Milo – Page 40

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

MESSIAH’S REIGN
Zechariah 10–14

“I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child” (Zech. 12:10).

There is no passage in the Old Testament that explores more thoroughly the relationship of the Messiah to God’s plan for His Old Testament people. Nestled here we find vivid pictures of Christ in both His first and second comings.

Background
History’s end. The Old Testament gives many dramatic visions of events to take place at history’s end. The focus of these visions is invariably on this earth, and on the Holy Land. These passages universally portray a special role for the people of Israel, and repeat God’s consistent commitment to restore Israel to a place of blessing. Students of prophecy who treat these passages in a literal way seek to put the different passages together, to gain as accurate a picture of God’s end-time plan as possible. Other Christians tend to treat such passages in an allegorical or spiritual way, and thus study them for personal application today. Both schools see the prophets’ messages as affirmations of God’s sovereign control of history, of His total commitment to His people, and of the ultimate triumph of righteousness.
When coming to an extended passage like this one, we might take either approach. Or we might take a third.
One of the most exciting aspects of these Zechariah chapters is that they focus on the person and role of the Messiah. Here we have intimations of what Jesus would do in His first coming, and of what He will do at His return. So for devotional reading of these chapters, it may be most meaningful to look at specific messianic images—and see what these images have to say to us about who our Saviour is, and what He will do.
For a more traditional treatment of the picture of the future provided in Zechariah 10–14, see Victor Book’s Bible Knowledge Commentary or Teacher’s Commentary.

Overview
Zechariah portrayed God’s future care of Judah (10:1–12), despite rejection of their Shepherd-King (11:1–17). When Jerusalem is besieged and then saved (12:1–9), Israel will first recognize and then mourn for “the One they have pierced” (vv. 10–14). Judah will be cleansed from sin by the stricken Shepherd (13:1–9), who will return to reign forever (14:1–21).

Understanding the Text
“From Judah will come the cornerstone” Zech. 10:4. The Jewish Targum viewed the Person identified in this verse as the Messiah, who was destined to come from Judah (cf. Gen. 49:10; Jer. 30:21). Here Messiah is pictured as the cornerstone, or foundation of the future. He is also the “tent peg,” the chief support of the future state, and the “battle bow,” or its war leader.
In essence Zechariah said that the future for Israel hinges on this one Person. How true this is for us. He is the foundation, the chief support, the only hope we have as well.

“I will not be your Shepherd” Zech. 11:4–14. In the Old and New Testaments the “Good Shepherd” stands for a godly ruler. Christ specifically took this title for Himself (cf. John 10). Here Zechariah portrayed not only rejection of the Messiah, but His betrayal for the sum of 30 pieces of silver.
The first overwhelming impression is simply this: Rejection of the Messiah brings diaster. The “dying die, and the perishing perish” (v. 9). It’s the same today. Our destiny depends on whether we accept or reject Christ, the Good Shepherd whom God has chosen to care for His flock.
The 30 pieces of silver mentioned here are prophetic. This was the price that Judas received for betraying Jesus the night before He was crucified. In ancient Israel, 30 pieces of silver was the price of a slave (cf. Ex. 21:32). In later times it was used much like our “two cents.”
Why do people reject Christ today? Essentially because they see Him as insignificant to them personally. They feel no need for personal salvation or for deliverance, and thus set no value on the Saviour’s cross (see DEVOTIONAL).
Reference to the potter’s field is also prophetic. After Christ was taken, Judas found no pleasure in the money and tried to return it. The priests refused to take it, and so Judas threw the coins on the floor. Since it was the “price of blood,” the priests were unwilling to put it back in the temple treasury, and used it to buy a plot of land from a potter to be used for the burial of indigents, thus literally fulfilling the prediction of Zechariah.
How strange that the priests tried to distance themselves from the money—when they themselves paid the money in the first place. There is no way that we can ever separate ourselves from responsibility for our response to Jesus—no matter how hard we may try.

“They will look on Me, the One they have pierced” Zech. 12:10. This is an obvious reference to Christ, pierced by the nails on Calvary’s cross. The Hebrew preposition is perhaps better taken as “look to” rather than “look on.” The thought here is that at Christ’s second coming, after God has “set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem” (v. 9), Israel will look to Jesus in faith (as Num. 21:9; Isa. 45:22).

“Strike the Shepherd” Zech. 13:7. This is another passage that the New Testament applies to Jesus (cf. Matt. 26:31–32). The Hebrew term “strike” clearly indicated the death of the Shepherd. The Babylonian Talmud, an ancient Jewish commentary, deals with the divergent images of the Messiah in His suffering and triumph by suggesting there are to be two Messiahs: a suffering Messiah, and a triumphant Messiah. Not until Christ’s resurrection was it clear how one Person could die for the sins of the people, and later appear in power to rescue them.

“His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” Zech. 14:1–21. After the Shepherd is stricken, he returns as “the Lord” to fight against Israel’s enemies and stand physically on the earth. Again only New Testament events enable us to understand how this is possible. The Messiah is both man and God, both stricken and triumphant. When He returns He will stand on the mountains of Israel, and by His presence change their topography—and at the same time transform the whole land, until it at last is holy to the Lord.

