Zechariah 8:1-8 says,...Bible reading week 35, day 3

Today's verses are Zechariah 8:1-8, which read,

v.1, 2 - Then the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.'

v.3 - Thus says the LORD, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.  Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.'

v.4, 5 - Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age.  And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.'

v.6 - Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?'  declares the LORD of hosts.

v.7,8 - Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.'"

We have 5 "thus says the LORD of hosts" in this paragraph.  The first "thus" tells us that God is a jealous God for His people.  He is "exceedingly jealous."   God will not tolerate their sin and He will not tolerate those who have come against His people.  His wrath is married with His jealousy so that we can see that it is a holy jealously that He possesses for us to be right with Him and to be at peace.  Out of this jealousy comes the other "thus" statements.

The Lord will return to Zion, or another name for the city of Jerusalem but also a symbol of the people of God.  He will not only return but He will dwell.  He will set up shop.  He will visit for an extended stay.  He will interact with His people.  His presence will change the city and the people of God to be from what it was to a city characterized by truth and holiness.  May this be our characteristics as individual Christians and churches.  May we sense God dwelling among us and that these people and gathering of people would be places of truth and holiness.  Holiness allows us to dispense the truth with grace and love.

The next "thus"  gives us a word picture of what this will look like with God dwelling among us.  The streets that once were a danger to be in now have old men and women residing in with no fear of being run over or injured.  They also have their staffs in their hands to stabilize them but also a tool used to teach others from their wisdom of walking with God.  From the oldest we go to the youngest and the boys and girls are able to play in the streets.  This is definitely not the south side of Chicago these days but there was a time when some could witness this picture even there.  When God is followed and His people are characterized as truth and holiness, it changes the environment around them.  The streets become safer and a place to receive guidance from our elders and a place of refuge for our children to grow up in.  What a beautiful picture Zechariah gives us.

We might say this picture is not possible.  In the next "thus" God asks this question.  If you think this could never happen for the people of God you need to ask if this is too hard for the LORD of hosts.  Is God big enough to change the situation?  We might not be able to see it or even have a hard time imagining it but do we serve a God who can make it happen?  

He answers these questions with the last "thus."  He starts with "behold, I am going to save."  The picture is being saved from the nations from the east and the west but our sin is also dealt with as far as the east is from the west.  There will be a bringing us back to a place that is holy.  There will be a bringing back to a place to be in the very presence of God.  There will be a salvation that will bring about for the people of God a reunion because of His salvation offered to us.  God is going to make a way and we know that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.  May these "thus" statements increase our view of God today.  Let us pray.  

"Lord, what a great passage to read this morning.  Thank You for Your jealousy for us that protects us from Your wrath.  Thank You for the salvation that You offer that changes us and the environments that we reside.  May we be spoken of as a place and people of truth and holiness.  Amen."

Pastor Adam


A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life - Spurgeon

     I heard this phrase today along with another that if you connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life, it will end up effecting all of your life.  This came up in my study of the book of James and specifically the verses dealing with not just being a hearer of the Word but also be a doer of the Word.  It is all about application.  I can't look at preaching the Word without giving steps of applying the Word.  It really is an incomplete sermon if I don't.      Many times I think it has to be big and many points and given cute aliteration that makes it snappy and I think easy to remember and fun to write down.  Reality is, if I would make it a bit of Scripture connected to a bit of life and just that it would probably accomplish much more.  How much time I spend on the opening statement and lame joke and research and introductions and how many points and the closing statement and so little time on connecting the bit of Scripture to the bit of life.      So I guess I ha
Read more

Galatians #15 - Galatians 6:11-18 - "On The Road Again..."

Image
  Another week closer and it involves some more travel for the Wolfgangs.  I feel like the Willy Nelson song, " On the road again... "  I don't know if I agree with the next line though. " ...I can't wait to get on the road again. " One of the members of the church in Wisconsin calculated that I will travel well over 10,000 miles to make this transition.  Traveling mercies prayers please. Last Sunday we will look at Paul's final words to the churches in Galatia.  He brought them the gospel (good news) message of Jesus and what resulted were churches forming throughout the region.  The letter is to defend that message that our salvation comes from and is in Christ alone.  Christ's sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins.  The summary statement of the letter is found in  Galatians 6:15 (LSB) .  " For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. "  Translated another way earlier in  Ga
Read more

Sermon prep and maybe a video...

     James 4 has brought up some interesting study.  First, "the quarrels and fights among you."  Those are usually worse than you think even though we try to minimize them.  The source is simpler than you think because it is coming from within you.  The solution is easier than you think because the solution that James gives is that we need to humble ourselves before the Lord.  Any sincere resolution is specific and brief.  Beware of lengthy resolutions that usually include explaining it away or excusing some of the behavior.      As I have seen before, the words are a sign of the heart.  I read this week that if we have a critical heart we usually start by speaking evil of another to ourselves.  Then we progress to speaking evil of another to that person with a running tally in our heads of all their wrongs.  Finally, we speak evil of another to others and broadcast in a way that we are thinking that we are helping.  Giving judgment is always easier than giving mercy.  I
Read more