Zechariah 8:1-8

THE THIRD ANSWERING STATEMENT. Zechariah 8:1-8 -

RV. And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying, Thus-' saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts. The holy mountain. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for every age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days; should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

LXX. And the word of the Lord Almighty came, saying, Thus saith the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Sion with great jealousy, and I have been jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the Lord; I will return to Sion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a true city, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty a holy mountain. Thus saith the Lord Almighty; There shall yet dwell old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, every one holding his staff in his hand for age. And the broad places of the city shall be filled with boys and girls -playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith the Lord Almighty; If it shall be impossible in the sight of the remnant of this people; in those days, shall it also be impossible in my sight? saith the Lord Almighty. Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and the west country; and I will bring them in, and cause them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God, in truth and in righteousness.

COMMENTS

The third statement made by God through Zechariah to the questioners from Beth-el is a statement of His love for His people and a desire that they be happy in the knowledge that He is with them in the land. Such a joyous relationship has no room for fasts, especially not for fasts of human origin.

(Zechariah 8:1-2) This is not the only passage of Scripture in which God is said to be jealous. (cp. Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 5:9; Deuteronomy 6:15, Joshua 24:19, Nahum 1:2) In every one of these passages, God's jealousy is set against the background either of the covenant or the violation of the covenant in the worship of false gods.

Zechariah's statement of Jehovah's jealousy is likewise in the context of the covenant. It is Zion over which He is jealous. It is the (restored remnant who marvel at the joys of His return to Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:6). It is Jehovah of hosts who speaks (Zechariah 8:4). The mountain (Zion) of Jehovah is the holy mountain. These are covenant terms.

God's jealousy is the jealousy of a righteous husband for His bride. In more than one passage in the pre-exilic prophets, Israel is presented as Jehovah's bride. (e.g. Isaiah 49:18; Isaiah 61:10; Isaiah 62:5, Jeremiah 2:32; Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 16:9; Jeremiah 25:10; Jeremiah 33:11, Joel 2:16).

Nor is the idea strange to the New Testament. (e.g. John 3:29, Revelation 18:23; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9; Revelation 22:17) Israel, as presented in the New Testament, is the covenant people consisting of all who by obedient faith are God's people.

In both the Old and New Testaments, idolatry in particular and false worship in general are called harlotry or spiritual adulrry. In turning from God to the worship of false gods, Israel played the role of the unfaithful wife. This, as we have previously seen, was the ultimate cause of the evil in the pre-exilic kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and so the ultimate reason for the destruction of Israel and the captivity of Judah.

(Zechariah 8:3-5) Now the punishment of the faithless bride by her jealous husband is over. He has returned her to the homeland. In building the temple she has at last returned in her heart to Him. He will therefore return to live in the house Israel has built for Him. The twin hills, Zion and Moriah upon which Jerusalem and the temple sit are to be known as the holy mountain.

Bear in mind, that which is holy is that which is set apart to the accomplishment of God's purpose. The ultimate fulfillment of God's covenant promise would come when, on this very mountain, God's message of repentance and remission of sins began its call to all the nations of the earth. (cp. Luke 24:44 -ff, Acts, chapter 2)

The happiness of the restored people in their land with their God is pictured by the prophet in figures of happy home life. Old men and old women sit in the streets. Those who, because of age must lean upon a staff, go about the city. The streets are full of children at play. It is a picture of happy contented safety on the part of those who trust and obey the Lord and who thereby are aware of His presence in their midst. Long life and many children was, among the Jews, the epitome of the good life.

(Zechariah 8:6) The remnant, having returned to a desolate forsaken land with its buildings all in ruins, would look with amazement upon the restoration.

Should it also be, Jehovah asks rhetorically, marvellous in mine eyes? Those who had failed to heed his warnings before the captivity, had also failed to hear His promises of deliverance. Therefore they were astounded that it should come so completely to pass. But to Jehovah, Who from the beginning had planned it so, it was no cause for marvel at all.

(Zechariah 8:7-8) The joy of the returnees, and their amazement at what God has wrought through them blends quite normally into a glimpse of the final fulfillment in Messianic Israel. In that day, Jehovah will save His people, not only from Babylon and from among the Jews. His people will come from the east and the west. The presence of God among them will not be symbolic, as in the temple, but in truth and righteousness. Jesus saw this in His own coming. At the Samaritan well He said that the hour was now that true worship would be in spirit and truth rather than in the temple made with hands. (cf. John 4:23-24)

Chapter XXXVIQuestions

Teaching About Worship

1.

Outward formal religious observances unrelated to present life are an ____________________ to ______________________.

2.

God's promises are to those whose relationship to Him makes a real difference in ____________________.

3.

On December 4, ______________ B.C. those who lived in Beth-el sent messengers to Jehovah with a question.

4.

What was that question?

5.

Where is Beth-el?

6.

Show that those who lived in Beth-el were not Samaritans but Jews.

7.

The fast on the seventh day of the fifth month marked the ________________ anniversary of ________________.

8.

The fast of the seventh Month remembered ___________________.

9.

Zechariah's answer to the question from Beth-el was in ________________ statements.

10.

Give the references for each of these statements.

11.

What was the first answer?

12.

Who were the former prophets?

13.

What was the second answer?

14.

The questioners are further reminded that God, through the former prophets, had commanded their fathers to __________________________.

18.

The happiness of the restored people is presented in figures of happy __________________.

19.

The joy and amazement of the returnees blends quite normally into a glimpse of ________________.

20.

What is Zechariah's fourth answering statement?

21.

Again the ecstasy of blessing blends forward into ____________________ prediction.

22.

At the beginning of their restored national life is the same ________________ terminology which had marked the beginning of _________________.

23.

The returned remnant is once more to be a nation of _________________.

24.

How had the Jews become a curse upon the nations rather than a blessing?

25.

Discuss the idea that God has more at stake in this work than do they.

26.

What was the fifth statement in answer to the questioners from Beth-el?

27.

How does it relate to the first statement?

28.

So; long as the people are _________________ and ______________ they have no reason to fear God's wrath.

29.

What was the sixth statement?

30.

This statement is also an entreaty to God's people to

____________________

31.

It begins with a promise of _______________ instead of _______________ and closes with a ____________ promise.

32.

Modem Jews observe the fast of the fourth month in connection with _____________, _______________, _________________, and _________________.

33.

The fast of the fifth month is held in connection with ______________, and ________________,_ It also remembers _________________ and ________________.

34,

The fast of the seventh month is now observed in remembrance of __________________________________.

35.

The tenth month fast recalls ________________________________________.

36.

What do you conclude from the fact that these fasts are still observed by the Jews?

37.

Zechariah 8:20-23 are a perfect picture of what is happening as the influence of the ________________, beginning at

____________________ has brought the world the _________________________.once known only to the Jews.