Archives for October 2017

OVERVIEW: A call for repentance and exhortation to fathers (1:1–6); the eight visions designed to encourage the people to rebuild the temple (1:7–6:8); Joshua is crowned the high priest (6:9–15); Jews from Bethel inquire concerning the continuance of fasting. (7:1–8:23)

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Because of the significant content and length of the Books of Genesis, Psalms, and Isaiah, it is certainly no surprise that they are the most quoted books in the New Testament. Do you realize, however, that the little Book of Zechariah (only 14 chapters) is quoted almost 40 times in the New Testament?! That is most certainly because of the messianic emphasis in this Book. It is, without a doubt, the most Christ-centered of all of the Minor Prophets, and contains more messianic prophecies than perhaps any other Book in the entire Old Testament. Notice that verse 1 says, “…the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.” (1:1)

The name Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers”. His father’s name, Berechiah, means “Jehovah blesses”. His grandfather’s name, Iddo, means “His time”. If we put the meanings of these three names together, it beautifully states, “Jehovah remembers and blesses in His time!” Hallelujah! You may need that subtle reminder to be a word of encouragement to you today (Prov. 15:23; 25:11), but the historic and prophetic significance of “the LORD remembering and blessing in His time” has to do with Jews and Jerusalem. In fact, the city of Jerusalem is mentioned 39 times in the Book of Zechariah.

Verses 14–17 of chapter 1 are really a condensed overview of the theme of the Book, stating that God, the great “I AM,” is jealous for Jerusalem; He remembers what the heathen did to His city; and, one day, He will bless Jerusalem with prosperity and peace!

Do note that Zechariah and Haggai were contemporaries who ministered to the same people, even though their lives, their ministries, and their Books are filled with contrasts. Haggai was an old man while Zechariah was a young man. (2:4) Haggai preached sermons and Zechariah shared visions. Haggai’s ministry was marked by exhortation as Zechariah’s ministry was marked by encouragement.

Zechariah’s prophecy begins in 1:2 with a statement that could be made in our day just as aptly as it was his own: “The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.” One of the most horrific things about the Laodicean Church Period is what has taken place in the whole realm of fathering. As we have previously discussed, the devil has waged an all-out attack on fathers because they possess the title with which God wants us to relate in our relationship with Him. Fathers, we may need to ask ourselves how we’re doing in fulfilling our seven biblical responsibilities to our children? We may also need to consider, that if the Lord were to comment on our fathering, as He did on the fathers in Zechariah’s day, would He say He was “pleased” with the job we’re doing, or as in their case, would He say He was “sore displeased”? Or, would it be somewhere in-between? May we hear, heed, and be encouraged in the admonition and promise of verse 3: “Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you!” Oh, may we turn to our heavenly Father today! As we have seen all through the Old Testament, the problem in fathering is that unless something supernatural takes place in a man’s life, he invariably becomes like his father, and most often, that isn’t a good thing (1:2), thus, the admonition of verse 4: “Be not as your fathers.”

Zechariah continues on in verse 4, saying that though the prophets were crying out to the fathers to turn from their “evil ways” and “evil doings,” they paid absolutely no attention whatsoever to them! In verse 5, God asks, “Where are they now?” Or, in other words, “How’d that kind of life work out for ‘em?” Zechariah states in verse 6, that if they had taken hold of God’s words and statutes, His words and statutes would have taken hold of them! They could have received blessing from the Lord, but because they refused to listen and turn, they willfully chose cursing. Oh Dads, there might be some things we can miss concerning Zechariah’s “visions” in the first 6 chapters, but please don’t miss the message in the first 6 verses!

What follows this powerful exhortation to fathers in 1:1–6, is a series of eight visions that Zechariah received, and was commanded to share with the people. The eight visions, which span 1:7–6:8, were designed by God to encourage the people to rebuild the temple. Each vision is introduced with phrases such as, “I saw…”, “I lifted up my eyes and looked…”, “He showed me…”, etc. The eight visions, and a brief statement concerning God’s message about each of them, is as follows:

• The Man Riding on a Red Horse. (1:7–17) God is displeased with the Gentiles who are at ease while His people are afflicted. He will punish the nations and restore His people.
• The Four Horses and Four Carpenters. (1:18–21) God will destroy the four Gentile world powers.
• The Man with a Measuring Line. (2:1–13) God will restore Jerusalem.
• Joshua the High Priest. (3:1–10) God will cleanse and restore the priesthood, which is representative of the nation.
• The Golden Candlestick and Two Olive Trees. (4:1–14) Israel, God’s light-bearer, will rebuild the temple by the power of the Spirit of God (pictured by oil) under the leadership of Joshua and Zerubbabel.
• The Flying Roll (Scroll). (5:1–4) God will judge the sin in the land.
• The Woman Sitting in the Ephah (a basket used for measuring). (5:5–11) Wickedness (the woman) will be carried from the land back to the land of its origination, Babylon.
• The Four Chariots. (6:1–8) God controls the nations. His enemies have been shut down, and Jerusalem is safe.

In 6:9–15, for the first time, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah without being in the form of a vision. Joshua, a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, a “priest-king” referred to as “The BRANCH”, would build the temple and sit on the throne!

