Zechariah: Command questions actions
Minor Prophets: A survey • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsAim: To look at the crowning, the prophesy, and the proclamation
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Visions in the night
Visions in the night
A dreadful, eventful, question bringing night. In one night Zechariah has a series of visions (eight of them) and this morning we will finish with the crowning instructions, the prophesy and the proclamation. First the reminders where we were so we can understand where we are going.
Vision of Rider and Horse (Zech1:7-17)
Vision of four horns and craftsmen (Zech1:18-21)
Vision of man with measuring line (Zech2:1-13)
Vision to Joshua the High Priest (Zech3:1-10)
Vision Lampstand/Olives trees (Zech4:1-14)
Vision flying scroll (Zec5:1-4)
Vision the woman in the basket (Zec5:5-11)
Vision of Four chariots (Zec6:1-8)
So, having said that here are the intentions for this morning:
The command to crown (Zec6:9-15)
The question (Zech7:1-3)
The response (Zec7:4-14)
The Lord’s proclamation (Zec8:1-23)
The command to crown
The command to crown
What a night Zechariah has had. The message, the vision is to have a message to encourage Zerubbabel and Joshua to get to work on the rebuilding of the temple. This is now going to be strengthened even more.
The Lord’s instructions to Zechariah (Zec6:9-15)
9 The word of the Lord also came to me, saying,
10 “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon. 11 “Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
What were the instructions to Zechariah (v.10-11)?
Take an offering, make an ornate crown, set it on Joshua the high priest.
The Messianic symbolism by the crowning (a type of the coming) (Zec6:11-15)
11 “Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 “Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord.
OK, now we start with some symbolism, so let’s glean together.
What was Zechariah to tell Joshua (v.12)?
Who is the Branch (v.12)?
It is Jesus
Note down (Isa11:1) - Rod from the stem of Jesse, a Branch shall grow out of his roots
Knowing what you know that is the temple (v.12)?
your body is the temple of the living God (see 2Cor6:19)
13 “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.” ’ 14 “Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah.
The Branch (v.12) was going to do what (v.13)?
Build “the” temple of the Lord.
There is more symbolism in (v.13), see if you can see it, what are the two offices?
The one who sits on the throne (king)
The one will be priest (high priest)
15 “Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God.
Who are those who are far off (v.15)?
The Gentiles, non-Jews (consider Act2:39; Eph2:13)
Those who were once far off.
Those brought near by the blood of Christ
Further evidence that this is a type of Jesus
Jesus is the branch of (Isa11:1-2)
1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Jesus is the Nazarene (branch) of Mt2:23; Zech3:8)
23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
8 ‘Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch.
Jesus would build His temple, the church, (Mt16:18; Eph2:21-22)
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Jesus will be a priest on His throne (Heb8:1-2)
1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
Jesus who put to death the enmity and made peace (Eph2:14-17)
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;
(Transition) I’m sure by the evidence provided that you can see the symbolic crowning of Jesus in the crowning of Joshua, in who Joshua represented a type of Jesus. - The Lords plan worked it did motivate Zerubbabel and also Joshua to complete the work.
14 And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 This temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
That now brings us to our next section, not sure how far we may, may not get, we will see.
The peoples question
The peoples question
From symbolism taken from current events to the Messiah now to current events looking back at history. The people have a question.
As we head into this next section of (7:1-8:23; not sure if will make it or not, let’s glean some things along the way.
1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev.
When does this next portion, section take place (v.1)?
Forth year of Darius, forth day of ninth month
We started in eighth month, second year of Darius, so we are about 2 years later
2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the Lord, 3 speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?”
What was the question presented to the priests (v.3)?
Should we weep in the fifth month and abstain (fast)?
The Fifth month was the time of the year that the temple was destroyed some 70 years before you can look at (2King25:8-9; Jer52:12-13) to see that, so this is why the specific question.
Since the temple was in process of being rebuilt the question would be should we continue the fast in light of the temple being rebuilt.
(Transition) The answer may not be as cut and dry as they hoped but it was couched in a history lesson.
Why were you fasting?
Why were you fasting?
Oftentimes with God questions bring about more questions, or ask a question of God and God answers with a question, something to consider.
4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? 6 ‘When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves?
The word that came through Zechariah to the people from the Lord was posed as a question, what is it (v.5)?
Was the fast for Me, really?
7 ‘Are not these the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?’ ”
God has spoken before to the prophets but they did not listen before
Consider is it better to worship God has first instructed or to remember your rebellion and set a tradition that did not need to be? - - - I think God would prefer the former rather than the latter.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, 9 “Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’
What are the instructions given (v.9-10)?
Dispense true justice, practice kindness, have compassion
Do not oppress wisdom, orphan, stranger or the poor
Do not devise evil in your hearts
11 “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. 12 “They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.
13 “And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts; 14 “but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
Even with clear instructions given, they refused to pay attention and apply, so they were scattered among the nations and the land was left in desolation.
(Transition) So, did God answer the question, should we keep the fast? Well, in a sense yes, since the fast should not have had to happen anyways if they had served God from the beginning there would be no reason for the fast. - - - this sets us up for what the Lord wants, a time of fasts should be an occasion for feasting!
Feasting not fasting
Feasting not fasting
One of the main reasons for the book of Zechariah was to remind Israel of God’s zeal, God’s love for them. In this last section we will briefly look at his zeal, the promised future and desire for Israel.
The Lord’s zeal (Zec8:1-3)
1 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.’
How did the Lord feel about Zion (v.2)?
He was zealous, wit ha great zeal, a great fervor for her.
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.’
What did the Lord say He was going to do (v.3)?
I will return to Zion, I will dwell there.
The Lord’s promised future (Zec8:4-15)
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. 5 The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’
6 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ Says the Lord of hosts.
What can you you learn about Zion when the Lord dwells there from (v.4-5)?
It will be a place of old men, old women, filled with boys and girls playing in the streets.
It will be a marvelous place for the remnant and marvelous in the eyes of God
7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; 8 I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’
What is God going to do for His people (the remnant ) (v.7-8)?
I will bring them back, I will be their God, their God in truth and righteousness.
9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts, That the temple might be built. 10 For before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.
11 But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts. 12 ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these.
13 And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’
For the workers, for those rebuilding the temple they were going to be a blessing, so be strong (v.13)
14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I would not relent, 15 So again in these days I am determined to do good To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear.
Previously the lord determined to punish and not relent, now in these day’s what does the Lord determine to do (v.15)?
To do good! So do not fear
The Lord’s desire (Zec8:16-23)
16 These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; 17 Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the Lord.”
We are about out of time and just a little more to cover.
What was the instructions given (vv.16-17)?
Speak truth, give judgment in the gates standing up for truth, justice and peace. Do not think evil in heart again, do not make false oaths for the Lord hates these things.
18 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’
Let the fasts be joyous, bring gladness and be a cheerful feasts!
20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 ‘The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.”
22 ‘So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.’ 23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”
The Lord’s promise was that many nations would come to seek the Lord, people from every language will come to know the God of the Jews!
Quickly summarize then close
From motivation to some reminders that God uses all things for the good and that the good maybe bigger than you!
(Prayer) (Close)