Zechariah 14

As we read the Bible, we see different prophets pointing to a final battle that will take place at the end of time. They all make it abundantly clear that the LORD will return and defeat his enemies once and for all. Yet, despite their unity regarding how the story ends, they all communicate this story with unique imagery to highlight various aspects of the same story.

In Zechariah 14, the LORD, through Zechariah, tells us what will happen when Christ returns again at the end of time. Before he returns, things will get really bad. Things will seem bleak for God's people. But, at the right time, the LORD will come down, save his people, and destroy their enemies once and for all. A second exodus is coming. And depending upon which camp you find yourself in, this passage can be incredibly terrifying or unbelievably comforting.

In these verses, we see that, in the end, the whole world will wage war against God's people. And, at that moment, they will profit from their oppression of Jerusalem. But, soon after, the LORD will come down and deliver his people. And when he comes to save his people, he's also coming to destroy the nations.

So, as we wrestle through this very complex chapter, I want you to consistently ask yourself, "Which camp are you in?"

To those who reject Christ, to those who are an enemy of God, these words should be incredibly terrifying. But, to those who have pleaded for mercy and experienced the cleansing work of Christ, these verses should be unbelievably hopeful.

There's no middle ground in Zechariah 14. You are either God's enemy or God's friend. You are either a recipient of God’s wrath or a recipient of God’s mercy. If your allegiance resides in your own kingdom, death is on your horizon. Things may go well for you now, but that prosperity is fleeting. But, if your allegiance resides in Christ's kingdom, life is on your horizon. Things may be difficult now, but an eternal blessing is on your horizon.

So, “Which camp am I in?” is the question we will ask ourselves today.

Let's dive in.

"[1] Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. [2] For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. [3] Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. [4] On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. [5] And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

[6] On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. [7] And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.

[8] On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.

[9] And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.

[10] The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. [11] And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security.

[12] And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

[13] And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. [14] Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. [15] And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.

[16] Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. [17] And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. [18] And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. [19] This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.

[20] And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. [21] And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day."

WORSE BEFORE BETTER

There are two things I want us to take note of here at the start of this final chapter.

First, I want us to see and understand that God is saying things will get worse before they get better. Before the LORD goes out and fights in battle on behalf of his people, he will "gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle." The language used to describe how the nations will treat Jerusalem here is dreadfully horrendous. Houses plundered. Women raped. People going out in exile. Nothing about this is good. Things will get worse before they get better. Difficulty is on the horizon for God’s people. God will first draw in their enemies to later destroy their enemies. Things will become more difficult the closer we get to the end of time. So, those who the blood of Jesus has cleansed should expect trials. Allegiance to Jesus will undoubtedly lead to difficulties in this life.

MINORITY OVER MAJORITY

The second thing I want us to see here is that siding with the majority is not always best because the majority is not always right. Here we have the entire world— all nations— surrounding Jerusalem for battle. You have the majority oppressing the minority.

If acceptance from the masses is the lord of your life, you will undoubtedly find yourself on the wrong side of history. When we let the opinions of the mob shape our worldview, we will wade into some dangerous waters.

LITERALLY OR SPIRITUALLY?

Now, let's take a quick detour here for a moment.

There are differing opinions over who Jerusalem is here, and I think we need to unpack that for a moment.

Some believe it to be literal Jerusalem. They would interpret the majority of Zechariah's words literally, meaning that you have all the nations surrounding one city, Jerusalem, with their swords drawn for battle. The entire world is oppressing the single city of Jerusalem.

Others, however, interpret Jerusalem to symbolically reference the church. Their primary argument is that it's strange to imagine the entire world surrounding just one city. Therefore, they would interpret these words to symbolically represent the world's oppression of the church, the spiritual people of God. Before Christ returns, the whole world will be oppressing and abusing the Church.

There are valid arguments on either side, and we simply don't know which interpretation is true because it hasn't happened yet. To say that you know for certain what this passage is saying is unbelievably arrogant. It's completely fair and warranted to call someone a heretic for denying the deity of Christ. But it is neither fair nor warranted to call someone a heretic for interpreting these verses symbolically or literally. Brothers and sisters, we must wade through the muddy waters of apocalyptic literature with tremendous grace and compassion.

I personally lean towards interpreting Jerusalem as a symbolic reference to the church. But I don't land here because I have difficulty imagining the world surrounding one city. In fact, I think we would be terrible students of the Bible if we deny specific interpretations simply because we can't fathom them being true. God is on the throne, and he sets the earth in motion. He does not have to submit his actions to our reason and logic. Instead, our reasoning and logic must submit to his will and actions. So, I would argue that we should always interpret the text literally unless the author has given us a reason to interpret the text symbolically. And I believe Zechariah has given us reason to interpret Jerusalem in a symbolic sense.

If you remember, in chapter 2, Zechariah had a vision of a young man seeking to measure Jerusalem with a measuring line. As he's getting ready to do this, the angel of the LORD stops him and tells him that Jerusalem will become a city without walls. Jerusalem will become a city full of people and livestock, where many nations will come and join themselves to the LORD. It will become a place where God will dwell with his people, and it will be a place that God will protect with holy fire.

I believe Zechariah 2 speaks of the church, the spiritual city of God. And this has been the framework through which I've interpreted most of Zechariah. Here in chapter 14, I think Jerusalem is a symbolic reference to the people of God, the church.

But, here's the thing. None of this has happened yet. So I could be wrong. It's quite possible that Zechariah is laying out verbatim what will happen at the return of Christ. We don't know for sure now, but we will know for sure someday. One day the fog on the mirror will be removed, and we will see clearly what was once murky.

So, either way you interpret these words, I think we can both agree that Zechariah is highlighting how the majority will rise up against the minority. All of the nations, all of the world, will be gathered against the city of Jerusalem. No matter how powerful, one city cannot stand against all nations. So, at the end of time, It will appear that God's people are surrounded by inescapable doom. On their own, they stand no chance. Yet, at the right time, God will intervene on their behalf. When half of the city will go out into exile, and the rest of the people will be cut off from the city, the LORD will "go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle." And when the LORD arrives, the mountains split and the nations fall.

A SECOND EXODUS

The imagery given to us here is the LORD appearing on the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives was a large mountain that sat before Jerusalem on the East. It’s a mountain that would be visible throughout all of Jerusalem. And when the LORD appears on the mountain, it will split in two, creating a valley of escape for God's people.

Does that language sound familiar to you? This is exodus language.

On the one hand, the Mount of Olives provides protection. But, on the other hand, it also offers prevention. Like the Red Sea, the Mount of Olives prevented God's people from escaping. Yet, similar to the Red Sea, the LORD will split the mountain to save his people, allowing them to flee to Azal.

What is Azal? No one is certain because this is the only reference to Azal in the Old Testament. There is a lot of speculation over what this could be. Some have attempted to change the text to a more widely recognizable name, like Beth Ezell, a place we find referenced in the book of Micah. But all we know is that Azal is a place of escape for God's people in Jerusalem. Some translate it to mean "the way of escape shall be made easy." So Azal will be a place of refuge for God's people. When Christ comes and stands on the Mount of Olives, the mountain will split in two, allowing God's people to flee to safety. Simply put, the return of Christ will usher in safety for God's people. Jesus will provide an avenue for them to escape from disaster, and they will dwell with their LORD in safety forever.

VICTORY IS COMING

As we continue to read in verses 6-11, we see the natural order of creation beginning to be thwarted because of God's presence with his people. There will be no light, cold, or frost. There will no longer be day or night; it will always be light. This imagery is used throughout Scripture to communicate what life will be like in God's everlasting kingdom. In Isaiah 60:19-20, we see the sun and the moon will “be no more,” and the LORD, himself, will be their “light.”

Similarly, we see the book of Revelation describe the New Jerusalem as a place where the gates will never be shut by day— and “there will be no night there (Rev. 21:25).” "They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever (Rev. 22:5)."

So, here Zechariah is standing next to Isaiah and John and pointing ahead to the future, describing what life will be like for his people once the final battle is won. There is coming a day when God will be with his people forever in perfect harmony. He will be their God, and they will be his people. "The LORD will be king over all the earth," and "on that day he will be one and his name one." The one who promised difficulty is also promising victory. On this day there will never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem will dwell in security forever. The sovereign LORD is saying that there will be nothing for his people to fear. Christ will reign in peace forever. Living water will never dry up.

Church, we look forward to a day when we will dwell with God in all his glory for all eternity. Though we may be tried by fire now, we look ahead to a day when the embers cool. We look ahead to a day when we will be completely safe and secure with our Lord forever. We look ahead to a day when people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will safely worship and serve their King forever.

DESTRUCTION IS COMING

What a hopeful message this is for the sheep who belong to the good shepherd. The return of Christ will usher in safety for God's people. But the return of Christ will also lead to the destruction of their enemies.

If you skip down to verses 12-15, you see that when God comes, he "will strike all who wage war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongues will rot in their mouths." This is dreadful language. The ones who once plundered God’s people will be plundered by God. Justice will fall upon the shoulders of the wicked.

Richard Philips, while commenting on these verses, says, “The point of these verses is not merely the reality of God’s final judgment, but the terror of it for those who are condemned and sentenced to eternity in hell.” This is a fate that no one wants. There’s an inescapable plague that will fall upon the wicked. Their flesh will rot while they’re standing. At the start of the chapter, the nations are the ones plundering the houses in Jerusalem, taking their riches. But here we see a significant reversal. The wealth of the nations will be collected in great abundance. Everything they gathered will come to ruin. Philips goes on to say “They will be bereft of all the worldly comforts and joys with which they dulled their spiritual awareness in this life. The terrible irony for them is that it is the church, which has not even sought such treasure, that receives the riches they have loved.”

Folks listen. It's possible to flourish in this life through oppression and wickedness. It's possible to ride the train of sin throughout your life and enjoy the benefits of the ride. But please know where that train will lead. The train of sin will only lead to eternal pain, misery, and destruction. A day will come when a plague will fall on the wicked, and destruction will be their doom. The mighty nations who stood against Jerusalem will fall when Christ returns.

FEAST OF BOOTHS

Verses 16-19 paint this picture of the redeemed coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Booths. From the nations that come against Jerusalem will be a remnant that looks upon Christ and are saved.

The Feast of Booths would have been one of three pilgrimage feasts (Passover, Pentecost, and Feast of Booths). A pilgrimage feast meant that all Jewish men would be required to travel to Jerusalem with their families. It was an exciting week-long celebration held after the harvest around September or October. It was a time to celebrate God's complete harvest provision, pray for a good rainy season, and remember God's faithfulness to provide for his people in the wilderness after they left Egypt.

Each family was to celebrate this feast by building booths (tents) in the open fields, on streets, or on their rooftops. In layman's terms, this would be a nationwide campout. My wife would be miserable. This was to remember that God's people had to dwell in booths whenever they were brought out of slavery in Egypt. They were to live in these tents for seven days, observing the stars and remembering God's faithfulness to his people.

In alluding to this feast, Zechariah is pointing to a time when God's people will celebrate God's provision and deliverance for all eternity. There will be no reasons to mourn; there will only be reasons to celebrate. Upon his return, Christ will usher his people into an everlasting place of joy and celebration. For all eternity, we will rejoice and celebrate the deliverance we experienced in Christ.

