Zechariah

Zechariah 1:1–6 KJV 1900

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, And I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. 4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: But they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. 5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, Did they not take hold of your fathers? And they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, According to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

(Introduction)

Zechariah—His name means “Yahweh remembers.”

Zechariah, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, was of priestly descent,—a son of Berechiah, and grandson of Iddo, the chief of one of the priestly families that returned from exile along with Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Neh. 12:4). He followed his grandfather in that office under the high priest Joiakim (Neh. 12:16), from which it has been justly concluded that he returned from Babylon while still a youth, and that his father died young. This also probably serves to explain the fact that Zechariah is called the son (grandson) of Iddo, in Ezra 5:1, and Ezra 6:14, and that his father was passed over in his lineage.

There are four parts in the book of Zechariah. All begin with a foreground subsequent to the captivity; all reach on to a further end;

the two first— to the coming of our Lord;

the third— from the deliverance of the house of God then built, during the invasion of Alexander, and from the victories of the Maccabees, to the rejection of the true shepherd and the curse upon the false.

The last—which is connected with the third by its title, reaches from a future repentance for the death of Christ to the final conversion of the Jews and Gentiles

Zechariah had a series of seven visions which he saw during the night on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month in the second year of Darius (Zech 1:7; 6:8), together with a symbolic transaction, which brought the visions to a close (Zech 6:9–15), making a total of 8 visions.

A Call To Repentance—Verses 1-6

The Book opens with a very simple, touching call to those returned from the captivity, linking himself on to the former prophets, those who prophesied and those to whom they prophesied through the power of the word of God.

The Prophet’s Commission.—Verses 1–3

Zechariah was sent to console and encourage God’s people in distress. But the ground must be prepared Law before gospel, repentance before blessing. Hence in the first words we have the key-note to his message, and the introduction to his labours. In the prophet’s commission we have—

I. Its Divine origin.

“The word of the Lord came to him”—his call was Divine not human, real not fanciful; a token of God’s great work among his people, and a guarantee that it would be successfully carried on.

II. Its solemn nature.

“Therefore, say unto them,” that God was angry with their fathers, and will be with them if they repent not. The first message is one of warning and judgment. He has to set forth the justice and assert the prerogative of God in the government of the world. Men consider Divine displeasure to be an unreasonable disturbance of their ease, and an impeachment upon the Divine character. But God’s anger is real and terrible. It is visible in providence and in nature. “Wrath and threatening are invariably mingled with love; and in the utmost solitudes of nature, the existence of hell seems to me as legibly declared by a thousand spiritual utterances as of heaven” [Ruskin]. Persistent attempts are made to deny and evade this fact. Sin blinds men, and makes them transfer their own views to God. “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee” (Ps. 50:21).

III. Its inward pressure.

The words in ver. 2 were delivered to the prophet, and contain the reason for the summons to the people in ver. 3. “They disclose to us the internal pressure under which he entered upon his office. A due sense of the power of God’s wrath lies at the basis of all true earnestness on the part of his prophets. It is the ‘burning fire shut up in the bones’ (Jer. 20:9), which imparts its own vehemence to the message, and produces corresponding conviction in them that hear. We observe it in the Prophet of all prophets, the Saviour himself. His groaning in spirit at the grave of Lazarus, his tears over Jerusalem, show how deeply he felt the terribleness of God’s anger”. There is a great demand now for honest, enlightened, and seasonable speech in the Christian ministry. “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20)

We also see the importance of the message and the inward pressure being in:

Job 32:18–20 KJV 1900

18 For I am full of matter, The spirit within me constraineth me. 19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; It is ready to burst like new bottles. 20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.

The Call to Repentance.—Verses 3, 4

Like John the Baptist, Zechariah begins his preaching with a call to repentance, and warns the people, by the history of their fathers, that no spiritual privileges will profit them without holiness, but rather will aggravate their guilt and increase their condemnation if they disobey God. He declares to them that no outward profession of religion will avail; that all notions of self-righteousness are offensive to God; and that what he looks for is personal holiness, and a practical discharge of the duties of piety and mercy [Wordsworth].

I. They had need to repent.

“Therefore, say unto them, Turn ye.”

1. Their return was defective. God had delivered them from captivity, and stirred them to work; but zeal without real conversion will soon die out. We must give our whole heart to God, leave self-interest behind, and seek nearer access. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

2. Their delay would be dangerous. (1) Disobedience would be imitation of their fathers. “Be ye not as your fathers.” Precedents have great influence. Men proclaim good, but follow evil customs. The sin of Jeroboam was held sacred by his successors. But we should be warned by the sins, and deterred by the punishment, of our fathers. “They did not hear nor hearken unto me.” (2) Disobedience would bring God’s displeasure upon them. God was sore displeased with their fathers, and would be with them if they refused to turn. Heavier scourges were ready, and symptoms of displeasure already appeared in “sowing much” to “bring in little” (Hag. 1:6). God’s dealings with the past are designed to instruct the present generation. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (types): and they are written for our admonition (instruction)” (1 Cor. 10:11).