DEVOTIONAL
The Cost of Salvation
(Zech. 11)
The 30 pieces of silver that Judas accepted to betray Jesus reflected the value placed on His life by that disciple. That price, predicted here in Zechariah, was the amount paid for a slave in Moses’ day (cf. Ex. 21:32). In the first century, though it represented some 30 days of labor for a hired man, 30 pieces of silver was viewed by the well-to-do as an insignificant sum. The price tells us that, in the eyes of Christ’s enemies, His life and death were totally unimportant.
What a contrast with the value implied in a story Jesus once told. Jesus told of a servant who owed his king “ten thousand talents.” Translated, the sum represents millions of dollars. No person, by working, could earn such a sum in a thousand lifetimes. And yet, in the story, Jesus portrayed the king—who stands for God—forgiving the debt completely.
What’s significant, of course, is that God forgives sinners solely on the basis of the death of His Son. The value that God places on Jesus’ life and death is vastly greater than 30 pieces of silver. It is more than any human being could hope to earn, and yet it was not too great a price to pay for our salvation.
How important is Jesus to you and me? That depends on how aware we are of our sins. And of the greatness of the forgiveness that Jesus won for us at the cost of His own life. When we understand this, nothing else in the universe has any value at all compared to Him.

Personal Application
Value nothing more than Jesus. Make Him your all in all.

Quotable
“I no longer wish to find happiness in myself or in created and perishable things, but in Jesus my Saviour. He is my All, and I desire to belong wholly to Him. It is the most extreme folly and delusion to look elsewhere for any true happiness. Let us, then, vehemently and courageously renounce all other things and seek only Him.”—Jean Eudes

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

JUSTICE, NOT FASTING
Zechariah 7–9

“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely” (Zech. 8:16–17).

This passage deals with a repeated Old Testament theme. The measure of true religion is not in any outward observance, but in the quality of one’s daily life.

Background
Fasting. Fasting in Old Testament times was never undertaken to lose weight. It always had a religious purpose. A fast might be undertaken by a person desperate for an answer to prayer, as in 2 Samuel 12:16–22 or Jeremiah 36:1–10. A fast often expressed deep grief and sorrow, as in 1 Samuel 31:13. Or fasting might indicate repentance, as in Joel 2:12–15. Fasting was also associated with the Day of Atonement. Fasting to show repentance is the only fast commanded in the Old Testament (Lev. 16:29, 31), and was intended to underline the solemn character of that high holy day.
Fasting in biblical times usually meant going without food only from sunrise to sunset. In Christ’s time, especially religious Jews fasted each Monday and Thursday. One early church father encouraged Christians to fast too, but changed the days to Tuesday and Friday!
The New Testament describes two kinds of fasting: one, a public display intended to promote the notion that the fasting person is especially spiritual (cf. Matt. 6:16–18; Luke 18:12), and the other Spirit—led when seeking divine guidance or empowerment (cf. Matt. 4:1–2; Luke 4:1–3; Acts 13:2; 14:23).
Zechariah 7–8, which is Scripture’s most direct discussion of fasting, suggests that we carefully examine our motives before undertaking a fast and makes it clear that God is far more concerned that His people live righteous and holy lives than with fasting.

Overview
When a delegation from Bethel asked about fasting (7:1–3), God rebuked them (vv. 4–7) and called for commitment to justice (vv. 8–14). Still, God promised Israel His favor (8:1–17). She will know joy in worship (vv. 18–23) and her enemies will be punished (9:1–8) when her King comes (vv. 9–13) and her Lord appears (vv. 14–17).

Understanding the Text
“Should I mourn and fast?” Zech. 7:1–3 The fasts the men of Bethel inquired about were fasts instituted by the exiles to commemorate events associated with the fall of Jerusalem, some 68 years earlier. The first generation of exiles felt that fall deeply, and undoubtedly had mourned with great sincerity. But now another generation, just 2 years away from finishing a new Jerusalem temple, wondered if there were any reason to keep the traditional fasts.
Note two things about the query. First, God had not commanded these fasts, so they were not binding. Yet it was right of the men of Bethel to raise the question with Jerusalem’s spiritual leaders and seek God’s guidance. However our religious traditions began, it is wise to seek God’s guidance before changing them.
Second, the fasts had become mere tradition to the present generation. There is a difference between “tradition” and “mere tradition.” What may be a vital form by which to express a real spiritual experience can seldom be passed to the next generation without becoming a mere tradition: form without the meaning or vitality. Each generation should have freedom to find ways to express its personal experience with the Lord.

“Was it really for Me that you fasted?” Zech. 7:4–7 God answered the question about fasting through the Prophet Zechariah. His answer was through a pointed question. Did the people really fast “for Me” all those years, or were they fasting for themselves?
In essence, God asked, “Were you sorry for your sins—or just sorry you got caught!” Was the motive for fasting one of guilt for the sins that caused the Exile? Or was the grief simply self-pity, a selfish expression of that very attitude which had led earlier generations to desert God in the first place?
What a question for us to ask ourselves when we experience the discipline of the Lord. We’re sorry. We hurt. But does our heart ache over the sin, or just over the punishment? Have we shifted the focus of our concern to God, or are we still concerned only about ourselves?

“This is what the LORD Almighty says” Zech. 7:8–14. The men of Bethel had asked, “Should we fast?” God seemed to dismiss this question as unimportant, and responded, “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other” (vv. 9–10).
How often we become passionately concerned about unimportant issues! In Jesus’ time the Pharisees were careful to tithe the leaves of tiny herbs grown by their doorsteps. But, Christ said, they neglected the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matt. 23:23). One of Satan’s most effective ploys is to get believers to major on the minor. When the less significant dominates our thinking, we will ignore the truly central aspects of our faith.
Note that both Zechariah and Jesus focused on a lifestyle marked by justice, mercy, and compassion. If we are faithful in showing our commitment to the Lord by living holy and loving lives, the “little things” will fall into place.
Do you feel God wants you to fast? Then fast. But you know God wants you to do justice, show mercy, and care for the needy. Compared to these, fasting has at best a minor role in your spiritual life.

