Zechariah 8:14-17

THE FIFTH STATEMENT. Zechariah 8:14-17

RV. For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not; so again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor; execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates; and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah.

LXX. For thus saith the Lord Almighty; As I took counsel to afflict you when your fathers provoked me, saith the Lord Almighty, and I repented not: so have I prepared and taken counsel in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Juda: be ye of good courage. These are the things which ye shall do; speak truth every one with his neighbour; judge truth and peaceable judgement in your gates: and let none of you devise evil in his heart against his neighbour; and love not a false oath: for all these things I hate, saith the Lord Almighty.

COMMENTS

(Zechariah 8:14-15) The fifth statement is, in effect, a brief reaffirmation of the first. The fathers, i.e. those who lived on the other side of the exile, had provoked Jehovah's wrath. He had determined to punish them and would not be dissuaded.

Now He is equally determined to start all over again with the remnant, Just as originally He had intended a blessed and peaceful relationship with Israel in the land of promise while leading them toward the fulfillment of His purpose, so now in the restoration it is His desire to bless the remnant toward the same end.

(Zechariah 8:15(c) - Zechariah 8:17) For this reason they are not to live in fear. God's wrath is neither petulant nor arbitrary. So long as they are faithful and live as He desires they have no reason to fear it.

There can be no doubt as to what will please Him. They must, as the former prophets had entreated their fathers, be honest with each other. They must be just in their judicial proceedings. They must not scheme to take advantage of the weak and poor. They must not go to court with false oaths to accomplish selfish purposes.
The reason is plain. He hates all these things. A righteous God could scarcely do otherwise.

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.