Zachariah 12 1-9

Zachariah 12 1-9

Recap

Proto apoplectic literature. Then, now, future. – God will bust in and make things right.

God is the awesome creator. Verse 1. The oracle (heavy burden or lifting up) – this is the word of the Lord, about Israel. This is God speaking.

Who is the Lord? (Yhwh) The Lord stretched out the heavens – said they should be… and they were… The one that founder of the earth, Creator of all… and the one that breath life in to man and formed the spirt that is in man. Gensis and Isiah 42:5 Paul uses the same in Acts: God of heaven and earth, made all people and give them life and breath Act 17: 24-26

God is presenting the Lord as awesome One that has Lordship over all the universe and all people, and is the one that makes it possible for people to live… Now Zachariah will speak his words.

In Verse 2. God say that he will make Jerusalem a cup of staggering PPT x2. – And there is some bad news that Jerusalem will be sieged / in circled and Judah also will be part of the siege. But even in all that bad news God will act.

Verse 3. All the nations that come against Jerusalem will encounter a stone a rock, and they will hurt themselves. If they try to movie it, God is saying to his people that after being taken away, from the land, God will help the people stay in the land and not be moved. (A great encouragement as the enemies are still around them). But it will be sometime… when God judges all the nations.

We have talked about it before but Who is the rock? Matthew 21:43-44 and Luke 20: 16-28 writes. PPT Jesus in the two scriptures talk about himself as the rock people that reject or try to destroy will, get broken to pieces. Final judgment that has not happed yet. This raises many questions… God will judge and stick people: madness, blindness, create panic…

Is God allowed to strike people with madness, blindness, create panic? (But this is hope of God the people are encouraged with, the situation needs God to act.) (Are we okay with that?) It does not really matter if we are, because God is God, and God judges evil, and Jesus said the same in the verse we just read. That people will be broken to pieces… If they reject the Jesus. God is not afraid of judgment and punishment; God is only good if God judges evil. It has been some time but that is why the wrath of God is good. It is also our protection from evil, no one can touch us unless God let’s them, no evil, no power, because God is the one who has all power. – God can right/ all things. Them and us put your hope in God.

Then our call is not to be afraid: (Don’t be afraid – is a refrain in the bible, the invitation to a Holy God to come near, to be protected from all other, dangers and evil, we are not called to be a people afraid, but in the power of Jesus Christ, live like Jesus has won. And that nothing is stronger that Jesus, when we are afraid of the dark, that person, that thing, that or that, we got to always look to Jesus, the rock, the good shepherd, the gates of hell can’t overcome the church, Satan and evil, are deathly afraid of Jesus, why then are we sometimes so afraid? And of what? Losing what we know? Money, people, our life, comfort, why are we afraid when we are? The unknown, it seems it would be solved, when we trust the one that knows all, and that He is with us and does not leave or forsake us). Being in Christ Jesus changes everything, and we don’t have to fear judgement.

But Jesus was killed, he did not kill people at his first advent.

That was what people wanted, well not them, but the other nations as is written about here, that Messiha, the promised king will impower and come and strike the nations down, and rescue God’s people, when Jesus comes, about 550 years later, the people of God has been, run over by the Greeks, the Romans, and other lesser peoples. They had gained independence for some time in the time of the Maccabees, so some lost hope and forgot to look for the Messiah (Jesus). - that is Matthews account where it is the Gentiles people that see Jesus and look for him. Tired of waiting some integrate and become Greek, and even start working for the Romans, and some leaders and priests as we read are more occupied with their own position, that leading the people to God. (They don’t seem like the want the Messiha to come the have just made a sweet deal with the ruling powers).

Others were so mad and hated the Romans, that they were hoping for the warrior king that some of the prophets say would come, but most people were disappointed when Jesus came, he did not forfill what they wanted. He was killed, he lost, the stone got rejected and crushed…

How is that victory and the people crushed. Kind of like this statement from God all nations will come against you but I will make them stagger like drunk people, the horse and rider will I strike with panic, and madness blindness.

Well then why send the nations against Jerusalem in in the first place…, in verse 5 the people of Judah say to them self that: the people that live in Jerusalem have their strength from the Lord of hosts, who is their God. So, in the chaos God is there, and strengthen the people.

Could it be that God is revealing himself to the people, - one on the statements repeated in the OT is by Go is: “Then they will know that I am the Lord God”. Are the people of God realizing this at this point? Well, God say they will be like a fire devouring wood and like a fire in a field, where there is grain, (Samson and Absolom picture) and they will devour all the surrounding people, that would be a great encouragement to the people in Zachariah time, all the enemies will be defeated, and Jerusalem will again be full of people, and prospers, this is a promise that Zachariah has given before, so filled they can’t be contained and very rich. (Even more that Davids kingdom).

