Double for your trouble

Zechariah 9:12 NASB95

12 Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.

Introduction

Zechariah was speaking to a discouraged people.

Because their nation had done wrong, God caused them to be exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon.

and Just like Jeremiah prophesied, 70 years later, the Israelites had been allowed to return to back to Jerusalem

But even though they are back in their homeland, they face what seems like an impossible task, because their city and temple were in ruins . . . and they have enemies all around who are fighting them physically and politically

They feel defeated and feel like giving up . . . the situation feels hopeless . . . . they feel that they cannot recover from this repercussions of their 70 year exile

and Zechariah says . . .

Zechariah 9:12 NASB95

12 Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.

stronghold is interesting

prisoners who have the hope (prisoners of hope) is interesting

I will restore double to you is very interesting . . . double for your trouble . . . . I need to see what this is all about

return to the Stronghold

A stronghold is a place of safety/refuge/fortress

a place to go to be protected against something or someone

a place that is fortified against an army, or the elements

One of the reasons the people are discouraged is that they do not have a physical stronghold . . . and dangers are all around

Yet, Zechariah is telling the people to return to it

things are rough, and the outcome looks bleak, so we must return to the THE stronghold

This stronghold that Zechariah is talking about, is not a building; The stronghold is God.

The prophet is saying that we have returned to the land, but most importantly, we must return to God

In the past you turned to fake strongholds, as a nation, you trusted

in other gods

in your armies

in your alliances with ungodly nations

in your riches and economy

in hills and high walls surrounding Jerusalem

in false prophets who told you what they wanted to hear

and these fake strongholds offered no protection

but if this generation is going to make it, we must return to THE stronghold, and THE stronghold is The Lord

The Lord is our light

the lord is our salvation

The Lord is our rock

The Lord is our fortress

The Lord is our refuge

The Lord is our help

and if we are to make it, we must return to him

O prisoners, who have the hope

other versions says prisoners of hope

When you are a prisoner, you cannot escape, you are captured, trapped, can’t get away

So a prisoner who has the hope, or a prisoner of hope is someone who can’t escape hope

When you fully trust in God

you always have hope

you can’t get away from hope

When God is your stronghold, you are surrounded by hope . . . .

in other words, Things can seem impossible and unbearable, but When you are a prisoner of hope, your faith will yet say

God’s not done, it’s not over

weeping may endure for the night

this too shall pass

no weapon formed

hold on just a little while longer

have a little talk with Jesus, tell him

We are not supposed to be prisoners of circumstance — we are to be prisoners of hope, locked up and locked in by God’s promises

This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you

The people were trying to get back what was lost, but God says not only will He restore what was lost, He’ll double it.

God says, "If you return to me and stay a prisoner of hope, I’ll repay you — double for your trouble

In other words, if you stick with me and hold on to your faith, then I will make sure that your trust in me won’t be in vain

Your labor won’t be in vain

your service won’t be in vain

your tears won’t be in vain

I will make it worth your while . . . in fact, double for your trouble

I see a pattern here

step 1: they messed up

Step 2: they received consequences because they messed up

step 3: it looks like they can’t overcome repercussions of those consequences

and it is while in this step, that this Word says, “return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope”

in other words, put your hope in God and if you do . . .

step 4: God will give you a double blessing

(repeat steps)

I like this pattern because I have some

step 1’s: I have messed up

Step 2’s: I have received consequences because I messed up

and I am currently in some step 3’s: it looks like it will be impossible to overcome the repercussions of my consequences

But this words says, if I make God my stronghold and keep hope

IF I stick with God

If I trust in God

If I just keep on serving him

if I hold on to my faith

if I run the race and don’t quit

then God will give me double for my trouble!

This is big! huge!

But we learned in Discipleship school, that you have to check for consistency if you want to make sure that you are understanding the Bible correctly . . . . I should be able to find this pattern elsewhere in the Bible

Moses

step 1: tried to free a man from being mistreated by his Egyptian slave master, and he messed up because he killed that Egyptian, he messed up because he tried to take matters into his own hands

step 2: became a fugitive and had to flee to the wilderness (consequence of his actions)

step 3: looked like he would be stuck in the wilderness for the rest of his life

but in this step God gave him an opportunity to trust him, serve him . . . . go to Pharoah and tell him let my people go

it takes a lot of trust for a fugitive to go to the government and say let someone else go

step 4: Moses did it and got double for his trouble

he couldn’t free on person at first, but now he has freed about 2 million people

founded a nation and a religion, both which still exists today

David

step 1: slept with a friend’s wife and killed him, then married her

step 2: the consequences: baby from the affair died, eventually another son rebelled and kicked him off the throne

Step 3: as a result , David is on the run for his life, and Psalm 3 tells us that many say,”There is no help for him in God” (even God can’t help him)

but he decided to return to the stronghold - trust in God

v. I laid down and slept, the Lord is keeping me

v5 - I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people

v. 8 salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be upon your people!

David was full of trust and hope!

Step 4: enemies defeated, the people begged him to come back and be king, the next child from the union became the great King Solomon, and David was alive to see it come to pass

Job

Step 1: his mess up was not having a heart that trusted God fully, a heart that would dare think that God is not just, accuse God of being unfair

step 2: consequences - lost family, lost all possessions

Step 3: most of the book is this step, as a result of losing everything, he sitting around with arguing with his friends, they are talking foolish and he is talking foolish, looked like he was done

But when God spoke, Job said, “I don’t know what I was doing, I was talking about things I don’t even understand, things to wonderful for me . . .I repent in dust and ashes

in other words . . . let me return to the stronghold, let me return to trusting in God

step 4: God blessed him with a new family and twice as many material blessings that he had before

Jesus

step 1: he did not mess up, but he took on our mess ups, he took on our sins (wounded for our transgressions)

step 2: consequence was being beaten, tortured, and crucified on a cross

step 3: he was dead and seemed that he would not recover

but he had never left the stronghold, he had already said he would rise again,

step 4: He rose from the dead with ALL power!

The Pharisees were jealous of his fame, and now he is the most famous person to ever live in the history of the earth

And in the future, every knee shall bow and acknowledge him as Lord!

Conclusion

you did step 1

you went through step 2

some of you are in some step 3’s

return to the stronghold (or stay in it)

don’t be a prisoner of fear, be a prisoner of hope

don’t be a prisoner of doubt, be a prisoner of hope

depression

disappointment

don’t be a prisoner of circumstance, be a prisoner of hope

stay locked up by God’s promises

trust in him, believe in him, have faith in him

don’t give up or give in

Because God promises that He’ll repay double, for your trouble . . . . he will make it more than worthy your while

When you trust in God and your hope alive, then your story isn’t over — it’s just getting good.

Revelation says He who overcomes shall inherit all things