Today, I am reading and commenting on  Zechariah 7-10.

When some of the Returned Exiles came and asked if they should continue to fast and mourn the destruction of the Temple now that the Temple was being rebuilt (that last part is my understanding of the unstated context of the question), Zechariah asked them if that fasting and mourning was really for God?  Or was it more for themselves?  Zechariah’s answer from God tells us that God did not establish the feasts and fasts for the sake of those events.  Those events were established to remind us to show mercy and compassion to each other and to administer justice.  All of our worship rituals should serve that purpose.  If we start to view them as ends in themselves, they have become idols and we have become idolaters.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Zechariah 1-6.

Zechariah begins by reminding the people of how their ancestors sin had led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people.  He then tells them that restoration took place when those same ancestors repented of their sins and accepted the punishment which God had meted out to them.  God had scattered the people if Israel to all parts of the earth.  Now He was calling them back to gather in Jerusalem once more.  But as part of this, God will be calling people of many nations to become part of His people.

Zechariah proceeds to give a message for both the High Priest and the Governor over the Returned Exiles in Jerusalem, a separate message for each, both of these message have relevance for us today.  Zechariah’s message to Joshua, the High Priest, was that Satan would accuse him before God of sin.  The accusation would have merit, but God would strip him (Joshua) of his sin and dress him in righteousness. It is only after cleansing him of his sin and dressing him in robes of righteousness that God asks Joshua to walk according to His requirements.  Something similar happens to us.  Satan, the adversary, brings us before God and accuses us of the sins which we have committed.  Often times, he is that little voice in our head which tells us that we are no good and worthless.  God neither dismisses our sins as meaningless, nor does He pretend they do not exist.  Instead, He removes them from us and washes away the filth they have placed upon our bodies and souls.  Then He dresses us in the finest clothes of righteous behavior and tells us, “Look, this is what you were made to be.”

Which brings us to Zechariah’s message to Zerubbabel, the governor.  God has given Zerubbabel a difficult task, to rebuild His Temple.  Zechariah tells Zerubbabel that he will not accomplish this task by might, nor by power.  No, he will only accomplish the tasks he has been set by the Spirit of the Living God.  In the same way, we will only live up to the beauty and righteousness of which God has shown us to be capable by His Spirit.  We will not do so by our strength, nor by our will, but only by the Spirit of the Lord.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Zechariah 11-14

I am really struggling with today’s passage, nothing in it seems to fit into anything meaningful for me today.  So, I will spend a little time looking at Zechariah’s reference to receiving a wage of 30 pieces of silver.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew connects this passage to the price paid Judas to betray Jesus.  The significance in today’s passage (and to some degree in Matthew) of the 30 pieces of silver is that in Exodus 21:32 that is the price that someone must pay if their animal kills someone else’s slave.  So, Zechariah says that he was worth no more than a slave to the people to whom he was sent to prophecy.  By extension, Matthew said that Jesus was valued at no more than a slave by those who paid Judas to betray Him.  By valuing Zechariah (and Jesus) at no more than a slave, those who did so said that he was disposable.  Do we value the people around us?  Or are they merely disposable?

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Zechariah 7-10

I am going to start with paraphrasing the first part of this passage: When we celebrate Christmas and Easter, when we give things up for Lent, are we really doing it for God?  If we are honest with ourselves we will realize that, for the most part, these celebrations and fasts are for ourselves, not out of obedience to God.  God’s message to us is, instead of those celebrations of our own wants and desires, let us show kindness to one another.  Instead of buying things made by what amounts to slave labor to give to each other, let us feed the poor (and I don’t mean ask our government to feed the poor).  Let us stop scheming against each other, seeking how we can trick people into giving us more power.  If we do not listen to God when He tells us these things, He will not listen to us when we call out to Him in desperation.

That first part is scary, but Zechariah goes on to give a message of hope.  He tells the people that when they started work on the Temple their resources were slim, but they listened to the prophets God sent them and started the work anyway.  Now God promises that He will reward them by bringing them plenty.  The same is true today.  We should do God’s work, even when it seems like  doing so will take resources we need to survive.  God does not call us to serve Him out of our spare time and spare resources.  He calls us to serve Him with time and resources we think we need for other things.  If we do this, He will be faithful and provide us with what we need in abundance so that we can serve Him more.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Zechariah 1-6

Zechariah tells us that God is going to come to live among us.  On that day, people of many nations will choose to join themselves to the Lord and God will add them to His people.  Further Zechariah tells us that God’s Kingdom will not be brought about by force, nor by strength.  God’s Kingdom will be brought into existence by God’s Spirit.  We see what God meant by that in Jesus’ birth.  When God came to live among us, He did not arrive as a powerful king, or mighty warrior.  He arrived as a baby, in a manger.  He was here among us, taught us His will, and achieved His great triumph.  But once again, His triumph was not one of a mighty general, a great Emperor, or even a wealthy business magnate.  His triumph came by dying on the cross.  The world is not transformed for the better by “punching a Nazi”.  The world is transformed when we channel God’s Spirit and love a “Nazi”, whatever other name you have for the ultimate evil in mankind.  Put your faith in God and love those whom you believe to be evil, knowing in your heart that God’s Spirit is able to transform them into good.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Zechariah 11-14

There is little in today’s passage which speaks to me today.  The main thing I want to focus on is what Zechariah writes about evil shepherds of God’s people.  From time to time, God appoints leaders over His people who are evil.  Such leaders do not rise to prominence in opposition to God’s will.  Rather, God appoints them to lead His people as punishment for their sins.  When the people of God are led by wicked, selfish people it is because they have become wicked, selfish people. 

However, I want to point out what Zechariah writes a little further on.  Yes, when God’s people allow themselves to fall into wickedness He will appoint over them wicked leaders, but in time He will pour out His Spirit on His people and draw them back to righteousness.  Revival comes about when each one of us is led by the Spirit to look at our own lives and allow the Spirit to cleanse us of our sins.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Zechariah 7-10

Zechariah asks an important question.  When we take part in religious activities and events, both celebratory and mournful, are we doing so for God, or for ourselves?  How we feel about and treat others who also take part in such activities will tell us the answer to that question.  God calls us to show mercy and kindness, and to love justice.  Let us not snark at those who are not “up to our standards” at a worship service or other religious activity.  Let us not do anything to make them feel out of place.  Instead let us honor them for their attempt to serve and worship God.  That does not mean that we do not instruct those who act inappropriately, but let us make sure that we do so out of love for them and not out of our own selfish pride.  There is a lot more to be learned from this passage, but I am going to stop here for today.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.  

Today, I am reading and commenting on Zechariah 1-6

This passage contains two sections which influenced, and are often connected with, the description of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation.  At one point Zechariah has a vision of a man on a red horse with other riders on horses of various colors behind him.  The number of riders is not mentioned, but one could easily read it to indicate a total of four riders (I think the passage suggests a larger number than that).  Then later Zechariah has a vision of four chariots, each pulled by horses of separate color from the others.  Both the horsemen and the chariot riders were sent out to patrol the earth.

Zechariah puts most of his focus on showing how God has blessed the two men most responsible for rebuilding the Temple after the Exile: Jeshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, the governor of Jerusalem.  These two men were blessed because they strove to do God’s will in rebuilding the Temple and to lead others to be faithful to God.  We can learn a lot from what Zechariah says about these two men.  God took away the dirty rags of Jeshua’s sins and dressed him in robes of righteousness.  Jeshua did not make or buy these robes, they were given to him by God.  The same is true for us.  Any righteousness we may have is not our own doing, but a gift from God.  Zerubbabel did not succeed by might or power.  He rebuilt the Temple by the Spirit of God.  We, also, will not accomplish the tasks God has given us by our power, might, or skill.  We will only do so as we allow God’s Spirit to work in us.