| �I will be a wall of fire around it ... and I will be its glory within.� |
| Zechariah |
| Author: Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo, the chief of one of the priestly families that returned from exile along with Zerubbabel and Joshua. (Neh. 12:4) Date: 520 B.C. Meaning of Name: Remembered By God Subject: Reconstruction of Temple Theme: God�s protection and strength. Timeline: 539 -Cyrus becomes king of the Persian Empire 538 -Fall of Babylon 538 -King Cyrus issues a Decree permitting the Jews to return and rebuild their temple. 536 -Zerubbabel begins construction. 534 -Work stops. 520 -Zechariah & Haggai prophesy 520 -Work resumes. 516 -Temple completed. The Circumstances Israel knew captivity well. They were held as slaves in Egypt, they were carried off to Assyria, they were also exiled in Babylon. After 70 years of Babylonian captivity, Israel had been released to return to Jerusalem and rebuild by a decree that went forth from king Cyrus. Normally, when a people set out to build a city, they would concentrate on building their homes and a wall first, but God instructs them to begin with His house . . . the temple. Zerubbabel and his companions eagerly began the construction in 536 B.C., but after just two short years, the work comes to a halt. The builders were frightened of outside forces who remembered the threat that Israel had been and could be if they were allowed to rebuild. They turned their attention to their own homes and decided that �it was not yet time to rebuild the temple.� (Hag. 1:2) Now, after 14 years of fear and complacency, the word of the Lord comes through Zechariah and Haggai, �Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built!� (Zech. 8:9). He tells them not to worry about constructing a wall because He would protect them, �I myself will be a wall of fire around it, and I will be its glory within� (Zech. 2:5). Both Haggai and Zechariah are written to spur the people on to finish rebuilding the temple. The Message The book of Zechariah paints a picture of a loving God who desperately wants to shepherd and establish His flock. He repeatedly reminds them how precious they are to Him. �Whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye� (2:8). He�s ready to defend and exalt them if they will focus their energy on building His house first. The central thrust of the message is that Israel will overwhelmingly conquer through their Lord if they will prioritize Him and His commands above all else. The book is saturated with the richest of messianic prophesies, and points toward the coming of the Messiah (Referred to as the BRANCH). �The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown� (9:16) The Relevance Our 20th century American lives could not be more thirsty for this message of God�s protection and provision. Oh, we really do want to pray more than we do, and we�d sure love to spend more time worshiping God with other believers, but there just isn�t the time! We�re bombarded with priorities aren�t we? Our time is so precious! We need time to clean our homes, to take care of the kids, to work for all that we have, and whatever time is left over we haven�t the energy to use! We need time to relax don�t we? The pressures are so great and the forces so strong that attack us from the world around us. We need our time to build up our homes and the walls around our city! God�s message to every man and woman trying to build up and establish a life today is the same as it was for the remnant, ��You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?� Declares the Lord Almighty. �Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house�� (Hag. 1:9). The promise of God here is spectacular. If we can find the energy to strengthen our hands and put His spiritual temple above all else, we will need no wall because of the great amount of blessings in our lives, and He �will be a wall of fire� around us! |
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