Zechariah–Intro, Chapters 1 & 2
What a delight to study the most Messianic of the ‘minor’ prophets; and the most difficult, together! Zechariah encouraged his generation greatly, and nourished in them a hope in the coming time of victory (not merely a hope in the original audience’s ‘here and now’).
Background:
Who is Zechariah? A quick read of Ezra chapters 5&6 (esp 6:14) will show that Zechariah was instrumental in encouraging those who were rebuilding the Temple in the midst of great discouragement, and even fear of what the Gentiles around them might do. We see mentioned his lineage, but know very little else. Matthew 23:34-36 shows us that his death was a tragedy that God has not forgotten. After encouraging the rebuilding of the temple, he was then killed there by his own.
When? One of three post exilic prophets… timing can be seen in the early chapters, and we will touch on this as we come to those verses. The timing is given in light of Gentile kings, not rulers in Israel or Judah–this is important to note. The temple is being rebuilt, the city wall will be next, yet from here onward the people of God would in various ways find themselves immersed in Gentile culture and kingdoms. The next guy to expand the temple, Herod–was an Edomite, and his wife also a Gentile. Until the Messiah comes, Israel was not to have another Davidic king.
539 BC, 20th year of exile, Cyrus conquers Babylon;
530 BC, he dies in battle…he was known for his kindness to all the peoples Babylon ruled; his son Cambysus, a tyrant, killed his own brother to secure the throne, and while out on ‘conquest’ he is rumored to have killed himself.
Darius overthrew and killed a usurper, and took the throne between 522-520BC. 520 is also the foundation laying ceremony for the temple, and the beginning of Zechariah’s prophecy. The temple was rebuilt by 516BC.
To Whom is he preaching and to whom is his writing addressed? We will look at how they would have been encouraged, and then ask how can we–in Christ–understand these words, these gracious and comforting words. The visions in chapters 1-6 were all received in one night. 1-8 date to 520BC; 9-14 around 510BC. 1:1-6 begins by noting the time that this word of the LORD came, in the second year of Darius.
Zechariah Is Encouraging
The work of rebuilding the Temple of God had begun, the foundation was laid and people celebrated. Then the discouragement came, and people frightened the Israelites so that work on the Temple ceased, in the second year of Darius. Read Ezra 5-6.
You will notice that after work ceased, God sent two prophets, Zechariah and Haggai. At this time Darius finds Cyrus’ decree, and issues his own decree to let the work of rebuilding continue. Zechariah continues encouraging the people until rebuilding is complete! Encouragement includes a call to repentance, a reminder of God’s character, and of God’s continual Presence and Work.
Return to Me
Deuteronomy speaks of the exile that would come as a means of bringing about repentance, here Zechariah opens with a call to true repentance now that they have returned to their land. Zechariah 1:3 is directed to this generation, though he has spoken of their ancestors, this call is to them, now, to return to a true relationship with their God, not just to the land. Who issues this call? YHWH of Sabbaoth, or the LORD of hosts. (c.f. for passages in which the LORD of hosts speaks: Jeremiah 19:11; 25:28; 43:10 are three of the many) This LORD will always carry out His will; no enemy can thwart Him, no army here on earth can withstand Him in battle.
The Covenant keeping God who is full of steadfast love and true justice, who directs His unseen armies (hosts) to carry out His will on the earth, addresses Zechariah. Picture 2 Kings 6:15-17:
15 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
We will see fire later in the passage, for now let us focus on this Name, and how many times you see it in these verses. Three times in verse three. Twice more through verse six; you can count the rest in this chapter.
A return to the LORD involves leaving behind evil ways and evil deeds, and trusting that what God says is true, and as Isaiah says, it will not return to Him void–He speaks, and creates, sustains, Providentially directs all of creation. If He sends His prophets to speak, it will happen according to the word He has given them.
Return to Me: Jeremiah 4:28, 18:7-8; 26:2-3; 36:2-3;
Joel 2:12-14; Malachi 3:7
A Disturbing Peace
Verses 7-the end of chapter 6 come in the eleventh month of the second year of Darius, so three months after the first word that came to Zechariah.
The LORD of hosts has sent out a patrol, four representing a complete patrol, in all directions. This patrol sees the nations at peace. This is disturbing, and leads the angle speaking with the LORD to cry out “how long?” Why? Because peace is a blessing, why are the evil nations being blessed while God’s people are facing such opposition?
