Zechariah 2
Bible Text: Zechariah 2:1-13 | Preacher: Henry De Oliveira | Series: Visiting Preachers | Introduction
Summary of previous sermons – Knowing God together
Without faith and repentance – one cannot know God
Vision 1 – God has a people very near to His heart
Vision 2 – A Sovereign God
When meditating on God’s word – ask ‘What does this passage tell us about God’
Zech 2
Focusing on God’s promises v4-5
Zechariah’s third vision
A prophetic vision – debate over when/how it would be fulfilled
A message for all of God’s people – then and now
The third vision
A man with a measuring line – the restored community of Zechariah’s day
The work not just limited to rebuilding the Temple
The city of Jerusalem had to be rebuilt
An angel – the Angel of the Lord (the Lord Jesus)
An urgent message
Looking at its application for us today
A divine promise
God is calling His people to pay attention to His promise and rejoice
Fulfilled a few years later in Nehemiah
Also a future fulfillment – Heb 12:22, Rev 21:10
Thus, the message still speaks to us today
‘Western’ Christianity may be declining – but Jesus is still building His Church
All the promises of God and ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Him
“I will be a wall of fire all around her and I will be the glory in her midst”
3 promises: extension, protection and divine indwelling
A Promise of Extension
Previous promises that the land would be restored – but the people had limited expectations
The city could not be measured with a line
The city cannot be contained by walls
Not vulnerable to danger and attacks
Wall-lessness – because it would contain a great multitude of people
Intentions beyond the Jewish community
Application: do not put limits where God has not intended them
Do not think as the Jews who rejected the Messiah because of their limited view/understanding
Do churches today place limits – examples
Do not impede those who come to worship
The Church is not confined to boundaries
God will still protect us – we do need to construct walls for protection
Have we put up limits?
A Promise of Protection
“I will be a wall of fire all around her”
The city was looking for physical protection from a wall
Yet God Himself will be their protector
A wall of fire all around Jerusalem
Examples of God as Protector
Application:
Let God be our protection
God is building His Church – ‘if God is for us, who can be against us?’
Consider the promise of Jesus to never leave nor forsake us
Heb 13:6
The forces against the Christian are mighty and strong – we cannot protect ourselves
Rev 21:27
A Promise of Divine Indwelling
“I will be the glory in her midst”
Application:
As a Christian – do not forsake the potential of God’s Divine indwelling
Putting up limits and protections will reduce God’s indwelling in us
Only in His presence is fullness of joy
The Need of Separation
v6
Separate yourself – respond to this great promise
Separate yourself from the things that defile – do not put up walls
Do not become too comfortable with what you know
Do not conform to the world around you
This call to separation continues today – to holiness
2 Cor 6:17
Psalm 1:1-2
Eph 5:11
Conclusion
God cares for His people – they are the apple of His eye – v8-9
This verse speaks of Jesus (v9b)
Sing and rejoice – v10
God is aroused from His holy habitation – v13
What is our perception of the Church?
Do we fail to know God’s indwelling presence?
We must align ourselves to God’s way