June 18 - Zechariah 7

June 18 – Zechariah 7

In 587 bc, the temple was burned by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 25:8) and for 70 years, the people had fasted and mourned during the fifth month to commemorate this event. Now that the temple was being rebuilt, they wondered if they needed to continue with this period of fasting. The delegation from Bethel had asked the question of the priests, but the Lord spoke to Zechariah instead, asking what their motives for fasting and mourning had been all those years. Had it been to reach out to the Lord, or had it simply been an occasion to come together and show off?

Do you suppose God still asks that question of us as we come together in worship? What is the purpose? Is it really for God that we come together corporately or is it for ourselves? (Zechariah 7:4-6)

Zechariah continues to preach to the people, encouraging them to not be like their fathers, who were the reason that they had been taken into exile in the first place. He teaches them to care for each other, and much like the same words that Micah taught in Micah 6:8, he begs them to bring true justice (God’s justice, not man’s justice), mercy and compassion to the world.

Earlier prophets by God’s Spirit had tried to bring the word of God to them, they had the Law that had been given to them, yet they refused to listen and he said that they turned their backs so that they could no longer listen to the Lord.

Why are these things so important? True justice, mercy and compassion to the world, show what our relationship is like with the Lord. Without that, we have no reason to call ourselves His children. And when there is no relationship between God and His children, He will choose to scatter them among all the nations.

What had been the land of milk and honey became desolate without God’s hand working through His children.

Could the same thing be true of our world today? Do we pursue worship for God or for ourselves? Do we offer compassion, mercy and true justice to the world or do we pursue our own selfish agendas? What will Gods judgment of us be in the end?