Scripture

Tyre has made a strong fortress and has made silver and gold as plentiful as dust in the streets. But now the Lord will strip away Tyre’s possessions and hurl its fortifications into the sea, and it will be burnt to the ground.

Observation

Zechariah now brings some messages from the Lord about the surrounding nations.

Aram is doomed. The cities of Tyre and Sidon think their wealth and cleverness will protect them. The Lord will take away Tyre’s possessions and destroy its fortifications.

The Philistines also will be destroyed, although those in Ekron will join the Lord’s people.

Israel’s King will come riding on a donkey. The Lord will remove the chariots and war horses, and destroy the weapons. The king will establish peace in the land and will reign from sea to sea. He will protect His people.

Application

The city of Tyre was so wealthy that gold and silver were as plentiful as dust. Their wealth, of course, was nothing like the wealth of the nations today.

The Lord promised that all that wealth would be stripped away from them. They trusted their wealth and their innovations to protect them, but the Lord is greater than these things.

I think that we can trust in our possessions too much. Our culture thinks that we have no need for God because we are wealthy and are so clever. God is an outdated superstition, and the Bible is just an ancient book of no possible use in the 21st century.

For all of our cleverness and knowledge, the Lord could strip our wealth away in no time at all. The pandemic has shown just how quickly our economies can be disrupted.

We must always put our trust in the Lord, and not lean on our own understanding, or on our knowledge, or our own possessions. Only the Lord is for ever – everything else will pass away.

Prayer

Father, please forgive me for the times when I have sought security in my possessions or in my own abilities. I trust you to keep me safe in all things. Amen

Scripture

The people of one city will say to the people of another, “Come with me to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heavens Armies. I am determined to go.”

Observation

Gods love for Jerusalem is passionate. He will live in Zion. Jerusalem will bustle with people of all ages. The Lord will bring his people back from all over the world.

The Lord is planting seeds of peace and prosperity. Grape vines will be heavy with fruit, and there will be abundant crops.

Traditional fasts and times of mourning are to become festivals of joy and celebration.

People from all over the world will plan to come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s blessing.

Application

The Lord’s plan for Israel and for Jerusalem, in particular, are that they become places that showcase the blessings of the Lord. The Lord is determined to dwell among His people. The result is that people from all over the world would make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s blessing, regardless of their religion.

We are seeing this coming true in our own time. The Lord has blessed the nation of Israel abundantly to make it one of the most prosperous and innovative nations in the world. Jerusalem is a beacon for many people in the world – Christians, Jews and Muslims.

All of these promises apply to the church also. We are the Jerusalem that was prophesied about.

God blesses His people as they walk in faithful obedience. People with no knowledge about the Lord will look to Christians for advice or to the church to receive some blessing from the Lord.

Prayer

Thank you, Father, for the way you lavish blessing after blessing on your people, including me. Please help me to point others towards the love of Jesus. Amen

Scripture

“Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Observation

The people of Bethel seek the Lord’s favour. They ask the prophets, “Should we continue to mourn the destruction of the temple each year?”

The Lord responds by asking them were really mourning for the sake of the Lord or for their own pleasure. When they have their festivals, they eat and drink for themselves, and not out of worship for the Lord.

The Lord gives a simple, direct message to Zechariah: judge fairly, show mercy and kindness to one another, not oppressing the poor among them.

This was the message the ancestors received from the prophets, but they ignored it over and over. Eventually, the Lord decided to refuse to listen to them because they had refused to listen to Him.

Application

The Lord constantly calls to us, seeking for us to walk in fellowship with Him. He seeks real friendship, not the mockery of heartless religion.

He calls over and over. When we stick our fingers in our spiritual ears to avoid hearing Him, then our ability to respond to Him declines. The Lord may send big events into our lives to get our attention, but we can still refuse to listen.

Eventually we may get to the point where He is not calling to us, and not even listening when we call to Him.

What a tragic state of affairs this is, when God has effectively given up on us.

This is not the end of the story, of course. The Lord is always ready to accept us when we repent from the heart.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for your desire to be my friend. Please help me to push all other things aside, just to be with you. Amen

Scripture

“Yes, he will build the Temple of the Lord. He will receive royal honour and will rule as a king from his throne. He will also serve as a priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.”

Observation

Zechariah sees four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains. These four chariots are send out to the four corners of the Earth.

The Lord tells Zechariah that he is to meet some people returning from Babylon with silver and gold. He is to take these gifts and have a crown made for Jeshua. Jeshua is the Branch who will branch out from where he is, and he will rebuild the temple. He will be both priest and king, and he will hold these roles in perfect harmony.

Application

The high priest Jeshua is a symbol of the Messiah, called the Branch. He will be recognised as both priest and King over Israel.

It is interesting that the name Joshua (in Hebrew, Yeshua) is the same name that we call Jesus.

Jesus is the true Messiah of which this man Jeshua was a representative.

In Jesus the roles of high priest and King are combined forever. Jesus is an intermediary between sinful people and God the Father. The blood of Christ, rather than the blood of animals, brings forgiveness and reconciliation.

Jesus is also the King above all Kings. He sits on the throne of heaven, and all people and all nations are under his reign – whether they realise it or not.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for saving me. You are my King and my High Priest. Amen