Zechariah 7
December 4, 04 message during reign of Darius verse 1
And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius
that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day
of the ninth month – even in Chisleu
Bethel sent messengers to house of God verse 2
When they had sent unto the house of God
Sherezer – Regem-melech – their men
to pray before the LORD
Question for the priests verse 3
AND to speak unto the priests which were
in the house of the LORD of hosts
AND to the prophets – saying
Should I weep in the fifth month – separating myself
as I have done these so many years?
LORD sends answer to question verse 4- 7
Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me
saying
Speak to all the people of the land – and to the priests
saying
When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month
even those seventy years did you at all fast unto ME
even to ME?
And when you did eat – and when you did drink
did not you eat for yourselves – and drink for yourselves?
Should you not hear the words which the LORD
has cried by the former prophets
when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity
and the cities thereof round about her
when men inhabited the south and the plain?
Instruction given regarding treatment of people verse 8- 10
And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah saying
Thus speaks the LORD of hosts saying
Execute true judgment
And show mercy and compassion every man to his brother
and oppress not the widow
nor the fatherless – stranger – poor
And let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart
People in past refused to listen to instructions verse 11- 12
BUT THEY REFUSED to hearken – and pulled away the shoulder
and stopped their ears – that they should not hear
YEA – THEY made their hearts as adamant stone
LEST THEY should hear the law
and the words which the LORD of hosts has sent
in HIS SPIRIT by the former prophets
Consequences of not listening to the LORD verse 13- 14
THEREFORE it is come to pass – that as he cried
and they would not hear
SO they cried and I would not hear
says the LORD of hosts
BUT I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations
whom they knew not
Thus the land was desolate after them
that no man passed through nor returned
FOR they laid the pleasant land desolate
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And to speak to the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? (5144 “separating myself” [nazar] means to consecrate oneself to a deity, to deal respectfully, to abstain from food for religious reasons, to dedicate oneself, or devote oneself.)
DEVOTION: Too many people go through the motions of religion. They find out what a particular religion teaches and put into practice some of their customs. We sometimes think of these things as tradition.
Traditions are not always bad but if they become what we worship rather than the belief behind the tradition we are failing to realize that it is not true worship. One of the traditions the Israelites practiced during some feasts was prayer and fasting. Usually this is to show humility toward God.
However the people Zechariah was a prophet too were not showing humility but doing a tradition. The LORD confronted them concerning their tradition. They had asked the question if they had to continue practicing prayer and fasting.
God told them that they were not doing it to honor HIM but to just show that they were religious which something God didn’t care for in HIS people. HE doesn’t want us to pray as a tradition but as trying to keep a relationship going. Fasting was not just skipping food and drink but a time to honor the LORD with our prayers. God took them seriously. These individuals didn’t.
CHALLENGE: HE wants us to take it seriously.
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DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. (2803 “imagine” [chashab] means to plan secretly, to weave, devise, to invent, to meditate, or plot.)
DEVOTION: The LORD has a special place in HIS commandments for those who fall into these categories.
Those who have a normal family of a father, mother, and children seem to be able to handle life better than those who don’t have a father or a husband.
Those who move into a new country don’t usually have many friends or relatives to help them start their new life and so they need the people in the land to be friendly.
Finally, there are people who have a problem with making ends meet. They need someone to come alongside to give them monetary help until they get on their feet. It should not something that goes on forever but should be giving those who are poor work they can handle.
If we who are believers don’t treat these individuals special we will have to answer to the LORD for our actions. Some of the children of Israel were planning evil against these groups of people. They were even planning evil against their own family members.
Members of a Biblical church should look at each of these categories and see if they were helping them or hindering them. If they are neglecting anyone in these groups they are neglecting being obedient to the LORD. The LORD will judge the church and its leaders for these actions.
If they are neglecting fellow members of the church, they will answer to the LORD for our neglect. The LORD doesn’t bless a church that doesn’t take care of its members. There needs to be the LOVE of Christ present in every Biblical congregation.
CHALLENGE: Take care of the widows, fatherless, poor and strangers in your midst as one might be an angel that you are entertaining unaware.
