Daily Thoughts from Zechariah: Mourning to Joy (Zechariah 8:18-23)

And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” (Zechariah 8:18-23, ESV)

Though this is another message given to Zechariah it still deals with encouraging the people to believe in what Yahweh of Hosts is doing to restore Jerusalem and His people as a holy and prosperous dwelling place, His chosen place where He dwells with His people.  Previously the people were fasting in the fourth month because it was in that month 70 years earlier that the walls of Jerusalem were breached.  They fasted in the fifth month to commemorate the city’s fall, the seventh month as a mourning of their king’s assassination, and the tenth month because that is when the siege began.  The city was besieged from the tenth month until the fourth month when the wall was breached and the city fell shortly thereafter.

Now, Yahweh says, these fasts will be turned into times of joy and gladness with feasting.  God is overcoming the pain of the past with the blessings He is pouring out on the nation.  The people will no longer avoid Jerusalem or even question whether anyone is going up to Jerusalem for one of the appointed pilgrimages.  They’ll say, “I’m going, come with me.”  And those who don’t belong to the commonwealth of Israel will be drawn to the goodness of her God, Yahweh, and want to join in the blessing.

You have pain in your past and maybe in your present.  Some of it may be the result of God’s disciplinary hand in your life.  But you have returned to the Lord in your heart.  He is replacing your mourning and fasting with joy.  He is entreating you to love truth and peace.  He is giving you the promise that as you experience Him with joy it will be contagious and others will long to share in your joy.  Truth and peace in your life will be an aroma of hope for others.  What has He given you to share about how He has turned your mourning into joy?