Zechariah 8:1-3

Today’s reading gives us a wonderful example of how a purposeful spiritual discipline can become a meaningless tradition.  We need this.  The Bible does not condone change for change sake (Prov. 24:21).  But neither does it condone we’ve never done it that way before.  So much in local churches (i.e. the organization) is based on those two principles.

In the case of Israel there was one fast that was mandated in the Law, that being Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).  The fasts under consideration here had a very purposeful beginning as we noted a couple of days ago.  Israel at that time was in a terrible state; thus the affliction of the soul (the Biblical definition of fasting, Lev. 16:29,31) was called for.  But now the city and temple were being rebuilt.  The message of the prophet was different, still calling people to repentance but also comforting and encouraging them by promises of hope, the message of Zech. 1-6 but also of Ch. 8.

The message is given in a nutshell in 8:2-3.  1) God is zealous for Zion (Jerusalem).  2) Thus God will return to Zion.  3) And thus, Zion will be all that she was ever intended to be by God.  Meditate on these verses; they make the rest of Zechariah’s words easy to understand.

Jealousy with God is pure and holy.  With us it is envy, valuing something that belongs to someone else enough to want to take it from them.  The Philistines envied Isaac for what God gave him (Gen. 26:14); Rachel envied Leah for God’s gift of sons (Gen. 30:1); and Jacob’s sons envied the one son Joseph for the privilege God had bestowed on him (Gen. 37:11). 

In God’s case what He values belongs to Him; others have demeaned it and tried to destroy it and replace it.  Such is the case with Zion.  God brought judgment on the city.  But then the enemy went too far.  The enemy became proud as if what they had done was by their own hand.  The concluded it was their greatness rather than the LORD.  God did not intent to destroy them; but now when He looked on His people He could see their great distress.  He was moved by His love, in the form of His compassion and mercy.

And note that He was jealous/zealous with great fervor.  This term is usually translated fury in the OT.  It refers to the poison of the scorpion that burns the insides of its victim.  In the OT there was God’s anger and wrath; but when He finally moved in strength against His people it was His fury.  A word study will reveal this word most often in the context of those times in Israel/Judah when God was about to or in the process of removing His people from the land.

And yet what do we have here?  That same intensity, same fury, at work in exalting His people as when He was making His people desolate.  That is what it takes for Zion to become the place where the LORD dwells, the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.

Friends, let us humble ourselves.  As with Jerusalem, so with us.  God’s zeal (jealousy) is inspired by His holiness.  He will not share His glory with another.  And yet He desires that we be His trophy to the world.  When we come to the conclusion that we cannot ourselves attain trophy status and humble ourselves before the LORD of hosts, then He can, with great zeal and fury, use us for His glory.  Paul said it like this: And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Cor. 12:9). 

And again, Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness … but … the righteousness which is from God by faith (Phil. 3:8-9).

And Jeremiah like this: Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD (Jer. 9:23-24).