Zacarias 1:3-6

DISCOURSE: 1237
AN EXHORTATION TO TURN TO GOD

Zacarias 1:3. Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of Hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned, and said, Like as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

TO those who look for novelties, and enjoy nothing but deep and curious speculations, the words before us will appear uninteresting: but to those who love practical religion, they will convey sentiments and feelings worthy to be cherished by every child of man. It is a sickly taste that cannot relish them; and that minister who cannot find in them a proper subject for his discourse, must either labour in a more fruitful part of the Lord’s vineyard than any we are acquainted with, or have different views of Christian edification from those which we are accustomed to entertain. Men at this day, as well as in former ages, are departed from God; and need to be exhorted to “turn unto him” in newness of heart and life. They also need the same warnings and the same encouragements, as those did to whom the prophet spoke. We therefore, without thinking any apology necessary for the selection of so plain a subject, (from which nothing can be offered which is not already familiar to all your minds,) proceed to call your attention to this solemn address: in which you may notice,

I. A friendly exhortation—

The Jews, after their return from Babylon, had been extremely remiss in rebuilding their temple; but they were almost instantaneously wrought upon by the preaching of the Prophet Haggai to resume the work which had been intermitted: and on this account God sent them another prophet, who by his exhortations and instructions should encourage them to proceed, and keep alive the zeal which had been kindled in their minds. But where is there not remissness in the work of God? Where is there one who does not need the direction and encouragement here offered? O brethren, hear ye the direction; “Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of Hosts”—
[We have all revolted, and turned aside from God: we have “all gone after vanity, and become vain:” we “have turned every one of us to his own way;” some after their vile lusts and passions; others after the world with all its cares and vanities; others in the more creditable, but not less fatal, way of self-righteous formality. But we should turn to the Lord, to him only, to him entirely, and with the whole heart. We should turn to him in a way of deep contrition for our past offences, of lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy and forgiveness, and of unreserved obedience to his commandments. This is the way in which God expects us to turn unto him [Note: Jeremias 3:10.]: and to this alone does he give any promise of a favourable acceptance [Note: Jeremias 29:12.].”]

Hear ye also the encouragement; “I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts”—
[God is alienated from us, as we are from him; and from us he turns, whilst in our unconverted state, with wrathful indignation. But, if we “turn to him, he will turn to us:” “if we draw nigh to him, he will draw nigh to us:” if we will call upon him in truth, he will hear, accept, and bless us. To the impenitent “he is a consuming fire:” but to the penitent, a Saviour and a friend. Search the inspired volume, search the annals of the whole world, and find, if you can, one mourning and believing penitent whom he cast out; or find, if you can, any limit to his mercy and grace. In “turning unto us” is implied not only a reversal of all the judgments which he had purposed to inflict upon us, but a communication of all that a Father’s love, and a Saviour’s grace can bestow—pardon, and peace, and holiness, and glory.
And here it will be proper to notice the frequent repetition of his name, “The Lord of Hosts.” Was that repetition without design? No: it is intended to impress on our minds, that, as the message is from him, so is the particular direction stamped with his authority, and the particular promise confirmed by his unchanging truth and faithfulness. It is in the name of the Lord of Hosts that we come; it is the word of the Lord of Hosts that we speak: it is the veracity of the Lord of Hosts that is pledged for its accomplishment.]
To this exhortation is added,

II.

A salutary caution—

We are apt to follow the examples of our fathers, and to tread the path which they have trod before us. Not that we so readily conform to the practice of godly parents: their example, though not destitute of weight, finds more than a counterpoise in our evil passions, and in the conduct of those around us: but in justification of our own evil ways we are glad enough to plead the habits and authority of those who have gone before us. This however will be of no avail. Such examples form no precedent for us. The word of God is our rule: and according to that we must walk, regardless of all that others have done, or may do, to establish any other rule. Attend then to this salutary caution:

Walk not as your disobedient fathers have done—
[The generality of those who have gone before us have walked just as the great mass around us do at this time. But a state of worldliness, or sensuality, or carnal indifference was not therefore right, because they lived in it; nor is it therefore safe, because they died in it. In like manner, the conduct of our superiors at this day is no rule for us. If they truly and unreservedly obey the voice of God in his word, cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ with full purpose of heart, and devoting themselves in body, soul, and spirit to his service, we may follow them: but even then we must not regard them as infallible: we must not follow even St. Paul himself any farther than he followed Christ: and whereinsoever they deviate from the path marked out for them by Almighty God, there we must choose the more perfect way, and adhere exclusively to that which unerring wisdom has prescribed to us, knowing no other rule than that of God’s commands.