HOLY TO THE LORD

Then, in verses 20-21, we see the beautiful reality that one day, there will no longer be a distinction between the common and the holy. All will be made holy.

"Holy to the LORD" was a phrase/term used to describe the attire of the priest. In Exodus 28:36, we see the priests of the LORD commanded to wear a headpiece with a plate on it that said, "Holy to the LORD." The rare phrase of “holy to the LORD” will become so common that it’s on the bells of horses. Not only that, but every pot in the land will be holy to the LORD. There will no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day. Thomas McComskey says, “So pervasive will be the rule of righteousness in the new order that even the most common objects will be holy to God. Nothing will belong to the sphere of the common or profane.”

One of the many beauties of the gospel resides in how the gospel humbles those in high positions and exalts those in low positions. In God's kingdom, all are holy through the cleansing blood of Christ. We cling to the hope that we will one day stand holy and blameless and above reproach before the LORD. Christ died so that he might “present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkly or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Eph 5:27).” So, if your faith resides in Jesus, you look forward to a day when we will all be declared holy and blameless before the LORD because of the work of Christ on the cross. And together, we look ahead to the hope that one day, we will dwell securely in a purified city.

Zechariah was writing to a people who were still in great despair. But, he’s been telling them that God has not forgot them. In fact, God will remain faithful to them all throughout history, even in the midst of fire. And for those who cling to the good shepherd who was pierced for his sheep has great reason for hope.

Zechariah 12:10-13:1

TEXT:

"[10] And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. [11] On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. [12] The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; [13] the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; [14] and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.

[1] "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Discuss for a few moments how this passage points ahead to Jesus. How do these verses highlight the divine nature of Jesus?

  2. How should the truth that “conviction of sin is a work of the Spirit” shape our evangelism and prayer life?

  3. Why is conviction of sin a good thing? Despite its goodness, why does it seem at times our hearts despise conviction?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

When was the last time you wept? Crying is a common human experience; you see it often in the Bible. Tears aren't shameful.

Why did you weep? If you pulled back the layers, what was the source of your tears? Did you weep because of a trial you found yourself in? Did you cry because of a wound from someone else's offense against you? Did you weep because of guilt from a wound you've given someone else?

When was the last time you wept over your sin? Not when was the last time you've cried over the repercussions of your sins? But when was the last time you've wept over the reality that you've sinned against God?

After studying this passage, I would almost argue that if you've never wept over the reality of your involvement in what led Jesus to the cross, then you've never experienced the cleansing work of the cross. Today's passage reminds us of the wounding power of the cross. Before the blood of Jesus restores us, it wounds us. Before the blood of Jesus cleanses us, it reveals our filth. Conviction comes before cleansing.

Like many verses in Zechariah, today's passage presents obscurity and familiarity. In my interpretation, there are elements to this passage that point ahead to something that has not yet happened. But, there are also elements to this passage that describe something that has happened and something we have personally experienced as believers.

In these verses, we see the LORD pour out his Spirit upon his people, causing those who pierced the LORD to look upon him and mourn their sinful actions. Depending upon who you read or listen to, you'll find these verses connected to different points in history.

Some connect these verses to the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came, Peter preached the gospel, and thousands of Jews believed and were saved. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached, "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." They were cut to the heart and repented from their sins.

Others connect this to a future revival of the nation Israel. In Romans 11, we see Paul describing a partial hardening that has come upon Israel so that the gospel could go forth into the world (the other nations), allowing the Gentiles to be grafted into God's holy nation. It is believed that this "partial hardening" will one day be lifted, allowing all of Israel to see the truth of the gospel, mourn the offense of the cross, and believe/trust in Jesus.

Some connect these verses to Revelation 1:7, which reads, "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." So, these verses allude to a future encounter at the end of time.

All three views hold a strong biblical argument. Personally, I think I lean toward these verses primarily referencing a future revival that will take place amongst the nation of Israel at the end of time. But, I also think there's more nuance here in that it also describes what's taken place throughout redemptive history following the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in Acts. There's a sense of obscurity and familiarity here in these verses. They're describing something that has happened, is happening, and will happen one day. At the end of the day, these verses paint a clear picture of true repentance and what happens when one humbles himself before the LORD.

Let's dive in.

The first thing we see here is the LORD pouring out a spirit upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Anytime we see the LORD pour out a spirit in the Old Testament, it's always His Spirit being poured out (Ezekiel 39:29 and Joel 2:28-29). So, here the LORD is saying that he will soon pour his Spirit out upon his people. They will be a Spirit-filled people.

Now, look at how his Spirit is described— "a spirit of grace and pleas of mercy." The word "grace" is a relational term. It implies an undeserved favor placed upon one's life. "Please of mercy" implies repentance, regret, or remorse. It's the action of seeking compassion from someone you've offended. So, what we find here is the Holy Spirit graciously brings conviction that leads to relational restoration. God extends grace to those who plead for mercy, leading to a renewed relationship with himself.

Now, why will God's people begin to plead for mercy? What offense will they be mourning?

They will lament the reality that they have pierced the LORD— "When they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him..."

I want us to spend a brief moment unpacking the profound scandal that we find here in this verse. The term pierced here depicts a fatal stabbing, a piercing that leads to death. So, the LORD, through Zechariah, is saying that his people will soon fatally wound God. Because of their hard hearts, they will pierce their Creator. The one who stretched the heavens is the one who will be pierced.

Fast forward to the gospels, particularly the gospel of John, and we see a connection being made between these words in Zechariah and Jesus. After Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross, "one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water… For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: 'They will look on him whom they have pierced.'" So, Zechariah prophesied that the house of David would piece the LORD, and John connected to dots from Zechariah's prophecy to Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus is the LORD who was fatally pierced by the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Do not miss the divine scandal of the cross being alluded to here in Zechariah. It is the one who stretched out the heavens that they nailed to the cross. It is the founder of the earth that they have pierced. It is the one who formed the spirit of man who was crushed by the hands of man.

There's a lie that has circulated throughout history that says Jesus was not God. But let me be clear. You will not find that lie in the Bible. The Bible is unmistakably clear: Jesus is God in flesh. The creator of all things entered into his creation and dwelt among them. The one who holds everything together at this very moment in time willingly marched to the cross to be pierced and crushed by man. The one who Zechariah spoke on behalf of is the one who was hung on the cross for the sins of the world. So, here the LORD is saying that whenever His Spirit is poured out on their land, their eyes will be opened, and they will plead for mercy because they rejected the LORD of all. They will mourn their rejection of the good shepherd. They will lament that instead of crowning him as Lord, they mockingly pierced him as a fool. Their eyes will fill with tears when they truly understand what took place on the cross. They will mourn their heinous actions against the LORD.

The word for mourn here is one of deep pain and grief. It often describes the action that flows from losing a loved one. It's the same word used to describe Abraham's action whenever his wife, Sarah, died (Gen. 23:2)— he mourned and wept. It's the same word used to describe how Israel mourned the death of Samuel (1 Sa. 25:1). It's the same word used to describe Bathsheba's actions whenever her husband, Uriah, passed away 11:26). So, Israel will deeply mourn the death of Jesus.

But they won't mourn the death of Jesus as one mourns the death of a distant relative or even the death of a spouse. We see that they will mourn his death like a parent mourns the death of an only child. They will "weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first born." What profound imagery here. The pain and remorse they will feel from crucifying Jesus will parallel the pain one feels from losing a beloved child.

Not only that, but they will also mourn him like a nation mourns the sacrificial death of a good king— it will be "as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo." It is believed that this refers to the location of King Josiah's death around 609 BC. Josiah was a young but good king who feared the LORD. In 2 Chronicles 35:22-25, we see Josiah get wounded in battle on the plain of Megiddo. He then gets taken back to Jerusalem, where he later dies. After his burial, all of Judah and Jerusalem lamented and mourned his death, which became a tradition in Israel. So, like God's people grieving the end of their good king, they will corporately mourn the death of Jesus, the King of kings.

But they won't just mourn the death of their king corporately; they will mourn him individually and personally. "The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves." On the one hand, we see here all of the royal families mourning their involvement in the crime before them. It is said that "when the royal family mourns, all the citizens mourn with them." But, on a deeper level, this reminds us that no individual is off the hook regarding the offense of the cross. No tear shed will be prompted by another. Each family, each person, will experience tremendous pain over the crucifixion of Jesus. Whether you held the nail or not when he was pierced to the cross, swung the whip or not whenever he was beaten and flogged, or drove the spear into his side, you stand guilty and condemned.

Now, let's internalize this for a moment. As I read the Bible with my son, I seek to remind him that we don't read it with just our minds; we read it with our hearts. As we read and ponder the Scriptures, we ask, "Lord, what are you seeking to tell me? What actions are you calling me to?" So, I want us to ask that question for the remainder of our time. What does this passage have to do with me?

Well, the first thing I want us to see is that conviction of sin is a gift from the LORD and a work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings to light the magnitude of the cross. When the Spirit is poured out, the scales fall off the eyes of God's people. Under the light of the Holy Spirit, they can see the full scope of their heinous actions. Brothers and sisters, conviction of sin is good. If you desire to walk in righteousness, expect the Holy Spirit to convict you of sin. Conviction may be painful, and it may lead to tears. But, it's on the other side of conviction that we find cleansing. For a match to burn bright, it must first be struck. For a Christian to burn bright, it, too, must first be struck with conviction. Conviction of sin is a gift from the LORD and a work of the Spirit. It is a necessary element of the Christian life.

The second thing I want us to see is that sin is first an offense against God. God's people won't simply mourn because they got caught in sin. They won't simply mourn because they lost their job due to unethical decisions. They will mourn their involvement in the cross. They will mourn the fact that they pierced their LORD.

David, in Psalm 51, demonstrates this well. In this Psalm, we find David mourning his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband, Uriah.

Here, he says,

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight..."

Sin undoubtedly has horizontal implications. Committing adultery with your neighbor's spouse hurts your spouse, your children, their spouse, and their children. Murdering someone hurts not just that person but that person's entire family and friends. Stealing from your neighbor hurts your neighbor. Lying to your family harms your family. Viewing pornography wrecks your spouse. All sin is a direct offense against someone. And all sin against our neighbor requires repentance and restoration.

But sin is not primarily an offense against your neighbor. Sin is, most importantly, a direct offense against God. Against him, him only, have we sinned and done what is evil in his sight. If we don't understand this, we have an unbelievably small view of God. When it comes to the cross, you are not an innocent bystander. It is your sin that Christ was pierced for. Sin is first an offense against God.

Third, I want us to see that conviction should lead to mourning. Those who understand the magnitude of their sin against God will fall on their face before God and weep. Salvation doesn't come to those who are strong; salvation comes to those who are weak. Salvation is extended to the sick, not the healthy. Some of you must understand that God will heal you only whenever you cry out for mercy.

Everyone listen to me. Some of you today need to stop trying harder to fix the mess you're in and fall on your face and weep. Some of you need to face yourself in the mirror, stop blaming others, and say, "You know what? I am the one to blame here. I am guilty. I have sinned against God. God, please forgive me."

Now, here's the beauty of the gospel. Those who mourn the sins that led to the cross will experience the cleansing work of the cross. The cross turns our mourning into laughter, tears into joy.

Look at Zechariah 13:1, "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness."

So, on the other side of weeping is cleansing. Those who mourn will soon rejoice. Those who are sick will soon be healed. Those who are broken will soon be healed. Those who are humbled will soon be exalted.

Turn over to James 4:6-10.

"[5] Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? [6] But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

The law of gravity states, "What goes up must go down." But the law of the gospel states, "What goes down must go up." Those who mourn their sin against God and look upon Christ in faith will be exalted. Those who weep their sins against God and look upon Christ in faith will be cleansed. God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. So, be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy return to gloom. Humble yourself before the LORD, and he will exalt you.

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Zechariah 11:1-17

TEXT:

[1] Open your doors, O Lebanon,

that the fire may devour your cedars!

[2] Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,

for the glorious trees are ruined!

Wail, oaks of Bashan,

for the thick forest has been felled!

[3] The sound of the wail of the shepherds,

for their glory is ruined!

The sound of the roar of the lions,

for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!

[4] Thus said the LORD my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. [5] Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. [6] For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”

[7] So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. [8] In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. [9] So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” [10] And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. [11] So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. [12] Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. [13] Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. [14] Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

[15] Then the LORD said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. [16] For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs.

[17] “Woe to my worthless shepherd,

who deserts the flock!

May the sword strike his arm

and his right eye!

Let his arm be wholly withered,

his right eye utterly blinded!”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Read verses 4-5. Discuss what these verses have to say about corrupt leadership?

  2. Read verses 7-8. What do these verses have to say about the character of the  good shepherd? How do we know that Jesus is the good shepherd?

  3. What do these verses teach us will happen whenever one chooses to reject the good shepherd?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

Today we have an opportunity to study the chapter that most commentators describe as the most challenging chapter in one of the most difficult books in the whole Bible.

One of the difficulties of this passage stems from its writing style. The writing style in this chapter differs from what we might be used to reading. This chapter is best described as a play where Zechariah acts out a particular scene on behalf of God for God's people. Some commentators call this a prophetic sign-act.

Zechariah acts out two distinct characters in this sign act: a good shepherd and a bad shepherd-- a shepherd who takes care of the flock and a shepherd who does not take care of the flock.

In the past few chapters, the sun has been shining bright on the land of God's people. The message of Zechariah has been consistently hopeful. But, in chapter 11, the wind changes, and the clouds roll in. A storm of judgment is approaching, and the rays of sunshine are no longer warming the land. Where God, through Zechariah, has brought to his people a consistent message of hope and restoration, he now brings a message of discipline and judgment.

God's people will soon reject the coming good shepherd. And whenever they reject the good shepherd, judgment will come upon them. If you reject the good shepherd, you will only be met with bad shepherds. So, at the end of the day, we will be left asking ourselves the question, "Whose flock do I belong to?"

So, let's go ahead and dive in.

"[1] Open your doors, O Lebanon,

that the fire may devour your cedars!

[2] Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,

for the glorious trees are ruined!

Wail, oaks of Bashan,

for the thick forest has been felled!

[3] The sound of the wail of the shepherds,

for their glory is ruined!

The sound of the roar of the lions,

for the thicket of the Jordan is ruined!"

JUDGEMENT IS COMING

We see three things referenced in these verses: cedar trees, shepherds, and lions. And none of them are in a state of rejoicing.

Cedars, in verse 1, are described as glorious trees, signs of strength and power. These were the majestic trees that Solomon gathered and used to build the temple. Shepherds would have been responsible for protecting their flock from great danger. Lions are animals that strut and roar in power. Yet, here we see all three wailing due to a coming destruction. The Cypress will wail because "their cedar has fallen" and "their glorious trees are destroyed." The shepherds wail because "their glory is ruined." And the roar of the lions is loud because "the thicket of the Jordan is consumed."

So, here we see that no power on earth can stand against God. The most excellent of trees will soon crumble at the snap of God's finger. They will be devoured in an instant, leading to weeping and wailing. The shepherds will cry aloud because something they worked so hard to build up, their glory, will be ruined. A storm is coming; doom is on the horizon.

This sets up what we will read next.

"[4] Thus said the LORD my God: "Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. [5] Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich,' and their own shepherds have no pity on them. [6] For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand."

BAD SHEPHERDS

The first thing we see here is the LORD commanding Zechariah to "become the shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter." He's commanding Zechariah to play the role of a shepherd of a flock in despair, a flock that is being oppressed and slain.

The Hebrew word for slaughtered is hāraḡ (haw-rag'). This is not your typical word often used to describe the sacrifice of animals. Instead, it's a word used to describe a type of murder and killing that is vile and out of hand. This is abusive and harmful language. Where the flock should be cared for and protected by good shepherds, their shepherds are overlooking the animals' abuse and slaughter.

Let's spend a couple of minutes unpacking the abuse that's going on here. In verse 5, we see three groups of people being addressed: the buyers, the sellers, and the shepherds. The buyers are massacring the purchased flock, the sellers are rejoicing over the profit they're making through this corruption, and the shepherds are indifferent toward the whole thing. There is no concern over the flock's well-being here; they only care about themselves.

In this verse, we can gather a few things about corrupt leadership, particularly corrupt leadership amongst God's people (the church).

First and foremost, corrupt leaders— especially in the church— see people as a means to an end. They're willing to oppress and slaughter those under their care as long as it ultimately profits them. There's no remorse in the heart of bad leaders. All they care about is themselves and their reputation and gain.

Regarding pastoral ministry, I think a healthy gauge for whether or not you're wading into these waters is your motive for pursuing ministry. Why do you want to preach? Why do you want to pursue this particular position? Is it because the money is good? Is it because you love the spotlight? Is this particular position seen as a means to gain power or wealth?

Church leaders should always be humble, not oppressive. Pastoral ministry is not a domineering ministry; it is an equipping ministry. Pastors must take on the role of a humble servant.

Corrupt leaders also think they're above the law, able to get away with anything. They can get away with murder, slaughtering the flock, and going unpunished. They hand out favors so they can cash in on them later. Wit and flattery are their friends, and they're a master of their words.

Corrupt leaders worship money. The sellers are celebrating the profit they've made off of their corruption. They viewed their profit as the ultimate sign of God's blessing. They were profiting from wickedness and celebrating it as a gift from the LORD.

I think this teaches us that not all financial gain is a blessing from the LORD. Riches don't always equal faithfulness. It's possible to have a lot of money in your bank account and be empty in favor of the LORD. It's possible to make a lot of money through wickedness. I would argue that the Bible teaches us that it is better to make less money doing the right thing than to make a lot of money while doing the wrong thing. It's better to make less money taking care of your flock than making a lot of money while trampling on your flock. Treasure gained through wickedness does not satisfy. The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. So, we must be cautious about feeding our appetite for money. When profit is lord of our life, we're willing to do anything to gain it.

Next, we see that corrupt leaders are indifferent toward the well-being of their flock. This may seem redundant to the first point, but it's fundamentally different. In verse 5, the buyers slaughter the flock, while the shepherds have no pity on the flock. Their hearts are calloused, and they don't care anymore. They probably had really good motives when they first picked up the staff. But, somewhere along the line, they started going into the field for the paycheck.

Church, listen to me. Where good shepherds seek the good of their flock, corrupt shepherds shrug their shoulders at the pain and suffering of their flock. Indifference is a dangerous place to rest your heart as a leader.

Yet, here we see the leaders of God's people immersed in corruption. And it's because of this that God has "no pity on the inhabitants of this land. He will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and he will deliver none from their hand." So, because of their corruption, God will bring judgment upon their land. Things will not go well for them. No sin will ever go unpunished. God will soon cause them to fall into the hand of their neighbor. They will soon be crushed.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

As we continue to read in verse 7, we see Zechariah starting to act out the role of the good shepherd— "So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep."

As Zechariah becomes the good shepherd, he's holding two staffs in his hands. One is called Favor, and the other is called Union. The first staff, Favor, symbolizes God's kindness, pleasantness, delightfulness, and beauty. The second staff, Union, represents a measuring cord, rope, territory, lot, or region.

I think this speaks to the nature of the good shepherd who is to come. Instead of being rude and domineering, he is gentle. Instead of being indifferent, he is caring. He will be kind toward his sheep and bring unity and peace to his flock. Instead of slaughtering the flock, he feeds the flock.

The good shepherd is kind toward those under his care. He heals the maimed and nourishes the healthy. The good shepherd actively seeks the good of those under his care. Jesus is the one who tends to his sheep. He loves his sheep and is kind toward his sheep. He is the one who goes after his sheep. He is the one who willingly laid his life down to save his sheep.

Do you believe this to be true today? Do you understand that God loves you today? Do you believe that he is kind to his flock today? Do you trust his loving provision today?

Jesus is kind, and he invites you to come to him today. He is here for your good, not your demise.

Jesus is also the good shepherd who seeks to unite his flock. He is the source of our peace, keeping his sheep close to him. And conversely, those who are close to the good shepherd are close to the flock of the good shepherd. So, it's irrational to think you can maintain a relationship with the good shepherd away from the sheep. Closeness to God will undoubtedly lead to a closeness to God's people.

So, the good shepherd is kind to his sheep, and he unites his sheep. But he also protects his sheep from false shepherds. In verse 8, this good shepherd quickly destroyed the corrupt shepherds— "In one month I destroyed the three shepherds."

There's a lot of speculation over who these shepherds are.

Some try to identify them as specific people in power after Jesus' death before the fall of Jerusalem.

Some try to connect these three shepherds to the role of the prophet, priest, and king; therefore, the good shepherd eliminated those three offices and stepped into them himself.

Others point out that the number three symbolizes completeness; therefore, Jesus completely purged the corrupt leaders from their midst. He's ridding out the corruption in the land.

I tend to land in one of the two latter camps. On the one hand, Jesus, the good shepherd, is the greater prophet, priest, and king. And on the other hand, Jesus, the good shepherd, passionately protected his sheep by exposing the corruption of their shepherds.

REJECTING THE GOOD SHEPHERD LEADS TO…

Either way, after this purging, tension arises between the good shepherd and the sheep— "But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. [9] So I said, "I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another."

The unfortunate reality of our sinful hearts is we often love what is bad for us and hate what is good for us. And that's exactly what we see being played out here. Instead of trusting and embracing the good shepherd, the flock despised him, which led to their demise. The good shepherd handed them over to their destruction.

In verses 10-11, the good shepherd picks up the first staff and smashes it— "And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD."

Here the LORD is not saying he's breaking the covenant he entered into with his people. Instead, he is saying that he will no longer be kind toward them, raining down blessings upon them through the nations (all peoples); he will bring judgment upon them.

And there was no confusion for the leaders; they knew exactly what the LORD was saying. So, the LORD then says to the people, "Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter."

The sheep traders saw and recognized the work of the good shepherd as being from the LORD, and the good shepherd responded by saying, "Pay me what you think I'm worth." This leads to them paying the good shepherd thirty pieces of silver.

Thirty pieces of silver would have been the price of a slave during this time. So, they're not showing worth and honor to the good shepherd; they're mocking him, declaring him to be no better than a slave. And the LORD commands the wages be thrown to the potter in God's temple.

Does this sound familiar?

The gospels tell us that Judas betrayed Jesus for the price of thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15). After Jesus was betrayed, Judas started feeling guilty, and he changed his mind. So he returned to the chief priest and elders to return the money. He threw the money into the temple and went and hanged himself.

Do you know what the chief priest and elders did? They took the money and bought a potter's field as a burial place for strangers, fulfilling the words prophesied here.

Jesus is the good shepherd who was despised and rejected by his own people. The one worthy of all honor received the wage of a slave. The one worthy of all glory was glorified through his death on the cross.

After this, the shepherd breaks the second staff— "Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel." There will not be unity between Judah and Israel. Because of their rejection of the good shepherd, they will be scattered amongst the nations like they were before. We see this being fulfilled in AD 70 when the Romans came in and destroyed Jerusalem.

"[15] Then the LORD said to me, "Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. [16] For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs."

Some seek to pinpoint this shepherd to be on specific person throughout history. And it could be a specific person. But, instead of seeking to identify who the bad shepherd is, I think there is a principle for us here. When you reject the good shepherd, you will only find a bad shepherd. To neglect the shepherd who is for your good is to embrace the shepherd who is for your demise. To neglect the shepherd who cares for you is to embrace the shepherd who doesn't care for you. To neglect the shepherd who brings healing is to embrace the shepherd who brings pain.

But, as we see in verse 17,

"[17] Woe to my worthless shepherd,

who deserts the flock!

May the sword strike his arm

and his right eye!

Let his arm be wholly withered,

his right eye utterly blinded!"

No sin ever goes unpunished. Judgment is coming for the wicked; either it has been dealt with on the cross or poured out on them for all eternity.

So, woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock in times of trouble. Woe to the worthless shepherd who does not care for the sheep. Woe to the worthless shepherd who does not care for the young or heal the maimed. But, all praise goes to the good shepherd who came to lay his life down for his sheep.

Zechariah 10:6-12

TEXT:

[6] “I will strengthen the house of Judah,

and I will save the house of Joseph.

I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,

and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,

for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.

[7] Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,

and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.

Their children shall see it and be glad;

their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.

[8] “I will whistle for them and gather them in,

for I have redeemed them,

and they shall be as many as they were before.

[9] Though I scattered them among the nations,

yet in far countries they shall remember me,

and with their children they shall live and return.

[10] I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,

and gather them from Assyria,

and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,

till there is no room for them.

[11] He shall pass through the sea of troubles

and strike down the waves of the sea,

and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.

The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,

and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.

[12] I will make them strong in the LORD,

and they shall walk in his name,”

declares the LORD.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Discuss how the Holy Spirit provides his people with strength. Are there any instances in your life where you’ve experienced the power of the Holy Spirit?

  2. How does the gospel lead to joy? Have there been any instances in your life where you’ve experienced true joy in Christ?

  3. As we walk through this life, how does the truth that one day the LORD will bring us “home” give us hope?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

As you were to work through the Old Testament, you will often find shadows and portraits of Jesus, instances that reflect, resemble, and point to what Jesus came to accomplish on behalf of his people on the cross.

As we will see in a moment, one example would be the deliverance of God's people in Egypt. In these verses, we find the LORD, through Zechariah, fixing the gaze of God's people ahead to a time when his people will experience a second exodus, a time when he will deliver and redeem his people as he did in Egypt.

In Genesis 15, as God's entering into a covenant with Abraham, he promised Abraham four things:

  • his offspring would outnumber the stars (v.5)

  • the land before him belonged to him and his offspring (v.18-20),

  • his offspring would become sojourners in a foreign land where they would be afflicted for four hundred years (v.13),

  • after four hundred years of affliction, God would lead his people back to their rightful land (vs.14-16).

Fast forward to Genesis 37, and we're introduced to Joseph, the son of Jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac; Isaac was the son of Abraham. Jacob loved Joseph deeply (more than all his other sons). And, one day, Joseph had a dream that he would reign over his older brothers and that they would bow down before him.

This didn't sit right with the brothers, making them more jealous than they already were of Joseph. And their jealous hatred caused them to want to kill Joseph.

But, as they were pursuing their brother's assassination, one of the brothers, Judah, spoke up. He said, "Instead of killing him, why don't we sell him into slavery?"

All of the brothers agreed, and they sold Joseph as a slave to Egypt.

Through a wild tale of events, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had a dream that no one could interpret except Joseph. Joseph interpreted the dream, telling Pharaoh that Egypt would experience seven good years of plenty and seven years of severe famine. Therefore, Egypt should steward the seven years of plenty well to prepare for the seven years of famine.

Following the interpretation of this dream, Pharaoh appoints Joseph to a place of prominent power in Egypt.

When the years of plenty ended, the famine took over the land. And the famine was so severe that it took over the entire world, which led people from all different nations to come to Egypt to buy grain. During this time, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to get help. Through this process, Joseph was able to show grace and forgiveness to his brothers. He was able to provide for his family back home, leading him to say, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." In other words, God had a good plan for his covenantal people whenever Joseph was sold into slavery.

Fast forward again, and you find Joseph's family (God's people) moved to Egypt. In Egypt, they grew and multiplied greatly. Things were going well for them. But, over the years, a new king arose in Egypt who didn't know Joseph, leading to him beginning to oppress the people of God in Egypt (just like God had promised). After 400 years of oppression, God hears the cry of his people, and he sets them free from captivity, leading them back to the land he once promised to Abraham.

Through this story, we find God's people had become scattered among the nation of Egypt. They were oppressed for an extended period of time in Egypt. God delivered his people from oppression in Egypt. And he miraculously led them home to the land he had once promised.

As we will see today, this story sits as the foundation of the promises of Zechariah here. In these verses, God says that another exodus is coming where God's people will be freed from captivity and brought home to walk with him in his name. God is telling his people that what happened in the past points to what will happen in the future.

As we work through this passage today, we will find ourselves standing between two realities—a reality that we partake in now and a reality that will take place in the future. And to tease out these two realities, I want to address two interpretations of these verses quickly.

Interpretation one is that these verses describe a future saving of the nation Israel. Romans 11 explains how a partial hardening has come upon Israel so that the gospel could go forth into the world (the other nations), allowing the Gentiles to be grafted into God's holy nation. Those who hold to this interpretation would say that a "partial hardening" indicates that this hardening of Israel will one day be lifted, allowing all of Israel to see the truth of the gospel and believe/trust in Jesus. Therefore, this camp would say that this verse describes what will occur whenever this partial hardening is lifted, which means that these verses have not yet been fulfilled. They're something we look ahead to one day. Israel will be saved and restored one day, and God's people will be brought home.

Interpretation two would be that these verses describe something occurring now and apply directly to the church today. The book of Galatians teaches us that if we (Gentiles) are in Christ, then we are now sons of Abraham, sons of promise. If we are sons of Abraham, we are a part of God's holy nation. Through faith, we have been grafted into God's family, and we are now a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. Therefore, these verses would describe the salvation that we are experiencing in Christ today. The latter interpretation is the primary lens through which I want us to view these verses today. As we work our way through these verses, I'll seek to apply the application to both views. But, we will spend most of our time drawing application from this latter view.

So, let's dive in.

"[6] I will strengthen the house of Judah,

and I will save the house of Joseph.

I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,

and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,

for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.

[7] Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,

and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.

Their children shall see it and be glad;

their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD."

HOPE FOR THE WEARY

Here we have two houses being blessed by God, the house of Judah and the house of Joseph. Judah and Joseph were brothers; they were both sons of Jacob. Joseph was the brother sold into slavery in Egypt, and Judah was one of the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery. When all the brothers wanted to kill Joseph, Judah recommended selling him instead.

Most commentators believe these two men represent God's northern and southern kingdoms. In other words, the LORD here addresses all of Israel, the total people of God. He will soon bless all his people (not some) with strength and salvation.

In these two verses, we see God promise to do three things: strengthen, save, and bring back his people who were scattered. To be strengthened implies weakness. To be saved implies trouble and despair. To be brought back implies being far off. God will make strong a people who are weak, deliver a people in despair, and draw near a people who were far off. So, the hope for their future resides not in themselves but in the LORD.

Now, why will he do this for his people? Because they deserve it? No. Because his heart became full of mercy, pity, and compassion for his people— "I will bring them back because I have compassion on them..." This reminds us that redemption and salvation are not a result of our strength; they are a result of God's mercy. You do not possess the ability to save yourself, nor do you possess the strength within yourself to live out the Christian faith.

A child who falls out of a boat in an ocean does not save himself by silently swimming back into the boat against the current. He does not possess the strength or ability to bring himself to safety. That child's only hope is to cry out for help. His only hope is for someone to dive into the water and intervene on his behalf.

Brothers and sisters, I fear that many of us, instead of crying out for help, are trying to silently swim our way back into the boat. But the current is too strong. Strength and salvation do not come from within yourself. It comes from God, the one full of compassion. Salvation rests on the shoulders of God's mercy, not man's strength.

Is this a message that you need to be reminded of today? Do you find yourself weak this morning and in need of strength? Do you find yourself exhausted from swimming against the current? Do you find yourself lost and distant from God? God desires to draw the wanderer back to Himself. He wants to extend strength to the weak. He wants to save those in despair. So, we would do well to take Jesus' invitation to "come to him if we are weary and heavy laden so that we might find rest."

STRENGTH AND JOY

God's compassionate action on behalf of his people leads to a restored relationship with himself that is full of strength and joy.

The Christian life is one of strength. The same Spirit that resurrected Christ from the dead now resides within you and me. God has strengthened those who he has saved through the powerful indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Eph. 1:19, 3:16,20; Col. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:7; Js. 5:16; 2 Pet. 1:3).

So, it is by his strength living within us that we can be his witness throughout his world, in our city, and to the ends of the earth. Our gospel proclamation can be effective because of the Holy Spirit's power within us.

By His strength residing within us, we can find hope amid despair. The Holy Spirit gives us strength and comfort to endure hardships.

By his strength within us, we can put sin to death within us. The Holy Spirit convicts and empowers us to walk in holiness.

One of the invitations of the gospel is to come to Jesus and find strength. But, when God draws us to himself, he doesn't just give us power; he also gives us joy. In verse 7, the LORD says, "Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD." Those once plagued with despair will become glad as with wine, and their children will see it and be glad; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD.

The Christian life is a life of joy. Those who daily rest in the gospel are constantly met with tremendous joy. Those who rest their souls in God's gracious and redemptive work on the cross will always find a reason to rejoice in the LORD.

But look at the progression here in verse 7. The joy of the children will be impacted by God's work in their parents' lives— "Their children will see it (their parent's strength and joy that comes from a relationship with God) and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD."

Let me speak to mom and dad for a minute. In this verse, the child's joy follows the parent's joy. So, one of the best ways to disciple your children is to be a disciple yourself. Do you want your child to rejoice in the LORD? Then rejoice in the LORD yourself. Do you want your child to study the Bible? Study the Bible yourself. Do you want your child to pray? Show them how to pray. Do you want your child to worship? Show them how to worship.

In these two verses, we find God's compassion for his people leads to him saving his people, strengthening his people, and drawing them back to himself, which leads to the joyful celebration of his people. They will experience a relationship with God where he hears and answers their requests. He will strengthen them, making them like mighty warriors. He will save them, transforming their sorrow into gladness and their silence into rejoicing. He will bring them back as if He had never rejected them.

