Zechariah Part One Dive

I’VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE

Discouragement had hit the remnant of Judah, the small band of exiles that had chosen to return to Jerusalem. After seventy years in exile, they had returned, but only a tiny group. They’d returned to build the Temple, but hopelessness, apathy and discouragement had overtaken them, and they had stopped building for seventeen years.

They had heard the prophet Haggai’s message to be strong and begin building again and after two months of listening to Haggai, another voice from God began to speak. But this one was different; Zechariah, the grandson of a Levitical priest, began to share what God had shown him. This one has angels, flying scrolls, lampstands, men with a measuring line, Babylon, Jerusalem, chariots, good shepherds, and the coming of Zion’s King. Zechariah feels more like Isaiah than a book written after exile!

But the smell of exile was still on their clothes, the memories of the last seventy years etched into their minds, the vision of the fallen Temple set before them. How could they believe again what the prophet of God is saying, the good that He was promising them? How do you get back up when things have gone so horribly wrong? It took incredible courage to believe God again, incredible strength to believe the voice of the prophet and stand up and build.

Zechariah was not so much focused on them getting back to ‘doing’ but about their hearts returning to God. Time and time again he calls the people to get their relationship with God back, calling them back to God. Zechariah reminds them of the future glory that awaited them on the other side of this battle. Exile may have turned some of their hearts away from God, the hardship of dealing with the consequences of their actions, the corruption and disobedience that led them into exile, the humiliating moment of being so proud and arrogant in your land to not having a land at all! Imagine it: the beauty and splendour of Solomon’s Temple that brought so much pride to Israel, completely in ruins. A clear image of the state of the hearts of the Hebrews. Once proud, arrogant, on display, now devastated, ravaged by war and in ruin. But with visions beyond their wildest imaginations, with images of the God seated on the throne, Zechariah called their hearts back to God. He knew that if he could give them a glimpse of Heaven, show the power of Yahweh, His holiness, calling forth the images and promises of the holy scriptures, reminding them that it’s not over. The promises of God are not finished but yet to come. Even though the city may be in ruin, God is still control!

Time and time again we can get discouraged, offended, bitter, heartbroken. But it’s not how long you are stuck in that place that counts, its that you come out fighting again. Discouragement is not a disqualifier from the things of God, at times it is in fact the very path that you walk, you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death and face the evil before you know that you can fear no evil (Psalm 23). The remnant of Judah had to walk through exile and out again before they knew that God was the God that did what He said He would. His promises are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ and that goes from the consequences of bad behaviour to the reward of a beautiful and faithful God.

Today TYB, get your heart toward God back as you are restored in the visions of Zechariah. The enemy may have ravaged the city but God did new thing by his Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). If you are a little discouraged, Zechariah is for you! Begin to read the promises of hope again and I know that as you do God is going to shine a light into your heart that will be the glimmer of hope that you need to get you out of the situation you are in. The glimmer that God is good, the glimmer that the promise is about to come to pass in a way that you did not even imagine.

Zechariah Part One Dive

I’VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE

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