REMEMBER HIS FAITHFULNESS…From Generation to Generation

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DAY 8 - January 12

Yesterday, we wrapped up reading in the book of Ezra, and today we are going to begin reading in the book of Zechariah.  Now,  you may be wondering why we are “skipping so far ahead” in the Bible.  Why not just continue reading into the book immediately following Ezra, Nehemiah?  The answer to that question is two-fold.  

First, it’s important to remember that the Bible is not in chronological order.  Instead, it is split into groupings of books based on the style and focus of the writings.  The book of Ezra is a part of the Historical books (along with Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, and Esther).  Zechariah, on the other hand, is one of 12 of the grouping known as the minor prophets.  (Remember, “minor” doesn’t mean they are less important, just that they are shorter than the writings in the groupings known as the “major” prophets.)

Second, even though these books of the Bible are separated by many pages, their historical timelines are actually connected (as is also true for the books of Haggai and Nehemiah).  All four of these books, though distinct in their own right, follow the journey of the Israelites' return and the rebuilding of the temple, as well as their connection with and commitment to the Lord.  

So why not just continue reading into the book of Nehemiah?  Because Zechariah, when looked at in the historical timeline rather than your Bible's layout, comes first!

Ok.  Now that we are all on the same page, who’s ready to dive in and start reading from Zechariah?  

Now, I do want to give a little warning, if you will…Zechariah can be intimidating to read because it is not the easiest to understand.  Remember how I said Zechariah is a part of the minor prophets?  Well, as a prophet, much of what the Lord revealed to him came to him through visions and dreams, which were then interpreted through the Holy Spirit.  So you are going to read a lot of imagery over the next few days, but don’t worry!  We will break down all that the scripture is saying and what it means TOGETHER!  

With that said, go ahead and grab your Bible, turn to Zechariah chapter 1, and read verses 1-17.  When you are finished, come back here and keep reading.

In verses 1-6, we read a very direct call for the people to return fully to the Lord.  Not just with lip service but with their lives!  This call would have come on the heels of Ezra 4, where we read that building of the temple had halted not once but TWICE.  If you remember, Ezra 5 actually introduces Zechariah onto the scene in verse 1, which says:

“Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in

Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.” Ezra 5:1 (ESV)

What we just read in Zechariah chapter 1, and what we will continue to read over the course of the week, is an account of the very prophecies given by Zechariah.  That’s why, following the direct call to repentance, the writing seems to take a turn and get a little…ummm…well, for lack of better words, it gets a little weird!  But I promise, there is so much truth and meaning tucked into these visions, and I can’t wait to discover all of it with you!

If you look back at your Bible, you will likely see a header above verses 7-17 that says something like “A Vision of a Horseman.”  Let’s take a moment to identify and define the key characters and themes that those verses describe.

First, it’s important to note that verse 8 tells us that there was a man who was “standing among the myrtle trees in the glen.”  Take a moment to try to picture that.  A man standing among a bunch of trees down at the bottom of a glen (or valley).  How easy do you think it would be to see him?  Even if he were standing on the edge of the tree line, he would still be shadowed by the canopy of branches.  Not to mention the fact that he was DOWN in a glen, which would mean no one would even come close to seeing him until they were right up on the edge of the highlands.  

This imagery represents the “low, dark, solitary, melancholy condition of the Jewish church at this time.*”  Their lives had become the opposite of what Matthew 5:14 says:

“You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (NLT)

Or, as the message translation puts it:

“Here’s another way to put it:  You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors of the world. 

God is not a secret to be kept.” (MSG)

The Jewish people were definitely not living like “a city on a hilltop”.  Instead, they were living a life of obscurity in the shadowed valley.

Second, we need to identify who the man is that is seen standing in the glen, whom verse 8 describes as “a man riding on a red horse.”  This man represents Christ Jesus.  We see a similar representation of Christ in Revelation 6:2:

“I looked up and saw a white horse standing there.  Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed

on His head.  He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.” (NLT)

Third, verse 8 goes on to tell us that this man (Jesus) had “red, sorrel, and white horses” standing behind them.  This group represents an army of angels who came with Jesus, ready to be deployed at any moment to serve Him and His church - one of whom we find conversing with Zechariah as he asks the Lord (v 9) what the vision meant.  

Now that you have a grasp on the setting and characters, what does it all mean?  In this vision, the Lord is reminding His people that He has never left them.  In fact, both He and His angel army continue to patrol the World, keeping watch over the nations.  However, having spent the past 70 years in exile (a period prophesied by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 25:11), the people are restless.  They are sitting there tapping their sundials and saying, “Ok God.  It’s been 70 years!  Where are you!”  And God’s response, through this vision and the prophet Zechariah, is “Don’t worry!  I’m still here, and my promise still stands!  But the answer to 'when'...don’t worry about that right now!  I’ve got it, and I’ve got you!”

Now, I want you to quickly flip over in your Bible to Zechariah 6 and read verses 1-8.

