TEXT:
"[9] Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. [10] For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. [11] But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. [12] For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. [13] And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong."
[14] For thus says the LORD of hosts: "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, [15] so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. [16] These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; [17] do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD."
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What are some things the LORD has been teaching you in your personal study of God’s Word?
Spend a few moments discussing how God’s sovereignty gives you comfort in this life?
Why should confidence in the LORD lead to obedience to the LORD?
Read and discuss verses 16-17. How can we practically live these things out?
SERMON MANUSCRIPT:
Consistent and prolonged obedience to Jesus can be difficult and, at times, terrifying. When it comes to following the LORD, it seems like the current of our heart naturally pulls us toward fear rather than confidence. After all, the words "fear not" wouldn't be in the Bible if God's people weren't fearful. So, it doesn't matter if you've been following Jesus for two days, three months, or fifty years. You will encounter moments of doubt and fear, and your heart needs to hear God say, "Do not be afraid."
Well, with the backdrop of this passage being the original question of whether or not they should continue fasting and mourning the temple's fall now that it's being restored, we find the LORD encouraging his people to walk in obedience to himself. As things seem to be working in a positive direction, the LORD is reminding his people of his past faithfulness in order to still their fearful hearts and strengthen their weak hands.
"Do not be afraid because I am faithful to my word, and I am all-powerful," the LORD tells his people.
But, interestingly, in our passage today, God doesn't direct his people's attention back to a time when he was faithful to bless his people. Instead, he directs their attention back to when he was faithful to curse his people. In doing so, he's telling his people that if he were faithful to punish his people, he would be faithful to bless his people.
As a parent, there is nothing that I hate more than having to discipline my children. Nothing is pleasant about carrying out discipline on someone you love dearly.
Yet, there are times when discipline is necessary.
Let's say our children have consistently acted up in school. So, I tell them, "If you get in trouble at school today, you won't be able to play with your friends when you get home."
Then, sure enough, one of them gets in trouble that day.
If I'm true to my word, I would have to sit my child down and say, "Buddy, I told you what would happen if you disobeyed. So, today you must stay inside, cook dinner, and fold laundry with your dad."
In carrying out the discipline I told him would happen, I'm demonstrating truthfulness and faithfulness. I'm being faithful to my word.
Now, if I'm faithful to carry out the very thing I hate the most for my child's good, how much more faithful will I be to bless my child with good gifts? If I'm faithful to spank my child when I tell them a spanking is coming, I will absolutely be faithful to give them a cookie when I tell them a cookie is coming.
Well, this is exactly what the LORD tells his people in our passage today. As harsh as God was in judgment, he will be in blessing. He was faithful to bring the curses upon their land that he said would happen if they disobeyed him, and now he will be faithful to bring the blessing upon their land that he's promising.
God's past faithfulness is a testament to his future faithfulness. And God's faithfulness ought to still their fearful hearts, leading them to boldly and confidently follow him in obedience.
If I could simplify the progression of this passage into one sentence, it would be: confidence in the LORD always leads to obedience to the LORD. Those who trust the LORD and are confident in his provision will obey the LORD.
So, let's dive in.
"[9] Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. [10] For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. [11] But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. [12] For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. [13] And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong."
[14] For thus says the LORD of hosts: "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, [15] so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. [16] These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; [17] do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD."
DO NOT FEAR; GOD IS HERE.
In verse 9, we're reminded of who God is talking to through the prophet Zechariah. He's speaking to those who had heard the words of the prophets present on the day the temple construction began. The prophets present would have been himself and Haggai. So, Zechariah is speaking directly to those who took heed to Haggai's call and began rebuilding the temple. He's talking to those obeying the LORD by rebuilding the temple.
As we work through the words spoken to this group of people, we find a theme of strength and confidence pulsing through these verses. In verse 9, we see the words, "Let your hands be strong." In verse 13, we see the words, "Fear not, but let your hands be strong." In verse 15, we see the words "Fear not" again. So, it's clear that God doesn't want his people to be fearful; he wants them to be confident. He doesn't want them to be weak and weary; he wants them to be strong and courageous. As they obey, they can obey confidently, knowing that the LORD is with them.
But why should they be strong and confident?
They should be strong and confident because God has promised to bless them. Their confidence resides in the faithfulness of the sovereign God of the universe.
In verse 10, he refers to their life before they began rebuilding the temple. He says, "For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor."
The words spoken here are eerily similar to the words uttered by Haggai at the start of his message, and they speak of God's sovereign action.
In Haggai 1:9-11, the LORD says, "You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore, the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors."
So, their economic plunder did not happen by chance; it directly resulted from God's sovereign hand. He is the one who brought trials upon their land because they had become more concerned with their own homes over God's home. He withheld "the dew" and "called for" the drought. He "blew away" their profits like a child blowing out a candle.
God is on a throne, not a couch. Nothing that transpires throughout our life can occur without God's sovereign blessing. The sovereign LORD had ordained and used a season of drought and calamity to draw his people back to himself.
A CHANGE IS COMING
But, in verse 11, God says there's a change in the wind. He promises, "But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days." In other words, things will be different for you! There will no longer be economic and relational turmoil; instead, there will be a "sowing of peace." The one who brought turmoil will bring peace. He says, "The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And [he] will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things." There will no longer be famine; instead, there will be prosperity. There will no longer be strife; there will be quietness, tranquility, and friendship. God will CAUSE them to possess these things.
In verse 13, the LORD says, "And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing." For the longest time, God's people were seen and recognized as a cursed people by their neighboring countries. But now they will be seen and recognized as a blessed people because the LORD will save them. How those around them see them will be drastically different because of God's divine action on their behalf.
BE A BLESSING
Notice the language here.