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DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. (3986 “refused” [ma‘en] means unwilling to obey, be slothful, or be in a state of rebellion and defiant to authority.)
DEVOTION: The people were unwilling to obey the commands of the LORD. They were oppressing the widows in the land. They were oppressing the fatherless. They were oppressing the poor. They were taking advantage of anyone they could.
In fact they stayed up nights thinking of ways to hurt people. It wasn’t just any people it was their own family they wanted to hurt. This doesn’t please the LORD.
HE sent HIS prophets to give them instruction regarding HIS commands. The problem was that they closed their ears. Whenever the prophets spoke they would walk away instead of listening. They were just like animals when they were being put into their harness. They would pull away so they didn’t have to work.
We have a saying “stubborn as a mule” for people like that. They were going to do what they wanted to do no matter what. The real problem was that they were supposed to be the people of God.
Christians can get stubborn when it comes to serve to the LORD. They are willing to give HIM an hour or two on Sunday. They were willing to put some money in the offering plate but that is about all they are willing to do for the church. They think their time and possession and talent can be used better elsewhere.
CHALLENGE: God wants our time, talent and treasure to be available to HIM for service from the time we become a follower until we die. HE doesn’t believe in retirement age.
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: 13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, says the LORD of hosts. (7121 “cried” [qara’] means to call, call out, recite, proclaim, or read.)
DEVOTION: Question was given to Zechariah: Should we continue to fast and pray for the old temple? LORD replied that they never really fasted and prayed to HIM but did it for themselves. They were faking it. They were being religious without being followers of the LORD. Does the LORD want this? NO!!!
HE told their fathers what HE wanted but their only response to HIS prophets was to refuse to listen, pulled back their shoulders and stopped their ears. They were not interested in what the LORD really wanted them to do. They wanted to worship in their own way and not be bothered with the truth from the LORD.
It got to the point that they received the wrath of God in judgment. Their judgment was to go into captivity and the land to be desolate for a time period of seventy years.
Now through Zechariah the LORD gives HIS instructions again. They are to exercise true judgment. They are to show mercy and compassion. They are NOT to oppress the widow-fatherless-stranger-poor. They were NOT to think up evil things to do to their brothers. This was what is expected of those who follower the LORD.
This chapter is sad. The children of Israel were sent prophets to tell the words of the LORD but they didn’t want to listen. They not only didn’t want to listen but they covered their ears so they didn’t hear what the prophets had to say. They were willing to fast and pray but for what they wanted and not for what the LORD wanted them to do.
We tend to follow their example in praying for what we want but not for what the LORD wants from us. The prophets were given their words by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The people were sent into judgment because they would not listen. They would not take the warnings the LORD sent their way.
Are we taking the warnings the LORD sends our way to follow HIS word to us? Do we want to be in the same condition that the Israelites found themselves in because they were not willing to listen? They didn’t want to hear the call to repentance of the prophets.