Chapters 7 and 8 form somewhat of an interlude in the book. In these chapters, God addresses the subject of fasting. The only required fast in the Old Testament was the fast on the Day of Atonement, but the Jews had included fasts to remember the fall of Jerusalem. (We might equate it with remembering the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11.) Zechariah uses this as an opportunity to teach about God’s intention through fasting.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As the BRANCH — Zechariah 3:8; 6:12 (Isa. 11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15)

As the STONE THAT REMOVES SIN — Zechariah 3:9 (Rom. 9:31–33)

As JOSHUA (Hebrew word for Jesus) THE PRIEST-KING — Zechariah 6:11–13

OVERVIEW: God’s judgment of Judah (Zeph. 1:1–2:3); God’s judgment of the Gentile nations (Zeph. 2:4–3:7); God’s restoration of His people (Zeph. 3:8–20); A call to build (Hag. 1:1–15); A promise of glory (Hag. 2:1–9); A problem of defilement (Hag. 2:10–19); A promise to a servant. (Hag. 2:20–23)

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Zephaniah is one of the strongest preachers in the entire Bible. Verse 1 merely introduces him, providing us his background and placement in history, and in verse 2, he’s already going for the jugular! “I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord.” (1:2) Zephaniah’s message is a message of judgment. There are only 53 verses in the entire Book, and there are at least 20 references to “the Day of the Lord!” (See how many you can find — i.e. “the day of the Lord,” “that day,” “the day,” “same day,” “at that time,” etc.)

The “day of the Lord” is a two-edged sword. On one side, it is a horrendous day. For evildoers, Zephaniah says, “That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (1:15) Zephaniah adds that it is a day when the earth’s mightiest men shall “cry bitterly” (1:14), and the earth’s wealthiest men will see the futility and worthlessness of their “silver” and “gold” to “deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath.” (1:18) On the other side of “the day of the Lord” sword, it is a glorious day! For the Lord’s faithful, Zephaniah exhorts, “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel: be glad and rejoice with all the heart.” (3:14) In 3:17, Zephaniah adds, “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” This two-edged sword describing “the day of the Lord” can also be seen in Paul’s words to the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10: “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” Note that while those who “know not God” are the recipients of His vengeance and punishment, on that very same day, for those of us who have “believed”, we will joyfully and passionately make certain that our Lord is both “glorified” and “admired”!

Though the Book of Zephaniah is built around “the day of the Lord”, another key word in the Book is the word “remnant”. In fact, the theme of the Book is actually “the salvation of Israel’s remnant”. Interestingly enough, the name Zephaniah means “Jehovah hides” or “Jehovah protects/treasures”. That is exactly what God will do with Israel’s believing remnant during the outpouring of His incredible wrath in “the day of the Lord”. (Rev. 12:13–17)

A brief breakdown of the Book is as follows:

In 1:1–2:3, Zephaniah reveals God’s judgment of Judah. Notice in 1:4–6, that Judah, like Laodicea, had three kinds of sinners:

• Those who have totally forsaken God and worship idols;
• Those who worship (or think they worship) both God and idols;
• Those who at one time followed the Lord, but have totally and openly forsaken Him and want nothing to do with Him.

In 2:4–3:7, Zephaniah reveals God’s judgment of the Gentile nations. After describing His judgment upon them, God makes an appeal to His own people (3:1–7), saying in effect, “If I will judge the heathen nations for their sins, how much more will I judge this sin of the nation that I separated out of all the nations of the world to be holy unto Me?”

In 3:8–20, Zephaniah reveals God’s restoration of His people. The Book of Zephaniah ends with the incredible promise that God will one day punish the Gentiles, and regather and restore Israel and Judah to Himself and to their land. Notice that 3:8 is most definitely describing the Battle of Armageddon, when the Lord Jesus Christ will return out of heaven to rescue Israel from the Gentile nations who will gather against her when He comes on the great “day of the Lord” to establish His millennial kingdom. (Rev. 19:11–12: Zeph. 3:8,15)

The Lord’s closing message to Israel through Zephaniah is that, “At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.” (3:20) That promise has yet to be fulfilled, but certainly will be in the very near future!

HAGGAI

Today’s reading also includes the two chapters that comprise the Book of Haggai (the second shortest book of the Old Testament). In order to understand the ministry of the last three prophets (Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi), we must understand that they prophesied after the exile in 520 B.C., and thus, their books are referred to as post-exile books. Here’s a simple way to get the setting of these books in your mind: In 536 B.C., Ezra led approximately 50,000 Jews back into their land after the Babylonian captivity. Under Ezra’s leadership, they rebuilt the altar, reinstated the sacrifices, and in 535 B.C., laid the foundation for the rebuilding of the temple. Because of the incredible opposition they faced, the work on the temple ceased. It was through four godly men that the work finally continued and was ultimately brought to completion: Zerubbabel, the governor; Joshua, the high priest; and Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets. When Haggai begins his prophecy (1:1), recognize that the date is September 1, 520 B.C. It has been 16 years since the construction on the temple began, but rather than walls covering the foundation, it was covered with weeds. Interestingly, though God’s house lay desolate, they had found the time and money to make sure that their own houses were completed! Haggai’s message to Zerubbabel and Joshua, the two leaders of the nation, was: “The people have made a priority out of their own houses and careers, and it is high time priority is given to the Lord’s house and His cause!”

The Book of Haggai breaks down into four sections. Each section is actually a “sermon” Haggai preached, and each one is prefaced by the date in which it was delivered. (1:1; 2:1; 2:10; 2:20) In each “sermon,” Haggai points out a particular sin that keeps God’s people from fulfilling His will and accomplishing His work.

• Making self a priority instead of the Lord. (1:1–15 c.f. 2 Timothy 3:1–2)
• Looking back instead of looking ahead. (2:1–9 c.f. Phil. 3:13–14)
• Failing to be cleansed of sin. (2:10–19 c.f. 2 Cor. 7:1)
• (2:20–23 c.f. Heb. 3:12–4:2)

We would do well to ask ourselves today: “What work has God called me to accomplish that I haven’t finished? (See 1 Cor. 15:58)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

As THE KING OF ISRAEL, EVEN THE LORD — Zephaniah 3:15 (John 1:49)