As we continue to read, the LORD says, "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before."

A SECOND EXODUS

The word for whistle is šāraq (Shaw-rak'). It means to hiss, whistle, or pipe. In Scripture, it's often used to describe a shrilling sound of disappointment made by man. But, in this context, it's used as a distinct calling to gather his people in, like a shepherd whistling to bring his sheep back to himself.

Here we find the LORD, through Zechariah, setting up a beautiful imagery of God calling to himself a scattered people to create an abundance of people. Because they have been redeemed/delivered/set free, they will be gathered in. Although they are a remnant now, they will soon be a prominent redeemed people.

In verse 9, the LORD says, "Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return."

When you read "scattered," I want you to think of a farmer scattering and planting seeds. Like Joseph, God had scattered his chosen people among the nations, and like his children, he will soon lead them home. A day is coming when it is time to harvest the scattered seed planted in faraway countries. A second exodus is coming.

As verse 10 says, the LORD will "bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them." The LORD was planning to bring his redeemed people home. The land of oppression and sin will no longer be where they reside because the LORD is calling them home.

Verse 11 says, "He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart."

In the same way that the LORD powerfully rescued his people out of Egypt, leading them back to the promised land, he will rescue his people and lead them back to the promised land. He will "make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name."

Here's where we find ourselves today. We stand between two exoduses: a spiritual exodus and a literal exodus.

Spiritually, you and I have been redeemed. God has called you to himself, and, right now, you are safe in him. You are home in Christ. Right now, if you are in Christ, you are strong in the LORD and can walk in his name. Jesus has passed through the sea of troubles, and he has struck down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile have been dried up because of his atoning work on the cross. Because of the cross, your sins have been forgiven. Because of the cross, the debt of your sin has been nailed to the cross. Therefore, Christ has disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them.

The Christian life is a life with God, not a life distant from God. So, spiritually speaking, we have journeyed from the land of sin, despair, and oppression to the holy land of God full of life and joy. But, although we have encountered a spiritual exodus as Christians today, we also look ahead to a physical exodus that is to come. One day soon, the first heaven and the first earth will pass away, and the holy city, the new Jerusalem, will come down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And God will powerfully lead his people into this land that is promised. And it's here that God will dwell with his people for all eternity. Here, he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death will be no more.

Zechariah 10:1-5

  1. Is there a particular area in your life where you feel like you have not let the Holy Spirit to come into? Eg. Your work, your hobbies, relationships. 

  2. Is there an area in your life in which you feel it has been touched by God and blessed? Feel free to share about that.

  3. Though we don’t often use “household gods” in our worship of other things, what are some “Store-bought gods” that we tend to make idols of? And how can we, by the help of the Spirit, fight against making them idols?

  4. What does it healthily look like to accept the blessing of the church being like “majestic steed in battle”?

Easter: John 2

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Why is the resurrection essential to the Christian faith?

  2. Discuss how Jesus’ ability to foretell his death and resurrection is a sign of power.

  3. When observing the sins of God’s people in the temple, do you notice any similarities in your own heart? Do you notice any similarities in our church culture at Harbor? Do you notice any similarities in our American church culture? Discuss.

Zechariah 9:11-13

TEXT:

"[11] As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

[12] Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

today I declare that I will restore to you double.

[13] For I have bent Judah as my bow;

I have made Ephraim its arrow.

I will stir up your sons, O Zion,

against your sons, O Greece,

and wield you like a warrior's sword.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Spend a few minutes discussing why Zechariah references the “blood of the covenant.” How is the blood of the covenants in Genesis 15 and Exodus 24 a foreshadow of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31, Mark 14:24)?

  2. How is God our stronghold?

  3. What does it mean that God would “restore to you double?”

  4. How is the Christian faith an “offense-ive” faith?

MANUSCRIPT:

As we dive in today, it would be helpful to remember that God here is speaking to fragile people. He's talking to a people who, in the past twenty years, have come out of Babylonian captivity. He's speaking to people who are still without a king. Their confidence is at an all-time low when comparing their nation with their neighboring countries. They're a people who have been holding on by a thread.

But, throughout Zechariah, God has been restoring their confidence, not in themselves, but in him. After all, the hope of the Bible isn't found inside of you; it is found outside of you. You are not the hero of the Bible; God is. So, if they return to the LORD, he will return to them. He will bless them, and he will be their provider and protector.

In chapter 9, God has begun to build on their reasons for hope. Like a builder laying brick upon brick to build a strong home, God is stacking promise upon promise to make a strong people. Here he's promised judgment against their enemies. Their enemies will be defeated, and they will be spared. He's promised the coming of their humble and mighty king, who will bring peace to them and the nations. His kingdom will stretch farther than any kingdom has before. And today, we will find God promising his people that they will be delivered, restored, protected, and given purpose.

The four points for today's passage will be as follows:

  • Those in God's kingdom will be free.

  • Those in God's kingdom will be protected.

  • Those in God's kingdom have hope.

  • Those in God's kingdom have purpose.

Let's dive in.

"[11] As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

[12] Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

today I declare that I will restore to you double.

[13] For I have bent Judah as my bow;

I have made Ephraim its arrow.

I will stir up your sons, O Zion,

against your sons, O Greece,

and wield you like a warrior's sword.”

FREEDOM FROM THE PIT

Following the promise to send their king who will usher in a peaceful kingdom, God refocuses his attention on his people. He points his finger at his people and says, "As for you also, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit."

A waterless pit is a deep, inescapable hole that does not contain something vital to life, water. It's a hole that you cannot get out of, and it's a hole that will lead to your demise. So, this assumes that some of God's people were stuck as prisoners in a lifeless situation.

Most commentators agree that this primarily references those still stuck in Babylon as captives. So, in this immediate context, God is promising his people deliverance and freedom from their captivity in Babylon.

Now, a waterless pit would have been a familiar reference to God's people— it's what Joseph was tossed into by his brothers in Genesis 37. In Genesis 37, Joseph was initially thrown into a waterless pit to die. But, determined not to have Joseph's blood on their hands, they decided to sell him into slavery instead. If you fast forward Joseph's story, you will find that his "deliverance" from the pit was ultimately used to preserve the entire Israelite community. In Genesis 50, Joseph declares, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

So, similarly, God here is saying that the pit is not the end of the story for God's people. Although they're trapped in captivity, freedom and purpose are on the horizon. Just like he did with Joseph, God will soon free them from the pit of captivity, leading to the further preservation of his people.

BY THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT

Now, how would they know that this deliverance is guaranteed? What if this is an empty promise? What if God isn't able to deliver them?

Well, they know that their freedom is coming because "of the blood of [his] covenant with [them]."

Covenants are something we often find in the Bible. A covenant (similar to a contract) was a binding agreement in which covenant members had certain obligations and could expect certain benefits in return. What differentiates a covenant from a simple binding agreement (a contract) is that covenant implies meaningful relationships. So, the language used here in Zechariah assumes a relational covenant was made between God and his people-- there was a binding agreement between God and his people.

When a covenant was made, an animal(s) would have been slaughtered and cut in half. Both parties would then walk through the slaughtered animals, implying both parties saying, "may the same thing that happened to me that's happened to these animals if I break the covenant made today."

In Genesis 15, we find God entered into a covenant with Abraham, where he promised to make him a great nation. However, a deep sleep falls on Abraham, allowing only God to pass through the slaughtered animals. So, on that day, God promised Abram that he would build him into a strong nation that would eventually bless all of humanity. The shedding of blood served as validation of this promise.

Similarly, in Exodus 24, we see a covenant made with God's people coming out of slavery in Egypt. Here God lays out the terms of their relationship with Him and promises to make them into a holy kingdom that will spread blessing and glory to the nations. Moses then takes the blood of their sacrifices and throws it on God's people as a symbolic reminder of the covenant they entered into with God.

So, Zechariah is saying that their deliverance rests solely upon the shoulders of God's faithfulness to keep his covenantal promise. They will be free from captivity because he is faithful. They will be delivered because he is determined to be true to his word. Nothing other than the blood of the covenant is where their hope of salvation resides. We can always trust the promises of God's word to ring true because God is truthful.

Jeremiah spoke about a new covenant that would be on the horizon for God's people. He said, "Behold, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband... For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people... For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Well, on the night that Jesus was betrayed, Jesus held up the glass of wine and said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many (Mark 14:24)."

So, hours before he laid his life down on the cross, Jesus references the blood of the covenant. His disciples, still likely unclear of the full magnitude of what Jesus is saying at this very moment, were probably thinking back to these old covenants. But Jesus was telling his disciples they were about to enter this new covenant with God. It was time for the words of Jeremiah to ring true.

Jesus was led to the cross like a lamb led to the slaughter. On the cross, he was crushed for humanity, and his blood was poured out for many. On the cross, he was pierced for our transgressions. On the cross, he was crushed for our sins. On the cross, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him. By his wounds, we can be healed. So, it is on the cross that we find forgiveness for sins because it was on the cross that Jesus drank the full wrath of God.

Church, the words spoken here in Zechariah apply to you and me today. God's people could cling to the promise of deliverance from the waterless pit, not because of their ability to get out of it but because of the blood of God's covenant with them. In the same way, our hope for deliverance is the blood of the covenant. Jesus is our hope. Our hope for freedom from the snares of sin and death resides in nothing other than the blood of Jesus. We can be delivered from this waterless pit because of the bloodshed on the cross. The cross is the declaration of God's faithfulness to his people. We were once slaves to sin, but now we have been set free and are slaves to righteousness. So, when we question and wonder if freedom is ours, the cross is where we fix our gaze.

RETURN TO YOUR STRONGHOLD

Following this promise of deliverance, God calls his people to return to him. He says, "Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double."

Prisoner of hope is a beautiful phrase. Although they may be in chains, they are not in chains without hope of freedom. They will be set free. Therefore, they are prisoners of hope.

When we consult the Psalms, we see God consistently referred to as their stronghold. So, this is an invitation to return to walking with, trusting in, and finding refuge in their God. And it's an invitation directly tied to a promise of restoration (double restoration). Like Job, God will restore them twice as much as they once had whenever they return to him. He's promising them a hopeful future with him.

On the one hand, this reminds us that a life with God is better than a life away from him. He is our stronghold, our protector, and our provider. When dwelling in a stronghold, you're protected in ways you don't know about. A stronghold protects you from dangers that you can't always see. Brothers and sisters, this past week, God protected you in ways you may never know.

On the other hand, this reminds us that the Christian life is a life of hope. We are prisoners of hope, which means that no matter how bad things may get in this life, we have hope that things will get better. In the same way, no matter how good things get in this life, we also cling to the hope that things will get better. We cling to the hope that God will restore to us double. The lowest sorrows and the greatest joys of this life will pale when compared to the joys we will experience one day in heaven with God. The Christian life is a life of hope.

GOD’S WEAPON OF CHOICE, HIS PEOPLE

Zechariah then says that he has "bent Judah as [his] bow," and "made Ephraim its arrow," against "Greece."

There are disagreements amongst scholars regarding Greece here. During this time, Greece would not have been a prominent nation. It would be like us prophesying a great battle between America and Madagascar. But, in the future, Greece did become a powerful nation through Alexander the Great. And through the Maccabean revolt, God's people did defeat the Greeks who were oppressing God's people at this time. But I found Eugene Merrill's summary here to be helpful. He believes that Greece could be interpreted as a general reference to any hostile power that might arise against God's covenant people.

