The Question That Plagues God's People

There is a question that has plagued mankind since the beginning: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” From our first parents in Eden, when the snake sneaks in and tempts Adam and Eve, and the fruit that was forbidden becomes the feast of the first people, the question begins.

There is a question that plagued the Israelites who first left Egypt, a question that the wandering generation left their sons and daughters because they got the answer wrong: “why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” Their answer was a rebellious and stubborn, “No.”

Their sons and daughters, those who entered the land in the book of Joshua answered the inherited question with a resounding, “Sometimes.” Their complacent “sometimes” led to a cycle of rebellion, crying out deliverance, and peace before it all started over again — check out the book of Judges.

Still, the question lingered: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” The answer from the book of Judges seemed to be, “Probably not.” So, the generation of kings and prophets inherited God’s question. And while the kings started slowly, there was a glimmer of hope with David, a man after God’s own heart. Yet, with David, the answer was only a, “Most of the time.” However, we are familiar with his shortcomings, especially his sin with Bathsheba, but we shouldn’t discount his census and how he trusted in his own might. From there, things went down hill with the quickness. The kingdom splits in half, and the northern kingdom, Israel, never has a king that pursues YHWH. The Southern kingdom doesn’t fare much better, with only a handful of kings with their hearts set to obey (and even they fail!) Their answer to the question that plagues God’s people? The emphatically answered, “No, we will not.”

So in to exile they go, and now, 70 years later, through Zechariah, God once again reminds His people of that plaguing question:

Return to the Lord

Key verse: Zech.1:3-4 “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. 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.”

Will you be Faithful?

A series of prophetic dreams that run in a reverse parallel, what scholars would call a chiasm. At the heart of the chiasm lies its point, so let’s work through these parallels. And bear in mind, because we’re looking at the entire book of Zechariah, we’re not going bit-by-bit. We’re looking at large, over-arching themes.

The seventy years of exile is up, so the question before the people is this: is it time for the Messianic kingdom? This question makes sense — we’ve talked about how Zerubbabel (of David’s line) and Jeshua (of the high priest’s line) are presiding over the remnant. Two visions, and admittedly, visions can be a tricky thing, but two visions underscore this question in Zech.

There are four horsemen on patrol in Zech.1:8-17, and it seems the earth is at rest (Zech.1:11 “And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’”) This probably alludes to Persia conquering Babylon and bringing peace.

Then, there are four horsemen on patrol in Zech.6:1-8, and there again is rest (Zech.6:8 “Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.””) Do these parallel accounts indicate that the Messianic Kingdom has arrived?

Next, we have a reflection on Israel’s past sin and exile.

The first of the parallel visions (which is really two visions — four horns and then four blacksmiths in Zech.1:18-21) point to the nations that exiled God’s people (Assyria, Babylon, and Persia) because of their refusal to uphold their end of the covenant agreement.

The parallel passage is found in Zech.5:5-11, and we get this picture of a woman in a basket being carried away by these other two women who have wings like storks…and you thought your dreams were weird! When Zechariah asks about this vision, the angel says it all comes back to Israel’s rebellion and exile.

The next parallel visions deal with the new Jerusalem. It’s supposed to be a “beacon to the nations,” a city and a people who are purified by the Word of God. Interesting enough, after the temple is rebuilt in Ezra, when Ezra the man steps on the scene, he seeks to lead the people to torah faithfulness in the community. Again, we are left with this lingering question, is this the Messianic Kingdom. Do me a favor and pretend for a moment that you don’t know the rest of the story.

The first picture in Zech.2:1-13 is that of a plumb line in Jerusalem. There are a couple of interesting verses here that we should make note of…stick it in that file that I’ve asked you keep in your back pocket as we study Ezra-Nehemiah. Ready, here they are:

Zech.2:3-5 “And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ””

Zech.2:11 “And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.”