Doubtless in dubious matters we would recommend much deliberation, and diffidence, and circumspection. We would not have young people setting up their judgment hastily against that of their superiors in age and station: for the young and inexperienced are apt to see things in a very partial light, and not to take a sufficiently comprehensive view of any subject; and hence they often err, when in their own judgment they are most confident that they are acting right. But still the word of God must be your rule: you must try every thing by that standard: if what you see, or what is recommended to you, be evidently contrary to that, you must not do it, though it be sanctioned by the authority of the whole world: nor, if a line of conduct be clearly and undoubtedly agreeable to that, must you be diverted from it even though the whole world rose up to oppose you. It is by the word of God that you will be judged in the last day; and therefore by that, and that only, must you be regulated now.]
This salutary caution is further confirmed by,

III.

A convincing appeal— “Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?” No: both the one and the other are gone to give up their account to God, and to receive from him their proper doom. Now, whatever they may have thought or done, they know that God’s word is true, and that it shall stand for ever. But to a certain degree this may be seen even in this world.

Has not the word of God taken hold of multitudes who have gone before us?
[Look at the Antediluvian world: were not God’s threatenings verified in them? Look at the Jews at the time of the Babylonish captivity: did the word of God fail with respect to them? They put to death their prophets for predicting that captivity; but were the predictions falsified? Were the Jews able to avert, or to escape, the judgments that had been denounced? Look at the Jews at this present time, and compare their state with all the prophecies concerning them, from the time of Moses to that of Christ and his Apostles: has one word fallen to the ground? Has not the word of God found them out? In like manner, if we could go into the invisible world, we should there see, what now we are so unwilling to believe, that not so much as one jot or tittle of God’s word has ever failed. Of the unregenerate, not one has entered into the kingdom of God; and of the impenitent and unbelieving, not one has “escaped the damnation of hell.” This is a fearful thought: but, if in no instance that is visible has God’s word ever failed, so neither has it, or shall it fail in those which are invisible.]
Have not many who have gone before us borne testimony to this truth?
[The Jews on many occasions acknowledged it [Note: Lamentações 2:17; Lamentações 4:11.Daniel 9:11.], and actually returned to God in consequence of the conviction impressed by it on their minds. In fact, every real penitent is a witness for this truth. He confesses, that his sins have found him out, and that, if mercy interpose not for his deliverance, all the judgments denounced against sin will in due season come upon him. Be convinced, then, whilst conviction may be of some avail: and wait not to learn, by bitter experience, what now, if credited, you might escape. Let not that come upon you, of which you are forewarned in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The Rich Man would not believe the evil and danger of a carnal life, till he was made to experience its bitter fruits. His surviving brethren, too, who walked in his steps, accounted themselves sure of happiness in the eternal world, when, if a message could have been sent to them from the dead, they would have been better informed [Note: Lucas 16:27.]. But they had Moses and the prophets; and so have you; yes, and Christ and his Apostles also, all bearing the same testimony. And therefore as unto dying men I would speak; knowing that I myself also am soon to die, and that both preacher and hearers must, in a very little time, appear at the judgment-seat of Christ;—I, to give an account of my ministry; and you, of the use you have made of it. I beseech you, receive not the grace of God in vain! In the name of the Lord of Hosts I declare unto you, that, if you will turn unto him in humiliation and faith, he will turn unto you in reconciliation and love; and that, if you will “turn from all your transgressions unto the Lord Jesus Christ, your iniquities, great and manifold as they have been, shall not be your ruin.”]