Yahweh Remembers
Notes
Transcript
Intro: Have you ever looked around and asked yourself if God even cares? Maybe you haven’t but you know someone who has expressed that to you.
Today we start a new book in our Minor Prophets series. The people that Zechariah addressed were expressing doubts about if God even cared about them any more.
Questioning God is not inherently wrong. It is wrong to disrespect Him, or to demand different answers. Great people in the Bible questioned God. In the Gospels we see that Jesus’ disciples often asked questions, and that in itself is questioning God in its own way.
Zechariah was the prophet that God used to give His people answers. The answers that God gave His people were given in different forms. We will see this as we unfold this great book.
Through all the questions and all the uncertainty, Zechariah helped God’s people see that:
Yahweh is King and He has a plan to bless the whole earth.
1.Background:
1.Background:
A. Zechariah’s means "Yahweh remembers"
A. Zechariah’s means "Yahweh remembers"
This is one of the most popular names of the Old Testament times.
Interesting that Jesus remembered Zechariah and even mentioned him by name. Luke 11.51
B. Zechariah was a prophet-priest
B. Zechariah was a prophet-priest
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying,
You see the same linage in verse 7.
the grandson of Iddo, the chief of one of the returning priestly families.
Zach’s father, Berechiah, had also been a priest.
He was a young man to be in the ministry when he started this ministry.
Probably just over 30. There are a couple hints through the book to this affect.
C. Historical Setting - 520-480 B.C.
C. Historical Setting - 520-480 B.C.
Similar to Haggai. Zechariah began to prophesy two months after Haggai; so he lived during Haggai, Ezra, and Nehemiah
Like other writers of his times, the style is sometimes historic, sometimes prose, sometimes prophetic.
D. Relation to other prophets
D. Relation to other prophets
1. Like Isaiah - Messianic
2. Like Daniel emphasised Gentile prophetic program. Zechariah emphasised Israel's prophetic program.
3. Like Haggai - emphasised the Temple
4. Like Joel and Zephaniah speaks of “the Day of the Lord”
2.What is the book about?
2.What is the book about?
A. Purpose - Zechariah wrote to encourage the people in their work on the post-exilic temple, and to present a picture of Israel's future in relation to Messiah.
A. Purpose - Zechariah wrote to encourage the people in their work on the post-exilic temple, and to present a picture of Israel's future in relation to Messiah.
B. Theme: Yahweh will be King over all the earth.
B. Theme: Yahweh will be King over all the earth.
Once again, like Haggai, his favourite title for God is “The Lord of hosts” or Yahweh with armies at the ready.
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.
C. Christological: Zechariah presents Christ as the angel of the Lord, the Righteous branch, Crucified Saviour, and the Coming King.
C. Christological: Zechariah presents Christ as the angel of the Lord, the Righteous branch, Crucified Saviour, and the Coming King.
Zechariah shows us Jesus Christ in many aspects of His ministry: the King (9:9; Matt. 21:4–5); the Stone (3:9; 10:4; Rom. 9:31–33); the Slave sold for thirty pieces of silver (11:12; Matt. 27:3–10); the smitten Shepherd (13:7; Matt. 26:31); the Branch (3:8, 6:12; see Isa. 4:2, 11:1; Jer. 23:5, 33:15); the glorious Ruler (14:1–4, 9, 16–17).
Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Zec). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
D. The subject of the book can be broken down in 3 sections:
D. The subject of the book can be broken down in 3 sections:
8 visions (1-6)
4 messages (7-8)
2 burdens (9-14)
Chart
Lastly, this book has many links to other parts of the Old Testament. There are places where he quotes Moses, Joshua, Jeremiah and the writer of 2 Chronicles.
This book is also highly used to authenticate the New Testament and it’s theology. It is often quoted there.
3.The Lord has no intention of letting His people alone.
3.The Lord has no intention of letting His people alone.
1-6
A.God Has been angry in the past with the sinfulness of people who claim to follow Him.
A.God Has been angry in the past with the sinfulness of people who claim to follow Him.
“The Lord was very angry with your fathers.
Anger is not sin. The misuse and improper handling of oneself during anger can be sin.
If we see someone we love self-harming, it is right to be angry. We need to channel that anger in a way that will help the person, but anger is a positive emotion in this case. It is an expression that we care!
God has anger when He sees people harm their lives by living in sin and walking away from a relationship with Him. He knows what is best for us and He wants to give us that hope and future. When we settle for pain and destruction instead, history has shown that He has responded in anger.
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
B.When we want a relationship with God, God wants a relationship with us!
B.When we want a relationship with God, God wants a relationship with us!
Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.
This is a promise. God keeps His promises!
The past does not automatically give you a relationship with God, nor does our heritage.
Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’ ”
Did you catch that? The last phrase sets up the theme of this book. God as king of the everything will do what He wants to do with us so that we can enjoy what is best in life.
Now, that can go good for us if we seek to know His plan, His will, His desires for how we should live. Or it can go very poor. This truth is still true today. In this church we seek to know what God has made known about Himself in His Scripture. We then adjust our lives accordingly and seek to become a part of what He is doing in this world because we seek to live according to the attributes that God has changed our lives with.
We are gracious because He is gracious to us.
We are kind because He is kind.
We seek holiness because He is holy.
We love mercy because God loves mercy.
We even seek to stay connected and communicate because God does the same!
Conclusion: Over the next few weeks we are going to unpack this rich book. It tells us a lot about the behind the scenes workings of God. It has warning. It has blessings. It has hope. It tells us an exciting future awaits!
1.Where are you in regard to a relationship with God?
2.Do you ever find yourself living as though your relationship with God is based on memories alone? Or is it based on a current relationship?
3.When we look back at our lives, can we see God at work?