“I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem” Zech. 8:1–15. When God said, “I am very jealous for Zion” He meant, “I have a passionate desire to do her good.” The Hebrew word translated “jealous” is also rendered “zeal,” and depicts a deep and abiding passion for its object.
What God said through His prophet to men concerned about fasting is this: “It’s My love that motivates Me to do you good, not whether or not you fast.”
What will God’s love motivate Him to do for His Old Testament people? He will fill Jerusalem’s streets with healthy, happy people (vv. 4–5). He will bring those who are dispersed back home (vv. 7–8). He will make the land productive (v. 12), and the people a blessing to all nations (v. 13).
We can have confidence that the Lord, in His love, will do the same for us. We may at times experience discipline. But we can claim for ourselves the promise that the Lord made to the little community in Judea: “Now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid” (v. 15).

“These are the things you are to do” Zech. 8:16–17. How significant that this expression of God’s will follows rather than precedes the promise of verse 15. Why is that significant? If “the things you are to do” had come first, we might have concluded that God blesses us because of what we do for Him. Since, however, “the things you are to do” follow the promise, we understand that our obedience is prompted by gratitude.
The legalist does what is right in an effort to win God’s favor. The believer does what is right because he knows that he has already obtained God’s favor through grace. We obey God because we love Him. We seek to please God because we understand all that He has done for us.

“The fasts . . . will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals” Zech. 8:18–23. The Jewish Talmud links each of these fasts with a specific event related to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 G.p. The fast of the fourth month commemorated the day the walls of the city were breached, of the fifth the day the temple was burned, of the seventh, the date Gedaliah was assassinated (cf. Jer. 41:2), of the tenth, the day the siege of the city was begun.
Why should these dates be celebrated joyfully, rather than remembered with sorrow? In part at least because these moments of intense anguish for the inhabitants of Jerusalem were at the same time occasions of divine purification. Out of the ruins of the city and temple came a spiritual revival that turned the Jewish people away from idolatry, back to Scripture and to God.
In the last analysis, every purifying judgment God imposes on His own, no matter how painful it may seem, will one day be remembered with joy. In God’s time we will see its purpose, and will realize how the Lord used it to draw us closer to Him. Then, when joy floods in to force even the memory of anguish out, we will understand.

“I will defend My house against marauding forces” Zech. 9:1–8. When God spoke through Zechariah, Judah was an utterly insignificant district in a mighty Gentile empire. Weak and helpless, the Jews could look back over centuries of oppression by many foreign powers. As the theme of blessing was continued, God promised to deal with Judah’s external enemies.
You and I too are subject to two kinds of hostile forces. There are the hostile forces within us—the pull toward sin, the fascination with temptations—and the forces outside—circumstances, a corrupt society, personal enemies, Satan himself. We are responsible to deal with only one: the enemy within. As we commit our hearts and even our desires to the Lord, we can be sure that He will defend us too and “never again will an oppressor overrun My people.”

DEVOTIONAL
Gentle, but Oh So Tough
(Zech. 9)
For years Nicholson ran ads picturing a big, rough-looking workman with a beatific smile holding up one of their files. And the ads always said, “Tough, but Oh So Gentle.”
This chapter reminds me of those ads. Of course Zechariah turned the ads around in order to introduce us to the Person who will fulfill all those wonderful promises God made to His people. Yet in just a few verses, he showed a gentle and tough side of the coming Messiah.
First there’s the gentle side (v. 9).
The image is significant, for in the ancient East kings went to war riding horses. When they wished to signify peace, they traveled on a donkey.
We think, of course, of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, which Zechariah predicted here. Jesus came in peace, to bring peace. But the Jewish people wanted a conqueror, who would lead an uprising against Rome. Yet only through the covenant sealed by the blood of the Man of Peace could all who are captive to sin within have a prospect of peace.
But then Zechariah went on. The Man of Peace will appear again, this time as “the LORD . . . over them” (v. 14). Then He will sound the war trumpet, to shield His people and destroy all their enemies (v. 15). He will come again as the conqueror Israel yearned for, “save them on that day as the flock of His people.”
Only then will all realize that that gentle King is also the Lord Almighty, the universe’s sovereign Lord. Gentle, yes. But God, and as God mighty to save.
In a way, history is recapitulated in our experience with Jesus. We see Him first suffering and dying for our sins. We are moved by His love, we respond to His gentleness. Then, as we respond in faith, we discover His resurrection power. The suffering Saviour is also our resurrected Lord, and we kneel before Him in full surrender.
How important not to have a one-sided vision of Jesus. The Old Testament’s quiet King is also Israel’s overpowering God. Our gentle Jesus is Lord of all. We know Jesus well only when we are familiar with both aspects of His identity. We know Jesus well only when we know Him both as Saviour and as Lord.

Personal Application
If you know Jesus only as Saviour, don’t miss knowing Him as Lord.

Quotable
“He only asks thee to yield thyself to Him, that He may work in thee to will and to do by His own mighty power. Thy part is to yield thyself, His part is to work; and never, never will He give thee any command which is not accompanied by ample power to obey it.”—Hannah Whithall Smith

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

Zechariah

INTRODUCTION
Zechariah ministered to the little group of Jews who returned to Judah after the Babylonian Captivity. His first prophecy is dated just two months after Haggai’s call to finish rebuilding the Jerusalem temple (520 B.C.).
Zechariah too encouraged the temple builders. But he went beyond Haggai in calling for personal spiritual and social renewal. Only continuing commitment to the Lord and to justice would prevent further judgment.
Zechariah did predict that Judea would be dominated by Gentile powers for centuries. Yet he foresaw the appearance of the Messiah, who in God’s time will establish a purified Jerusalem as capital of His glorious kingdom.