The parallel picture here is a flying scroll in Zech.5:1-4. The idea seems to be that in the New Jerusalem (again, tracking with the parallel pictures) the people are purified according to the Word of God.

The fourth and final parallel seems to indicate that the Messianic kingdom will come only if God’s people are faithful. How does it portray this?

First, with Joshua (Jeshua in Ezra) the high priest (Zech.3:1-10), there’s this picture of old garments being exchanged for new, clean garments (a picture of the removal of sin) before God puts the choice before Joshua: Zech.3:7 ““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.” There is this question: will you be a faithful covenant people?

The parallel to this comes right after in Zech.4:1-14. There’s a lampstand of all gold, and it has a bowl on top of it, and then seven lamps and seven lips on each of the lamps. It’s all rather strange. Then, there are two olive trees, and we find out that there is a tap between the two trees that gives oil to lamps. When Zechariah asks what it all means, the angel says that the two olive trees are the two anointed ones or literally, two sons of new oil. We know one is Zerubbabel, and the other must be Joshua, and by extension, the royal and the priestly lines. Again, some of this imagery can get a little tricky. What’s interesting here is that both of these positions pour into one fount, and I think it leaves us wondering: how will the priestly and royal lines converge and become one?

Finally, there’s what we’ll call a bonus vision. It comes after all of the parallels have finished (Zech.6:9-15), and then a conclusion to the prophetic dreams.

The bonus vision of Joshua wearing a crown made from the silver and gold of the houses of Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah. So, we have the picture of a priest being crowned king. And what does this priest do?

Well, he’s called the Branch because he branches out to build the temple of the Lord.

He also bears royal honor.

He shall sit and rule on his throne.

Finally, those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD.

Our question, though, is does this happen with Joshua/Jeshua? And the answer is what? What did we see in Ezra 4:2-3? (“they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.””) It’s like we already know the answer to this.

After the bonus vision, we get a call to justice and mercy coupled with the coming peace and prosperity of Zion. It seems the people are asking, “Hey, can we stop grieving now? Is it the time that God’s kingdom will finally and once-for-all come?” It seems Zechariah answers the question by returning the question (see Zech.7:11 “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.”) The issue is Zech.8:2 ““Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.” God cannot have for Himself a people who do not take serious the call to covenant faithfulness.

Prophetic Pictures of the Kingdom

There are two images in Zech.9-14 of the Messianic Kingdom.

The first shows a coming king riding into the New Jerusalem. There’s a passage we’re reminded of every Palm Sunday that’s found here (Zech.9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”) But, there’s also this picture of a shepherd leading a flock that is doomed to slaughter, and the shepherd actually rejects his role and leaves the flock in the hands of cruel owners who are only interested in personal gain. It seems to refer to Zechariah who ultimately washes his hands of the people, leaving them to their own leaders, and I think it culminates in the greedy leadership of the Sanhedrin and Pharisees of Jesus’ day.

The second picture is of the New Jerusalem where salvation has been made possible, in particular through one from the house of David that has been pierced. From here, there shall be a fountain of cleansing pouring out from Jerusalem, and a spirit of repentance poured out on God’s people (Zech.12:10 ““And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”) It closes with a picture of all the nations pouring into the New Jerusalem (which bears a very similar make-up to Eden) on a day when only God himself knows.

Throughout Zechariah, the lingering question to his audience is when will the Messianic Kingdom come? The resounding answer is, “When my people are faithful to my covenant.” This final picture that we get of the New Jerusalem in these last few chapters pushes salvation history forward, as does Ezra-Nehemiah, as does the prophecy of Haggai. It invites us to keep reading, all the while bearing the age-old question in mind.

And still today, that question lies before us. That question should pierce your heart this morning, as it pierces mine. In full context from Christ Himself: Luke 6:46-49 ““Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.””

How long will we give lip service to the title Lord while busying ourselves with our own pursuits? Maybe today we get busy about repentance and surrender.

(Call to pray for personal revival)