The LORD wouldn’t hear their call to HIM for help when they went into captivity for seventy years. Sad. Hopefully, we are listening and following the Word of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: The principle of Scripture regarding prayer is that we have to listen to the LORD before HE will listen to us.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
People asked if they should continue to fast verse 3
Fast and mourn verse 5
LORD asked people if they fasted to HIM verse 5
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD
Separating verse 3
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Pray before the LORD verse 2
Weep in prayer verse 3
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
House of God verse 2
Sherezer and Regern-melech to pray to the
LORD verse 2, 3
To speak to the priests
House of the LORD of hosts verse 3
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 1, 8
Word of the LORD of hosts verse 4
This speaks the LORD of hosts verse 9
Law verse 12
Words sent by the former prophets verse 12
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1- 4, 7- 9, 12, 13
Word of the LORD verse 1, 4, 8
House of the LORD of hosts verse 3
Word of the LORD of hosts verse 4
LORD of hosts verse 4, 9, 12, 13
ME verse 5
Cried by the former prophets verse 7
Execute true judgment and show mercy
and compassion every man to his
brother; and oppress not the widow
nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor
the poor; and let none of you
imagine evil against his brother in your heart verse 9- 10
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away
the shoulder, and stopped their ears,
that they should not hear
Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant
stone, lest they should hear the law,
and the words which the LORD
of hosts has sent in HIS spirit by the
former Prophets: therefore came a
great wrath form the LORD of hosts verse 11- 12
Great wrath from LORD of hosts
Therefore it is come to pass, that as HE
Cried, and they would not hear; so they
Cried and I would not hear, says the
LORD of hosts verse 13
But I scattered them with a whirlwind among
All the nations whom they knew not,
Thus the land was desolate after them, that
no man passed through nor returned:
for they laid the pleasant land desolate verse 14
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Holy Spirit in the former prophets verse 12
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 2
House of God verse 2
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
King Darius verse 1
Nations verse 14
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Fast to LORD or someone else verse 5
Eat for yourselves verse 6
Drink for yourselves verse 6
Not hear words of prophets verse 7
Oppress no group verse 10
Evil verse 10
Refused to hearken to LORD verse 11
Pulled away shoulder verse 11
Stopped their ears verse 11, 13
Hearts of adamant stone verse 12
Not hearing former prophets verse 13
Prayers of unrepentant verse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Pray verse 2
Priests verse 3, 5
Prophets verse 3, 12
Separating verse 3
Hear the words of the LORD verse 7
Prosperity verse 7
Execute true judgment verse 9
Show mercy and compassion verse 9
Oppress not widow-fatherless-stranger-poor verse 10
Don’t imagine evil against brother verse 10
Hear the law verse 12, 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Zechariah verse 1, 3- 8
Word of the LORD came to him 9/4
even in Chisleu
Should I weep in the fifth month,
separating myself , as I have
done these so many years?
Told to speak to the people of the land
and to the priests, saying
“When you fasted and mourned
in the fifth and seventh month
even those seventy years, did you
at all fast ot ME, even to ME?
And when you did eat, and when you did
drink, did not you eat for yourselves
and drink for yourselves?
Should you not hear the words which the
LORD has cried by the former prophets
when Jerusalem was inhabited and in
prosperity, and the cities thereof round
about her, when men inhabited the
south and the plain?
Word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying
Sherezer verse 2
Regem-melech verse 2
Priests verse 3
Jerusalem verse 7
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
11. Their predecessors had refused to give such teaching a hearing (Isa. 6:10), though hearken (Heb. qāšab) means more than to hear. It means to take the words so seriously that one subjects them to such tests as history and experience provide. In this way a man learns that they are words of truth and wisdom. Instead, Israel had turned a stubborn shoulder, like an animal that stiffened every muscle in its effort to refuse the yoke (Exod. 32:9; Deut. 9:6, 13, 27; 2 Kgs 17:14; Jer. 7:26, etc.). The word came by hearing and so they deliberately plugged their ears (literally ‘made them heavy’). (Baldwin, J. G. (1972). Vol. 28: Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (157). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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11–12a These verses stand in stark contrast with the previous ones: the Lord instructed the people to carry out the four commands of vv.9–10, but they refused (“they” referring to the preexilic forefathers, as the reference to “the earlier prophets” in v.12 shows). The lesson to the Jews of the restoration period is clear: Do not be like your unrepentant, unfaithful, disobedient, covenant-breaking forefathers, or you will suffer a similar fate. One indispensable ingredient in true spirituality is a dogged attentiveness to familiar truths, but they did not “pay attention.” Deuteronomy 9:6, 13, 27 is echoed in “stubbornly they turned their backs,” thus characterizing the Israelite ancestors as a stiff-necked and stubborn people. The fact that they “stopped up their ears” seems to reflect the disciplinary dulling of their ears in Isaiah 6:10 (cf. Acts 28:27).
In v.12 the people even “made their hearts [including their minds and wills] as hard as flint” (cf. Ezek 3:8–9). The precise meaning of the Hebrew word for “flint” is disputed. The NIV Preface states: “It should be noted that minerals, flora and fauna, architectural details, articles of clothing and jewelry, musical instruments and other articles cannot always be identified with precision. Also measures of capacity in the biblical period are particularly uncertain.” In this instance the specific kind of mineral is uncertain.
