Zachariah

Zechariah Chapter 7

• Zechariah 7:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;

The time of Babylon captivity is over and God had sent judgment by the Medes and Persians upon Babylon. Darius 1 is king and in the fourth year of his reign when Zechariah receives this word from the Lord.

• Zechariah 7:2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,
• 3 And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

Much happens when men begin to seek the Lord in sincere fasting. In these modern times, when just two men begin to pray, churches start, revivals occur and God begins to speak. Without sincere travail in prayer all religious activity is for nothing.

These men seek God through the priests that they have been praying and keeping the fasts for many years and was inquiring whether they should continue their fasts since the time of captivity is over. These fasts they were inquiring about were not the required fasts by the law but ones they added when the temple was burned and they were taken into captivity. 

It is good to seek the Lord. They were instructed in the law of Moses to inquire and seek the Lord.

• Deuteronomy 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

They sought the priests for answers. The priests were to seek to be full of  knowledge and be faithful messengers for the Lord.

• Malachi 2:7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

What a responsibility those that lead congregations have: To teach the truth faithfully, study themselves to be knowledgeable in truth, stay full of God's spirit, and keep order while doing all things in God's timing.

• Zechariah 7:4 Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,
  5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
  6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

Their hearts were not really seeking after God but they were seeking for themselves. We have to be careful that our service toward the Lord and our worship before the Lord is not done for motives that are not pure. Religion is a good deceiver. It keeps us thinking we are doing God a service but our hearts could be far from Him. We could be just going through the motions. Seek to be "For real" and not just an outward show of being religious.

Religious ceremonies and rituals that they had in the Old Testament pertaining to the cleansing of sin by using sacrifices, pointed to the perfect sacrifice that was to come. The sacrifices had to be kept by faith in that the fact that God was going to provide salvation by the Messiah to come. If they just went through the motions and their hearts were not seeking God in faith and love, the religious works were vain.

We have had the real sacrifice and have been given knowledge of the Messiah, Jesus Christ since the time of Zechariah. We can look back to His sacrifice for our sins with faith. Every time we meet and worship, we remember His death and His resurrection to save all that are lost from sin.

By faith we believe in Him and that He is returning. If we begin to go to church out of habit and our hearts are on what we are going to have for dinner, or some other trivial thing, we are not really worshipping. Let us not beat ourselves up for this but try to shut those things out so we do not miss out on quality time in true worship.

If we say we believe and are saved from sin, yet we seek no direction from God and return to sin, our religion is vain. If we find ourselves returning to the sin Jesus saved us from and just going through the motions once or twice a week, our religion is vain. We must return to our first love and seek God with all our hearts and minds.

Why wait until a tragedy strikes to seek God when we can have fellowship with Him in both good times and bad.

Some of us may observe Christmas and Easter but our hearts may be on lights, colors and presents. Since He really did not authorize us to remember Him by keeping certain religious holidays, not that it's wrong to do so, but we don't have to wait for holidays, when we can walk in His fellowship everyday, not just on Sunday or Saturday for those that have their believer's meetings on that day. He desires for us to worship Him in spirit and in truth every day.

Let us pray just because of who He is, not just because we want something. Let us pray that we become willing vessels for His Holy Spirit to use. Are we planning good entertaining church services to draw the crowds or are we planning our services so that we can seek God and encourage others to seek Him. Don't get me wrong here. It's not wrong to plan the best we have within us using our talents to worship and lead others in worship but we need to include everyone and not just have those on the stage doing all the worshiping for us. Our goal is to worship God, not show off our talent.

Yet we can't force everyone to worship. Some may be going through a hard time and just not feel like worshiping. I hope we don't make them feel bad but just pray for one another that we get through the bad times, not drive them away with condemnation.

Here it seems as if they were observing things that God didn't even command just like we do at times. This may not have been wrong. An example is that Jews today observe Hanukkah which is not a required observance but they do it in remembrance of God's deliverance in the days of the Maccabees. What we do observe though should be with the right motive and with a heart of love toward God. 