Before we unpack this portion of scripture, I want to quickly address why we didn’t even finish reading chapter 1 before skipping to chapter 6.  If you remember, the book of Zechariah is made up largely of visions - there are actually 8 to be exact - and these visions are laid out in a unique order so that the visions almost bookend one another.  That means that vision #1 (found in chapter 1) and vision #8 (found in chapter 6) serve as “bookends” for one another.  That means that, as you read the first 8 verses of chapter 6, you should have seen some similarities with what we just discussed in chapter 1.  Here are a few key parallels.  

1. They share common imagery, as both include colored horses representing God’s angel army moving throughout the earth.  

2. They share common themes, serving as a reminder of God’s sovereignty over everything.

3. They both illustrate God’s continued faithfulness to and advancement of His people and kingdom.  

How do they differ?  Where the first vision highlights God’s watchfulness and promises a future intervention, the eighth vision displays the fulfillment of the promised final judgement.  

But the main theme that both of these passages make clear is the call to remember and return.  What are they to remember exactly?  

1. They are to remember He has never left them.  Zechariah 1:2 says, “Return to me, and I will return to you...” (NLT).  

2. They are to remember their heritage, their past.  Zechariah 1:4 warns, “Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the prophets said to them…”  In other words, you don’t have to learn the hard way!  Remember the actions of your ancestors, learn from their mistakes, and take heed of the words of the prophets I have sent to help you!

3. They are to remember that when God speaks, it’s important to listen, because God’s word is infallible.  Always has been.  Always will be.  So don’t just listen to the words… be intentional to HEAR what God is saying, where He is leading, and what He is asking.

4. Finally, they are to remember that He is protecting them (vision 1) and will deliver them (vision 8) as long as they return to Him, not continuing to live obscure lives in the shadowed valley.  

And that is what the Lord is reminding you and me of today - that He is still powerful,  He is still faithful, and His promises are still true.  Always have been.  Always will be!  So, for the remainder of our time together today, we are going to take time to intentionally remember.  We are going to reflect the Lord’s power, promises, and faithfulness, strengthening our faith and confidence in Him, and helping us move from telling Him our needs to trusting Him with them.   Shifting from living lives of obscurity in the shadowed valleys to living our lives for Him.

Take your time in answering the questions below.  Don’t rush through them.  In fact, I encourage you to continue revisiting them, adding to your answers throughout the day and even in the days ahead.  And remember, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  That means His power, promises, and faithfulness flow from Genesis to today to Revelation and beyond!  So don’t limit your answers to “first-hand experience.”  Allow your faith to be encouraged and strengthened by remembering ALL He has faithfully done from generation to generation.

1. In what ways have you seen God’s power in your life and/or in the lives of others?  

2. What promises has the Lord made?  In what ways have you seen Him keep his promises in your life and/or the lives of others?

3. In what ways have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life and/or in the lives of others?

Now, my friends, this is where the shifting begins to happen.  So don’t cut today's time with the Lord short.  I know today's study and reflection time is longer than the others so far, but it is important that you do not stop short of this breakthrough moment.  So even if you need to pause here and come back later in the day when you have time to focus, do it!  I promise, you will be thankful you did!

Taking a moment to reflect on the answers you wrote to the questions above, begin to pray His power, promises, and faithfulness back to Him.  That prayer might look something like this:

Lord, thank You for Your power to heal.  A power that healed the blind man way back in John 9 and brought healing to my friend this year.  Thank You for Your promise in Matthew 28:20 that You are always with me.  A promise You have kept from the beginning of time - never abandoning Your people.  And Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness.  Even when I doubt, even when I wander, even when I’m weary and distant and distracted, You never are.  Just as You were faithful to guide the Israelites through the desert, You have been faithful to guide me.

Anyone starting to sense that shift (as we saw in Zechariah’s first vision) from “need focus” to “power focus”?  I’m telling you, something incredible happens when we stop focusing on our needs and start remembering the power, strength, and faithfulness of the One we are praying to!  All of a sudden, though our situations have not changed instantly, our prayers, our perspectives, and our hearts have.  Why?  Because, as our faith is built through remembrance, both our trust IN Him and surrender TO Him begin to increase as well.  Leading us to a place of living what the Lord declares in Matthew 11:28-30:

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you

and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My

yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (NIV)

Oh, the power of remembrance!  

Another powerful tool when it comes to remembering the Lord’s power, promises, and faithfulness is by memorizing scripture.  It is when you have His words hidden deep in your heart that scriptures like those referenced in the prayer above come flooding back to your mind and heart, even in the midst of the darkest, most difficult moments.  Last week, we focused on memorizing Psalm 51:10. This week, we will memorize Lamentations 3:22-23.  I pray that as you read it and study this verse daily, your faith will be encouraged as you are intentional in remembering His faithfulness every single day!

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new

every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

*Blue Letter Bible / Matthew Henry