Verses 11–12 involve the use of anabasis to stress the unseen cause of Israel’s trouble: For the most part they were a recalcitrant, unresponsive, and obdurate people (cf. Bullinger, p. 431). Nor would they listen to the word of God in the law through the prophets (v.12). The latter were the secondary agents of divine revelation. The primary agent was the Spirit of God (“by his Spirit”). Thus the words of the prophets were inspired by God’s Spirit. There are similar assertions in Nehemiah 9:20, 30 (cf. 2 Peter 1:21). “It was the spirit which gave rise to the word of God uttered in times past and now of normative significance in the present, and which is at the same time the power-giving life to the community” (Eichrodt, 2:64, n. 2).
12b–13 The result of the forefathers’ rejection of the command to change—i.e., to reform their ways and actions (Jer 7:3)—was the terrible experience of God’s wrath manifested in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 b.c. and in the ensuing exile to Babylonia. The motif of God’s wrath is reminiscent of 1:2, 15. Dispersion was part of the curse for disobedience to the Old (Mosaic) covenant (cf. v.14). The chiastic arrangement of v.13 is used to express just retribution (so Baldwin, Zechariah, p. 148). Jeremiah had warned of precisely this consequence (Jer 11:11–14). (Barker, K. L. (1986). Zechariah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, pp. 647–648). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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7:11–14. The previous generation had been disobedient; they turned their backs (lit., “shoulder”) and plugged up their ears (cf. Isa. 6:10). They made their hearts as hard as flint (kjv, “an adamant stone,” i.e., diamond) and neither listened to nor obeyed the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. This statement not only places the words of the preexilic prophets on a par with the Mosaic Law but also identifies the Spirit of God as the Source of prophetic inspiration who spoke through human agents (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). The people’s disobedience to revealed truth resulted in divine anger, the results of which are indicated in Zechariah 7:13–14: (a) a denial of response to prayer (v. 13), (b) a dispersion among … the nations (v. 14a), (c) a desolation of the land (v. 14b). (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Zechariah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1560). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The rebuke (Zech. 7:8–14). Zechariah reminded the people of the way their forefathers routinely practiced their religion but failed to hear God’s Word and obey it from their hearts. That was the reason Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed. Their “religion” was just a part of their lives; it wasn’t the very heart of their lives. They could go to the temple and piously present their prayers and sacrifices, but then leave the temple to break God’s Law, worship idols, and abuse other people.
Through the prophets, the Lord had called the people to practice justice, but the leaders had continued to exploit the people for personal gain. The rulers of the nation had ignored the Law of Moses and refused to show compassion toward the poor, the widows and orphans, and the aliens in the land (Ex. 22:22–24; Deut. 10:18–22; Amos 2:6–8; 5:11–12, 21–24). God wasn’t interested in their sacrifices and prayers so much as the obedience of their hearts.
The danger of tradition is that it can easily turn into traditionalism. “Tradition is the living faith of the dead,” wrote theologian Jerislav Pelikan; “traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.” Traditionalism means going through the outward motions instead of honoring the Lord from our heart; it means participating in a religious event but failing to have an inner spiritual experience.
Sometimes the only way the Lord can bring us back to reality is to force us to endure suffering. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I have kept Thy word” (Ps. 119:67). When we find ourselves in the furnace of affliction, we turn to God and His promises, because that’s the only hope we have. The Lord had to send the Jewish people into exile before they’d learn to turn from idols and appreciate all the blessings they had because of God’s grace.
The word “tradition” simply means “that which is passed along.” It comes from a Latin word that means “to hand over.” The basic doctrines of the Christian faith must be handed from generation to generation (1 Tim. 2:2; 1 John 1:1–3; 1 Cor. 11:2; 1 Thes. 2:15; 3:6; Jude 3), but the customs and traditions of the early church don’t carry the same authority as the inspired Word of God. In fact, as times change, some of these customs may be detrimental to the work of the Lord. To institute four fasts because of the tragedies that occurred in Jerusalem, and yet not repent because of the sins that caused these tragedies, was to miss the whole purpose of God’s discipline.