• Zechariah 7:7 Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
• 8 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
• 9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

Isaiah writes of what God requires:

• Isaiah 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
• 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
• 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
• 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

Oppressing the widows, orphans and even strangers displeases God greatly.

• Zechariah 7:10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

This is part of the law:

• Exodus 22:21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

In Isaiah:

• Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Jeremiah warns those that are failing in this area as well:

• Jeremiah 5:28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

Proper Fasting vs. vain religious rituals:

1. Execute true judgment
2. SHOW MERCY and COMPASSION to brothers. (Brothers means more than natural brothers and sisters but neighbors, friends etc)
3. Do not oppress widows and orphans, the poor or the stranger.
4. Do not imagine or devise evil purposes for your neighbor.

Notice that I capitalized mercy and compassion. That is because I have read church history. Mercy and compassion was forgotten many times throughout church history. We can oppress by just neglecting them or showing partiality to the rich or those that pay the most tithes. 

• Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

The judgments of God toward Israel have always been because they refused to listen and would not hear. Would this not apply to the church also since we have the written word to learn from Israel's mistakes and not do likewise?

• Zechariah 7:12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

A heart that is hard will resist any correction, will not hear God's word and will lose compassion for those suffering.

2 Chronicles 36:16 shows how men's hearts are hardened by mocking the messengers and despising God's word even after God shows kindness and favor:

• 2Chronoicles 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
• 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Daniel prays about this during the years of captivity:

• Daniel 9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

There is an answer to a hardened hard. Here is a promise of a time to come when Israel turns back to God. What a wonderful hope and a promise from God.

• Ezekiel 11:17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
• 18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
• 19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
• 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

God never once sent judgment without first sending His prophets and teachers to warn and He explains why the judgment comes. But when we listen, repent and turn to Him, what a blessing awaits. A new spirit within us, a hope, a joy and just waiting in God's presence.

• Zechariah 7:13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

In Proverbs we read:

• Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

Imagine how we would feel if we saw our child running fast toward a deep cliff. We had no time to catch up with them to stop their fall. We cried, screamed, warned but they took no heed. How much should we not realize those that warn us against danger is showing more love than those that pat us on the back with a you're ok, I'm ok attitude?

In Micah:

• Micah 3:4 Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

God is a just God. There comes a time when His voice may stop warning, pleading and He lets us go our own way. That is the worst thing that could every happen to a human being, not when we have the conviction of the Holy Spirit but when we no longer are convicted when we sin against God.

• Zechariah 7:14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

We can see here why some prayers are not answered. Every time Israel was scattered it was because of their own disobedience to God. God warned them as far back as in Deuteronomy. Oh my how we need to covet the correction and love God gives us through the Holy Spirit.

• Deuteronomy 28:64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

However, I will insert here a warning that this is no excuse to the nations that oppress Israel. Woe to any nation that oppresses Israel. God uses them but God also judges those that go beyond what He ordains. Do not be cruel to anyone but try to bring them to the Lord.

When God scattered them to other nations, the other nations had no right to be cruel and kill the innocent like what happened during the Spanish Inquisition and the holocaust.

• Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
• 35 For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
• 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
• 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
• 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
• 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
• 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
• 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
• 42 For I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
• 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
• 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
• 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
• 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

God sees all that goes on. He sees those that oppress the innocent, the poor, the weak, the widow, faithful believers and His chosen people, the Jews. He chose them to bring salvation to the whole world by allowing His Son to be born among them, live among them and sacrifice His own life to save all who would believe. 

We have a responsibility to show love and compassion toward those that have not seen the truth of the gospel. No true religion will oppress or try to force conversions upon unbelievers. The gospel is gentile but powerful enough to save the lost, make those who once hated into those that love.

The gospel brings change and causes believers to be born again by the spirit of God. Old things pass away and all becomes new. If we find ourselves hating and oppressing, we have lost our first love, Jesus Christ and what He stands for.  DC

Zechariah Index