Zechariah I Am Zealous for Zion Part 4

Zechariah “I Am Zealous for Zion” Part 4

Outline § Introduction (1: 1 -6): a call to return to God § Visions of Zechariah (1: 7 – 6: 15) § Questions of Zechariah (7: 1 – 8: 23) § Burdens of Zechariah (9: 1 – 14: 21)

Zechariah the Prophet n 1: 1 – 520 B. C. – God’s people need stirring up to rebuild the unfinished Temple with toil (compare Haggai 1: 12: 9). n 7: 1 – 518 B. C. – God’s people need stirring up to rebuild their unclean lives with truth (compare with Haggai 2: 1019).

Zechariah the Prophet n 7: 8 -9 “Execute true judgment. . . ” n 8: 3 “The city of truth…” n 8: 8 “In truth and righteousness” n 8: 16 -17 “Speak the truth…” n 8: 19 “Love truth and peace”

Question About Fasting n Question: “Should I weep in the fifth month? ” (7: 1 -3; 8: 19) n This is not the required fast of the 7 th month connected with the Day of the Atonement (Lev. 16: 29; 23: 27; Num. 29: 7) n These are additional fasts added by the Jews during the Babylonian captivity

Question About Fasting n Question: “Should I weep in the fifth month? ” (7: 1 -3; 8: 19) n 10 th month (2 K. 25: 1 -2): city besieged n 4 th month (2 K. 25: 3 -7): walls breeched n 5 th month 2 K. 25: 8 -21): temple burned n 7 th month (2 K. 25: 22 -26): Gedaliah killed

Question About Fasting n Answer (7: 4 – 7: 14): the past 1. Fast to me, not to yourselves; follow my word, not your man-made tradition (7: 4 -7) 2. Stubborn refusal to follow God’s word led the Jews into the Babylonian captivity: the why of the captivity is more important (7: 8 -14)

Question About Fasting n Answer (8: 1 – 8: 23): the present 3. The Lord and his people will return to Jerusalem (8: 1 -8) 4. The inhabitants of Jerusalem will live in peace and be a blessing (8: 913) 5. The Lord will do good and the

Question About Fasting n Answer (8: 1 – 8: 23): the present 6. Replace your fasting with feasting (8: 18 -19) 7. Many people will come to seek the Lord’s favor in addition to the Jews (8: 20 -23)

Lessons for Today n Our religious actions need to be directed to the Lord, not to self (7: 1 -6; Rom. 12: 1; Eph. 5: 19; Col. 3: 23; Heb. 12: 28; 13: 15) n We need to follow God’s word over human tradition (7: 7; Mt. 15: 8 -9)

Lessons for Today n Proper inward attitude must accompany proper outward action (7: 8 -10; Mt. 23: 23; Lk. 18: 11 -12; Tit. 1: 16) n When we do not listen to the Lord, he does not listen to us: hear the word of the Lord (7: 11 -14; Prov. 28: 19; Isa. 1: 15; Jas. 4: 8; 1 Pet. 3: 12)

Lessons for Today n God’s people are to be known for their truth and righteousness (8: 1 -8; 4: 24; 5: 9; 6: 14) n Fear not and be strong (8: 9 -13; Deut. 31: 6; Josh. 10: 25; 1 Chron. 22: 13; 28: 20; Isa. 35: 4; Dan. 10: 19) Eph.

Lessons for Today n The Lord will do good, but will we do good (8: 14 -17; Eph. 4: 25 ff)? n Love truth and peace (8: 19; Prov. 23: 23; 2 Thess. 2: 10; 1 Pet. 3: 11) n “Let us go … I will go … we will go” is a great attitude (8: 21, 23; Isa. 2: 3)