Zechariah 7:1-3; 8:19

Having encouraged the people to build the temple, Zech. 7-8 now records the word of the LORD through Zechariah concerning an issue that arose as a result of the work.  Zech. 7:1 comes almost two years after the people re-started the work (cf. 1:7) and about two years before the completion (cf. Ezra 6:15).  So they are seeing progress on a temple, something that would begin to lift their spirits.

Thus some men were sent to Bethel to pray and to ask the priests a question.  We say “Bethel” because that is the Hebrew word, a term that is never used of the temple.  The temple was at times referred to as beth YHWH (the house of the LORD) or beth Elohim (the house of God) and in Ezekiel especially as simply the house (e.g. Ezek. 40:5 where the English temple in the NKJV is simply beth).  If these men came to the priests at Bethel it would indicate they were carrying out their ministry there while the construction project was under way.  That is possible.  But it is also true that many years earlier, when the people had first returned from exile, that they had first built an altar in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:1-2) and they laid the foundation (Ezra 3:11) before the years of delay set in.  We are not told elsewhere that worship moved to Bethel and so we tend to think this is, in fact, a reference to the temple that was under construction.

More important is their question.  According to 7:3 they asked about the fast in the fifth month; according to 8:19 there were actually four fasts that were of concern.  The only day of fasting required by the Law was the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and that was not one of these.  These fasts were started in response to the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple.

ü In the fourth month the city was opened to the invaders (Jer. 39:2; 52:6f).

ü In the fifth month the city and temple were destroyed (Jer. 52:12f).

ü In the seventh month Gedaliah was murdered (Jer. 41:1f).

ü In the tenth month Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of Jerusalem (Jer. 39:1).

So they began fasting at these times because of terrible things that had happened.  They were using the fasts to consecrate themselves to the LORD and to seek His restoration of the nation, city and house.  But now as they saw the house being built they wondered if they should still fast.  It would appear that their prayers were being answered.  

This is a question that is important for us.  It is the question of tradition.  In Jesus day and throughout the history of the Church tradition has been a problem, sometimes replacing the word of God and causing disobedience (Matt. 15:3,9).  In true worship our hearts must be engaged.  For our hearts to be engaged our minds must be convinced.  We cannot be doing worship simply because it is what we always do it at the time we do it and in the way we do it.  This was a good question for the people to ask.  We ought to ask God, by His Spirit, to examine us with respect to our worship.