Foundations: The Book of Zechariah
12 Day Devotional
The book of Zechariah is one of great encouragement
and hope – for God’s people in the past, in the present and in the future!
While judgment and rebuke are a part of the message of Zechariah, much of the
book loudly declares God’s plan to powerfully deal with evil and to comfort His
people, both Jew and non-Jew. As we view the world around us and wonder about
the brokenness and chaos, a book such as Zechariah can serve as an anchor for the
heart, soul and mind of any believer.
Zechariah 14:9 (NIV) "The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that
day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.”
Introduction to Zechariah
Zechariah is
one of God’s final messages to His people
before a period of relative silence (approx. 400 years) begins, leading up to
the coming of Jesus. Zechariah the priest prophesied at the same time as Haggai
the prophet, but outlasted him by many years. We can read more about them and
that specific time period in their own books, along with the books of Ezra and
Nehemiah. Approximately 50,000 Jews had returned to Jerusalem from their exile
in Babylon. Overall, they were fairly discouraged and disheartened. Their
primary leaders included the governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua. Then
there were the prophets Zechariah, and Haggai, challenging the people to keep
rebuilding the second temple (the first had been destroyed by the Babylonians) in
spite of financial challenges and aggressive enemies. Zechariah’s message was
clear - if only they would return to God and follow Him, they would be blessed.
They must not give up!
In Zechariah
God is speaking through His servant to both spur on and encourage His people at
that time and to comfort future believers.
Through what the prophet say, we can see that God is always in control and that
He never forgets His people! Can this not encourage us as well? In fact, Zechariah’s
name means “Yahweh remembers”! Throughout
the book Zechariah uses many word pictures to illustrate what he’s saying. In
fact, as we read Zechariah we are confronted at times with fairly wild visions
full of meaning, even brief poetry. Some find this confusing, but it is in part
due to the reality that when looking that far into the future, certain things
will be cloudy from our perspective. Nevertheless,
when things get foggy we can remember this - God is speaking and saying, “I am
working and I WILL work!” Therefore, reading Zechariah can strengthen our
hearts, purify our minds and capture our imagination. What an incredible book!
In
Zechariah, we are certainly given a compelling picture of how history will
unfold. Much of it centers around the Jews, Jerusalem and, of course, Jesus.
For sure our love for Jesus can
expand in reading Zechariah as many vivid prophecies about His first and second
comings proclaim what He has done and what He will do. He is worthy to be
praised and followed! And do you ever
wonder about all the evil in the world? Do you ever feel that God’s Work is
progressing too slowly? Do you ever get discouraged by your sin? Zechariah
addresses all these questions and challenges. Brothers and sisters, read with eagerness as we are told that God WILL
fulfill His promises and complete His epic plan for redemption, including that of
the Jews. Amen! Day One
Read:
Zechariah 1
The book of
Zechariah is broken into two parts. Chapters 1-8 focus on the current situation
of Israel, while Chapters 9-15 concentrate on the future – including our future! The book begins with a powerful word from
God, through Zechariah – “return to me . . . and I will return to you” (1:3). Brothers
and sisters, we must move toward God if we are to experience Him and walk in
His blessings! The Jews needed to hear this because they were growing weary of
their temple rebuilding project. There were so many challenges! God was saying
– you have a choice to make – be like your forefathers, or be different. This
is a lesson for all of us – we can set a new course if the generations before
us strayed from God and His Ways. Praise God! Wearisome times will come, but
God is waiting to provide us with words to spur us on!
A few months
after delivering this prophecy, Zechariah receives a variety of visions. God
definitely has many ways to communicate with us! In Chapter 1 he gets a vision
of men on horses returning with a report for God. The nations that have
oppressed Israel look so secure, and at peace, BUT God says in response to this
report – “things aren’t what they look like!” (1:14-17). How they needed God’s
perspective! The proper view, God says, is that He will have mercy on Israel
and punish the other nations. The next vision confirms this with a picture of
nations and their strength (this is what horns represent) being subdued
(1:18-21). What a powerful God we serve!
Prayer and Journaling
1. Is
there an area in your life where you have to return to God? Is there something
that you’re trying to keep hidden from Him? Let Him search your heart . . . He
will return to you! (v. 3).
2. Write
down some past patterns from previous generations (your “forefathers”) in your
family that were dishonouring to God. (v. 4) This is not for the purpose of
blame or disrespect. Rather, ask God if
you have made better choices and set different patterns in those areas.
3. Pray
that God would “de-horn” (vv. 18-21) the power and strength of nations that
hate God’s people, the Jews, and all other believers. He has promised to do
this, so we are praying according to His Will. Let’s be a part of His Work!