So, here we see God's people being used as an instrument against their enemies. They will be his bow. They will be his arrow. And he will wield them like a sword. Here we're beginning to transition into what theologians call eschatological language (Language pertaining to the future and final judgment). We're going to dive into that more in the coming verses.

But, what I want us to see today is the truth that those who God delivers will be those whom God uses. Those who find refuge in God will be those that God uses. If you've been set free from sin, you've been set free to righteous living.

The Christian life is not passive; it's active. Those who God has delivered are those who dwell securely in the stronghold of God. And those who dwell safely in the stronghold of God become the weapon of God.

God has always had a purpose for his people. And his purpose is offense-ive, not defensive. Jesus, when speaking to Peter, he said, "On this rock, I build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." The language used here implies God's people knocking down the gates of hell. Jesus, when speaking to his disciples, tells them to "go into the world and make disciples." That's active, offense-ive language.

So, the Christian faith is not a passive faith where we sit quietly in a fortress, nor is it merely a defensive faith where we sit tight, waiting to defend against the enemy's attacks. The Christian faith is an active faith; it's a strategic faith; it's an offense-ive faith. We boldly and strategically enter into the world of darkness to battle and win souls to Christ.

Although there will be a future battle that one day takes place, we also must be reminded that we find ourselves in a battle today. And, as we wage war, we must remember that God has disarmed his people and equipped them to be people of peace. So, the battle of the Christian faith is not against the people around you. God has not called you to trample your neighbors; he has called you to love your neighbors. God has not called you to cut down your persecutors; he has called you to bless those who persecute you. We do not fight against flesh and blood. Instead, we understand that we fight against "the rulers, and the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12)."

We find ourselves in a spiritual battle today. Therefore, we put on the whole armor of God and stand firm against the attacks of Satan. We fasten on the belt of truth, and we put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for our feet, we put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, we hold up the shield of faith to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. We put on the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

UNITY IN GOD’S KINGDOM

Now, something interesting here is the unity found in these verses. After Solomon died, God's people were divided into two kingdoms: Israel (northern) and Judah (southern). Ephraim was a northern tribe of Israel, and Judah was the southern kingdom. So, God is saying that he will take Ephraim, a tribe of Israel, and unite it with Judah. Together they will become the chosen weapon of God against Greece. God here is joining those who were once divided. Ephraim and Judah will unite again to carry out God's purpose and plan. He won't just bring peace to the nations; he will bring peace to his people. The peace that the gospel brings tears down all barriers. The walls that man builds, the gospel tears down. God was planning to create a united people who joined together to carry out his plan.

Zechariah 9:9-10

TEXT:

"[9] Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

[10] I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Spend a few minutes discussing the shock value that would come from their king coming “humble and mounted on a donkey.” Why is that significant for understanding what he came to accomplish?

  2. In verse 10, we see their king cutting off their weapons, not the weapons of their enemies. What does that teach us about God’s kingdom?

  3. In verse 10, we see that God’s kingdom will stretch “to the ends of the earth,” despite the fact that their weapons have been cut off. What does this teach us about how God’s kingdom will grow?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

Aladdin is a cinematic masterpiece. From the overarching storyline to each individual song, this is an all-time great movie. Unfortunately, though, my family disagrees. Therefore, we never watch it.

But there's a scene in this movie that I want us to revisit for a moment. In Aladdin, there's a city named Agrabah without a prince. The Sultan (the ruler of Agrabah) is getting up and years, and he's determined to find a husband for his daughter to marry so that she and the city might be well taken care of when he passes. As the movie progresses, the tension over who will be the next prince rises. Well, halfway through the film, Prince Ali marches into Agrabah. It's a beautiful scene of the entire city rejoicing in hope, wondering if Aladdin could be the long-anticipated prince who would lead their city in the future.

Church, this scene in Aladdin mirrors quite well our passage today in Zechariah. In our passage today, God promises his fragile people a stable future. He promises a people without a king that they will soon have a king. Like the people of Agrabah, they can celebrate and rejoice because their king is coming to rule and bring peace throughout the world.

Let's go ahead and dive in.

"[9] Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

[10] I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth."

The first thing we see is a call for God's people to "rejoice" and "shout aloud!" This tells us that this is a hopeful message, not a sorrowful message. Here we find an invitation to celebrate with joy and gladness because their king is coming. They are not forsaken, nor are they abandoned. Their king is on his way. Therefore, they can shout and rejoice in hope because their kingdom will be restored.

Now, let's take a moment to look at the character of this coming king.

RIGHTEOUS IS HE

First, he will be righteous. He will be just. He will live rightly. Wickedness will be far from him, and his conduct and character will be correct in the sight of God. He will perfectly walk in obedience to God.

HAVING SALVATION IS HE

Second, he will possess salvation. Often in the Bible, we find righteousness and salvation paired together (Isaiah 45:8; 46;13; 51:4-5). When righteousness is brought near, so too is salvation. When salvation is brought near, so too is righteousness. They're two sides to the same coin. Salvation resides only in the hands of the one who is righteous. The Righteous One is the only one who possesses the ability to save. This is the beautiful reality of the gospel: those who have been saved by the hands of the Righteous One have been declared righteous because they are now found in the Righteous One.

Now, there's some discrepancy regarding what the language here in Zechariah means. Several commentaries I read interpret these words passively instead of actively, meaning the king here will be the recipient of salvation from the LORD, not the extender. He will be divinely protected, delivered, and saved by God.

There's truth here. But, interpreting these verses solely in a passive sense falls short, in my opinion, of what this passage is communicating.

Yes, God will divinely protect, bless, deliver, and save the righteous king. But the righteous king is also coming to save his people. The one divinely blessed and protected by the LORD will save his people. The righteous one will come to usher in salvation for his people, and in him alone will salvation be found.

HUMBLE IS HE

Third, the righteous king who has come to save his people will be humble and mounted on a donkey. The term "humble" is a distinct term of lowliness. It's a term used to describe the poor and needy of society. So, their long-anticipated king, who will usher in salvation, will come in humble lowliness. He will not come to be served. He will come to serve. Humble and riding on a donkey is he.

Now, donkeys aren't anti-kingly. There are multiple examples throughout the Old Testament of kings possessing and riding on donkeys. So, the shock value of this statement isn't that donkeys are anti-kingly; the shock value is that donkeys are anti-warly (I know that I'm making up words here, but bear with me).

During this time, horses would have symbolized war and power (Isaiah 31:1-3; 1 Kings 4:26). Unlike donkeys, horses are big, fast, strong, and powerful. But this king who will save his people won't come mounted on a horse; he will come mounted on a donkey. This would be like the army trading in their Hummers for Prius'. No matter how good the gas mileage is, no sergeant will load up their platoon in a Prius and take them into battle. Similarly, one would expect a king coming to save his people to come mounted on a horse, not a donkey. Yet, this king will come in gentle lowliness, not boastful oppression.

BRINGING PEACE IS HE

Next, this humble king will "cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations..." Ephraim was a northern tribe of Israel, and Jerusalem was the capital of Judah. So, this is in-house language. God isn't cutting off the chariots and war horses of their neighboring kingdoms; he is cutting off the chariots and war horses of his kingdom.

God's kingdom will be a peaceful kingdom. The character of the king will impact the character of his people. A peaceful king leads to a peaceful people; a humble king leads to humble people; a gentle king leads to gentle people. God's people will not be a people of war and conflict; they will be a gentle and lowly people of peace.

KING OF THE WORLD IS HE

And his kingdom will stretch farther than it ever has— "his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth." He will be the king of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Now, every king and ruler throughout history advanced their kingdom through the power of the sword. But not God's kingdom. God's kingdom will not be ushered in by the power of horses and chariots but by the gentle power of a donkey. God's kingdom will increase not by the sword's power but by the power of gentle and loving humility.

HE IS JESUS

Let's spend the remaining time today connecting some dots and drawing some application. Turn in your Bibles over to John 12. In John 12, we find a story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. This is a story that every gospel writer makes a point to record because it communicates that Jesus is the promised king who came to bring peace and salvation to his people.

Let's read it.

"[12] The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. [13] So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" [14] And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

[15] "Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

sitting on a donkey's colt!"

[16] His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. [17] The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. [18] The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. [19] So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him."

So, rumors are spreading like wildfire about Jesus being the Messiah. Everyone has seen and heard of what Jesus did in raising Lazarus from the dead. So, once this crowd found out that Jesus was coming into Jerusalem (on a donkey), they went out and cried, "Hosanna (save us)," while waving palm branches (an action done for a king) while declaring him as king. And John says he didn't understand the magnitude of what was happening at this point until Jesus died and was resurrected.

The gospel writers want us to realize that Jesus is the long-anticipated king spoken of in Zechariah. Jesus is the righteous one who knew no sin while walking in perfect obedience to the Father. Jesus is the humble one who came not to be served but to serve. Jesus is the one who selflessly came to save his people through his death on the cross. Jesus is the King who came to bring peace.

The king who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey during Passover was coming to be the Passover lamb, the perfect once for all sacrifice for sin. The way he was going to usher in peace would be through his death on the cross. As Paul says in Romans 5:1, "Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

So, Jesus' death is where our hope for salvation resides today. He is our peace. Jesus is our only hope for peace with God and our only hope for peace with one another. The former hostility between God's people and the nations was dealt with viciously on the cross, making us one. Jesus is the promised King who humbly came to bring peace and salvation to his people and the nations.

JESUS IS WORTHY OF SUBMISSION

If you have placed your faith in Jesus, then you are saved. In him, you are righteous. In him, you have peace with God. But what does that practically mean for us in our day-to-day lives today?

First, if Jesus is king, he's worthy of our submission. If we agree with the Scriptures, concluding that Jesus is King, the only proper response is to submit to the King. We bow before our king, saying, "Whatever you desire of me, I will joyfully do. Here is my life, Lord."

JESUS IS WORTHY OF IMITATION

Not only do we submit, but we also imitate. The other night I took our dog to go to the bathroom. As I did so, my youngest son came with me. I'm standing at the edge of our porch, holding my son's hand. Unknowingly, I spit in the grass (bad habit, I know). Not even two seconds later, I watched my son lean over and spit in the grass too. I chuckled and smiled at my son's cuteness in imitating his father's actions. But I was also reminded that this is the way of God's kingdom. If Jesus is King, then he's worthy of imitating. How he serves, we serve. How he loves, we love. How he walks, we walk. The character of the King impacts the character of his people.

The Kingdom of God is not a place where you get to seek selfish gain. Instead, it is a place where we humbly serve one another, laying down our lives for the well-being of others. If you belong to God's kingdom through faith in Jesus, then you are called and expected to be a person of peace. Your chariot and war horse has been cut off, and you're expected to live peaceably with all. As a Christian, you no longer get to consume yourself with questions or concerns about how you can be served. Instead, you get to dwell on how you can serve others.

So, as you engage the lost with the gospel, you do so humbly. When someone combats your faith with hostility (and acts like another word for a donkey), it's easy to want to declare war against that individual to win an argument. But, put to death your pride and ride the truth into that conversation on a donkey. The kingdom of God will advance not by the power of the sword but by the gentle and loving proclamation of the gospel.