Centuries ago, when the first missionaries went to Moravia, they weren’t allowed to preach in the Slavic language! Why? Because the only “holy languages” the church approved were Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Fortunately, the church leaders had sense enough to revoke this foolish edict; otherwise, evangelism would have been impossible. Believers today who insist that we sing only the Psalms in our public worship, accompanied only by an organ or a piano, are captive to traditions that have no biblical basis. City congregations that follow a Sunday time schedule that was tailored for the rural community may be losing opportunities to reach urbanites with the Gospel. Over the years, I’ve been privileged to minister in many churches of different denominations, and I’ve seen how dead traditions can become roadblocks to progress.
Churches are like families; each one has its own set of traditions, many of which may be good. The truths of God’s Word don’t change, but changing circumstances reveal new principles and new applications of that Word. The old Youth for Christ slogan said it perfectly: we must be “geared to the times, but anchored to the Rock.”
Jesus dealt with the question of tradition when He was ministering here on earth (Matt. 15; Mark 7). He carefully distinguished between the inspired Word of God that never changes and man-made traditions that are always subject to review and revision. Final authority for faith and practice must rest in the Word of God. “Tradition is a guide and not a jailer,” wrote novelist W. Somerset Maugham, but history reveals that it’s a difficult thing for many people to break with tradition. It’s easier to have a religion of habit than a religion of the heart. Churches, families, and individual believers need to examine their cherished traditions in the light of God’s truth. Perhaps some of our fasts need to be turned into feasts! (Zech. 8:18) (Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Be heroic (pp. 121–123). Colorado Springs, CO: ChariotVictor Pub.)
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7:12 by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit served a vital function in the revelation and inspiration of God’s Word through human authors (cf. 1Co 2:10; 2Pe 1:21). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Zec 7:12). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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The word of the Lord of hosts came through Zechariah in reply. But there was no legislation regarding the fast at all: He neither forbade nor enjoined it. In itself, such a fast was without positive scriptural authority. On the other hand, it was in full keeping with the general tenor of the Word. It was extra-scriptural, rather than un-scriptural. If the people met in true self-judgment and brokenness of spirit before God on that day, or any day, it would have been acceptable. If they met simply as legally observing a fast which, after all, He had never appointed, it was a weariness of the flesh, and worthless in His sight. Therefore Zechariah presses home the need of reality. What had been their object and condition of soul as they kept the fasts in the past? When they commemorated the burning of the temple in the fifth month (2 Kings 25:8; Jer. 52:12), and the death of the faithful Gedaliah in the seventh month (2 Kings 25:25; Jer. 41:1, 2),* did they at all fast unto Jehovah all the years of the captivity?
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The same principle applies to the meeting appointed for the study of the Word, among believers. There is no direct scripture that such meetings are to be held at stated intervals; but there is plenty in the way of scripture warrant and example to make it clear that when such meetings are convened by earnest, loyal-hearted saints, who come together hungering for the precious truth of God, and ever letting it sit in judgment on them and on their ways, it is truly pleasing in His sight. Otherwise it is but a work of the flesh—religious flesh, no doubt, but flesh still, for all that.
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Because Israel forgot all this, and “made their hearts as an adamant stone,” the former prophets had been sent to warn them, and they would not hear; therefore great wrath came upon them. As they were indifferent to the cry of the distressed, and calloused as to the sorrows of the needy, God gave them over to learn in bitterness of soul what distress and need really meant. In the day of their anguished cry, He refused to hearken, even as they had refused to hear His voice of entreaty and warning. So they had been scattered with a whirlwind among all the nations (vers. 11–14). Would their children learn from the sad experiences of the past, or must they too be broken and driven forth because of indifference to the claims of the Holy and the True?