NIGHT VISIONS
Zechariah 1–6

“During the night I had a vision—and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. I asked, ‘What are these, my lord?’ ”(Zech. 1:8–9)

Much of Zechariah consists of visions which may seem hard to interpret. Yet each vision conveyed an important message to his community, and speaks to us today.

Background
There were only some 50,000 Jews in the tiny province of Judea. They had been permitted to return to their ancient homeland when Cyrus of Persia overthrew the Babylonian Empire. They had been in Judea for nearly 20 years when Zechariah began to minister, and were stirred by religious enthusiasm to complete the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. Despite their small numbers, they had great hopes. One day, according to God’s promises, Jerusalem would be the center of the world, the capital of the Messiah destined to establish a worldwide kingdom of righteousness and peace.
Zechariah, in a series of night visions, encouraged this hope. But at the same time he warned the little community that there would be centuries of Gentile domination before that hope was realized.
Zechariah, whose name means “the Lord remembers,” is rightly called the “prophet of hope.” No Old Testament prophet spoke more clearly of the coming Messiah, or of His kingdom. Kenneth L. Barker, in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary series, summarizes these twin themes. “Zechariah predicted Christ’s first coming in lowliness (6:12), his humanity (6:12), his rejection and betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (11:12–13), his being struck by the sword of the Lord (13:7), his deity (3:4; 13:7), his priesthood (6:13), his kingship (6:13; 9:9; 14:9, 16), his reign and second coming in glory (14:4), his building of the Lord’s temple (6:12–13), his reign (9:10, 14), and his establishment of enduring peace and prosperity (3:10; 9:9–10).
“As for the apocalyptic and eschatological aspect, Zechariah predicted the final siege of Jerusalem (12:1–3; 14:1–2), the initial victory of Israel’s enemies (14:2), the Lord’s defense of Jerusalem (14:3–4), the judgment of the nations (12:9; 14:3), the topographical changes in Israel (14:4–5), the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in the messianic Kingdom Age (14:16–19), and the ultimate holiness of Jerusalem and her people (14:20–21).”
Few Old Testament books, despite the obscurity of some of Zechariah’s visions, contain a clearer picture of Christ’s first coming or of events associated with that triumphant return that you and I look forward to today. Thus, for us too, Zechariah is the “prophet of hope.” The power of our sovereign God guarantees a salvation and a restoration destined to come to you and me also through God’s Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Overview
God called Zechariah (1:1–6), and gave him a series of eight visions concerning the restoration of Israel (vv. 7–17), the coming world powers (vv. 18–21), judgment of the nations (2:1–13), the coming Priest-King (3:1–10), present spiritual re- sources (4:1–14), the judgment of the guilty (5:1–4), cleansing from evil (vv. 5–11), God’s final victory (6:1–8), and ultimately concerning Messiah’s rule (vv. 9–15).

Understanding the Text
“Return to Me . . . and I will return to you” Zech. 1:1–4. Zechariah, who later became head of a priestly family that returned from Babylon (cf. Neh. 11:4), began his ministry with a lesson from history. God had urged earlier generations to turn to Him and away from their “evil ways and . . . evil practices.” They had refused, and because they rejected the Lord, Israel and Judah had fallen. Zechariah warned his generation: “Do not be like your forefathers.”
Note the association of turning to God and turning away from evil ways and evil practices. No one who had turned to the Lord would continue to practice evil.
But also note the lesson Zechariah drew from history. Evil ways and practices have consequences. Someone has said that experience is the best teacher. But how much easier for us it is to learn this lesson from the experience of others rather than from our own!

“How long will You withhold mercy?” Zech. 1:7–17 Though the first few verses of Zechariah look backward, the rest of the book looks ahead. We may be warned by lessons from the past. But we are motivated by bright prospects for the future. Zechariah’s first vision offers just such a hope.
The riders of his vision had just scouted the nations, and found the world at peace. This itself was not good news, for the Gentile world powers had to be overthrown before Messiah’s kingdom could be established. However, the Angel of the Lord told Zechariah that the Lord was “very angry” with the nations. He would overthrow them, and “return to Jerusalem with mercy.”
This first vision does not answer the question, “How long?” In essence, the Lord was saying that “when” was not His people’s concern. What He wanted them to know was that He would triumph.
You and I are to build our lives on the certainty of God’s ultimate triumph, without being concerned about when. Christ may return in our lifetime. He may not. What gives us hope and motivates us to serve the Lord is not knowing when, but knowing that Christ’s coming will surely take place.

In Zechariah 1:18–21 the four horns are world powers that will dominate Jerusalem, as in Daniel 7 and 8. The workman represents historic forces that operate to throw down each in turn, as history marches toward God’s grand conclusion. This vision does deal with the prophet’s question of “when?” It says, “Not soon, but certain!”

“I Myself will be a wall of fire around it” Zech. 2:1–13. The third vision was of a man surveying the city of Jerusalem. The angel explained it to Zechariah. God would crush the nations that had plundered His people. The Holy City will need no wall of stone then, for God Himself will be “a wall of fire” that guards a people who are “the apple of His eye.”
The prophet was even told of a great movement toward God that would sweep “many nations” into His fold. But Judah and Jerusalem would be His special portion.
How amazing. When Zechariah spoke, Judea was a tiny district in one of 120 provinces in the vast Persian Empire. Yet one day Judah and her capital, Jerusalem, were destined to become the center of the world! What gave the exiles hope was not present blessings, for the Holy Land was then a barren and briar-filled waste. What gave the exiles hope was the vision of what the Holy Land would become.
We too may find little cause for pride or confidence in our present situation. But when we look ahead, and remember God’s promises, we will overflow with confidence! What gives us hope is the vision of what we will be—as Christ continues His work in us, and when He comes again.

