Zechariah 7-8 - "From Ritual to Reality"
Notes
Transcript
Read along Zech 7 (vv. 1 - 3) The Question
Let’s Pray
Intro
Opening Statement - To ritual or not to ritual…that is the question? What are some of our common non-religious rituals?
Drinking coffee in the morning?
Going to the gym everyday?
Birthday parties?
Anniversary Celebrations?
Holiday traditions?
Oil changes in your vehicles?
What are some common religious rituals?
Coming to church on Sundays?
Saying grace before meals?
Praying before going to bed?
Reading through your Bible in a year?
Maybe even fasting? The main subject of today’s passage.
Are these traditions good or bad?
Answer - Yes.
This is what we’ll be wrestling with in today’s passage.
And i’ll say that I personally had a lot to wrestle with in this passage.
Opening Illustration -
I think a loose financial parallel to rituals are subscriptions. It used to be a newspaper or magazine; but nowadays it’s a smartphone “app,” or a T.V. service.
In the beginning:
We start a subscription with high expectations.
Their cost is minimal in the short run.
But after a while:
It becomes a passive (background) part of your life.
We forget we’re even paying for it…and we later become surprised how much it has been costing us.
Multiple subscriptions have a tendency to add up.
Are your subscriptions valuable or are they a hinderance?
Occasionally, we have to hunt for subscriptions and verify which are keepers, which need to go.
We can have a tendency to treat our walk like this. Stacking up traditions and “rituals” …
Some which are probably healthy and have meaning…which should be kept.
Others are done out of rote habit…and may seem spiritual on the outside, but accomplish nothing of value on the inside.
I ask you to consider your spiritual traditions and rituals today.
Opening Background
The 50k Jewish Remnant are post-exile. They’ve been recharged and recommissioned to rebuild the temple after a 16 year delay.
Haggai and Zechariah are the pair of prophets that God sent to encourage His people to do so.
And it’s working.
It’s been 2 years since Zechariahs last “prophecy” (Zech. 1-6) and we’re now entering a two chapter section (Zech 7-8) explaining the answer to a question.
“Should we fast?” - Refraining from food and drink (self-denial), mourning for the occasion (sadness), and reflecting/repenting from past sin.
Message
(v. 1) In the fourth year of King Darius - this is now two years into Zechariah’s ministry as a prophet and the Remnant is about halfway through the temple re-construction.
(v. 1b-2) when the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month Chislev (Dec 7, 518 B.C.)
(v. 2) when the people sent Sherezer, with Revem-Melech, and his men, to the house of God - this was a Jewish delegation that came to Jerusalem
(v. 2b) to pray before the Lord - very spiritual, seems good.
(v. 3) and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord - they had a question related to religious matters.
Here is the Question - (v. 3b) “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?” -
Generally - weeping and fasting was a time of sadness and affliction…remembering guilt, shame and sin.
While in Babylon, the Jews had added four “fasts” to their calendar, each one as a memorial to a specific disaster.
Even though God had prescribed the seven “holy days” (Lev 23) which included 6 feasts and only 1 fast.
Specifically - This fast in question was (v. 3) the fifth month fast commemorating Aug, 5th, 586 B.C. (9th of Av) called Tishah B’AV - the Jewish “9-1-1”
This was the day Babylon burned the Jewish temple and Jerusalem to the ground!!
They stopped singing during the exile…in a saddened state…described in Psalm 137
By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill!
You can feel their heaviness?
This question seemed relevant since the temple was being rebuilt. “Should we still mourn the loss of our temple, which is halfway rebuilt?”
But, God isn’t really going to give them a direct answer they want
Jesus didn’t usually give a direct answer - but seems to answer their deeper question that is at the root of the problem.
“We found this woman caught in the act of adultery. Should we stone her?” (John 8)
“He who is without sin throw the first stone.”
Many times Jesus answered their question with a question…
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 12:14-17)
“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
God will also ask a question in return to this “spiritual” delegation - drilling down to the root.
I’ll throw this out there…when you ask God a question (when you’re seeking Him), be prepared for Him to ask you questions about yourself.
Read along Zech 7 (vv. 4 - 7) The Answer in the form of a question.
(vv. 4-5) Did you really fast for Me?
(v. 6) When you celebrate with feasts, did you not eat and drink for yourselves?
In other words, are you really thinking of Me when you’re celebrating each the six Holy feasts?
Like - When you celebrate Christmas and you’re opening that gift (video game, guitar, purse, jewelry) at Christmas? Is that gift for Jesus? No…it’s for you!
There is nothing wrong with fasting, and nowhere do you see God condemn it. As a matter of fact, Jesus said, “When you fast” not “if you fast.” (Matt 6:16-18).
Pastor Sandy Adams said,
A sincere fast is a great spiritual battle. A good discipline to cultivate. A good way to fatten our soul. Helps to separate the spiritual from the physical. Exercises, our soul, promotes discipline, promotes spiritual things…the fast track to spiritual growth.
