365 Reflections

Zechariah is a book about restoration. Restoration comes to God's people when they remember who made them and who alone can restore them to what they were made for. Only too often, the people of God are weakened by sin and immorality. It is God alone who can redeem them and repurpose them for powerful living in the World.  Zechariah 10:1–2 (ESV) Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field. 2 For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd. Zechariah makes a simple appeal to the people. Ask the Lord for rain when it's supposed to rain. Instead of the "household gods" the people made with their hands and bowed down to, Zechariah appeals to the nation to return to the God who is in charge of...

The prophecy of Jesus' arrival in the city of Jerusalem is situated in a chapter you'd not expect. Zechariah 9 is the announcement that Israel's king comes not on a warhorse but on a donkey. It's quoted on Palm Sunday almost every year in every Church. It signifies that Christ came not to kill and condemn but to be killed and save.  Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. That verse we recognize from Matthew's and John's Gospels. But in the context of Zechariah 9, it is most unexpected. The chapter is very similar to Amos 1-2, in which God delivers words of prophetic doom to the nations that persecuted His people during their exile.  Zechariah 9:1–4 (ESV) The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the LORD has...

God has promised to do good to Israel once again in Zechariah 8. In fact, He promised to do them good just as passionately as He promised to discipline them for their sin.  Zechariah 8:14–15 (ESV) For thus says the LORD of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. And when they are restored, they are to live with hearts of compassion, honesty and justice toward one another.  Zechariah 8:16–17 (ESV) These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; 17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” Another thing God does in this chapter is promise to turn the years of fasting for their redemption out of exile into times...

God's love works in two ways. First, He loves His people with a perfect love filled with care, provision, protection, and abundance. Love is expressed in this way throughout His dealings with Israel in history. He saved them from Egypt and brought them out with great abundance. He protected and provided for them in the wilderness and gave them the land that flowed with milk and honey.  Second, God's love will also bring divine correction, serious discipline, and great wrath against the sinfulness of His people. He sent them into exile, He took away their abundance, their temple, their nationhood, their land, and in LOVE disciplined them far away in foreign lands.  Zechariah 8 declares that God, who has done those things in the past, will come again to live with His people in the restored city. But He is still the God of jealous love and wrath for the people He has chosen.  Zechariah 8:2–3 (ESV) “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I...

Zechariah 7 is two years into the prophet's ministry. He has seen the visions and now he will proclaim God's Word, interpreting them for the people of Israel and us.  Zechariah 7:1–3 (ESV) In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, 3 saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” The chapter begins with people from Bethel seeking the Lord's favor and asking the priests about fasting. You can understand why they sought these answers. Their nation was in a desperate place, recently returned from exile, and as the Temple would be rebuilt, they wondered about what sort of religious practices they should follow. The natural heart of man tends toward rebellion OR self-righteousne...

Zechariah 6:1–3 (ESV) Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. The seventh vision of Zechariah details a new day for the postexilic community, restored to the land and rebuilding the Temple. The image of chariots symbolizes that of warfare. The two mountains are a picture of the gateway of heaven. God is sending His army throughout the earth to trouble the nations that troubled Israel. History tells us that Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians, the Persians by the Greeks, and the Greeks by the Romans.  Zechariah 6:4–7 (ESV) Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before t...

Zechariah 5:1-2 (ESV) Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” It is important that we remember Zechariah's ultimate theme. God is restoring the spiritual life of His people after the long exile concludes, and they rebuild in the land. Each vision builds upon the movements of God's grace at work in the returned community. Here, the image of a flying scroll points both to God's immediate work among them and the Lord Jesus coming centuries later.  The size of the scroll is telling. It is the same size as the Holy Place within the Temple.  In the scroll, we see a picture of God's cleansing from sin. The nation is corrupt. In verses 3 and 4, we find the corruption dwelling within her.  Zechariah 5:3-4 (ESV)  Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shal...

Zechariah 4 opens with another vision for the prophet.  Zechariah 4:1–3 (ESV) And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” Zechariah awakens, but there is no mention of his sleep. What a picture of our need for God's voice to stir our hearts towards things above. For in this world, even while we are awake, we can sleep on spiritual experiences.  Zechariah 4:4 (ESV) And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” Zechariah doesn't just receive this strange vision; he inquires about it. This is what it means to be awake. But the angel's answer belies the fact that awakening to God's truth requ...