As you live with one another in the church, do so humbly, gently, and peacefully. The constant calls in scripture to "be patient with one another" and "love one another" tells us that others will wrong us in the church. Therefore, may we be humble peace bearers within the church.

Serve your family humbly. As a husband, wife, child, father, or mother, you are called to humbly and selflessly place the wants and desires of one another above your own.

We should strive for every aspect of our lives to reflect the character of our king. Every aspect of our lives as Christians should reflect the peace and humility demonstrated here in this passage. May every aspect of our lives reflect the humble service that Christ has displayed to us in laying his life down for us.

The way of the Kingdom of God is one of imitating Christ. So, if I were to go and interview everyone in your life (boss, family members, coworkers, friends, kids, etc.), would they say this is true of you?

Zechariah 9:1-8

TEXT:

"[1] The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land

of Hadrach

and Damascus is its resting place.

For the LORD has an eye on mankind

and on all the tribes of Israel,

[2] and on Hamath also, which borders on it,

Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.

[3] Tyre has built herself a rampart

and heaped up silver like dust,

and fine gold like the mud of the streets.

[4] But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions

and strike down her power on the sea,

and she shall be devoured by fire.

[5] Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;

Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;

Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.

The king shall perish from Gaza;

Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;

[6] a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod,

and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.

[7] I will take away its blood from its mouth,

and its abominations from between its teeth;

it too shall be a remnant for our God;

it shall be like a clan in Judah,

and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.

[8] Then I will encamp at my house as a guard,

so that none shall march to and fro;

no oppressor shall again march over them,

for now I see with my own eyes."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Sometimes God’s judgment of sin can be a difficult topic discuss. But why is God’s judgment of sin an important topic to not overlook?

  2. Discuss how God is both dangerous and safe?

  3. Have there been moments in your life when it feels like God’s moving slower than you would like? If so, discuss. What are some things the LORD taught you in those times of waiting?

  4. We’re now able to look back on history and see how this prophecy came to pass with “astonishing accuracy.” How should this increase our trust in God’s word?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

Today we come to a shift in the book of Zechariah. Zechariah can be divided into different sections depending on which commentary you read. Some divide it into three sections: chapters 1-6, chapters 7-8, and chapters 9-14. Others say that the book is divided into two sections: chapters 1-8 and chapters 9-14. Whichever way you choose to slice it, all commentators agree that chapter nine marks a new section in the book of Zechariah. At the start of the book, we see God speaking about their immediate context regarding the rebuilding of the temple. But, in chapters 9-14, we see the LORD shift to speaking on behalf of their future. These poetic verses are filled with hope centered around the promise of victory over the nations and the arrival of the Messiah. In our passage today, we see the LORD saying that when it comes to the life of their enemies, the sunshine of ease will soon be replaced with the cloudy skies of judgment.

Growing up in Pensacola, FL, I loved to surf. But I would be rich if I had a dollar every time I heard the words, "You can surf in the Gulf of Mexico?" After all, the Gulf of Mexico isn't the Pacific Ocean, and Pensacola Beach isn't Waikiki Beach. So, if you're unfamiliar with the Gulf of Mexico, you have difficulty believing there are waves here. Because of this, I've had to educate many on the intricacies of surfing the Panhandle of Florida over the years. When surfing the gulf, you look for two things: cold fronts in the winter and hurricanes in the summer. When the right storm comes through, the waves get so good that professional surfers from all over the world journey down to catch these waves.

Now, I hate to be cold. So, I prefer hurricane swells. I've surfed some of the best beaches in the world, and some of the best waves I've ever caught have been a day or two before a massive hurricane makes landfall.

But what's fascinating about surfing before a hurricane is that the beach is absolutely beautiful the day or two before the storm makes landfall. The sun is shining, and the air is warm and crisp. There's a sense of majestic peace and serenity in the air, and you would never guess that mass destruction is on the horizon.

Yet just because the sun is shining on a Tuesday doesn't mean a storm will not be here on Thursday. Soon enough, the clouds will roll in, the wind will pick up, and mass destruction will make landfall.

I think this is a healthy metaphor for our passage today. In chapter 1, we learned that the nations were at rest. There was a sense of peace and serenity amongst their neighboring countries as they lived in rebellion against the LORD. But, the LORD is saying that their sunshine of ease will soon be replaced with the cloudy skies of judgment. A hurricane of wrath is coming, and God will quickly bring judgment upon the nations.

Sometimes it may seem as if God is moving slowly. And when it appears that God is moving slowly, there's a temptation to think that God doesn't care. But today's passage teaches us that this is the farthest thing from the truth. God is not on a couch; he's on a throne. He is not idle; he is active. He is not indifferent; he cares. Where, at times, it may seem like there are no repercussions for sin, today's passage reminds us that God sees all things and will deal justly with sin. Today the LORD tosses aside general claims of judgment, and he begins to call out names. He is specific with his judgment. It is time for the LORD to return to his people and for him to pronounce judgment on their enemies.

In our passage today, there are five general points about God that I want us to highlight.

  • God is all-seeing.

  • God is all-powerful.

  • God is dangerous.

  • God is safe.

  • God's is truthful.

So, let's dive in.

"[1] The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land

of Hadrach

and Damascus is its resting place.

For the LORD has an eye on mankind

and on all the tribes of Israel,

[2] and on Hamath also, which borders on it,

Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.

[3] Tyre has built herself a rampart

and heaped up silver like dust,

and fine gold like the mud of the streets.

[4] But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions

and strike down her power on the sea,

and she shall be devoured by fire.

[5] Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;

Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;

Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.

The king shall perish from Gaza;

Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;

[6] a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod,

and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.

[7] I will take away its blood from its mouth,

and its abominations from between its teeth;

it too shall be a remnant for our God;

it shall be like a clan in Judah,

and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.

[8] Then I will encamp at my house as a guard,

so that none shall march to and fro;

no oppressor shall again march over them,

for now I see with my own eyes."

The first thing Zechariah says is, "The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is its resting place." The word "oracle" means a strong and burdensome message so heavy that you must get it off your chest. And as we see, this message is against their neighboring lands. The first land mentioned is the land of Hadrach, a land in northern Syria. In this land, you would find the town of Damascus. So, through Zechariah, the LORD has a burdensome message for the land of Hadrach that will rest heavily on the city of Damascus.

GOD SEES AND JUDGMENT IS COMING

He then says, "The LORD has an eye on mankind and all the tribes of Israel, and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise."

This is a complex phrase that's difficult to translate. Therefore, your Bible likely has a footnote that says, "Or 'For the eye of mankind, especially all the tribes of Israel, is toward the LORD.'" One translation suggests God's sovereign eye over all creation, while the other implies anticipation of God's long-awaited action.

I don't think we have to dive into the weeds here. Instead, we can settle on this verse highlighting the long-anticipated judgment of the all-seeing God coming against their enemies. On the one hand, there is nothing that God does not see. He is not unaware of a single pen drop throughout history. And on the other hand, the all-seeing God of the universe has promised his people deliverance against their enemies.

So, now, as they look with anticipation, God's judgment is coming. The people who were at rest in their rebellion against God will soon experience the wrath of God because of their rebellion against God. It may have seemed like God had turned a blind eye to their sinful ways, but he has an eye on humanity. It may have once seemed like he was ignorant of the world's ways, but he is fully aware of what is going on. It may seem like he doesn't care about the oppression of his people, but he cares deeply and will act accordingly. A lack of action now does not mean God will not act in the future. God is all-seeing, and his judgment is coming.

I want to pause here for a moment.

Self-control is difficult, and indulgence is easy. The indulgence of sin may give you a sense of pleasure, rest, and happiness that self-control does not. You may bite into sin, bracing for pain and only finding delight. You may be walking in sin right now, and it feels like God has blessed your sinful efforts or, at the very least, doesn't care about them. But these verses remind us that this is the farthest thing from the truth. God's eyes are on mankind, and he will deal accordingly.

Like a mouse feasting on a piece of cheese in a mouse trap, the happiness and pleasure that comes from sin are momentary. They're fleeting. The rest and joy the enemy promises will last for a moment but always lead to death. The judgment of God was soon going to jolt their enemies awake. Soon the clouds would roll in, and their sunshine would be replaced with darkness. Their cool breeze would be replaced with strong winds. Their rest would be replaced with disaster.

THE EMPTY PROMISE OF WISDOM AND POWER

This week, the progression from the end of verse 2 through verse 4 stuck out to me. Although Tyre and Sidon were very wise, building for themselves a rampart and heaping up silver and gold, the LORD would strip away their possessions and strike them down. The source of her strength— the sea— will become the source of her demise. She will be devoured by fire, implying complete and total destruction. Tyre and Sidon will be completely wiped out, never to be restored. Those who prided themselves in being wise will fall to their own demise. Those with great political power will be shown as powerless whenever God decides to act.

I think this provides a stern warning to us. You may be unbelievably wise, shrewd, and powerful. But, you cannot out-wit God, nor can you overpower him.

You may be a craftsman with words who can talk your way out of any trouble. But no amount of wit can save you when God's judgment comes.

Like Mufasa in The Lion King, simply mentioning your name may strike fear into the hearts of those around you. But, when God's judgment comes, your strength will dwindle to nothing.

No amount of wit or wisdom will save you against God's judgment. No wall built by man will keep God out when he marches in. He is all-powerful.

As we see in verses 5-6, when Tyre and Sidon are struck down, their neighboring cities will be struck with fear knowing that they stand no chance. Ashkelon will see it and be afraid, ultimately becoming an uninhabited people. Gaza will squirm in anguish, leading to their king perishing. Similarly, the hopes Ekron will be stunned and Ashdod will become a mixed people.

Friends, these verses remind us that God is not always safe. God's judgment is coming, and if you choose to reject his gracious extension of life in Christ, his presence will be dangerous. You may be able to mock him when he's seated, but the moment God stands up, you will tremble. The moment God raises his fist, you will quake in fear. God is holy, righteous, and just. So, if you think he will simply shrug his shoulders and let you slide, think again. Expect judgment to come if you choose to disobey God, mocking him with your life.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE

There's an interesting and hopeful development at the end of verse 6 and verse 7. The pride of Philistia will be cut off. God will remove its blood from its mouth and its abominations from between its teeth.

That's a weird thing to say. But, most commentators and historians point out that these people were known for eating bloody sacrifices at this time. So, God was going to take idolatrous people and make them holy. They, too, will become a remnant for our God, like a clan in Judah. Ekron (a city in Philistria) will be like the Jebusites. The Jebusites were those who inhabited Jerusalem before David conquered them. They were the ones who once mocked God's people. But, instead of being completely wiped out, they eventually dwelled with God's people in Jerusalem, later grafted into his kingdom. So, God is saying that Philistria will be grafted into God's kingdom and become a people of hope.

Here God doesn't just promise judgment; he promises protection and deliverance. He says, "Then I will encamp at my house as a guard so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes." These words don't imply that God couldn't see before. Instead, they reiterate that God is now again watching over them with his divine protection. As he had in the past, he will be their guard, and no oppressor will march over them. So, in the same way that God is dangerous, he is also safe. God doesn't just promise judgment; he also promises deliverance. Those who dwell with God experience the protection of God.

