Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Year 3: Day 267: Zechariah 8

Promise of Peace

In the last chapter we spoke a good bit about ritualism.  In this chapter we speak about the other extreme.  Here in this chapter Zechariah will put the emphasis upon conformity to God’s will.

God tells Zechariah that He will come and dwell among His people.  He will come to Jerusalem and be with His people.  Because He comes back to Jerusalem, it will be called the faithful city.

But the profound effect of the presence of God is in the inhabitants.  People will grow old there.  This may not seem like a big deal, but remember their context.  They are rebuilding a city that has been torn down because they themselves have been in captivity for several generations.  Hebrew people haven’t been growing old at all in captivity!  So for God to promise that there will be old people in Jerusalem implies that the city will still be around in which they can grow old!

However, Jerusalem will not just be full of old people.  Young boys and girls will play in the streets.  So there will be a healthy mix of intergenerational people.  And the city will be safe in which to play.  Remember that before Jerusalem fell, they were under siege for a few decades.  It had been almost a century since children had the freedom and the desire to play in the streets of Jerusalem!

This is what happens when God comes among us to dwell and we receive Him.  Sure, we as human beings will never live in a utopia and we will always get things a little messed up.  But when we are humble about our failings and still live with God in our midst, things will go better.

To emphasize His point, God then speaks to those who have been a part of the return from exile from the very beginning.  He reminds them that times are changing.  Life used to be difficult and dangerous in the land during the exile and even when the refugees were returning.  But now that they have undertaking the rebuilding of the temple as well as their homes, God is going to allow them to sow peace.  God promises the people that He will make them strong.  Their remnant will keep hold of the land.

Purpose

God then reminds the people about His promises and His own faithfulness to His Word.  Before the exile, God purposed that the people would be destroyed and they were.  Because of their rebellion, God promised that they would reap the destruction that they sowed.  God also reminds the people that He did not relent.  When His anger came due, it was paid in full.

But now God promises that He will bring good.  As His promises came true in the past, they will likewise come true in the future.  When God purposes good for us it will happen just as often as when God purposes judgment against us.

What do the Hebrew people need to do in response to this promise?  Speak truth.  Render fair judgments.  Make peace.  Do not devise evil for another person.  Do not enjoy false oaths.  Again we see a common theme in the Minor Prophets: God is about righteousness in the heart far more than He is about a shallow yet public demonstration.

So what is the end of all of this promise?  Why are the Hebrew people brought to this moment of glory?  Is it all about the Hebrew people after all?  Is it all about their fame and glory and supremacy?

No.  It is all about God.  People will come from far and near because the Lord dwells in Jerusalem.  People will come because these people are in relationship with God.  People will come to seek the Lord.  Jew and Gentile alike shall desire to be in the presence of God.

That day has begun to come.  Gentile did begin to come to God.  Then Christ came and even more Gentiles have come to follow God.  One day in the future all people who remain on the planet will come and seek God.  What a glorious day that will be.


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