“Men symbolic of things to come” Zech. 3:1–10. What must happen before the Holy City can experience the restoration Zechariah’s visions promise? The prophet was given another vision, in which the angel calls the actors “symbolic of things to come.” The vision was complicated, but its major thrust is clear. When Messiah comes, and renews the priesthood by taking up His own priestly ministry, God’s people will at last be secure.
There are implications for us too in the symbolism. For any human being to know God’s peace, he or she must be cleansed by God and clothed in His righteousness (vv. 1–5). Then, as we walk in His ways, we will have assured access to the Lord and the power to live holy lives (vv. 6–8).

“Seven channels to the light” Zech. 4:1–14. This fifth vision teaches dependence on God’s Spirit, the resource who enables us to live holy lives while we await the Promised One’s appearance. The vision was directed to Zerubbabel, the governor who was also of David’s line. Even though, in that “day of small things,” Judea seemed completely insignificant and powerless, the Lord reminded the governor that progress is made, “Not by might nor by power, but by My spirit” (v. 6).
This is one of those Old Testament verses that we would each do well to remember. In all we do, we are to rely not on our own might or power, but on the Spirit of God. If we serve in His strength, nothing that we do for the Lord will be a “small thing.” God will use even the smallest in a great way.

“This is the curse that is going out over the whole land” Zech. 5:1–4. The scroll that Zechariah saw was a rolled-up book, on which were written God’s commandments. These are called a curse because violation of the commands brings punishment. How is this a message of hope? Simply in that when the guilty are punished, the innocent in the community are safe. When those who do wrong go unpunished, soon no one is safe!
Modern society can only be safe when its laws are rooted in God’s commands, and when those laws are enforced.

“It is a measuring basket” Zech. 5:5–11. The earlier visions were explained to Zechariah, or their symbolism was clear. Now we come to visions that are more obscure.
What is clear is that in this vision wickedness, personified as a woman, is carried away to Babylon.
What a reversal. Earlier the people of Judah had been carried off to Babylon because of their wickedness. Now evil itself is taken away from God’s people and sent to Babylon.
We today have a similar choice. We can either hold on to wickedness, and suffer terrible consequences. Or we can let the Lord bind the evil in our hearts, and isolate us from its power. The Holy Spirit can do in our hearts what Zechariah predicted He will one day do for His people, Israel.

“The four spirits of heaven” Zech. 6:1–8. In his final vision Zechariah saw war chariots manned by heavenly warriors setting out in every direction. The pronouncement of rest (v. 8) suggests the final victory of God.

“The man whose name is the Branch” Zech. 6:9–15. The visions over, Zechariah was told to make a silver and gold crown and to crown Joshua, the high priest, who represented the “Branch,” a common prophetic term for the coming Messiah. The crown is not a normal priest’s headdress, but a royal crown.
The impact of this symbolic act is to affirm that the promises God has made to His people will be carried out—but only by the Messiah, who will unite in His own person the offices of Priest and King.

DEVOTIONAL
Not Soon, but Certain
(Zech. 1)
“Can we go to the mall tonight, Mom?” Nine-year-old Sarah desperately wants to get a special folder to keep her school journal in. She only has 15 or 20 folders now, but you know how that goes. It’s the one she doesn’t have that’s special!
But what fascinates me is the sense of urgency. “Let’s go find it. Now!”
Her mom has promised they’ll look. But not now. Mom works all day, has to cart Sarah to music lessons, and had to go to school open house last night. Yes, they’ll go look for that folder. But Mom won’t make any commitments as to when. Sarah will have to be satisfied with a simple commitment. It may not be soon, but it is certain: They will look for her folder.
I understand why Sarah’s not happy with the “not soon, but certain” answer. For a child, everything is urgent. Everything has to be “now”—except of course cleaning up her room, practicing the piano, or doing homework. Still, everything she wants has to be “now.”
Zechariah 1 reminds us that God, like a good parent, tells us to be satisfied with “certain.” Even to be satisfied with “not soon, but certain.”
The prophet began by reminding his audience of the disasters that struck their forefathers because of disobedience (vv. 2–4). God’s threatened judgment came. Not soon. But certain.
Then God gave Zechariah two visions. After seeing the first, the prophet begged God to tell him, “How long will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem?” God didn’t answer at first, though He did make a binding promise. “I will return to Jerusalem with mercy.” God’s commitment to do good to His people is certain (vv. 7–17).
But then God gave Zechariah another vision; a vision of a series of world powers that would arise to dominate the Holy City, and would only gradually be worn away. This was God’s answer to Zechariah’s question about when. “Not soon.”
Zechariah had to be satisfied with that. God had promised. The promises would be fulfilled. It would not be soon. But it was certain.
Sometimes you and I have to live with just this kind of answer to our prayers. “God, I’m hurting.” “God, I need help.” “God, work in my loved one’s life.” “God, meet our needs.” When an answer is delayed, we grow so impatient. Like little Sarah, we want what we think we need now!
The next time you feel that kind of pressure, remember God’s message to Zechariah. His word to us is often the same. “Not soon. But certain.”
If we focus on the “not soon” we will be agitated and distressed. But if we focus on the “but certain,” we will have peace.

Personal Application
Whatever your circumstance, God’s commitment to do you good is certain and sure.

