Scripture

I got rid of the three evil shepherds in a single month.

Observation

The Lord tells Zechariah to go and care for a flock of sheep intended for slaughter. No one cares about these sheep – not the buyers, nor the sellers, not even the shepherds.

Zechariah takes two shepherd’s staffs, and names one Favour, and the other Union. He gets rid of three evil shepherds in a single month.

He takes the staff called Favour and cut it in half to show that God has revoked his covenant with the nations. Then he takes the other staff and cuts it in two to show that the bond of unity between Israel and Judah was broken.

The Lord then sends Zechariah to play the part of a worthless shepherd. The Lord will give the nation a worthless shepherd who will not care for the people. The Lord will punish this man.

Application

The Lord has the power to raise leaders up and pull them down.

The church must not follow the ways of the world in condemning leaders that we disagree with. Rather, we must be constantly in prayer for the Lord to grant us wise and Christ- loving leaders.

The last federal election in Australia was widely expected to be won by the Labor Party. Instead, Scott Morrison and the Liberal National Coalition were elected. Scott Morrison, who is a christian, declared it was a miracle.

The Premier of New South Wales scoffed about churches in a press conference detailing Covid restrictions. In a month or so, she was forced to resign, and was replaced by a devout Catholic Premier.

We must pray for our leaders, that we are given good shepherds not evil ones.

Prayer

Lord, I pray that every evil shepherd who does not acknowledge you will be pulled down. Thank you that you have that power to raise up and pull down. Amen.

Scripture

Ask the Lord for rain in the spring

For he makes the storm clouds.

And he will send showers of rain

so that every field becomes a lush pasture.

Observation

We need to ask the Lord for rain to make the lush pastures. Idols and fortune tellers are worthless and tell only lies.

God is angry towards the shepherds of Israel who have led his people astray. He will make his people into mighty warriors who will trample their enemies under their feet.

The people of Israel will be like victorious warriors and joyful as if made happy by wine. The children will rejoice in the Lord.

The people of the Lord will return from the nations, and their enemies, Assyria and Egypt, will be crushed.

Application

Here in Narrabri we normally have hot and dry summers. Grass quickly dries in the heat, and until we get rain in autumn, the landscape is usually brown. This summer is different, with abundant and regular rain keeping the grass growing and dams and rivers full.

The Lord invites us to ask him for the rain that we need to produce food and fibre crops. Despite our wealth and technology, our prosperity and survival depend ultimately on getting rain at the right time.

The image of lush pastures is a metaphor for prosperity more generally. Our economy is dependent on the favour of the Lord. If we are hit by a new disease, for example, poverty and suffering can result.

So we need to ask the Lord for what we need in order to prosper and live well.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I recognise that in every way I am dependent on you for my daily bread. Please provide all that I need, and may my thankfulness to you be a sign to others of your kingdom. Amen.

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

Scripture

He replied,” It is a basket for measuring grain, and it is filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land.”

Observation

Zechariah sees a flying scroll which contains a curse that goes out over every part of the land. One side of the scroll says that everyone who steals will be banished from the land, while the other side says that everyone who swears falsely will be banished from the land. The house of every thief and every liar will be cursed by the Lord.

Next, Zechariah sees a basket that is used to measure grain, but it is filled with the sins of everyone in the land. The lid of the basket is removed to reveal a woman who is named Wickedness. Two women then fly towards the basket and take it to Babylon. There, a temple will be built for the basket, where it will be placed on a pedestal, presumably to be worshipped.

Application

Our nation is filled with every kind of evil – pornography, greed, theft, lies, violence, murder, and every kind of sexual immorality. The sins are in a measuring basket, which means that God can see them, weigh them, and judge them

In Zechariah’s vision, the basket of sins is sent to Babylon, where a temple is built to worship it. We are living in Babylon, where what God declares good is trashed but, every sin is elevated and worshipped .

The solution is not merely to condemn the sins of the world. Nor is it to hide in our holy huddle, isolated from the world and waiting for Jesus to take us home .

The solution is for the church to preach the gospel widely and fearlessly. As people turn away from their sin, its ability to captivate the nation is reduced.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I pray for my friends who do not know you. Bring them to the place of repentance and salvation. Amen

Scripture

“It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit”, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Observation

The Lord brings another vision to Zechariah. He sees a lamp-stand with seven lamps, each with seven wicks. Olive trees stand on either side of the lamp.

The Lord says to Zechariah it is not might nor power but the Spirit of the Lord that will remove the mountain.

Just as Zerubbabel laid the foundation of the temple, he will be the one to complete it. They must not despise the small beginnings because the Lord rejoices in what he is doing.

Application

The way forward in our life is not by human strength nor by wisdom, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God will remove the greatest mountain, if only we will submit ourselves to Him.

The problem is that often we see a problem and we think we have to fix it. We assume that whatever is in our way, we can overcome it by our own efforts.

Nearly every problem in life has a spiritual root– whether it is outright demonic attacks or generational curses we have done nothing to deserve.

We need the Holy Spirit in order to flourish in life and in our walk with the Lord.

If we can gain the victory in the spirit realm, we will find every battle becomes easier to win.

God has given us every good weapon for the warfare, but it is up to us to use them, depending on Him and His strength.

Prayer

It is not by might nor strength but by your Spirit alone that my mountains are removed. Help me, Lord, to remember this in the midst of the battle. Amen

Scripture

And the Lord said to satan, ” I, the Lord, reject your accusation, satan.”

Observation

Zechariah has a vision of Jeshua the high priest. Satan, the accuser, makes accusations against Jeshua, but the Lord reject them.

Jeshua’s clothing is filthy, but the angels take these clothes off him, and give him clean clothes. The angel says,” I have taken away your sins.”

The angel of the Lord tells Jeshua that if he stays faithful to the Lord, he will have great authority in the temple. Jeshua is a symbol of the coming Messiah.

Application

This is a lovely picture of the ways of the Lord in bringing us to salvation.

The devil is constantly making accusations against us. The Lord is constantly rejecting those accusations.

When we come to Christ, He takes away our filthy clothes, which represent our sinful nature. Instead He clothes us in the righteousness of Christ. Now, no accusation that is made against us can stand.

Now that satan is unable to bring accusations against us to the Lord, he brings accusations to us. He whispers lies that say we are not good enough, that we won’t be forgiven this time, or that we have committed the unforgivable sin.

We must reject these accusations and declare that in Christ we are clothed with righteousness. When it comes to accusation, we need to listen to the Lord’s judgement, not the claims of satan.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the assurance of forgiveness. I am clothed in Christ, and satan’s accusations are false. Amen