Used improperly, fasting becomes a farce. God doesn’t want “Hollywood Holiness.”
A.W. Tozer said, “Rituals can be a front or a fount.”
A fast can serve a great purpose if done with the right attitude.
But God hates hypocrisy. Any kind of service with impure motives.
IF and WHEN you fast, do it for the right reasons.
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
If you fast - don’t go telling everybody how awesome you are.
Make it private between you and the Lord.
(v. 7) Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed…before the exile…when things were good?
Obvious answer - Yes.
Read along Zech 7 (vv. 8 - 10) The Answer in the form of a question.
(vv. 8-10) God wants our OBEDIENCE: (John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”). True love for God EQUATES to Obedience to His Word.
A few passages illuminate this problem and answer very well (read/study these):
1 Sam 15:1-23 - Saul’s disobedience in a seemingly minor infraction of God’s instructions (His word), resulted in major consequences. Saul refuse to kill every living thing as instructed, and decided to keep the best of the sheep…and his excuse when asked by Samuel was, “We were gonna use them for sacrifices.” Culminating in:
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
David learned this lesson…after his terrible sin with Bathsheba.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
God spelled this out clearly to the Jew’s from Hosea before they were exiled.
For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Sacrifice or service done out of false humility is disgust and a disgrace to God.
MORE than sacrifice (such as fasts), God prefers OBEDIENCE to His Word.
(v. 8) Stated Positively - obedience results in true justice, mercy and compassion,
(v. 9) Stated Negatively - do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the (foreigners) or the poor. Don’t even think evil…
Love is the litmus test for what pleases the Lord.
Sure, you come to church routinely. You may even volunteer to help. You may know all the Bible verses.
But how well do you love people?
Do you treat people the way you prefer to be treated?
In public…but also in private.
ESPECIALLY, how well do you love people who are unlovable? (Luke 6:33-35)
Read along Zech 7 (vv. 11 - 14 The Answer in the form of a question.
(vv. 11-14) Speaking of their pre-exilic ancestors…this is where they failed. A warning not to repeat.
(v. 11) But they refused to listen…shrugged their shoulders - saying “I don’t care” what you have to say to me God.
(v. 11b) Who plugged their ears so that they could not hear
(v. 12) What’s worse? They made their hearts like flint (diamond), refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit…
“Like flint” means steely/unwavering determination
(v. 13) And just like they plugged their ears…Just maybe...God will plug His ears when they call out to him? so they called out and I would not listen.” says the Lord of hosts.
Implication - if you are not obedient to God’s Word in your life in loving others; don’t be surprised when He doesn’t listen to you.
(v. 14) Therefore, God scattered them…among all the nations…and the pleasant land (Israel) was made desolate
This was the result of their disobedience.
God IS SLOW to anger, but He DOES eventually get angry.
Read along Zech 8 (vv. 1 - 8) The Discussion takes an amazing turn…
Should we keep the “fasts?” Sure if you’d like…but don’t let your past failures don’t become a cloud over your fantastic future.
Let me show you the amazing future to come…
(v. 2) God is Zealous for Zion with a great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.
God is zealous (excited or passionate) for His people!
He is passionate for the Jew! To bring about His plans.
And He is passionate for you too, who have given your life to Him!
(v. 3) These are the PROMISES (I will) that He will bring about to the Jew’s:
I will return to Zion (Jerusalem) -
I will dwell (live) in Jerusalem -
Jerusalem shall be called the “City of Truth”
Jesus Christ (Messiah) did come to Zion, but He will live in Jerusalem when He returns…and it all Truth to the world will come from Jerusalem with Jesus on the throne.
(v. 4) More PROMISES
Jerusalem will be a peaceful place. Old men and old women shall again sit in the street - Seniors will be safe and peaceful.
(v. 5) More PROMISES
Safety and morality will cause Innocence to return. The streets shall be full of boys and girls playing
Inattentive and impatient drivers will be no more.
Abuse, rapes, and murders will be no more.
If you thought the 1950’s were the golden years, just wait for the Millennial Kingdom.
(v. 6) If you think this (halfway finished temple) is cool…just wait until you see what will be in the future! It will be marvelous in your eyes.
This will be mind-blowing for the remnant.
But Will it also be marvelous in My (God’s) eyes? Nope…what it impossible for man is possible with God.
What will be jaw-dropping for us, will be light-work for Him.
My dad an amazing carpenter, will be amazed by Jesus’ carpentry skills.
(vv. 7-8) God will regather His people from where they have been scattered.
But they were scattered again after Judas Vespasian, a Roman General sieged Jerusalem in 70 A.D., driving the Jews to scatter to all the nations. And they remained scattered until post-holocaust WWII; when the Jewish state was (re)created in a day — May 14, 1948.
The “scattering” lasted for 1,878 years.
Prior to 1948, give or take 1/2 million lived in the promised land.
Today (in the last 78 years), the Jewish population in Israel has grown to about 8 million Jews…about 1/2 of the worlds Jewish population.
