God’s people are very near to His heart
Introduction
- 5 months since the building of the Temple began (from Haggai)
- The Jews were uncertain of how God was working in their lives
- They had abandoned building God's temple
- God sent Zechariah to show that He had not abandoned them
- Zechariah means 'God Almighty remembers'
- Previously
- Zech 1:1-6 – a theme of repentance
- 1:3 - return to God
- God now reveals the future lesson
- 1:7-6:15 – a series of visions given to Zechariah
- 8 visions
- How the truth of this vision affirms us in our faith
- God speaking through visions was not uncommon
- Numbers 12:6
- Examples
- God revealed Himself to Zechariah through visions
- Does God still give visions today?
- 3 questions & answers
- Visions to some - God can use any means He deems necessary
- Visions:
- The Bible is complete
- The Lord Jesus has already given us all things that pertain to life and godliness
- Any true vision will accord with the word of God
- Quote from JC Ryle
- Zechariah's vision
- At night - sometimes he needed waking up
- Not just as a personal experience but to pass the truth revealed to the people
- To encourage the people in the rebuilding of the temple
- It is very easy to live for ourselves or the 'matters of life'
- These visions helps us to abandon the 'live for the moment' attitude
- Vision of the Horses:
- Due to time, the details are not the priority
- Focusing on the message God is giving through the vision
- Overview
- Our Lord's Intercession for His people
- Our Lord's Jealousy for His own people
- Our Lord's promises for His people
Our Lord's Intercession for His people
- How near are we to the Lord's heart?
- We are very close to God's heart because our Lord intercedes for His people
- The horses said that "earth was resting quietly" - the land was a rest
- The Jews could focus on the task of rebuilding the Temple
- Would we not desire such a time?
- The response of the Angel of the Lord was that God was angry with the Jews - Explanation
- God reveals His heart
- That He remembers His people
- That He is concerned for His people
- The Angel of the Lord intercedes on their behalf
- Often with deistic properties
- Ex 3:2
- Gen 16, 31
- Joshua 5
- Judges
- The pre-incarnate appears of Jesus Christ
- Jesus Christ intercedes for us
- 1 John 1:2
- Heb 7:25
- Rom 8:34
- He is the only mediator between God and man - 1 Tim 2:5
- Rom 5:10 - we now belong to God
- God desires prayer
- Jesus Himself prays for us
- God responds to intercessory prayer with delight - with good and comforting words (v13)
- Even when we don't know what to pray - Christ prays for us
Our Lord's Jealousy for His own people
- How near are we to the Lord's heart?
- v14
- God is zealous - jealous
- Today jealousy carries connotations of envy
- The original definition - 'to be fiercely protective of one's rights or possessions'
- God is fiercely protective of His people
- Not a weak emotion
- God is completely and utterly invested in His people
- The people were sinful - despite all warnings they were slow to repentance
- God was zealous for His people because He chose them
- Deut 7:6-8
- God chooses us
- God's jealously is provoked when people mistreat His people
- v15
- God's anger was greater with the surrounding nations
- God is fiercely protective of us
- He paid the ultimate price for us
- God's motivation in His jealousy is His honour and glory
- Rom 12:19
- 2 Thess 1:6-9
- God will return with vengeance
- We should earnestly seek their salvation
- Rom 8:31-39
Our Lord's promises for His people
- How near are we to the Lord's heart?
- God gives us promises
- v16
- God is returning in mercy
- God had withdrawn compassion from His people for their sin
- Micah 7:19
- We deserve judgment but God returns with mercy
- God chooses to be merciful
- It exalts God - Isa 48:11
- It is in His character - Ps 138
- It is His answer to His Son's intercession for us
- Because we are near to His heart
- Example of Song
- Three more specific promises
- v16 - His house shall be built
- 4 years later His Temple was completed
- Matt 16: God's Church continues to grow
- v16 - The work of rebuilding with extend to the whole city
- Let us pray that God's work will not just be limited to this building
- v17 - The cities shall spread through prosperity
- There does not need to be a limit to God's growth