To Christians of the present day the same questions may well be put. May God give us grace to profit by the failures of the past, and to walk softly and in charity, according to truth, in the little while ere the Lord Jesus comes again! (Ironside, H. A. (1909). Notes on the Minor Prophets. (p. 382). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 12. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, &c.] The word here used is translated a diamond in Jer. 17:1 and it is said to be harder than a flint, Ezek. 3:9. The Jewish writers say it is a worm like a barley-corn, so strong as to cut the hardest stones in pieces; Moses (they say) used it in hewing the stones for the two tables of the law, and in fitting the precious stones in the ephod; and Solomon in cutting the stones for the building of the temple; and is so hard that it cannot be broken by iron: and as hard is naturally the heart of man, and which becomes more so by sinning, and obstinate persisting in it, that nothing can remove the hardness of it but the powerful and efficacious grace of God: as hard as the adamant is, it is to be softened by the blood of a goat, as naturalists sayh; so the blood of Christ sprinkled on the heart, and a sense of forgiveness of sin by it, will soften the hardest heart: lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets; the words of reproof, admonition, caution, and exhortation, which Jeremiah and others were sent to deliver to them, under the influence of the spirit of God: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts; which brought the Chaldeans upon them, who carried them captive into Babylon. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 712). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
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LET GO OF YOUR PAST
by Anne R. C. Neale
Let go of the past, the past is gone,
It can never be relived again,
Yes, you have memories in your mind
But you must let go of your past, Amen.
Let go of your past, put it to rest
Live for the now, the present time you see,
Your future lies ahead, the past is gone,
Live in the present with God Almighty.
Let go of your past, the past is done,
Learn from your failures and mistakes,
The present is so very important to you,
Let God lead you in your present day, His Grace,
Forget what you could have, would have, or should have,
Live for the day, this day is God’s present to you,
Live one day at a time for tomorrow’s not here,
Live for today with God for today is Heavenly sent, that’s true.
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OLD TESTAMENT WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe
One of my professors told us the Hebrew word translated vanity means “what is left after the soap bubble breaks.” (p. 88)
If you live your life only for yourself, you will lose it, but if you give your life to Christ, you will save it and help to save others. (p. 89)
Life involves stewardship. God gives us life at conception and eternal life at conversion, and with both experiences come gifts and abilities to be used for God’s glory. (p. 89)
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TOZERSPEAKS (volume two) by A. W. Tozer
In the Old Testament pattern of forgiveness, the Jew had to bring a lamb. IN this church age, the New Testament Christian surely knows that he can bring no offering other than his trust in the eternal Lamb of God, offered once and forever efficacious! (p 398)
But under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John takes the position of a realist and indicates what our Lord has done to make it possible for weak and vacillating believers to find forgiveness and assurance in their daily experiences. (p. 398)
John’s language cannot be interpreted as encouragement for those in the kingdom of God to sin carelessly and willfully. (p. 399)
I do not think the words through ignorance should cause you to picture in your mind a starry-eyed, honest-hearted person who just happened to sin accidentally. I think in realism we must face up to the fact here is a careless soul, one who has perhaps neglected the Scriptures and neglected to hear the Word of the Lord, and following the intent of his own heart has sinned against the commandments of the Lord. (p.400)
Brethren, I wish it were possible to anoint the head of every Christian preacher so that he would never sin again while the world stands. Perhaps some would consider that a happy way to deal with the subject – but if any man can be removed from the possibility of sin, he can only be some kind of robot run by pulleys, wheels, and pushbuttons, morally incapable of doing evil and , by the same toke, morally incapable of doing good. (p. 401)
On that basis, then, it is not the inability to sin but it is the unwillingness to sin that makes a man holy. (p. 402)
Sometimes when I am alone with my Bible, I get on my knees and turn to Isaiah 53. For every pronoun there I put all three of my names in. The I read it aloud.
“Surely he hat born Aiden Wilson Tozer’s griefs, and carried Aiden Wilson Tozer’s sorrows:….He was wounded for Aiden Wilson Tozer’s transgressions, he was bruised for Aiden Wilson Tozer’s iniquities.