God doesn't just say that they will be seen as a blessed people; he says they will be a blessing. One of the chief goals of the Christian faith is not simply to be seen as a blessed person by those around us; it is to be a blessing to those around us. The hypocrite consumes himself with appearance, while the faithful consumes himself with actual effectiveness. The natural progression of our salvation is outward. Those who God has blessed will, in return, bless others.
So, if you go throughout your life with no concern for the good of your neighbor, you must then ask yourself, "Have I experienced God's saving grace?
The LORD then reiterates what he said in verse 9. But he adds a twist to the initial words spoken. He says, "Fear not, let your hands be strong." They ought not to be afraid of what the future holds because the one who holds the future is vowing to be with them. They can boldly walk in obedience to what God called them to do because God will save them, and they will be a blessing. This reminds us that the Christian faith is not inactive; it's active. God's protection and provision lead to action. It leads to confident work.
GOD IS ON THE THRONE
The LORD, through Zechariah, then begins to build on the point he's been making by saying, "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not."
Here God, once again, shines the light on his divine purpose as the reason they should not fear. But, instead of pointing back to their immediate suffering, he points back to the calamity their parents and grandparents experienced through Babylonian captivity because of their disobedience. In pointing back to this time, we see that the LORD brought this disaster because their fathers provoked him to wrath. They continued to walk in disobedience even when he warned them of what would happen if they continued to do so.
But now, in the same way, he will purposefully bring good to his people. The one who sovereignly brought suffering upon their land will bring blessing upon their land. The intensity of his judgment will be the intensity of his blessing.
Church, the sovereign working of God in all situations, should make our fearful hearts still today. Romans 8 says to our fearful hearts today, "And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
When we truly understand that there is purpose in God's working, when we truly understand that God is on a throne and not a couch, when we truly understand that God is using all seasons and situations for our good and his glory, confidence is born, and fear is stilled.
He then transitions to describing the actions of his people. He says, "These are the things that you shall do: speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these thing I hate, declares the LORD."
Let's look at each of these for a moment.
SPEAK THE TRUTH TO ONE ANOTHER
At some point in our lives, we're all faced with the dilemma of whether or not we should be honest. Sin muddies the waters of life, making truth-telling extremely difficult. Sometimes, a lie seems easier to utter than the truth.
A lie, at times, seems like an easy escape from the turmoil truth might bring. But, a lie is a shovel disguised as a ladder. It appears to be an escape from the hole of conflict. But it's not an escape. It only digs a deeper hole, pushing us deeper into the dark depth of turmoil. Once we speak one lie, we're forced to tell another lie to cover up the first lie. Then, the next thing you know, you're buried deep into this hole of falsehood you cannot escape.
But, God here has thrown us a ladder, a way to escape the dark hole of turmoil: speak the truth to one another. Truth-telling leads to life. There's freedom and joy that comes from telling the truth. When you speak the truth with one another, you don't have to walk around with the pressure of keeping up a lie and are free from the stress of living in a falsehood.
Those who have experienced God's saving grace will be honest, speaking the truth with one another. So, is this true of you? Does truth flow from your lips?
RENDER JUDGEMENTS THAT ARE TRUE AND PEACEFUL
Similarly, God's people are to render judgments that are "true and make for peace." The Hebrew word for judgments here is mišpāṭ. Similar to what we saw a few weeks ago, in Zechariah 7:9, this is a call to treat all people fairly in both blessings and curses. It's a call to not show prejudice to a particular person or group of people because of their race, gender, or social status.
So, God's chosen people are to be people who don't just speak the truth. They are to be people committed to living truthfully by demonstrating justice and fairness in their judgments. The judgments we make should be rooted in truth, not lies. They should be rooted in evidence, not speculation.
The goal of our judgments should be peace for all people. Therefore, today, Christians must understand that riots and fights do not manifest a godly pursuit of justice. If there is going to be a sowing of peace amongst God's people, then God's people must be committed to peace. Those given and promised peace ought to be committed to maintaining peace. Those at peace with God should be committed to living peaceably with others.
TEND TO THE HEART
Now, if the first command is centered around our lips and the second is centered around our hands, this third command is centered around our hearts. They must not devise evil in their hearts against one another and love no false oath. More important than our words and actions is the posture of our hearts.
My mom taught me how to pull weeds in our flower bed as a child. In a rush, ready to finish and play with friends, I would grab the top of the weed and quickly rip off the top, moving on to the next weed. But, just as quickly, my mother would correct me. She wanted me to understand that if we wanted to remove the weed, I needed to uproot the whole weed. Pulling off leaves will never remove the weed. If you want the weed gone, you must remove the hidden part of the weed.
Well, the same is true with our hearts. If we want our words and actions to be pure, we must address our roots (our hearts). The Bible makes it clear that the heart is the wellspring of life. Everything we do flows from it. It drives our every action and steers our every word. Therefore, addressing our actions without addressing our hearts is like pulling leaves off a weed, hoping the weed will go away. To be truthful, we must love the truth with our hearts. To be peaceful, we must be at peace. If you harbor anger toward your neighbor, expect it to show itself in your actions. If you find your heart dwelling on vengeance, expect your actions to be vengeful. Your actions follow your heart.
At the end of these words, we see God say something that might catch us by surprise a bit. He says that all of these things he hates. God hates evil being present in the hearts of his people. He hates the love of falsehood. He hates the strategy of wrongdoing. He hates conflict being present within his people.
So, listen to me. I don't know your heart today. But God does. He knows your heart better than you do. And an important question that we have to ask ourselves is, "Lord, is there anything in my heart that you hate?"
May we allow the Holy Spirit to convict us if there is. Allow him to sanctify, chisel, and make us more like Jesus.