1In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:
2"The Lord was very angry with your ancestors.
3Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.
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4Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.
5Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever?
6But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? "Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’"
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The word of the Lord comes to Zechariah during the reign of Darius. The Lordwas angry with the Israelites‘ ancestors. Therefore He calls the people to returnto Him and promises to return to them. They are not to be like their ancestorswho ignored the earlier prophets. The people repent, acknowledging theLord‘s justice. - P75
The people of Judah had returned from exile, but God wanted more than just their physical return—He desired their hearts. Through Zechariah, the Lord calls them to repentance, reminding them that their ancestors’ disobedience had provoked His anger and led to their downfall. Now was the time for a different response: a sincere turning back to the Lord. - P76
True repentance is not just saying "sorry" but turning away from sin and aligning one’s life with God’s Word. It means agreeing with God about the seriousness of sin and committing to walk in obedience. This passage challenges us to examine our own hearts and not repeat the mistakes of the past. - P76
As we turn back to God, we will find that He is eager to receive us. - P76
Lord, thank you for the grace to learn from the past. Help me to listen carefully and pay attention to what You desire me to see, hear, and know. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. - P76
Zechariah reminds the returning exiles that their ancestors ignored God‘smessengers and faced the consequences. Though the prophets and therebellious generation have long passed away, God‘s people can learn fromprevious mistakes. They should not neglect hearing from the Lord becausethey know the judgment they would face in doing so. - P76
They should, instead,
listen carefully and pay attention to His words and decrees. The disobedi-ence of the past serves as a warning to the present. When we align ourselveswith the Lord, we walk in the blessing and purpose that He intends forWhen we ignore His words and disregard His decrees, we are left vulnerableto the consequences of our rebellion and sin.
us. - P76
Zechariah receives a vision during the night. A man on a red horse standsamong myrtle trees in a ravine, with other horses behind him. An angelexplains the vision. The angel laments God‘s anger toward His people andthe Lord answers with kind, comforting words. He promises to show mercyto Jerusalem and rebuild His house. - P79
Zechariah‘s second vision builds upon the first. God‘s people are desperate-ly trying to rebuild their lives while surrounded by hostile nations livingin peace and prosperity, with immense power, as symbolized by the fourhorns. This raises an age-old question: How can God allow the wicked tolive at ease while the righteous suffer? The answer given to the prophet isone that we see throughout history as mighty empires ultimately are shownto be like sandcastles by the seashore, washed away by the seas of time. - P80
Godalone is eternal. - P80
Those who, by faith, build upon the firm foundation thatHe is will endure, while those who do not will be swept away. - P80
God instructs usto not retaliate, but instead, to do the exact opposite forgive and blessthose who have mistreated us.
The Bible makes it clear that it is God‘s role, not ours, to bring about justice.
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But what about the times when it seems like those who hurt us are gettingaway with it? Even when we can‘t see God acting on our behalf, He is alwaysworking out His perfect plans for our good. Make no mistake, justice isextremely important to God. In fact, Psalm 89:14 tells us that righteousnessand justice are the very foundation of His throne.
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It is an act of trust and obedience to put our faith in God‘s will instead ofgoing forward with our own plans to "make things right." When we try tofix our circumstances in our own power, without God‘s guidance, they usu-ally end up worse than before. - P81
But when we put our trust in God‘s perfecttiming and infinite wisdom, we can be sure that He willreturning to us everything that has been taken.
andavengerestore, - P81
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