There's a temptation to look out into the world and think that a life away from God is better than a life with God. But we must guard our hearts and remember that God will judge this evil world one day. But those whose faith resides in Christ will be spared and passed over. Brothers and sisters, if your faith resides in Christ, you are safe in him. You are safe in him. God's wrath has been poured out on his Son so that you might be saved, and God is your guard and protector today.

Now, what's remarkable is that historically, we're able to see these words ring true as we look back on history. At least 150 years after these words were penned, we see these words fulfilled with "astonishing accuracy." In 333 BC, the famous Macedonian conqueror, Alexander the Great, won a victory over the Persians at Issus. And he then begins traveling south down the coast, following nearly identical the route laid out here in Zechariah. According to history, Alexander spared God's people in Jerusalem instead of destroying them. The details of these stories are debated. But what's certain is that these cities were destroyed, and God's people remained unharmed.

God is truthful. When he says something, we can always bank on it being true. We can trust God's word to be true. So, walk in obedience to your LORD today, trusting that he will never leave you nor forsake you, just as he promised.

Zechariah 8:18-23

TEXT:

"[18] And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, [19] "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.

[20] "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. [21] The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' [22] Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. [23] Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Have there been painful moments in your life that you’re now able to look back on with joy?

  2. Spend a few moments discussing the importance and difficulty of loving truth and peace.

  3. How can you/we do a better job of inviting people to follow Jesus?

  4. Read verse 23. Who in your life can you see clearly that God is with?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

Few verses in the Bible leave our hearts more hopeful than the verses we will be looking at today. They're unbelievably practical yet unbelievably rich. In these verses, the LORD allows his people to peek behind the curtain, showing them what the future holds for his people. In doing so, he's telling his people that he will do the miraculous on their behalf. He will transform tears into laughter, hopelessness into hopefulness, and barrenness into fruitfulness. They will no longer be a people who mourn the past; they will become a people who celebrate it. Their city will no longer be a barren land that the neighboring countries mock; they will become a fortress to the nations where people from all over come to reside. They will be a city without walls, a royal priesthood, a people who dwell with God.

So, let's dive in.

"[18] And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, [19] "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.

[20] "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. [21] The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' [22] Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. [23] Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

NO WASTED SUFFERING

If you remember, at the start of chapter 7, we see God's people from Bethel journey down to Jerusalem with a question. They wanted to know if they needed to continue to weep and mourn the fall of Jerusalem and the temple now that they were being restored— "Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"

But, as we've seen over the past few weeks, the LORD took the scenic route in answering this question. He initially responds to their question with his own question, and it's not until thirty verses later that we finally see him give them a direct answer.

Now, the answer he provides is remarkably beautiful and tremendously hopeful. He says the very thing they once mourned and wept over will become something they joyfully celebrate— "The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts."

Joy, gladness, cheerfulness, rejoicing... This is all celebratory language used by the LORD here. But what is it they will be celebrating?

Well, the Hebrew word here for "cheerful" is the same word used in Genesis 1 when the LORD looks at his creation and declares that it's good— "And God said, 'Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw that it was good... And God called the dry land 'earth,' and the gathering together of the waters he called 'seas;' and God saw that it was good...The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."

It's also the same word Joseph used when speaking to his brothers, who sold him into slavery— "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

So, this is a word often used to describe how one feels when gazing upon the finished work of God. When one can peek behind the curtain and see the work of God before them, good is the only thing we can rightly characterize it as. In the same way God was able to look at his creation and declare it as good, his people will be able to look back at their trials and declare them as good. In the same way that Joseph could look back on the painful moments of his life and see God working out his good plan, God's people will look back on the things that once brought them tears and joyfully celebrate them as good!

There is no wasted suffering in the kingdom of God. Thomas McComiskey rightly says: "They will rejoice in their captivity.… They will see the captivities of the two kingdoms not as cruel strokes from an uncaring God, but as the discipline of a loving God, angered that his people should forfeit the treasures of his love for the worthlessness of pagan idols and unjust gain." So, even in discipline, God's people can cling to the hope that he's working out his good plan for their lives. Their mourning will turn to celebration. They can reflect on the very thing that brought them pain and celebrate it as good.

May these words be water to our souls this morning. You may find yourself amid great calamity. It may seem like you're more acquainted with tears than laughter. And I am not trying to diminish that pain. You've cried real tears. You've felt real pain. But, the Christian hope in suffering is that your tears will be dried up one day. Your tears will turn to laughter, and your mourning will turn to joy.

Maybe not today, but one day, you will be able to look back on the trials of your life and joyfully celebrate how the LORD intended them for good. We will cheerfully celebrate what we once mourned when the veil is removed from our eyes, and we can see God's good plan being carried out. We may not know what the LORD is doing through our suffering, but we can cling to the hope that he's doing something good.

A PORTRAIT OF OUR SALVATION

God has always been in the business of interjecting hope into hopelessness, life into lifelessness, and joy into sorrow. At this moment, he's telling his people there's hope for them. Their weeping and mourning will turn to joy and gladness.

As I read commentaries this week, I thought Richard Phillips drew a helpful parallel to the gospel in these verses. He said, "Every true Christian knows what it means to go from the fast of conviction of sin to the feast of salvation through faith in Christ."

We say this often, but you cannot believe the good news until you first believe the bad news. The death of Jesus is not beautiful, nor is it necessary, unless we realize that we're trapped in sin.

The heart of the message of the cross is a transformation from sorrow to joy— "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity (Ps. 32:1-2)." Those who have experienced the deep joy of knowing Christ first experienced the deep sorrow of knowing sin, and we have gone from the fast of conviction to the feast of salvation.

LOVE OBEDIENCE

Following this promise given to God's people, the LORD calls them to "love truth and peace." They aren't to begrudgingly walk in obedience to what he's called them to do; they are to love what God has called them to do, trusting that he knows what's best for them.

We must ask ourselves daily, "Do I love obedience to God? Do I love truth and peace? Am I ashamed of the truth of God's word? Do I love peace and not truth, preferring falsehood over truth in an attempt to not ruffle feathers? Do I love truth but not peace, using the truth to tear down my neighbor? Do I love truth and peace?"

GOD IS KING AND JUDGE

Side note: throughout history, man has wanted to pit God's sovereignty and man's responsibility against each other. But, that's never a war we see present in Scripture. God's sovereignty doesn't eliminate man's responsibility. No. In the Bible, we find God's sovereignty and man's responsibility standing side by side, hand in hand. The Bible teaches us that God is both King and Judge. He's both orchestrating his purpose, carrying out his will, and calling his people to walk in obedience. Man's responsibility and God's sovereignty are friends, not enemies. Those who trust the good sovereign LORD should obey him in all situations, eager to live out the truth and peace we deeply love.

A TRANSFORMED CITY

The LORD then goes deeper into describing what life would be like for them in the future. He says, "People's shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going. Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Here the LORD expounds on the transformation their city will experience. They will no longer be seen as a cursed people; they will be a blessed people. Because the LORD is with them, the nations will enter their city in droves. Because God is with them, revival will take place in their city. God's presence with his people will lead to people from every tribe, tongue, and nation coming in. Their remnant of a people in a small city will transform into a large and strong nation.

Now, depending on how you interpret the millennial kingdom, you may or may not believe these verses have been fulfilled. Personally, I think the LORD describes where we find ourselves now in history. In chapter 3, God told his people that he was preparing to make Jerusalem a city without walls. In other words, he was preparing to create for himself a people that walls could not confine. Well, not long after these words were spoken, we know walls were built around Jerusalem. So, God was referring to a spiritual city, not a physical one. The spiritual city of Jerusalem would soon be stretched to immeasurable lengths, where men and women from all over the world would dwell with God through faith in Jesus.

So, I believe God here, in Zechariah 8, speaks of the time we find ourselves in today. God promised his people that there would be many people from all over the world who would come to entreat the favor of the LORD, and he has been faithful to keep that promise. We live in a time when people worldwide are coming to the LORD in faith.

Look at verse 21, "The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going."

Could this not be evangelism and discipleship? Here we have one group of people going to the LORD, and as they go, they invite their neighbors to come with them.

Sometimes we seek to make evangelism into debates and deep theological discussions. And although those things are good and necessary, evangelism is nothing more than a loving invitation to join us in worshipping the LORD. Could it be that a lack of revival in our city rests solely on the fact that we've stopped inviting our neighbors?

When was the last time you invited someone to follow Jesus with you?

The Christian faith is not a closed society but a city without walls. So, we should be welcoming people. We're not a people who turn our nose up to our neighbor; we're a people who stick our hands out to our neighbor, saying, "Come with me."

An invitation to join should always be on the lips of a believer. And, we invite confidently, trusting that the LORD will grow his church. Verse 22 says, "Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD." God tells his people here that his plan is for many to come, not few. So, you can bank on God growing his church. Looking back throughout history, we can see this as accurate. God has and will continue to expand his people. God has promised to grow his church, and the instrument he's chosen to use to grow his church is the lips of his people. So, as we share our faith, we do so confidently. As we invite, we do so confidently.

Verse 23 says, "In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

Some see this Jew that people are grabbing ahold of to be Jesus. Like the woman grabbing Jesus' tassels, the nations are coming to Jesus, holding his robe, and saying, "We have heard of who you are and what you've done, and we know you are the Messiah. You are our only hope. Let us join you!" There's legitimacy here as the gospel invitation is, "Come and take hold of Christ. Go with him. Follow him. Surrender your life to him so that you may live."

Others see this Jew as a reference to a general person of God, signifying the rapid growth of God's people. For every Jew, there will be ten men from each nation grabbing their robes, saying, "We know God is with you. Let us go with you!"

I'm not sure it's one or the other; I think it's more of a both/and. It is those who are in Christ, the ultimate King of the Jews, who God is using to multiply his kingdom.

But, as we close, I want us to notice the reason the nations give for coming. "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Church, listen to me. In our day and age, we can use many things to try to grow the church. We can look to grow the church with good music, fun programs, passionate preaching, and a good community. But, the moment we look to these things instead of God is the moment we've lost sight of the purpose of the church.

Although community is vital, Biblical community is a byproduct of union with God. Although singing is necessary, we don't sing to attract. We sing to worship. Although preaching is essential, we don't preach to attract. We preach to equip God's people to know and serve God better.

You can find community in CrossFit. You can find good music at concerts. The chief goal of the Christian faith is God. It is through faith in Christ that we get to enjoy a relationship with God. The people of God will grow because God is with them.

Could a lack of revival in our city be because God's people are far from God? Can people look at your life and see God in you?

So badly do I want this to be true of me and us. So badly do I want people to look at my life and say, "I want to go with you because I can tell God is with you." So badly do I want people to look at us and say, "We've heard of what God is doing in your midst, and we want to join you."

We live in a sinful world full of darkness. But this passage has reminded me that there are people in this world who are hungry for God and who want to know him. So, may we be a people who walk closely with God. And when we walk closely with God, may we pray that people will see God with us.

Zechariah 8:9-17

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:

  1. What are some things the LORD has been teaching you in your personal study of God’s Word?

  2. Spend a few moments discussing how God’s sovereignty gives you comfort in this life?

  3. Why should confidence in the LORD lead to obedience to the LORD?

  4. 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.