Verse 7 God will bring salvation, to the tents of Judah, and that it will be a very glories place surpassing what David had, a refence back in history, as we have had before with Joseph, and Ephraim, the David refence will continue and we might stop to recap who David is and what promises he gets from God. David came from nothing (youngest son tending sheep, God sees his heart and he becomes a mighty warrior, and God promises that if his sons will obey God that there will always be a descendant off Daivd on the throne) = but his son Solomon is unfaithful to God and the kingdom is split in North Israel – south Juda. That is why it is David that is refenced, and not Solomons kingdom. David was by no means perfect, but wanted to follow God the best he could. The refence here is that the David kingdom will be restored and be even more amazing.

Verse 8 TheLord will protect the people that live in Jerusalem, (then it is a good place to live, as they are wanting to resettle the city, that at this point is in rubbles). So much that the weakest shall be as strong as David, and somehow the house of David shall be like God that strong, and undefeatable because the angle of the Lord is going before them. (This could be to refences to Jesus, who is God and also is sometimes the angle of the Lord). The true Davidic king the messiah will become king. Jesus.

Verse 9 Is summing up that God will destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. – I mean what a place to live, God protects, we can’t lose in battel, God will make us all strong, this is a great advertisement for getting a house in Jerusalem. But as I said before, I was not easy sailing from this time… It was still to come. What great encouragement, for the people look to God, trust in him, he will save, give strength, protect, and it is not some random “house god” it is the words of the one who created the heaven and earth, and made the spirt in man, breath life in people.

Finishing Jesus story… So where is the hope of the people? Were is our hope, Jesus seemed to lose, he got killed, laying death, the 12-72 + they had set their hope on Jesus being the Messiah, but hope died, on the cross, - but no it did not, victory was von on the cross as sin, wrath of God against all who believe, is purred out on Jesus, as Jesus does not get killed but lays down his life, for his sheep… That he might take it up again, (the power that raised Jesus from the death). Because Jesus did not stay death, death had no hold on his, nor did sin or satan or any evil, that sheaks in their pants when Jesus comes near, because Jesus did not sin and obeyed God perfectly, the great gift is then to trust in Jesus Christ, in his work, and there is adoption to Gods family, new life, new creation, everlasting life, joy, joining with God, and him with us in Christ as God comes and by his holy spirt fills us with him. What Great news, that the rock, could bring this… But what abut Jesus words of destruction? And crushing. Yes, that is what will happen to all that reject Jesus, all that will fight against him, will be crushed, and receive what they what and deserve.

The big question as I think many had to Zechariah, - this all sounds great, but the wicked still prosper, they don’t get judged, there is much pain and life is hard for most, to that we can say that is true. We are not there yet, we are waiting for Jesus to come again, that is why most of the first believers did not set their hope in what they had or this earth, but in The Lord Jesus Christ, that said that he was coming back, - also said that he would remain with us, and we would not be left alone. Looking to Paul and others there is plenty of Joy and thanksgiving we can give in this life… You might still press, but why is Jesus so slow… Well God is kind, slow to anger abounding in steadfast love… so not slow to come but patient, that more will come to know Jesus (1. Peter)… and they would not die but live… Then what now as we wait… Well don’t just wait… Be lights in this world, that all who will come will see Jesus and be saved, protected, have eternal life, adopted in to Gods family be God’s children, the great hope that the mighty warrior of God has fought the battel and won, making our restoration to God possible, his life resurrection cleansing us, as we can stand before God clothed in Jesus works. Like the picture we have seen earlier in Zechariah, our filthy deds, sin pain guild rebellion agaist God, viped a way as Jesus fight and concor death, sin, satan, - to bring people to himself.

There is so much bad news, and false Gospels in this world, if you have the light Jesus live it out so people can see, there is much need, just as much as you needed Jesus, others also do… People today seem like the people in the text to stagger, blind lost, turning to drugs just to get by, others consume by power, riches, comfort, many have no meaning in their life, sin hurts, separates, - in other words, there is a reason that Jesus saved you, live it out, you have the only good news there is, of God that father the Lord of heaven of earth the Lord of hosts the creator, that created by Jesus and for Jesus, and gives his Spirt to the ones that believe that we might live to his glory as we worship Jesus by to spirt, to the glory of the father.

This is what we have been celebrating the whole service, that Jesus Christ is the savior, worthy of our worship because he is the lord God come to us as Immanuel. (End)