Big promises of global influence are Israel's at the end of Zechariah 2. The text ends, foretelling a time when nations will seek to be joined to the Lord and to Israel after her trouble is past. The Lord will again choose Jerusalem, and the land of promise will be restored.  But how can returned exiles expect such glorious promises to come to pass? Surely they must have felt unworthy. That is the picture we see in Joshua, the high priest, as he stands before the angel of the Lord.  Zechariah 3:1–2 (ESV)  Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” The next verse stipulates the reason for the rebuke. Satan was attacking Joshua's filth. Zechariah 3:3 (ESV) Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. As high pri...

God always has bigger plans.  In Zechariah, as the prophet is encouraging the Lord's people to return to Him in true worship after their exile, chapter 2 begins with a vision that reveals God's idea for His people is far bigger than their own.  Zechariah 2:1–2 (ESV) And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” The vision is pretty simple. A man with a measuring line is ready to measure the city of Jerusalem. If you're going to build, you need measurements. That's what's being done. But God has bigger plans.  Zechariah 2:3–4 (ESV) And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. The Lord sent a...

God constantly calls His people to Himself. The prophet Haggai called on people to restore the Temple so that proper worship might once again live in the land. As he did this, the prophet Zechariah called the people back to whole-hearted devotion to the Lord.  Zechariah 1:1–3 (ESV)  In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, 2 “The LORD was very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore, say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. Yes, God sent them away in His anger over their sin. But the exile was a temporary discipline to destroy idolatry in their hearts and ultimately bring them back to Himself, rightly restored to a proper relationship.  Zechariah 1:4 (ESV) Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways ...

In chapter 2, Haggai asks the Priests a question from the Lord regarding ceremonial purity. The questions are intentional to draw out the truth that contact from holy objects to defiled cannot make them clean, while contact from defiled objects to clean objects DOES make them defiled.  Haggai 2:10–13 (ESV) On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” Haggai applies this principle to the nation’s spiritual condition. He concludes that the people and their nation stand defi...

We can easily get stuck in the past. That was one of the problems with Israel's leaders who returned from exile to rebuild the nation, starting with the Temple. The destruction of the former things left them heartsick over what was lost, rather than focused on what God would restore to them. And into this atmosphere, the Lord speaks through Haggai.  Haggai 2:1–3 (ESV)  In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Sixty-six years had passed since the exile and destruction of Solomon's temple. Perhaps only a few people remembered the former things. But sometimes you just need a hint of the past to get stuck in the pres...

Spiritual stagnation can be just as dangerous as sin.  We come to the book of Haggai. God's people have returned to the land after their exile and settled in the city and land that had been taken from them. They have made life not only bearable but quite prosperous. The work to rebuild the Temple, begun years earlier, was, however , stalled. It seemed everyone was caught up in their own well-maintained domicile and neglected the house of prayer where they met with the Lord. If the spiritual problem of Israel before the exile was idolatry and injustice, the spiritual problem after it was apathy and low interest in the very thing that made them special - the presence of God among them.  Into this situation, the prophet speaks: Haggai 1:1–4 (ESV) In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozad...

The book of Zephaniah ends on a beautiful note of hope. A famous line describes God's love for His people and rings deeply in the heart of every grateful saint He has saved. As the prophets began in Isaiah, so Zephaniah continues here, some will be saved from the day of judgment.  Isaiah 1:9 (ESV) If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. What should be our response to this great salvation? Zephaniah 3:14–15 (ESV) Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. The Lord's remnant is called to sing, for they have escaped the judgment against the city. How? Through their humility and seeking the Lord, as was mentioned in verse 11. And then that remnant is promised God's prote...

