[오늘의 한문장] 리빙라이프 Living Life 2025.10 (영문판)

A group of men ask Zechariah whether they should mourn and fast as they did during the exile. But God turns their question around, asking them through Zechariah whether they were fasting for Him or for themselves (v. 6). Practicing spiritual disciplines such as fasting, prayer, and church-going, should be done for the right reasons. Is our fasting an attempt to make us feel pious and devoted, to mask disobedience in other areas of our life? Is our praying an attempt to manipulate God and bend Him to our will? - P106

Through Zechariah, God makes clear that He wants us to be authentic, truly seeking His will as we practice spiritual disciplines. - P106

God wants our heartfelt devotion, not self-seeking religion. - P106

Dear God, You are not impressed by appearances of piety. You want my heart’s affections and my desire to be for You above all else. Make me an instrument of blessing to others who are in need, that they may experience Your love and grow in faith. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P107

13It is he who will build the...

13It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ - P101

Zechariah sees four chariots coming from between two mountains, pulled byhorses of various colors. The angel explains they are the four spirits of heavengoing out from standing before the Lord to patrol the earth. Then, Zechariahcrowns Joshua the high priest and declares him as the Branch who will buildthe temple. He will be clothed with majesty and be a priest upon the throne. - P101

Zechariah sees four chariots coming from between two mountains ofbronze and learns from the angel that they are spirits of heaven going outto the four corners of the world. Special attention is given to those goingnorth to unleash God‘s judgment on Babylon, predicting the conquest ofthe Babylonians by the Persians, which allowed God‘s people to returnhome from captivity.  - P102

Babylon is often referenced metaphorically in theNew Testament to represent a place that is sinful and opposed to God.
And God promises that one day a Branch will come and rule as king andpriest. These promises are ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The restoration thatbegan with the rescue of God‘s people from Babylon culminates on thecross, where God rescued His people from sin.  - P102

The prophetic messages ofjudgment and mercy on the cross. Jesus satisfied God‘s judgmentand expresses Hismercy, now available to all who will believe. - P102

Dear Jesus, thank you for being the Branch-our King and Priest. Becauseof You, we have become temples where the Holy Spirit dwells. Help us to befaithful in each role You have given us. In Your name, amen. - P103

3And he said to me, ˝This is ...

3And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.

4The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.’"

- P94

Zechariah sees a flying scroll, representing judgment against thieves andthose who swear falsely. He then sees a basket with a woman inside, symbolizing wickedness. The woman is sealed inside and carried away by twowinged women to Babylon, where a house will be built for it. - P95

The restoration of the temple, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem are threatened by the lawlessness in the land. In Zechariah’s vision of the flying scroll, God assures the prophet that the lawbreakers who threaten the future of God’s people will be destroyed. - P96

The purpose of law in any society is to maintain order and administer justice. But the reality is that many maintain lawless lives with impunity. Such increasing lawlessness tears at the very fabric of society. - P96

It’s easy to feel helpless, fearful, and even cynical when we witness injustice in our lives and world, but we can be certain that God will protect us as we seek to let His justice guide our choices and actions. - P96

Wickedness is symbolized as a woman in a basket that represents the pervasive spirit of iniquity that is found throughout the land. The word trans-lated iniquity means "twisted." After seventy years of exile in Babylon,
God‘s people carry deep spiritual scars, leaving them vulnerable to sin andhindering their relationship with God. God, however, commissions twoangels to carry the wickedness back to Babylon from where it came.  - P96

Life‘sexperiences can twist us in such a way that we struggle in what, at one time,
was a healthy, life-giving relationship with our Lord. But through the powerof His cross and resurrection, Jesus is able to remove our baskets of shameand sin and restore us to God. - P96

Lord Jesus, my spiritual eyes are focused on You and Your promises of forgiveness and restoration. - P96

. I know You have a great future planned for me. I trust You for my future and ask for patience as You lead me every step of the way. In Your name, amen. - P96

God converses with us primarily through His words in Scripture.
We can also use His words to respond to Him.
Use the following guide to pray through this week‘s memory verse.
"This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,‘ declares the LORD Almighty,
‘and I will return to you,‘ says the LORD Almighty." - Zechariah 1:3Praise 
Think of how God welcomes you whenever you repent. Praise Him for His eagerness tobe reconciled. - P97

6So he said to me, ˝This is t...

