Zechariah introduction
Zechariah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 12 viewsIntroduction to the book of Zechariah
Notes
Transcript
Which do you think the owners of the KC Chiefs care about more the fans or the building of a new stadium?
Why do you think God cared so much about the people’s hearts, not just the temple building?
Which is harder going to the sport practices or having a heart for the sports?
Which is harder for you: doing religious activities or having a real heart for God?
Well we just finished going through Esther. Now the next few weeks we’re going to be going through Zechariah. Zechariah was a prophet he lived during the same time as Haggi and Malachi and the purpose was to encourage people and to exhort God’s people
In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.
The postexilic period is the time in Jewish history after the Babylonian exile, when the Jews returned to Judah and began rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. It is usually dated from around 538 BC, after Cyrus allowed the exiles to return, through the restoration era described in Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Who wrote Zechariah?
Zechariah, son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo.
We do know that his name means “Yahweh has remembered,” an important theme throughout this book.
It was written from Jerusalem, the place where the temple ruins lay and where Zechariah was sent to prophesy.
To whom was it written?
Zechariah is written to Jewish men and women who have returned to Israel from exile in Babylon.
It’s important to remember that these former exiles would have been discouraged, disoriented, and unmotivated.
The temple, the place where God was said to dwell, was in ruins, and they had a hard time believing that God’s promise of restoration would ever come to fruition.
Though the Israelites had returned to their homeland, things didn’t look the same. The temple lay in ruins and there was shockingly little motivation to rebuild.
Growing up in New York, we lived in an apartment building across from the train station, and then we moved to a house a couple of miles away.
I lived in that house until I was 18, then moved away to Oklahoma. I’ve gone back a couple of times since then, including the first time I took Rhonda there.
Of course, I wanted to show her everything, but things weren’t the same.
Nothing had really changed, yet everything looked different. The places that seemed so big when I was a kid no longer felt that way. Things always look different when you get older.
Now fast forward a few years to 2001 9/11 when the Twin Towers were destroyed.
That happened in September, and then we went back in December for my brother’s wedding. I remember going and seeing the destruction, and it was just overwhelming.
My brother, who was a cop, had told me stories about what happened, but seeing it for myself made the realization of the destruction real.
You just stood there wondering how it could ever be restored. Of course we know they never rebuilt the Twin Towers but they built the Freedom Tower instead
God sent Zechariah as His messenger to offer encouragement and reminders of God’s promise to a disillusioned and disoriented people.
God wanted to call them to spiritual renewal and remind them that he would not bring the people back to Israel only to abandon them.
By faith, they would experience full restoration.
Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!”
The Lord is indeed going before you—he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
(Which is quoted from Deuteronomy 31:8)
The book begins with a simple but important message:
“Return to me, and I will return to you.”
That means God wanted His people to turn away from sin and come back to Him with honest hearts.
Zechariah also warned them not to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors, who ignored God’s warnings and suffered the consequences.
Hopefully we learn from out mistakes so we do not repeat them
Pouring lighter fluid on a grill and then throwing a match into it, not a good outcome!
Chapter outline
Chapter outline
Chapter 1: A call to return to the Lord, followed by visions of horsemen and the four horns and four craftsmen.
Chapter 2: A measuring line for Jerusalem and promises that God will dwell with and protect his people.
Chapter 3: Joshua the high priest is cleansed, and the coming Branch is promised.
Chapter 4: The golden lampstand and olive trees point to God empowering Zerubbabel’s work.
Chapter 5: A flying scroll and a woman in a basket picture judgment on sin and wickedness.
Chapter 6: Four chariots appear, and Joshua is crowned as a sign pointing to the Branch and the coming kingdom.
Chapter 7: God rebukes empty fasting and calls for justice, mercy, and obedience.
Chapter 8: Promises of Jerusalem’s restoration, joy, truth, and blessing to the nations.
Chapter 9: Judgment on surrounding nations and the announcement of a humble king coming on a donkey.
Chapter 10: God will care for and restore his people, not idols or false leaders.
Chapter 11: Rejection of the true shepherd and the rise of a foolish shepherd.
Chapter 12: Jerusalem becomes a source of conflict, but God gives victory and brings repentance.
Chapter 13: Cleansing from sin and false prophecy, and the striking of the shepherd.
Chapter 14: The Lord comes in final victory, reigns over all the earth, and Jerusalem is fully sanctified.
A Loving Wake-Up Call
All of the postexilic prophets serve to call God’s people back into a relationship with Him.
After living far away from the promised land, God’s people needed a call-to-action to reprioritize their relationship with their God.
