The Promises of God
Notes
Transcript
Zechariah 8:1-23
Chapter 7 Israel was to repent and live righteously following
her punishment of captivity. Now in chapter 8, Israel is to repent and live righteously because of the promise of her future restoration.
The eventual restoration and full millennial blessings, of which in Zechariah’s day was just a down payment.
This future restoration will only come about by the resources
of the Lord of hosts.
Big Idea: God promises restoration and hope to His people, urging us to trust in His plan and actively participate in the rebuilding of faith and community.
1. Promises of Presence and Peace, vs. 1-8.
1. Promises of Presence and Peace, vs. 1-8.
Zechariah 8:1-8
Note the repeated use of the phrase “Thus says the Lord of
hosts.” This suggests Zechariah was repeating truths that he often spoke to the people.
Verse 2 – The LORD is very jealous for the exclusive love
and commitment of His people, burning with great wrath within Him. He tolerates no rivals, real or imagined. He is zealous to protect His uniqueness and to maintain the allegiance of His people. He is protective of them, safeguards their interests and comes to their defense.
Verse 3 — In the future, the recurring cycle of apostasy
followed by punishment will end. God will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. It will be called the city of truth, and Zion, the mountain of the Lord of hosts, will be called the Holy Mountain, all because the LORD of hosts is there.
Verse 4-5 — Jerusalem is promised to be a place of
tranquility, longevity, peace, prosperity and security. The elderly will be able to sit without fear in the streets; children playing in those same streets. Cf. Isaiah 65:20-25
“No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed.
“They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
“They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.
“They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord, And their descendants with them.
“It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
“The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.
If we want to know a society’s health, Zechariah suggests looking at the place children and the elderly have there.
Verse 6 — Those things which seems impossible from a human standpoint are not too impossible for the LORD. Cf. Matthew 19:26
And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Their ancestors found it hard to believe the threats of
judgment. The people now are finding it hard to believe the promises of blessing. But . . .
Verses 7-8 — The LORD who scattered His people in judgment
promises to regather them to bless them, Isaiah 11:11-12
Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea.
And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.
‘Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it.
‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves.
‘But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar And your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, And no one will make him afraid.
‘For I am with you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to save you; For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly And will by no means leave you unpunished.’
For thus says the Lord, “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel.’
“Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here.
“Jerusalem” represents the whole land. It is the place where
the returnees will come to worship the LORD. As a result they will enjoy intimacy with God in a relationship of truth and righteousness. The language used here is in covenant terminology.
2. Persevere for Promised Blessings, vs. 9-13.
2. Persevere for Promised Blessings, vs. 9-13.
Zechariah 8:9-13
Verse 9 — The people are to gain strength from the
encouragement of Haggai and Zechariah (others?).
“In the day” most likely points to the resumption of temple
construction in 520 BC. The foundation of the house of the Lord was laid indicates that these people were there at that event. Now they will be there when the house is finished.
Verse 10 — As they look back, before they started the temple
work, there was severe unemployment, a lack of food for even the animals, there was no peace but oppression from their enemies, and even of each other.
Verse 11 -12 — Now the LORD looks forward, promising that
obedience will bring blessing. There will be peace so they can plant without fear, agricultural productivity with abundant moisture for growth, and the people will enjoy the fruit of all these blessings. This is speaking of the covenantal blessings of Deut. 28, see Ezekiel 34:25-27.
“I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
“I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing.
“Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
Verse 13 — All twelve tribes, the whole nation, having been
a curse to the nations, will be saved by God for the purpose of becoming a blessing for the nations. This is not yet fulfilled, it is to be fulfilled in the future. Therefore, they are reject their present fears and gain strength to complete the task of rebuilding the temple.
3. Practice Truth and Justice, vs. 14-17.
3. Practice Truth and Justice, vs. 14-17.
Zechariah 8:14-17
Verses 14-15 — This is the LORD’s part in the people’s
restoration. Covenant disobedience has brought them divine discipline. Covenant obedience would bring divine blessing.
The LORD had promised and did not relent on the divine
discipline; He has promised and will not go back on divine blessings. Therefore, do not fear!
Verses 16-17 — This is the people’s part in their
restoration. In view of this reality,
speak truth to one another,
practice true justice,
promote peace as they live together,
stop plotting to take advantage of another, and
stop lying under oath.
These are contrary to the LORD’s character, Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,
A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
We are to love what God loves and hate what God hates.
Living out God's commands is integral to experiencing His promises, highlighting that our actions play a role in our restoration journey.
4. Proclaim to All Peoples, vs. 18-23.
4. Proclaim to All Peoples, vs. 18-23.
Zechariah 8:18-23
The Promise of the Future.
The question of fasting is now addressed once more.
Verse 18 — these four fasts
Fourth month – end of Davidic rule, the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls, 2 Kings 25:3-4
On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.
Fifth month – destruction of the temple.
Seventh month – assassination of Gedaliah, Nebuchadnezzar’s governor, 2 Kings 25:25
But it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
Tenth month – Beginning of the siege of Jerusalem, 2 Kings 25:1
Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.
These observances slowly ceased until the temple was
destroyed in 70 AD, when they were revived and still observed today by strict modern Jews.
These fasts in the future will be days of glorious feasting
for the people. The fullness of the messianic blessings will enable the people to forgot these fasts. Instead they will be occasions to rejoice in the grace bestowed by God.
Verses 20-22 — in that day, people will come eagerly, not
out of obligation or duty, Isaiah 2:1-5
The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Jerusalem will become the center of God’s dealings with the nations and a medium of blessing to all the world.
Verse 23 — men will grasp the cloak of a Jew, not to
persecute or do him harm, but to ask permission to accompany him, thereby acknowledging that God’s blessing rests so evidently on the Jews.
Reinforce that through Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of this ingathering is manifest. Encourage the church to be a beacon of God’s love, drawing others into His light and hope.
