Zechariah Chapter 7
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Intro
Intro
Today we move over into chapter 7 here in the book of Zechariah.
We have seen thus far that the Lord has been displeased with those who have returned from the captivity in Babylon because they have not finished the work of re building the temple.
They finished their homes and there has been a great deal of time, we know from Haggai, that 20 years passed and the Temple still likes in partial ruins. The house of the Lord should have been a greater priority.
But the Lord has also been speaking about a future day, a day when the Lord will return to this world and establish His future kingdom.
So lets move forward and look at chapter 7
Here we will look at the topic of faith, justice and mercy.
Jewish identity, which was based upon the temple and sacrifices, is now confused because of the destruction of the temple by the Romans. Fasting is useless unless it is accompanied by acts of mercy, justice and charity
And also this statement....
The prophet reminds believers that God desires his followers to be just and generous to widows, orphans, the poor and neighbors (IRENAEUS). God expects believers not to plot evil against brother and neighbor (TERTULLIAN).
So lets look at the first 3 verses right at the beginning of this book
So lets look at the first 3 verses right at the beginning of this book
1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the Lord, 3 saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
So we are given a time right there in verse 1. It is the 4th year of Darius, Darius is the king of the Medo-Persian empire, and we see him in Daniel chapter 6 where Daniel is going to be thrown into the Lion’s den because of the trickery of some of the local rulers who despise Daniel.
So during the 4th year of his reign, the word of the Lord comes to the prophet Zechariah. We also know this is two years after the previous prophecies of
the king of the Medo-Persian empire,
And it is the 4th day of the ninth month which is Chislev. This month seems to correspond to November of our calendar.
Now verse 2 gives us the purpose of the information. The people of Bethel had sent people to entreat the favor of the Lord. Now while the temple was not yet complete, the temple altar was standing
Ezra chapter 3 tells us of this...
3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.
Ezr
But the temple wasn’t completed for another 2 years, As seen in Ezra 6;15
15 and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
The priests duty was to give decision on points of the law, The house of the Lord is used to speak of the congregation of worshipers that were headed by the priests
7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.
1 Set the trumpet to your lips!
One like a vulture is over the house of the Lord,
because they have transgressed my covenant
and rebelled against my law.
The names of the people, Sherezer is an Assyrian name meaning - Prefect of the treasury
Regemmelech - the kings official
These names might refer to the semi heathen quality of those being sent,,, Sent from bethel might refer to the place that was once a seat of idol worship.
They sent to them to the house of the Lord in the same sense as ppl were sent to old Bethel to seek spiritualism and such, but they did not come in the spirit of true obedience.
To pray before the Lord or entreat the favor of the Lord. - they might offer sacrifices, prayers and they hoped to gain the favor of the Lord.
Now verse 3 gives us the main reason why...
3 saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
Their hypocrisy appeared because they showed more concern about a ceremony of human institution (not improper in itself) than about moral obedience. If, too, they had trusted God’s promise as to the restoration of Church and State, the fast would have now given place to joy, for which there was more cause than for grief [PEMBELLUS].
The day of atonement was the only annual day of fasting that the people were required to observe. But there were other fasts that the Lord called the people to observe.
They had kept this time of wailing and fasting for “many years” but it only seemed a wearisome ritual in light of the present condition of the land and its people.
They are more concerned about this ritual instead of living and following the Lord.
Now lets move forward and look at verses 4-7
4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’ ”
In these verses we see the Lord’s reply to what they have asked ....
Verse 4… Begins with just that, the Lord’s word came to the prophet....
Verse 5... The Lord asks a question of the people… Was it for me you mourned or was it something else...
Man, now that is a question, what was your motivation, why were you doing it? And notice, the Lord mentions 70 years, speaking of the length of their captivity in the land of Babylon.
What was happening here was a self imposed fast and it wasnt necesssary imposed by the Lord. People often did this when they saw their sin before the Lord. Apparently, they were growing tired of this fast…
Key thought --- The Lord is always looking at the motivation of our hearts…correct?
Verse 6 The Lord continues that thought to Zechariah, and what about eating and drinking…
the New Testament says this in :31
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Verse 7… The truth is it isn't the fasts that they should keep, but shouldn't you keep the will and law of God, the very thing that God deserved back before the captivity.
Yet they did not, God says be concerned with obedience than anything else.
** God desires Obedience rather than sacrifice, and or ritual.
Now moving on to the last seven verses for form a larger whole..
Verses 8-10 to begin with....
8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”
So verse 8, the Lord speaks again to the prophet Zechariah. Don’t you love it that God wanted no one to mistake what he was doing…
And then verses 9-10.. the Lord is giving them a opportunity to see what they should be doing in their life in front of Him and each other.
People in the past has sought evil...
4 He plots trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in a way that is not good;
he does not reject evil.
and then
1 Woe to those who devise wickedness
and work evil on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
The Lord wants them to despise evil and do good.
Make true judgments,
Show kindness
show mercy to one another
Don’t oppress the widow, fatherless, sojourner or poor
If you do what is right, your heart will hate evil and love good. the Lord is calling them to do good.
One less thought, remember these were some of the tings the Lord had brought charges against them about as they lived before the captivity. Look at the book of Amos and see the charges the Lord spoke to them.
and now
verses 11-14
11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. 13 “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.”
That is what he had called for them.... be obedient. but they refused in the past. That is the charge of verse 11, they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder … that is like a animal refusing to submit to the harness or yoke.
a heart that is diamond hard is the picture of a hard heart that refuses to listen to the Lord. Pharoah hardened his heart....
Their sin, brought the Lord’s anger to the people.
Verse 13, he called and the people refused to follow the Lord, so he will refuse to listen when they call out to him… sin has cut them off if you will...
in the midst of their sin, the land was left desolate, barren
Sin ruined it all… will they allow sin to hurt them again… or will have have learned from his lessons.
1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the Lord, 3 saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’ ”
8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. 13 “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.”