Quotable
“God in His unspeakable providence has arranged that some received the holy reward of their toils even before they set to work, others while actually working, others again when the work was done, and still others at the time of their death. Let the reader ask himself which one of them was made more humble.”—John Climacus

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

GOD’S KINGDOM
Micah 6–7

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

One day God’s kingdom will fill the earth. Until then we who know the Lord can live as citizens of that kingdom, our lives demonstrating our allegiance to King Jesus.

Background
God’s kingdom. The biblical concept of a kingdom differs from the modern view. We tend to think of a kingdom as a location: a land with borders, within which a common language is spoken. In the Old Testament, a “kingdom” is a sphere within which the will of a king is supreme.
In one sense the entire universe is God’s kingdom, for He is its Maker and ultimate authority. Yet ever since Satan’s fall the universe has been a kingdom in rebellion against its rightful Ruler, just as ever since Adam’s fall earth has been a rebellious planet.
Yet the Bible reveals the God who gently and lovingly seeks to win back earth’s rebels. God spoke to Abraham, and gave Abraham promises broad enough to cover all his seed. God exercised His power to free Abraham’s children, the Jewish people, from servitude in Egypt, and bring them to the land He had promised their forefathers. And God gave them a Law, to teach Israel the way of love—to show them how to live with Him as their King, by voluntarily submitting to His will.
Micah portrayed a people who had abandoned covenant life and refused to live with God as their King. Yet in this third sermon Micah reminded Israel and us of three great truths. God is still King, and God’s people can still choose that simple lifestyle that is His will for His own. God is still King, and even in a rebellious society, an individual can maintain his citizenship in God’s kingdom. And God will be King over the whole earth. Ultimately His sovereignty will be acknowledged by all, and the whole world will be the kingdom of our God.

Overview
Micah stated God’s case against Israel (6:1–8) and announced God’s sentence (vv. 9–16). He lamented the breakdown of covenant life (7:1–6), yet lived in hope (vv. 7–10) of God’s ultimate victory (vv. 11–20).

Understanding the Text
“The LORD has a case against His people” Micah 6:1–5. Micah pictured the mountains of
Israel, those eternal witnesses to the historic story of redemption, as judges, who hear God state His case against Israel.
The question God asked Israel, “How have I burdened you?” (v. 3) might be paraphrased, “What have I done to make you fed up with obeying Me?” What had God done? Oh, all God had done was to be faithful to His covenant obligations as Israel’s Ruler to protect His people. God redeemed Israel from the land of their slavery, provided a great leader in Moses, protected them from their enemies, and brought them safely through the wilderness to the Promised Land (vv. 4–5).
Whenever Israel, or you and I, stray from the Lord, we can’t blame Him. God is utterly faithful to His people, fully committed to His covenant promises. If we become estranged from God, we can be sure of one thing. It wasn’t God who moved away from us. It was we who moved away from Him!

“With what shall I come before the LORD?” Micah 6:6–7 What did this faithful God want from His people? Micah, taking the part of Israel, used irony to sum up what they had been willing to give Him: burnt offerings. Thousands of rams. Even, as the pagans, their own children. What a travesty. Israel had responded to God’s love by practicing a religion of externals, a religion of ritual. It had even corrupted that religion by violating God’s express will and offering child sacrifices.
God our King is no more satisfied today with mere religion than He was in Old Testament times. God has been faithful to us. He wants us to respond to Him from the heart, and to be faithful to what He as king has told us He desires.

“He has showed you, O man, what is good” Micah 6:8. When my father died, I chose this text for his funeral service. My dad had no special claim to fame. He was a rural mail carrier for over 30 years, a Justice of the Peace for another 10, and an enthusiastic fisherman. He had a dry sense of humor, twinkling eyes, a fine memory and speaking voice, and a quiet faith he seldom spoke about but never hid. Everyone who knew Dad respected him, but I suspect few thought of him as someone special.
That’s why I chose this Micah text for his funeral. I’ve had the chance to meet and know some of the “greats” of our faith. And I appreciate them. But Dad represents to me the loyal citizen of God’s kingdom, who, untainted by fame, responds to the Lord in the simplest and yet most beautiful of ways. What does God require? Religious rituals? Thousands of sacrifices? No, He’s shown us what is good. What God our King asks is simply that in honor of Him we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
You and I may never make the list of Christian greats here on earth. But far more important than that is to be found on the role of those citizens of God’s kingdom who respond wholeheartedly to the will of our King, and show it in a simple lifestyle of justice, mercy, and humility.

“I have begun to destroy you” Micah 6:9–16. The verdict was rendered in God’s favor. He had been faithful as Israel’s King. Israel has rebelled against His will. Justice and mercy are mocked in Israel, and humility was a joke (vv. 10–12). God is King, and such violations of His will will surely be punished.
The graphic description of Israel’s punishment in these verses reminds us that God is a great King. Rebellion against Him must, and surely will be, put down.

“What misery is mine!” Micah 7:1–2 Micah now expressed, not the misery of Israel, but the misery of a godly individual in a corrupt society. His first cry was one of loneliness. He looked desperately for “the godly” with whom he might have fellowship. But the land was as barren of godly persons as a field that has been thoroughly harvested is barren of fruit to satisfy one’s hunger.
Each of us has a basic need for fellowship with other believers. We need the mutual support. We need to know that we are not alone in our commitment to the Lord. If you want to grow in your relationship to God and as a Christian, perhaps your first priority should be to bond with Christian friends who share your commitment and desires.

“Do not trust a neighbor” Micah 7:3–6. A society in rebellion against God, as the soci-
ety Micah described here, corrupts relationships. Bonding can take place between the godly, because those who deal in justice, mercy, and humility can be trusted to care about others. But in a society where these qualities are lacking, the individual experiences isolation and alienation. The members of a corrupt society know they cannot trust themselves, and thus can trust no one else.
What an awful way to live: to “put no confidence in a friend” and “even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words.” It is not only right to live as loyal citizens of God’s kingdom.
It is the only way to live happily.

“Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light” Micah 7:7–13. Micah had looked for godly people with whom to bond, and found none. He found only enemies, who gloated over the apparent failure of his predictions of doom to come true. And so Micah asked a question millions have asked through the ages. How does the godly person, who seeks to live as a citizen of God’s kingdom while traveling through Satan’s world, survive?
Micah said simply, “As for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me” (v. 7). Though we sit in darkness now, we can see the light that is beginning to appear on history’s far horizon. God is coming, and when He appears all the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. What gives us hope despite present darkness is the certainty that God’s day will dawn. As Micah said, looking forward to a restored Israel, “The day for building your walls will come” (v. 11).

“Shepherd your people with your staff” Micah 7:14–15. When God the King does come He will display His power. This is the significance of shepherding “with your staff.” The staff was a sturdy stick carried by the shepherd. It not only aided him in walking over rough ground, but also served as a weapon to beat off wild animals that would attack his sheep. When God the King comes, He will protect His own. He will use His staff, parallel with “wonders” (miracles; acts of power like the plagues that struck ancient Egypt) in verse 15, to crush every enemy of His people.
It’s good to remember that God is King. He merits our allegiance. But as sovereign Lord He has ultimate power. One day He will use it for His own, against all our enemies. How good it will be then to be good citizens of His kingdom, not rebels against His rule.

“They will turn in fear to the LORD our God” Micah 7:16–17. The display of God’s power will convince even a hostile world that He is King. Deprived of their power, the nations will at last turn to Him.

DEVOTIONAL
God Will Be God
(Micah 7)
It’s not easy to say, when we feel as alone and helpless as Micah obviously did, “I watch in hope for the LORD” (v. 7).
Micah—like experiences aren’t as unusual as they may seem. More than one Christian in our cities feels the same anguish Micah expressed. More than one feels alone (vv. 1–2). More than one feels surrounded by a violence and corruption with which he or she simply can’t cope (vv. 3–6). The promise of our King’s coming exists, but to many that day seems so far off. So unreal.
What keeps our hope alive in hopeless situations? Micah closed his book with a simple explanation. Our hope is kept alive by the simple fact that God is God. His nature, His character, is the firm ground on which our hope is built. It is because God is who He is that we know all will be well.
Who is He? Listen to Micah’s words. “Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as You pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago” (vv. 18–20).
So when you’re feeling down or defeated, read these words of Micah again and again. And remember, God will be God. And because He will be who He is, you and I can watch in hope for Him to act.

Personal Application
God’s character is our guarantee of good things ahead.

Quotable
“If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer—His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.”—John Newton

The 365-Day Devotional Commentary

THE COMING KING
Micah 3–5

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

Human leaders failed to lead Israel to righteousness. God would remedy man’s failures by providing a Ruler of His own; One who will shepherd God’s flock in the strength of the Lord.

Overview
Micah indicted Israel’s rulers (3:1–4) and religious leaders (vv. 5–8), who had brought the nation to the edge of disaster (vv. 9–12). Yet ultimately Zion will be exalted (4:1–13) under a King (5:1–4) who will bring peace (vv. 5–6) and purity (vv. 7–13).

Understanding the Text
“Should you not know justice?” Micah 3:1–4 Micah began his second sermon by addressing the leaders of Israel. The challenge was appropriate. Surely those in government who have the responsibility of administering justice should be able to recognize what is fair and right.
But Micah pictured a group of leaders who “hate good and love evil.” In vivid terms Micah pictured a nation whose citizens are cattle, to be treated like animals that are butchered and prepared for eating. The leaders exploited the people, and cared only about the personal profit they could wrest from the suffering masses.
Micah’s charge may seem extreme, but it reflects a basic stance taken throughout Scripture. Leaders are called to serve others, never to exploit them. A youthful Solomon pleased God greatly when, rather than ask for personal wealth or glory, he requested “wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people” (2 Chron. 1:10). This is the attitude appropriate to any position of leadership, whether secular or spiritual.
Any opportunity we have to lead demands that we carefully examine our hearts. Are we motivated by a deep concern for the welfare of others? Or are we motivated by selfish concerns, by pride of position or a passion for power?
Exploitative leaders surrender their greatest resource. Micah said that when trouble comes “they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them” (Micah 3:4). The leader whose motives and actions are pure can call on God, and expect Him to answer!

“If one feeds them, they proclaim ‘peace’ ” Micah 3:5–7. Again Micah fixes our attention on motives. The prophets in Israel, charged with the responsibility of communicating God’s message, were motivated by potential gain. If someone paid them, they were quick to say what their employer wanted to hear!
The consequences of approaching ministry in this way are the same as those of misusing secular leadership. “They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God” (v. 7).
The most important thing that you or I can do is live in fellowship with the Lord. This keeps the channel open that permits us to speak to God, and God to speak to us.

“Hear this, you . . . who despise justice and distort all that is right” Micah 3:8–12. The spiritual consequences of flaws in leaders and prophets are great. But so are the material consequences. The aristocracy of Israel had created an unjust society. “Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money.” As a result the nation itself could not count on God’s help in time of need. An unjust society will be destroyed. As Micah said, “Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets” (v. 12).
Don’t count on God to help you if you’re committed to a sinful lifestyle. Instead, count on God to bring disaster.

