us. And, just as He was faithful to punish disobedience, He promises to bless obedience. This isn't earning God's favor, this is accessing His favor. The sorrows of the past are meant to be God's pledges for the promise of a blessed future. And, God’s promise included His punishment of Israel's enemies.

Three hundred and sixty five times in the Bible God says what He said at the end of v.15. God wired our brains to experience fear. It is a primary emotion. There is a reason and many purposes for our fear as we respond to triggering stimuli. When God says, “Do not fear” he is not commanding us to shut off a part of our brain. His point is: Where do you go when you fear? God wants us to run to Him. Fear can paralyze us, yet when we fear in His presence, He uses that fear to produce in us our next step of faith, even in the midst of the fear! 

Fear, at its center, is a perceived loss of control. When life spirals, we grab for anything we can manage. The more insecure we feel, the more our flesh raises its ugly head. This is what was happening in Zechariah's day and God addressed it with His faithfulness. 

The gospels lists 125 Christ-issued imperatives. Of these, twenty-one urge us "do not be afraid." We encounter fearful moments because through them, we learn of His faithfulness. When we give God the time, He will always add another sentence establishing His faithfulness. And, as we walk in His culture, daily, we will increasingly discover that He who has promised is faithful.