Daily Thoughts from Zechariah: His Purpose to Bring Good (Zechariah 8:1-17)

And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”

Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

For thus says the LORD of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” (Zechariah 8:1-17, ESV)

Yahweh uses Zechariah’s message to give hope to His people that once again He will dwell in their midst in covenant relationship.  Once again Jerusalem will be the “faithful” city and the “holy” mountain where people grow old in peace and new generations spring up because it is safe to do so.  The three part formula of covenant relationship will be true once again, “I will be their God, they shall be my people, and I will dwell in their midst.”

This promise of a bright future should strengthen the people and it should also remind them to live according to God’s covenant, speaking truth to one another, giving justice in their courts (courts often met in the city wall’s gates), loving each other, not taking advantage of each other (false oaths), because failure to do these things is what originally led to Israel’s removal from the land.

We need the truth of God’s relationship with us to strengthen us and motivate us to righteousness.  He has purposed to bring good to us.  “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” says Paul in Romans 8:1.  We are assured of God’s favor upon our lives if we know Christ.  Even His discipline is a sign of His favor (Hebrews 12).  We should live in peace as Christ’s body.  We should do right by all people.  We need to preach the message of Scripture to ourselves even as Zechariah did to Israel.