God Will Repay
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Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
“To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.
“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.
Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,
before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.
When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
God Will Repay
Have you ever wanted revenge? When we are badly hurt by someone, particularly when we feel we are innocent, we want revenge on the one that hurt us. Sometimes, we even want revenge on someone who hurt us because of something we did to deserve it. The person who is fired from their job, even if they deserved, may seek to have revenge on the one who fired them by speaking badly of the manager or company. We often don’t want to admit our own wrongdoing, so we will blindly seek revenge for something, a punishment or trial, that really, ultimately, we deserved.
There is a saying, “If you wanna dance, you gotta pay the band”. But often we dance and the band leader demands payment and we say no, so the band leader hires an enforcer to collect, and using force, we begrudgingly give up the payment, and gripe the whole time as though we were wronged by having to pay.
So what if the band leader is God? And by dancing, I mean we are violating His commands for our life. And by violating His commands, which are His best for us, we find ourselves in a miserable situation. We know we did wrong, we know we deserve the pain of the trial that comes from our sin, and yet we still want to exact punishment on the one imposing God’s judgment on us.
The Bible is clear that God will use even sinful people to exact His punishment or discipline on those He loves. A sinful nation would often be used to punish Israel when they went astray. The exile was a result of Israel’s apostasy, or violating God’s will and rule for them. They were cast out of their land, held captive by an aggressor. God used a sinful nation to impose punishment on another sinful nation. Today, this still happens. The consequence of sin is rough. We may find ourselves at the mercy of someone else.
Sin always ends up making us miserable. While we still have opportunity for repentance, this misery is intended to make us realize that we must turn again to God. Just as Zechariah prophecies at the beginning of Chapter 1 “Return to me and I will return to you”. God is waiting for us to acknowledge that our behavior has resulted in the consequences of a loss of peace in our lives. He wants us to come back to Him. And when we are going away from Him, He pursues us. He often does this by allowing someone else to get to us. But when we have turned again, back to God, he gives us grace and mercy and then turns His attention to the aggressor.
So the vision we learned about last week and the one we are on this week reinforce the same idea, that God may use sinful people to turn His chosen people, the ones who receive His grace, back to Him, and when they are repentant and turn back to Him, He then turns His wrath to the aggressor. So we learned last week and this week, that not only here in Zechariah, but in all of scripture, we learn that God will do the justice and we are not to always seek our own revenge on those who have wronged us.
Here in the second of the eight visions, Zechariah learns more about how God is going to deliver His people. Remember that they have already shown repentance. God is doing a work in their hearts. They have devoted themselves to Him, and yet they still have some oppression happening. There is still opposition. But God promises to deliver a punishment to those nations who have brought harm to His chosen people.
And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns!
And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.
And I said, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
So this is a very brief description of the vision, and it is fairly straightforward. Horns were symbols of strength. The first four horns represent the nations that have scattered God’s people, and then he sees some craftsman, a better translation may have been metal worker or blacksmith, but the idea here is that someone is coming to shatter the 4 horns. So, 4 horns, representing nations who have oppressed Israel, will be demolished by these craftsman, or metal workers. God is promising that those oppressors of Israel will pay for their misdeeds. And all of scripture points to the fact that we are to allow God to handle our defense.
Jesus said turn the other cheek, don’t retaliate. And the Old Testament agrees that a person who trusts fully in God will not feel a need to defend themselves constantly. They trust in His Word, that when all is said and done, justice will be done. When all is said and done, God will deliver those He said He would deliver and punish the wicked for their deeds if they have not repented and put faith in Christ.
Yes, the preacher must talk about God’s wrath. God does have wrath against sin. He will ultimately punish the unrepentant. The preacher today may want the easy way out and not mention this unpleasant thought, but the truth is to be told, the entire truth. However, when the Holy Spirit works in someone's heart to receive this truth, then hearing of God’s wrath can be a wonderful thing, a blessed thing, for it leads to repentance.
There are people who say fear should not drive people to the cross, only love. Yet it is God’s wrath that needs to be calmed, and the act of love at the cross demonstrates the mercy of God, and his love and grace towards us, but the cross is just as much a demonstration of God’s wrath. His wrath against sin requires a blood sacrifice. It’s the only way He will look over sin, is when we clothe ourselves in Christ, because the blood of Christ satisfied the wrath of God.
So the wrath of God was determined to be on all of us by our sin, but the love of God provided a substitute on the cross, the man Jesus Christ. Only by turning completely away from our sins and relying on that blood shed on the cross can we escape God’s wrath. Once we escape His wrath through Christ, we still violate His laws sometimes, and thank goodness, He takes care of that, too. The blood covers the believers sin, past, present, and future. But that blood covering the sin does not always remove the earthly consequences, the right here and right now consequences, of our sin. Just as a victim of assault may forgive the assailant, that doesn't clear the assailant of the consequences. They may still be convicted in court.
Israel was God’s chosen people, they walked away from them. In time, they came back, and repented, and did what they could to make things right, but that did not automatically remove the consequences of their sin. God said He would make things right for them in an eternal sense, but they would still live with certain difficulties. But they also were encouraged by Zechariah’s message, and the message was clear. God will not forget the offenses against Him, and the wicked will experience His wrath and holy justice.