II. They had encouragement to repent.

“And I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts.” This promise was a motive and a help to them. The duty would be difficult, if not impossible, but for this encouragement. God is always found of those who seek him. If we desire God to turn to us, we must return to him. The flower turned from the sun can never catch its rays.

1. The promise is necessary.

We require something positive. “We are saved by hope.” The beginning of religious life and duty is often a kind of venture. Hence failure and turning back.

2. The promise is certain.

We have not mere possibility or probability, but certainty; assurance which cannot deceive. “I will.”

3. The promise is confirmed.

Israel returned to God, and he returned to them. Manasseh sought the Lord and found him. The prodigal went home and was received. “Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, saith the Lord”

Jeremiah 3:12 KJV 1900

12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever.

Malachi 3:7 KJV 1900

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

Ezekiel 18:30 KJV 1900

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Ver. 4.

1. The advantages of their fathers.

“The former prophets” enforced the law, and proclaimed the word of God; exhorted to repentance; and predicted Divine judgments.

2. The guilt of their fathers. “But they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.” Their guilt aggravated by their privileges. “Unto me.” God was in the voice of prophets, but was despised. “He that receiveth you, receiveth me.” “We learn here that the examples set up as a a shield for wrong-doing are so far from becoming of any weight before God that they enhance our guilt. Yet this folly infatuates many, for the Catholics claim their religion to be holy and blameless because it has been handed down by their fathers”. Ancient example and long usage will not justify disobedience.

No mercy without return, and no return without mercy.

Haste that you may not be overtaken.

1. Haste, for your day of grace is short, and even the messengers of grace are passing away.

2. If once you are overtaken, your eyes will open too late, and only with trembling lips can you give honour to the Lord.

Evil ways. The ways and works of the earlier generations are called evil; in the first instance, because they were morally corrupt, and also because they were followed by sore consequences.

Vers. 3, 4.

1. Sin creates distance from God. The sinner is alienated in heart, and turned back from God in his works and pursuits.

2. Repentance is a full return to God. Not partial amendment, but entire renunciation of sin, and coming close up to God in reconciliation and fellowship. 3. God calls men to this repentance. “Say unto them.” His voice is heard in the ministry. His judgments rightly studied declare his will, and are often suspended till we return. But some return, and others do not.

Lessons from the Lives of the Fathers.—Verses 5, 6

The two questions in ver. 5 are meant as denials, and are intended to anticipate the objection which the people might have raised to the admonitions in ver. 4, to the effect, that not only the fathers, but also the earlier prophets, had died long ago; and therefore an allusion to things that had long since passed by could have no force at all for the present generation. Zechariah neutralizes this objection by saying: Your fathers have indeed been long dead, and even the prophets do not, or cannot, live for ever; but notwithstanding this, the words of the earlier prophets were fulfilled in the case of the fathers. The words and decrees of God uttered by the prophets reached them, and they were obliged to confess that God had really done to them what he threatened.

We have—

I. A motive to activity.

Your fathers and the prophets who taught them are dead. No man lives for ever. Others have worked and lived where we dwell; but ministers, teachers, and parents are gone, and their hearers after them. Our course will be finished soon. Hence this is our day of service. It becomes us to redeem the time, to be active and diligent in serving God ourselves, and urging others to serve him.

II. A testimony to the truth of God’s word.

Your fathers are not here, but we have their testimony. My words took hold upon them, and they confessed their power in twofold experience. “According to our ways and according to our doings.” If they rebelled they felt the threatening, and if they returned the promise was fulfilled. God’s providence ensures the accomplishment of his word, and compels the acknowledgment of that accomplishment from those who feel it. God is faithful and unchangeable in his purpose. “The word of the Lord endureth for ever.”

III. A warning against apostasy.

The fate which overtook the fathers is pointed out as a warning to them.” “Where are they?” They are dead; but did they escape the punishment due to their sins? No; in mournful confessions we have acknowledgments of the fact. There may be delay, and the sinner may think that he will escape; but sooner or later the word will catch him, stick in his heart like an arrow from the Almighty. The transgressor will be made to confess, “Mine iniquities have overtaken me.”

Ver. 6. I. The message of God proclaimed by his servants.

Unchangeable in its nature. “My words and statutes,” i.e. decrees, given with Divine authority; “which I commanded.” II. Men trying to escape from this message. The words took hold, i.e. overtook them, when fleeing from them in hatred and rebellion. III. The humble confession of men when caught by the word. “Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us,” &c. They have to confess the truth of God, and expose their folly when it is too late. Men should be wise in time. “The Lord is righteous, for we have rebelled against his commandments.”

According to our ways.

An acknowledgment that we all must consider:

We need to consider and acknowledge—

1. The truth of God.

2. The desert of sin; and

3. The certainty of retribution. Sin sweet in taste, but bitter in fruits.

Lessons:—

1. Consider the warnings of God.

2. Recognize the hand of God in the punishment of men. “ ‘Like as the Lord of hosts,’ whose power is irresistible.

See you next week! The man among the Myrtles or the divine protection of the church.