A Call to Repentance

A study on Zechariah

A Call to Repentance

Zech. 1:1-6

Theme: God sends His messenger to call His people back to Himself.

Introduction: There are twenty-eight people in the Old Testament named Zechariah. The name means “the Lord remembers” and this is the theme of the eleventh of the twelve minor prophets. God remembers His covenant and His holy laws, which he expects His people to obey. He demands whole-hearted obedience to His commands.

The prophecy of Zechariah has been called the apocalypse of the Old Testament because it is similar in style and content to Revelation. Zechariah is written to encourage the people of God in their work and witness. In Zechariah’s time the people needed to be encouraged with the rebuilding of the temple.

While Zechariah is a contemporary of Haggai, both prophets had overlapping ministries because Haggai started preaching two months before Zechariah. While Haggai was to arouse the people to the outward task of building the temple, Zechariah was leading the people to a complete spiritual change. The first 8 chapters of Zechariah was taken up with the need to rebuild the house of the Lord and Haggai as well; yet their styles were different.

When God came to Zechariah who was a young man (2:4), he was called to minister to struggling Jewish remnant trying to rebuild their temple in the ruined city of Jerusalem. Haggai had delivered two messages before Zechariah joined him in the ministry. Zechariah wanted the remnant to know that in spite of the hard times, God was with them.

It is interesting that a book which is intended to encourage starts with repentance. However, if you think about it, repentance is our hope anyway. Repentance starts with going back to God and seeking Him for forgiveness and guidance in our life. Here in August 29, of 520 BC, God calls them to repent.

Since their desire was for ritual rather than reliance on the Lord, God called Zechariah to start with repentance. Chapters 1-8 are clearly dated and deal with prophetic visions and chapters 9-14 focus on verbal visions. These are more less undated.

Three facts here in this passage.

I. The indictment vv. 1-3

A. Their lifestyle displeasing

1. Displeased means God is angry with them.

2. God saw their lifestyle and He was not pleased-they were not hiding from God.

3. Everything we do, God sees that action.

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15–17)

4. In the same chapter, we are told to be followers of Christ-mimatai-imitators-we have to many couch potatoes rather than Christ imitators.

5. God’s commands are not God’s suggestions-these are eternal decrees and His Word is not changing.

6. A loving Father does not love his children if he turns a blind eye to their behavior. He corrects them

“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; Neither be weary of his correction:” (Proverbs 3:11)

B. Their heart displeasing

1. He spoke three times of their forefathers that God is angry with.

2. They were not to be like their forefathers who they were tempted to cling to as their example

3. The indictment to their forefathers

a. They took no notice of God’s Word-they worshipped other gods and made a golden calf-why would a nation who had the only true God want to worship man-made idols.

“Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:11–13)

Zechariah was to remind the people of how their forefathers provoked the Lord to anger. They knew the history quite well. God had sent prophets which they refused to listen to God.

C They ignored God’s warnings

1. God was warning them that He would discipline the nation if they didn’t change their ways.

2. He had warned them about keeping God’s commandments.

3. Famine was a problem for the Jews and they thought when they returned from the exile, there would be an abundant harvest.

4. They were also subservient to their enemies who ruled over them.

5. They were also reminded that God would keep His Word even though their forefathers ignored His warnings.

II. The correction vv. 4-5

A. Turn back to God v. 4

1. The word for turn in v. 3 and v.4 means to turn back or return to God.

2. Refusing to return to God has dire consequences, they will suffer for it.

3. When God leaves you to your own ways is when you experience great trouble.

4. A W Tozer reminds us “nearness is likeness so if we want to be close to God, we must be obedient and develop Godly character.

B. Learn from history v. 5

1. One thing you learn about history is you never learn about history. It seems mankind repeats the same errors over and over again.

2. Many of their fathers were killed by the Babylonians and some in exile and even the prophets are dead because the ancestors killed them.

3. The death of the prophets indicated the loss of opportunity for the nation.

4. God gave them ample time to repent and escape punishment.

III. The response v. 6

A. Delay brings destruction

1. Some of their forefathers did repent, but it came too late to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem.

2. Nebuchadnezzar’s arrived at the gates while others turned to God in their exile.

3. Delayed obedience is disobedience.

B. Obedience brings revelation

1. God is calling them to repent and their hearts will be illuminated with God’s truth.

2. They will have spiritual comprehension if they will open their hearts to the Lord.

“Seek the Lordwhile he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6–7)

Conclusion: Repentance is not just those without Christ but also for those who know Christ and need to turn back to Him.