How Long?
The angel who asks is not grumbling. As a created being, this angel is fully dependent on God for all knowledge that he may possess. He does not know God’s plan unless God reveals it. He has seen the nations at peace, and cries out as an obedient servant of God, wanting to know when God will again have compassion on His people. (see Psalm 79, which is also very pastoral–the setting of much of this book, which we will cover later).
YHWH is known to be full of compassion and mercy, keeping hesed with His people. Yet, the angel wants to know when that compassion will be shown toward God’s people in God’s acts of justice and favor.
Exodus 33:19 And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”
Exodus 34:6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in [hesed] and truth;
Deuteronomy 4:31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.
God’s Measurement
1:14ff territory, not demographic, God measures His land, He surveys and chooses. Measuring here is a metaphor for a decree of protection or judgment; and connotes God’s presence, by which His people will be upheld. No one measures a land he does not own, this metaphor will remind God’s people that He is their true king.
Jealousy, Anger; these anthropopathic emotions let us know God is on the move, for His people, against His enemies. God is jealous in a way vastly different from our jealous tendencies. He is jealous for His people to have eternal life, to have the pleasures forevermore available at His right hand. He does not want His people to settle for less, to exchange their glory for something lesser, to slip into idolatry and other earthly vanities and futilities.
1:16 “My house will be built” For a lovely time of meditation, consider these two passages: Eph 2:11-end, Heb 3:1-6.
Note that God is saying His house will be built, in a time when the builders were discouraged, thinking the nations around them would prohibit the work. This has notes of promise in it–God has planned it, it will happen. God commands them to build, and reassures them that His house will be built. Shortly after this vision, Cyrus’ decree is found, and Darius issues his own decree to let the work continue, and to supply all their needs.
Singing!
Chapter 2 begins with a vision of another person running out to measure the city, and this one is interrupted with the good news that this measurement is not needed–since God plans to have so many people that a wall could not contain them; and an abundance of cattle. It will not be a time of insecurity, of no protection; rather they will have something better than a wall.
‘For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’
The gracious and comforting words that come next must have really encouraged the builders! He who touches you touches the apple of God’s eye. One blink and God will fix them! This next mention of being sent (here in verse 9, and in verse 11) has both a “now” and a “future” meaning. They will know for certain that Zechariah is a prophet sent by God; but this portion is messianic; how will they know the Messiah? The Sent One?
2:10, an imperative; this is a command, not a suggestion. Is it the wrong time for singing? No, beloved. Our compassionate and gracious God does not command something too difficult. In the midst of turmoil and strife, doubts and fears, insecurities, and even a failure to obey (they had stopped work, after all), singing is good and necessary. What happens in your soul as you sing? What happens to your blood pressure? To your thoughts? Wholistically, this was good for Israelites, as well as glorifying and honoring to God. What happens in a group that sings corporately? Would it unify them to trust God and work together?
This is one mention of Joy, see also 8:19, 9:9, 14:16 to ponder this a theme.
To meditate further on this singing, see also Nah 1:15; Lev 23:34, 39-43; Num 29:12; Deut 16:13; Ezra 3:4; Neh 8:12-18; Ezek 45:25; Hos 12:9; John 7:2 and especially Isaiah 30:29:
“You will have songs as in the night when you keep the festival,
And gladness of heart as when one marches to the sound of the flute,
To go to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.”
Ending with Silence
2:13 A command to be silent, in acknowledgement of the King coming in power. Coming from where? His holy habitation. Holy, set apart, not of this creation. Where does God inhabit–our doctrines teach us He is boundless, everywhere. This is a reminder that God does not dwell in buildings made with human hands, He condescends to be with us, yet He is high and not at all constrained to one location, or the limitations of space and time. “Aslan is on the move!”
When has this type of silence been mentioned elsewhere? Often describing the culmination of God’s judgment; none can argue with Him, there is no other truth, no other wisdom. Some are silent in reverence and awe, others in sheer terror.
See Amos 6:10; Neh 8:11 Hab 2:20; zeph 1:7 as examples.
When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
Revelation 8:1
How do these two chapters showcase God’s compassion? How can these chapters encourage His church in our generation? Do you appreciate these gracious and comforting words?
Persevere, brethren!
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash