Daily Thoughts from Zechariah: He Has Dealt With Us (Zechariah 1:1-6)

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, “The LORD was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’” (Zechariah 1:1-6, ESV)

It is 520 B.C. and Israel has been in captivity, away from her homeland, for 200 years in the case of the northern kingdom, and for 66 years in Judah’s case. The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, which had separated from the tribe of Judah since after Solomon’s reign, and the Babylonians had conquered Assyria and Judah after that. Now the Persian empire had control of the area after conquering Babylon. Yahweh had allowed some of the Israelites to return to Israel under the authority of the Persian empire and they were trying to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, under the leadership of Zerubbabel (a descendant of David), Joshua, the high priest, and Haggai and Zechariah the prophets.

Zechariah’s message from God is one of remembrance (Zechariah means ‘Yahweh remembers’). Remember that you Israelites had angered God with your leaving Him to worship other gods. He sent prophets to warn Israel to return to Yahweh but they refused. So now Yahweh is saying once again, “Return to me and I will return to you.” There has been repentance phrased in the words of the people as a recognition that Yahweh has dealt with them according to their deeds. They acknowledge that they are in captivity because of their idolatry and injustices. So now God is primed to do a mighty restorative work.

What nation on the earth has ever experienced such a thing! Israel has spent years in exile, much as other nations experienced when the Assyrians, the Babylonians, then Persians came on the scene, but Israel alone was restored as a people to their homeland, the promised land given them by Yahweh when they came out of Egypt. Zechariah was sent by God to shepherd this movement back to Israel, to help the people walk it truly. His words will help us also, as we deal with the gods of our age that compete for our attention and devotion. The promise still exists that if we return to Him, He will return to us.

God will deal with our nation for our ways and deeds as He has purposed.  Our response is to recognize that He has been so dealing with us and to repent.  Are we paying attention?