If you ever get frustrated with the sort of people who claim to be Christians and clearly are not by their lifestyle and beliefs, which they promote and practice, do not be alarmed. Zephaniah makes clear that many in his day believed they were God's people, but the day of judgment separated the remnant from among them.  The prophet begins chapter three, condemning the "holy" city.  Zephaniah 3:1–2 (ESV) Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! 2 She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God. Jerusalem was a shell of religious pretense. She looked pious, but inwardly was far removed from pure devotion to God.  Zephaniah 3:3–4 (ESV) Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning. 4 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law. Notably, and again emphasized by t...

Zephaniah has one of the most descriptive passages on the Day of the Lord in all the prophets. It begins as such in chapter 1.  Zephaniah 1:14 (ESV) The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. While Joel speaks the most about the Day of the Lord, Zephaniah details the utter destruction that day will involve, far more than other prophets. Like Joel, Zephaniah speaks of blood and trumpet sounds. This is military imagery that would not be missed by an ancient people.  Zephaniah 1:15–16 (ESV) A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. Instead of the blood of sacrifices, Zephaniah speaks of the blood of men.  Zephaniah 1:17 (ESV) I will bring distress on mankind, so th...

We come to the prophesies of Zephaniah. He is another minor prophet with a major message. His book is not often preached or referenced, but it is still powerful. His name is like the treatment his book receives today. Zephaniah means, "concealed of God". As we discover truth on these pages, we uncover the Lord's Word for our good.  Zephaniah 1:1 (ESV)  The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.  Zephaniah prophesied after the fall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria and during the days of King Josiah, a great reformer who purified the temple and brought back acceptable worship to Israel. Yet the die had been cast through Josiah's predecessors, and disaster was still awaiting the southern kingdom of Judah.  A prophetess named Huldah delivered this message during his reforms: 2 Kings 22:18–20 (ESV) But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire ...

In the third chapter of Habakkuk, the prophet prays. He recounts who God is and the evidence of His sovereignty over world affairs in the past.  In verse one, he sets the tone of this moment, citing a musical prayer. Habakkuk 3:1 (ESV) A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. Scholars debate the meaning of the term "Shigionoth," but it seems to refer to stumbling. Evidently, it was a style of music that conveyed a disarray in the mind of the worshipper. I like that struggle with what we see AND our worship can still go together.  Habakkuk 3:2 (ESV) O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. If there's one thing to keep your faith alive ,it is the report of God's work in the ages of history. The Bible is our source for such inspiration. We remember that God is always firmly in control, even when the world seems out of...

We pick up the testimony of Habakkuk as he watches faithless Judah abandon the Lord and wickedness increase in his nation. He wants answers as to why God allows it and why God would use Babylon to judge them, since they are such wicked people. So in the first part of chapter 2, he describes himself as a watchman on the wall. Soon enough, the Lord speaks: Habakkuk 2:2–3 (ESV) And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. The Lord has bigger plans than simply answering Habakkuk's questions. The Lord has a purpose for the prophet to fulfill. He will not only hear God's Word, but he will also write it down and make it known. The watchman on the wall has one job: to warn when disaters comes.  One of the responsibilities God's people have is to warn. I know this is offi...

If you've ever struggled with why God allows evil and suffering, the Prophet Habakkuk knows exactly how you feel. His book is written in the aftermath of great trouble upon Israel.  Habakkuk 1:2-3 (ESV) O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. The questions Habakkuk posed came after the fall of Israel to the North and before the fall of Judah to the south. He looked upon a nation in the south that was rapidly deteriorating spiritually. The reforms of the last righteous King Josiah were no longer in effect, and the nation seemed worse than ever. Habakkuk wonders how long it will continue. In response to the prophet, God offers a SHOCKING bit of information about what the future holds. Habakkuk 1:5–6 (ESV) “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doin...

Nahum is three chapters long but full of descriptive prophecy of the demise of Nineveh. The third chapter offers no glimmer of hope for this city as the prophet reveals vivid imagery of an inescapable judgment to come.  Nahum 3:1–4 (ESV) Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey! 2 The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! 3 Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies! 4 And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. Look notably at verse 4. The Lord describes the city as a prostitute. This is common imagery in judgment oracles throughout the prophets. Isaiah referred to Israel in the same way. So did Ezekiel. It is an important image for believers that we might understand the nature of a city. A city wil...