“In the last days” Micah 4:1–5. The sins of the nation’s leaders had brought Israel to the verge of destruction. Even so, God’s ultimate plan for Israel will be carried out. That plan is for all the peoples of the world to seek the God of Jacob. In the end, in God’s time, the word of the Lord will flow from Jerusalem and become the living principle by which disputes are settled. War will be no more, and individuals will enjoy the produce of their fields and vines in lasting peace. Then Israel will “walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever” (v. 5).
Terrible things do happen in this world, caused by selfish and greedy men and women. But it was not meant to be like this. And it will not be like this. In God’s time, life on this earth will become all that God originally intended it to be.

“I will assemble the exiles” Micah 4:6–13. The people of God will be scattered. But when God’s time comes, they will be reassembled. The God who expels will restore. He who punishes will bless.
We need to remember this. However dark a present experience, bright daylight lies just ahead.

“But you, Bethlehem” Micah 5:1–5. Micah now uttered one of the Old Testament’s most significant and clear messianic predictions. A Ruler is to appear who will bring the promised blessings to Israel. The Ruler will be born in Bethlehem, yet have “origins . . . from of old, from ancient times” (v. 2). This Ruler will shepherd His flock (Israel) in the strength of the Lord (v. 4). He will guarantee their security and peace, as His greatness reaches “the ends of the earth” (v. 4).
Like other messianic prophecies, this prediction makes no distinction between the first and second comings of Christ. He has been born, in Bethlehem, just as Micah predicted. He has not yet established that rule which will bring earth peace.
While Old Testament prophecy frequently fails to specify times, biblical prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal way. Jesus, as the Son of God, had origins “from ancient times.” And Jesus was born in Bethlehem, just as Micah specified some 700 years earlier.
We seldom are able to grasp the full implications of biblical visions of the future. But we can be confident that what God states will happen does lie ahead. And we can look forward with excitement to seeing God’s plan for our earth unfold.
His greatness will “reach to the ends of the earth” (v. 4). And we will see it!

“The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the LORD” Micah 5:6–15. It may seem strange, but the exile of Israel and Judah served the best interests of God’s people. It was a punishment. But it was a blessing too.
In tiny Palestine, the multiplication of the Jewish people would have been curtailed by the limited size of the land, and the powerful enemies that made the Holy Land a battlefield for so many millennia. But scattered throughout the world, the Jewish people grew to a vast number. How vast? Recent studies suggest that 1 of every 10 persons in the Roman Empire in New Testament times was a Jew! And that in the Parthian kingdom, which included much of the old Babylonian and Persian territories, that proportion may have been as great as 1 in every 5!
Life was not easy for the exiles. There was frequent conflict with the Gentiles who lived in the cities of the Roman and Eastern worlds. But God did preserve His people. There was always a remnant. And, in fact, there was a much greater “remnant” than had ever lived in the Holy Land even during its glory years!
What a thought for us to ponder. Even God’s punishments are intended to bless. We are not to give up, but to remember that even through suffering God intends to do us good.

DEVOTIONAL
King Jesus
(Micah 5)
“But what does it really mean, this promise of a coming King?”
The old Jewish man smiled, and unrolled a particular scroll till he came to what we identify as Micah 5.
“What does it mean? Well, first of all see, here, that the King we’re talking about is God, the Ancient of Days. He’ll come to us as our Messiah, born in Bethlehem of David’s line (v. 2). It’s because of who He is that He means what He does.”
“So, sir, what does He mean?”
“First, He means that we are empty and unfulfilled without Him. See here. Till He comes and Bethlehem gives birth, we are an abandoned people. We need Him in order to find our very selves (v. 3).
“Second, He means security. Without Him we’re at the mercy of circumstances and our enemies. But when He comes in the strength of the Lord, He will care for us as a shepherd cares for his flock. As God’s sheep, we will be secure (v. 4).
“And third, son, He means peace. His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth, and His power will guarantee our safety. When He is present with us at last, His presence will itself bring us perfect peace.”
The boy nodded slowly. Looking up toward the sky, he said, “I hope He comes soon.”
Another young boy asked his father, “Dad, what does it mean to know Christ?” And his father opened his NIV to Micah 5.
“Look here,” he said. “Remember that the Baby born in Bethlehem wasn’t just any child. He was God, the Ancient of Days, come into our world. Only because Jesus is God can knowing mean what it does.”
“So, Dad,” the boy asked, “what does it mean?”
“First, it means that without Him we’re all alone, with no one to help us, just like an abandoned baby.
“Second, it means that when we do know Him, we’re not alone anymore. He’s like a shepherd who loves and takes care of his sheep. And we’re like sheep. We’re helpless by ourselves. But safe when Jesus is taking care of us.
“And third, Son, it means that we never need to be afraid of things that are too big for us. Because Jesus’ power reaches to every place on earth, we can have peace inside. Knowing Jesus means that we’re God’s own, safe forever from everything that might do us harm.”
Nodding slowly, the boy looked up toward the sky. “I’m sure glad we know Him now, Dad. Aren’t you?”

Personal Application
All that the coming Jesus would mean to God’s Old Testament people, Jesus’ presence means for us today.

Quotable
Beyond the war-clouds and the reddened ways,
I see the Promise of the Coming Days!
I see His Sun arise, new charged with grace
Earth’s tears to dry and all her woes efface!
Christ lives! Christ loves! Christ rules!
No more shall Might,
Though leagued with all the Forces of the Night,
Ride over Right. No more shall Wrong
The world’s gross agonies prolong.
Who waits His Time shall surely see
The triumph of His Constancy;—
When without let, or bar, or stay,
The coming of His Perfect Day
Shall sweep the Powers of Night away;—
And Faith, replumed for nobler flight,
And Hope, aglow with radiance bright,
And Love, in loveliness bedight,
Shall greet the morning light!
—John Oxenham