That is laying your hand on the head of the sacrifice and identifying yourself with the dying lamb. You can do that today!! (p. 409-410)
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What theologians call “sanctification” is simply the process of following Christ and being transformed by the Spirit into his likeness. We may not even know that this transformation is taking place, but others will see it and take note that we’re becoming more like Jesus. And the enemy sees it and will do all he can to oppress us. and the enemy sees if and will do all he can to oppose us. The important thing is not to look into the mirror and measure our progress, but to look by faith to Christ and see how far we have to go. (p. 114, 10 Power Principles for Christian Service by Warren W. & David W. Wiersbe)
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Zechariah 14
The day is coming when God will be the righteous King over all the earth
INSIGHT
Haggai and Zechariah minister to the same people at the same time. Their goal is the same: to motivate the people to rebuild the temple. But their very different personalities show through the pages of Scripture. Haggai utters rebuke; Zechariah breathes encouragement. Haggai makes them feel that they ought to rebuild the temple. Zechariah makes them want to rebuild the temple. He reinforces God’s love and care for Israel and the certainty of the ultimate defeat of the enemies as they continue to obey God.
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Malachi 3
Malachi charges the Israelites with robbing God and refusing to acknowledge it.
INSIGHT
The Israelites who returned to Jerusalem have grown comfortable, complacent, and arrogantly insensitive. Through His messenger Malachi, God confronts the Israelites with their complacency. He charges that the priests are despising His name and defiling His altar. God says He will no longer accept their offerings. He states that the Israelites have been wearisome to Him with their words. God asks them to return to Him. He reproaches them for robbing Him. The Israelites have hardened their hearts, and they no longer feel the pull of God in their lives. The result is a barren period of 400 years with no word from God. Be certain that you respond to the work of God in your heart—lest you experience spiritual barrenness. (Quiet Walk)
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THE TWO DISPENSATIONS UNITED
The just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4
My fifth proof of there being one covenant is that clearly, according to the Scriptures, there is only one way of obtaining salvation and all those blessings, and that is the way of faith. All the Old Testament saints believed explicitly in God, and they exercised faith. In Habakkuk 2:4 we read, “The just shall live by his faith.” This is the theme and the message of the Old Testament from beginning to end; and–for example, in Hebrews 11–it is reiterated in the New Testament. Paul, quoting from Habakkuk, says in Romans 1:17, “The just shall live by faith,” and this is the theme of all his epistles.
But Paul puts it still more clearly and specifically in Romans 4:23-25, where, referring to Abraham, he says, “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” It is clear that we receive justification by faith, exactly as Abraham received it by faith. For one more example under this heading, read again from the end of Hebrews 10 through chapter 11 to the beginning of chapter 12. It is the same truth, elaborated at length.
The sixth proof is that there is only one mediator under the two dispensations–the same mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ–“the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Take the promise made to Adam about the seed of the woman. God says that salvation is going to happen in that way, and other Scriptures prove that the seed of the woman is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the mediator in the Old Testament types–they all point to Him; also the prophecies all point to Him. It is always the Lord Himself.
A Thought to Ponder: It is clear that we receive justification by faith, exactly as Abraham received it by faith.
(From God the Father, God the Son, p. 239, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Glory of the Lord
“So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:14)
With the coming of the Shekinah glory cloud into the great house, God showed His acceptance of Solomon’s beautiful temple as His symbolic earthly dwelling place. This had happened once before in the wilderness. “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34).
But as the glory once departed when the Ark of the Covenant was taken from the tabernacle by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:22), so it later also departed when Solomon’s temple was plundered by the Babylonians and the people carried into exile (2 Chronicles 36:17-20; Ezekiel 10:18; 11:23).
It returned for a time when “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [literally, ‘tabernacled’] among us, (and we beheld his glory)” at least in a spiritual sense (John 1:14). On one occasion Christ’s glory shone through even in a physical sense: “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and . . . they saw his glory” (Luke 9:29-32) on the Mount of the Transfiguration.
There is also a great day coming when the ascended Lord will return with His heavenly temple, “coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30), even as “the glory of the Lord shone round about them” (Luke 2:9) at His first coming. His glory will be present forever when the heavenly tabernacle, the New Jerusalem, comes to Earth (Revelation 21:3-10), “having the glory of God” (v. 11).
In this present age, the body of each believer “is the temple of the Holy Ghost,” and he must “therefore glorify God in [his] body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). “For God . . . hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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