Zechariah 2: God’s Eternal Plans

​Key Verses
10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
 
Meditation
God is eternal and His plans are eternal. God is love and His plan is to dwell with His people- forever. God’s eternal plan to dwell with His people in love is guaranteed through covenant, culminates in Christ, and will be fully realized when faith becomes sight.

Zechariah’s original audience was exiles who recently returned home (@ 537BC), too insecure to begin rebuilding the temple until @520 BC. The third vision in today’s reading was intended to boost confidence and remove complacency of the remnant- God’s plan to dwell with His people will be executed!
 
God’s revealed a city with walls of fire from the glory of God in her midst (vv. 1-5)! The interpretation and application are for God’s people to get up and get moving (vv. 6, 7). God’s glory is coming! God will plunder the plunderers and shake those who shake His people (vv. 8-9). Redeemed ones sing and rejoice knowing God’s redemptive plan will be accomplished (v. 10), the temple will be rebuilt to restore the Lord’s dwelling with His people (v. 5, 10, 11, 13). Nations will be grafted in (vv. 11, 12) and the celebration should begin- God’s steadfast love will accomplish God’s eternal plan, a holy dwelling with His people (v. 13).
 
The prophet’s proclamation culminates in Christ because Jesus is both God’s dwelling & temple- (John 1:14; John 2:19-22). Zechariah’s third vision will be literally fulfilled in the 2nd coming of Christ (see Revelation 21:15-27), so those in Christ today know we are secure and will one day dwell with God forever.
 
Today’s Reading
And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

6 Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord. 7 Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me[b] to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 9 “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 12 And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”

13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Describe your response: God dwells with you now and you will eternally dwell with Him if by faith You are in Christ. This truth should shape celebration in your soul! You are secure in God’s steadfast love.
 
-Good news of God’s sovereign grace accomplishing God’s will should get us up and get us going. The original audience was to rebuild God’s temple to restore God’s glory. Where can you respond to God’s plan to create a place for God’s glory to dwell?
 
-God’s love will not let you go. How does this secure promise propel you to faithfulness?
 
Key Verses
10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.