Just as God sent these prophets to ignite spiritual renewal in the Israelites’ lives, He continues to use their words today to do the same with us.
It can be easy to let other priorities take precedence over our relationship with the Lord
Life in general - we get too busy, we will other things get in the way
Sports
Grades
Gaming
Watching endless hours of video - youtube
We can easily go down a path that takes our eyes of Jesus
We become distracted
What are some ways people your age can start drifting away from God?
We then become distant, by not engaging in church
We then become discontent with the things of Church
it can be easy for us to look at our circumstances and assume that God isn’t making good on His promises to us.
We can become discouraged and disenchanted with who God is and what He’s done for us.
We then become distorted with the things of God’s word ..…
The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die,
We start to question God
but God knows that it’s best for us to have Him at the center of our lives.
Zechariah reminds us that the most important things we can do are to center our lives on God, cultivate a close relationship with Him, and serve Him in faithful obedience.
God Isn’t Done
Zechariah shows us that God has not forgotten His promise and will complete His work of redemption and restoration.
Even when the situation seems bleak, God is still at work.
Like Israel, we sometimes need reminders that God always does what He says He is going to do.
God Fights for Us
We might not have foreign nations attacking us like Israel did, but we all know what it’s like to battle both internal and external sins in our lives
It is that a difficult teacher
Unkind sibling
Those things that we see which is inappropriate
The person who likes to pick on you all the time
The land that we live on is not what we want // The situation we are in
Sometimes, these obstacles can feel overwhelming; we fear that they will overtake us.
Zechariah reminds us that these are no match for God!
Out of His great love for us, God makes sure that our enemies will not ultimately triumph over us
He rightfully judges and punishes those who oppress His people.
I will get revenge and pay them back at the time their foot slips;
for the day of their disaster is near, and the impending judgment is rushing upon them!”
Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
We see this most clearly in His Son Jesus, who defeated our greatest enemy (death that came as a result of our sin) through His work on the cross.
God cares about what is happening in your heart, not just what you do on the outside.
He still invites people to come back to Him when they drift away.
What are the main themes?
• Theme 1: Yahweh Remembers
As we saw, Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh has remembered.” This is no coincidence!
It was important for God’s people to remember that God remembers them.
They might have felt abandoned during their difficult time in exile, but God never lost His grip on them.
Zechariah continually reminds God’s people that their God has not forgotten them, and he assures them that He never will.
• Theme 2: God Will Judge Our Enemies
Through his prophetic visions and oracles, Zechariah shows us that God cannot let wickedness go unpunished.
He is committed to making sure that the nations that have attacked Israel and have heaped up evil upon evil will be judged.
Zechariah paints a picture of a perfectly holy and righteous God who fights on behalf of His people.
• Theme 3: The Promise of God’s Presence Through the Work of the Holy Spirit
God’s people had a big task in front of them: to rebuild the temple that lay in ruins.
But they are not left to this job on their own!
Zechariah reminds God’s people that God will be the one who empowers and equips them for the work He has given them to do.
Their true leader, Yahweh, will make sure that through His Spirit, these Israelites will be given everything that they need.
Zechariah’s Visions and Messages
Zechariah’s Visions and Messages
Zechariah’s book includes visions, messages, and promises from God.
These visions showed that God was at work even when life looked hard or confusing.
Some of the visions focused on
God protecting His people
Dealing with evil
Cleaning away sin.
One big message in Zechariah is that God is in control of history.
The people may have felt small and weak, but God was still guiding events and fulfilling His promises.
Another message is that God wanted His people to live with justice, kindness, mercy, and honesty, not fake religion.
This matters for you because faith is not just about church attendance or knowing Bible facts.
It is about trusting God
Treating people like Christ would treat them
Letting Him shape your choices.
Zechariah shows that God wants real obedience, not empty habits.
The Coming King and Our Hope
The Coming King and Our Hope
One of the most important parts of Zechariah is its promise about the coming Messiah.
Zechariah points forward to Jesus, the humble King who would come to save God’s people.
The book also shows that God’s kingdom will not fail and that His plans will not be stopped.
Zechariah gives hope because it says that evil will not win forever.
God will judge sin
Protect His people
Finish what He started.
For believers, this points to Jesus as the Savior who deals with sin and gives lasting hope.
What does this mean to you?
This means your life is not random
Your future is not hopeless.
God is still building His people
Changing hearts,
Preparing His kingdom.
Zechariah teaches us to trust God now and look forward to what He will do next.
Application questions
Why is it comforting to know that God is in control even when life feels messy?