6So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. - P90

10"Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?" - P91

14So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth." - P91

Zechariah is awakened by the angel and shown a gold lampstand with a bowland seven lamps, and two olive trees beside it. The angel gives him God‘sencouragement to Zerubbabel. Zechariah asks about the olive trees andthe angel answers that they are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord. - P91

Zechariah’s vision now shifts to a lampstand of solid gold with seven lamps on it, along with one olive tree on each side of the lampstand. God also gives him a message of encouragement for Zerubbabel, the leader of the people, with the promise to turn a high mountain into level ground before him. - P92

Like the returning exiles and their leaders, some of us face a mountain of obstacles. By mere human effort, our obstacles are unconquerable. But the promise of God to Zerubbabel, and to all His servants facing impossible challenges is that His Spirit will raze the mountains into level paths. . - P92

We will face overwhelming tasks, but God never leads us into difficulties without making a way for us to be able to go through them - P92

God promises success for Zerubbabel in his work of rebuilding the temple.
He warns His people not to despise the day of small things since His owneyes rejoice at Zerubbabel‘s small beginnings on this momentous task.
- P92

God is the God of the small, the despised, and the weak. He uses boyswith slingshots to bring down giants, small bands of faithful warriors toovercome vast armies, and a blood-stained cross to defeat the arrogantpowers on earth and in the heavenly places.  - P92

Don‘t think for one momentthat your calling and ministry is of little or no account. In  - P92

the eyes of God,
it is a mustard seed that will have a vital place and purpose in His Kingdom. - P92

"Ordinary work matters to God because ordinary people matter to God."-CourtneyReissig - P92

This passage reminds us that it‘s not by our own power ormight, but by God‘s spirit that we are able to accomplish amazing thingsfor His glory.
I remember one instance in my life where this truth was very clear. Godopened the door for me to work at a wonderful Christian internationalschool in South Korea. I heard about the opportunity, applied for the job,
had an interview and was hired all within a matter of days. Because Godwanted me in that position, every obstacle was removed and He fit all thepieces together for me to succeed. If you are praying for something specific,
don‘t be discouraged.  - P93

Pray for God‘s will to be done then trust in His per-fect timing; He will flatten every mountain in order for His amazing plansto be accomplished in your life. - P93

Lord God, You are the source of my strength. You alone are all I need to confront and overcome any obstacle the enemy places in my way. - P93

Your promises are certain. May I rise up in faith, believing that nothing is impossible with You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. - P93

Now Joshua was dressed in fil...

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.

4The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you."

- P86

"8o‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.

9See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

10"‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty."

- P87

Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord,
and Satan standing to accuse him. The Lord rebukes Satan and commandsJoshua‘s filthy clothes to be removed. Joshua receives clean garments and aturban.  - P87

The Lord promises that His servant, the Branch, will come and He willremove the sin of the land in one day. boomid - P87

In a vision, Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before God in filthy clothes while Satan stands nearby to accuse him. God, however, rebukes Satan. He commands that Joshua’s filthy clothes be taken away and gives him fine, clean garments instead. - P88

Past sins often cling to us, keeping us from experiencing the bright future God has planned. Satan, the accuser, is quick to list all our offenses as we seek to renew a right relationship with our Lord. But the filthy rags of our past failures are removed by God’s grace, and in their place, we are clothed in robes of righteousness provided by our Lord. - P88

Our rags exchanged for robes; this is the message of the cross of Christ. - P88

God informs Joshua the high priest that he and his associates are symbolsof things to come. God promises that His servant, called the Branch, willcome and that He Himself will remove the sin of the land in a single day.
Scripture shows us that "the Branch" refers to the Messiah (see Isa. 11:1).
- P88

The stone with seven eyes or facets is a symbol of strength and the infinitewisdom found in Christ. Those who cling to the Branch and build theirlives upon the rock of His wisdom will know the forgiveness of their sins,
enter into healthy relationships with their neighbors, and experience theblessings that come from a relationship with God‘s Son in this life as wellas in the life to come. - P88

 We may start tothink of ourselves as beyond God‘s forgiveness and mercy.
CASo, what can we do to ensure that we don‘t fall into the enemy‘s trap? We fixour attention on what God says about us. The truth is, we are all unworthyof God‘s forgiveness based on our own merit; we have all sinned and fallenshort of God‘s standards for salvation. And that‘s why we desperately needJesus.  - P89

Psalm 103:12 tells us, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has heremoved our transgressions from us."
God doesn‘t dangle our failures in our faces. When we turn from our sinand commit our lives to Him, He.cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
Lay down your burdens of shame and defeat and accept God‘s healing andrestoration.  - P89

Just like in today‘s passage, God longs to take off our filthyrobes of past sin and failure, and instead give us His garments of dignity,purpose, and wholeness.
- P89

God, You are the God who removes our filthy rags and replaces them with clean, fine robes. - P89

My heart overflows in worship and praise for the cleansing power of Your Son’s blood shed on Calvary’s cross. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P89