Day 749: Zechariah 1- "Return To Me"

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 2 “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’”
A Vision of a Horseman
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 8 “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ 10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.’ 11 And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’12 Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’13 And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.15 And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. 16 Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’”
A Vision of Horns and Craftsmen
18  And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! 19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then the Lordshowed me four craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
 
Meditation
God’s covenant love awaits us when we come to our senses and return to Him. This powerful proclamation pervades OT prophets: “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you!” (Isaiah 44:22) “Return to Me… for I am faithful!” (Jeremiah 3:12b). “Return to me with all your heart!” (Joel 2:12). Jesus joined the prophetic chorus inviting people to “Come to Him…” (Matthew 11:28) and He guaranteed the possibility through His work on the cross.
 
Zechariah prophesied at the same time as Haggai, during the return of exile and reconstruction of the temple (@ 520 BC). Zechariah’s apocalyptic messages offer hope to a haggard people, fueling faith and forming fortitude. The foundation of Zechariah’s proclamation is God’s covenant faithfulness: “Return to Me! And I will return to you” (3).
 
The horsemen (7-17) reveal God’s sovereignty. Though empires have moved God’s people to exile and back, God has worked every detail to show His mercy, a reality which should move His people to rebuild the temple (16). God will redeem all He has allowed.
 
The horns (18-21) represent nations terrified by God’s sovereign strength. They will be trampled by the craftsman involved with rebuilding the temple and see their desires detoured. God will reverse the intentions of His enemies as He works His purposes for His glory.
 
God’s grace is the path for us to return! Knowing God has redeemed, God will restore, and God is reversing the intentions of the enemy we can come to our senses and return to Him!
 
Richly Dwelling
-How does your heart respond to God’s gracious invitation to return to Him? Where do you need to do so?
 
-What is your reaction to Zechariah’s imagery? Do you see the messages embedded? Do you find security in God’s sovereignty?
 
-God will reverse the intentions of the enemy as He redeems all He has allowed! This is HOPE- where do you need to apply this hope to your heart?
 
Key Verse
3 Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.