There are examples throughout scripture of people doing it right and doing it wrong in allowing God to do the justice. I was thinking of King David, who refused to take vengeance on Saul who was trying to kill him. Then, later, he even refused to allow someone who was badly insulting him to be punished. Let’s look at this passage from 2 Samuel 16:5-14
2 Samuel 16:5–14
When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually.
And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!
The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”
Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.”
But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.
It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.”
So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust.
And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.
Imagine this scene. David was king! His son was in the middle of what looked like a successful coup! And David refused to go after his son, Absolom. He allowed God to take over. He fled and while fleeing, this man, Shimei, starts cursing out King David. Now, we even get his name. Someone should write a book, “The Wrong Way to Get your Name Immortalized in Scripture.” It would feature people like Shimei and Judas. So Shimei is cursing David, throwing rocks and dust at him. Imagine the guts this guy had! I don’t condone his behavior, but you gotta admit, this guy had guts.
David’s man says, “I’ll kill him. Let me go kill him.” But David has this remarkable response. “No! God sent this man to curse me! I won’t take revenge, and God will bless me of putting up with this rudeness” And implied in this is the idea that God will not only bless David for having been mistreated, but also He will ultimately take care of Shimei as well.
Now David said he was done wrong by Shimei, but yet he still realizes that God had a hand in it. God was using one sinner in the punishing of another sin. David knew this full well. He had done that whole thing with Bathsheba. He had taken her away from her husband, and then had her husband killed over it. And God noticed and He sent the prophet Nathan to tell David:
Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.
Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ”
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.”
Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick.
Every bit of Nathan’s prophecy regarding David’s sin and the consequences came true. The sword shall never depart your house. David’s son killed another one of his sons after he had raped their sister. “I will raise up evil against you out of your own house.” Absolom, David’s son, raised a rebellion against him to take the throne. “I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in sight of this son.” Absolom took David’s wives and lied with them on the roof of the palace in sight of all Israel, just as Nathan prophesied.
David knew then that Shimei was part of the consequences of his sin, and yet he also realized that this man was wrong to do it. So David puts his trust in God to do the justice.
This is what we are to do as well. And Zechariah’s prophecy was greatly encouraging to the people he spoke to. It comforted them to know that after all the pain their enemies had put them through, God would judge their enemies and wickedness would not be rewarded, but instead the wrath of God on the sinful people would come. As Christians, we are to trust in God for the same. Zechariah’s prophecy, then, should greatly encourage us when we feel mistreated or persecuted. How can a Christian endure horrible things from the hands of evil people with grace. How can we not retaliate? How do we turn the other cheek? By trusting in the God whose throne sits on the foundation righteousness and justice.
Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!
The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us.
For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
We must realize that those evil people in the world who never repent and never turn to Christ will be judged by a God who has wrath. The wrath of God against sin is a terrible thing. So here we have another challenge. How do we love our enemy? The one mistreating us, we look at them and wish that God would “Take care of them”. Yet love for them is not desiring the eternal wrath of God. If we fully understood the horrible eternity awaiting the unregenerate in hell, where there is nothing good, only anguish, for eternity. No end, always what one person called eternal dying. Never actually being able to die, though wanting to, eternal suffering. Eternity is a long time. Maybe you think someone could endure the first million years or so.
The Bible says the wonderful things in store for those who trust in Christ and repent is something that no one can even imagine. I think the opposite is also true. I don’t think in our worst nightmare we can really imagine how horrible hell is. The worst part of it will be separation from God entirely. And so, like those who were encouraged by Zechariah, we should be encouraged to know that God will make things right in the end, but I pray this does not drive you to pray for the destruction of your enemies, but rather that you would pray all the more fervently that God would reveal himself to them.
I don’t really think of people as my enemies, though I know some people have seen me as their enemy. But even those who have mistreated me the most in this life, I cannot imagine wanting to have them spend eternity in that horrible place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. I pray they repent, and find the grace I have found, the love of Christ.
Scripture tells us the last words of David are found in 2 Samuel 23:2-7
“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.
The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God,
he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
“For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand;
but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire.”
The last 2 verses strike me. Worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand. but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire.”
What is this to mean for us? We are not to touch worthless people who make themselves our enemy. With the bare hand, David says, we can’t touch them because they are like thorns. We’ll get hurt. But we are to arm ourselves with iron and the shaft of a spear. And I read this and immediately thought of the armor we are to use to do battle:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
and take 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. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Zechariah points us Christ who has won the victory and reminds us that we are not to take matters of revenge into our own hands. We don’t know what the future holds, but it is a strong possibility that you and I will be faced in our lifetime with someone who will greatly wound us because of our faith. We can be bold and confident and not raise our own hands against the ones who go after us. We can trust that with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we can turn the other cheek and leave justice to God.
My prayer for you is that you learn the Word of God, so that when that trial comes for you, and it likely will at some point, that you be able to keep walking, like David did, trusting your God to keep you.