God is not finished regathering His people, but He said (v. 8) I will bring them back. And He means what He says.
(v. 8b) They shall be My people and I will be their God - Speaking of the New Covenant.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Read along Zech 8 (vv. 9-17) THIS IS ALL GOING SOMEWHERE…
(v. 9) BE ENCOURAGED NOW (let your hands be strong), because this is all going somewhere.
Church - be encouraged now, because this is all going somewhere!
KEEP building faith. KEEP growing. God is excited. So WE should be excited too! By working hard…let your hands be strong
(v. 10) You had no wages and no peace before, when you tried to “do this thing in your own strength and didn’t get very far!
This is similar to how the unbeliever tries to work their way to God.
Try as you may…you’re efforts are futile without the Holy Spirit.
(v. 11) But I will NOT treat the remnant…as in the former days,
(v. 12) For the seed shall be prosperous. - There will be promised fruitfulness!
(v. 12b) Promised fruitfulness
Their agriculture - the vine shall give its fruit
Their climate - the heavens shall give their dew
(v. 13) You were a curse…but you shall be a blessing - God wants the Remnant to trust in His promised blessings.
(v. 14) Just as I determined to punish you…
(v. 15) I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah
God is passionate for His people. He is zealous for Zion.
Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
(v. 16) This is what you need to do in the meantime…These are things the Lord loves:
(Zech 7:3) Regarding fasting…since you want something to do…here you go
Instead of going through the “formality of a fast,”
Take “obedience” personal - love God (#1)
LOVE your neighbor as yourself (#2) (Matt 22:37-40)
speak truth to your neighbors
judge fairly, give justice and peace
(v. 17) This is what you should NOT do in the meantime…These are things the Lord hates:
Don’t think evil in your heart against your neighbor
do not love a false oath (don’t lie)
We should love what the Lord loves and hate what the Lord hates.
Read along (vv. 18 - 23) The Final Answer
(v. 18) These were the four fasts that the Jews added on top of the one fast that God had prescribed through Moses…
fast of the fourth month, the fifth month (the one in question from Zech 7:3), the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth.
That’s a lot of fasts. That’s a lot of ritual. A lot of being religious.
(v. 18) The fasts, shall be (converted) to joy and gladness and cheerful feasts.
God will transform their fasts into feasts.
The Future will be a time of Feasting!
They will go from Ritual to a Glorious Reality
(vv. 20-23) This distant future is foretold (the Millenial Kingdom)
(v. 20) People shall come…from many cities
(v. 21) The people will come to seek the Lord
(v. 22) from many nations (non-Jews)…to Jerusalem…to pray before the Lord - just like the “reverent” Jewish delegation (Zech 7:2) came to do.
(v. 23) In that day ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a (any, in context) Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with yo, for we have heard that God is with you.
Wow! So keep building the temple.
You have a marvelous future. In the meantime,
Focus, not on empty religious ritual.
But true worship…which is
Obedience to His Word (Jesus is the Word)
And to love others. (as yourself)
Closing
Closure - God never said to stop fasting…our religion DOES have it’s rightful place. Religion is similar to Discipline. You’re not ALWAYS going to feel like going to church or reading your Bible everyday…but do it regardless of how you feel. Because, as C.S. Lewis puts it,
When we carry out our “religious duties” and spiritual preparation; we are like people digging channels in a waterless land, in order that when at last water comes, it may find them ready.” —C.S. Lewis
It’s good to practice the things that the Bible instructs us to practice.
So that you’re capable of having a framework to process WHEN the Holy Spirit rains down on you…
Ie. Going to church is a good thing…but more important than going to church Jesus wants your, say your name, heart.
Closing Application - (#1- Replace, #2-Reframe)
(#1) Consider Replacing any religious rituals with a quiet resolve to lovingly serve/support your neighbor.
Serve your community…myriad of ways
Volunteer to help at second-hand stores, help at the local soup kitchens…
Serve your region
Support our local Calvary Bible Institute South - as they raise up future leaders for our church!
Serve your world…myriad of ways
Support our missions partners like Calvary Bible Institute Peru - as they seek to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth!
Mark your calendar to attend May 6th - when Pastor Cory Kilgus - Pastor and Director of CBI Peru will personally share with our church!
Serve within this church. If you’ve been attending consistently for while, we’d love for you to join us in “ministry” (service).
We desperately need servants. In every area of ministry.
Our process is “informal,” just let us know what areas you might be interested in and we’ll commit it to prayer and see where the Lord leads.
(#2) Reframe your perspective to acknowledge that God has a Glorious Future, for those who who started in Him.
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Closing Illustration - Speaking of Reframing your perspective
When we will finally get to see what the Lord sees…it may look something like this toddler who gets her glasses for the first time.
Play video
Urge to Action - Let your hands be strong now…because what is coming is beyond our wildest imagination.
Let’s Pray
Benediction - May God bless and keep you and shine His face upon you and give you strength!
