Job 7 - I know the plans I have for you

Job continues his response. Life seems one long torment. He seems to have been allotted months of futility and misery. Even night, which should be a time of rest, just drags on in agony. Verse 5 describes the physical pain.

He then calls out directly to God, calling from a place of hopelessness. In verse 7 he says that he will never see happiness again. We can all go through times when we feel like that, but note that Job was mistaken in saying this. As we know from the end of the book, he would see times of blessing again, greater than he had ever imagined. We need to be aware that when in the midst of trouble our vision is distorted.

Job knows that his time is limited. So he decides to complain to God, asking that his life be brought to an end. Job despised his life, but God did not despise his life, for God knew the long term plans He had, the eternal plans. We are very fond of quoting Jer 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you ...", but usually with very little regard for the context. The context was that Judah was enduring great suffering. Here we see true application of this verse. Job was enduring great torment, he could see no end to it and no future. But God has an eternal perspective, and His plans for Job were actually for good.

Job thinks he is being victimised by God. In verse 21 he calls out for God to pardon his sins. Now this could be a glimmer of true insight, or it could just be a cry out of his pain, "why don't you just forgive me God".

Job 6 - Some friend you are

Job responds to Eliphaz. He starts off by saying how terrible his anguish is. He also clearly knows that it is God's will. The Old Testament attributes a lot more to God than we often do, we tend to make apologies for God, the Bible does no such thing.

In verse 8-10 we get the first cry that God would hear him. He wants God to take his life away. Note in verse 10 that his wish is that even in unrelenting pain he has not denied God. He still seems to be seeking to be righteous, but feels that he is coming to the end of what he can handle.

In verses 11-13 he makes it clear that his strength, both physical and moral, has gone. He has nothing left to offer.

Then Job indulges in a diatribe against his friends, about how useless they have been now that he is really in need. One has to ask what could they have done? But this is a very human reaction. When people are struggling they sometimes get upset with friends because the friends don't help them as they think they should. But the reason for this is that the friends don't know how to help you.

In v 24-30 it seems that what is hurting Job is the implication that he is suffering because of his sin. We know from the introduction that this is manifestly not the case. We can be too ready to attribute all suffering and failure to sin.

Job 5 - Excellent teaching

Eliphaz continues, first by asking what is the point in calling out, no one in heaven will hear you. It can seem at times as though God is not listening.

Eliphaz has  seen fools come quickly to nothing. Yet trouble seems to be the lot of all people, wise or foolish.

Verses 8-16 contain stuff found in many places in the Old Testament, especially in Proverbs. They express the conventional faith and belief of Job. The God who provides everything and looks after the poor. It is important to realise that the advice given by the comforters was, at least for the most part, good stuff. We could preach a good sermon on it!

Eliphaz then urges Job to appeal to God, to lay his cause before the Lord. This, indeed, is what Job proceeded to seek to do. Then Eliphaz continues to declare the goodness and greatness of God. He also says that discipline is good, and we are blessed when God corrects us. This again is perfectly sound and good Biblical teaching. He also declares a number of the promises of God.

All this is true, so how can things seem to go so wrong at times?

Job 4 - The first comforter

Now we get the first of Job's friends offering his advice. Elpihaz came from Teman, this was an Edomite town. This town was noted for its wisdom (Jer 49:7). All the advice offered by his friends was not so much wrong in its content, it was not heretical, but it failed to understand what God was doing in Job's life. In fact no one but God knew what He was doing! We need to bear this in mind when we try to help each other through tough times. It does not mean we never offer any advice, but we should always be aware that God may well be doing something much deeper than we are aware of.

Eliphaz reminds Job of how he has been a support to many people in the past. We can probably all identify with this. We have helped others in various situations, then something hits us and we feel at a complete loss. Eliphaz urges Job to rely on his piety and devotion to God (v6). This is where he goes wrong, up to a point. The way that we live does matter, but it cannot be our ultimate confidence.

Eliphaz also goes on to say that the wicked will perish. Now this is ultimately true, but they can seem to live at ease for an awful long time.

The latter half of this chapter contains some truth in stressing the superiority of the Lord (v17-21).

Job 3 - I wish I was dead

Now we start to get to the heart of the book. Let's just review quickly what we have had so far. Job has responded in an exemplary religious way, refusing to accuse God of wrongdoing. God has acted in a most ungodly way! He has given Satan permission to afflict a godly man. Now Job is going to start acting in a less than exemplary manner. Have you ever found yourself acting like this? Something bad happens, initially you react with "faith" and stoicism, "trusting" God. Then as the consequences of what has happened start to sink in your "faith" starts to shake and fall apart. Our God deals with real people. Satan thought that all this was a test of whether Job truly was as good as God seemed to think he was. What was really happening was that God was doing a deep work in Job. We may sometimes think that some event is a test of our faith, and up to a point it may well be, but may also be a time when God is doing something deeper in our lives. 

Job starts by cursing the day he was born, Jeremiah did the same thing (Jer 20:14).

Life has become so grim for Job that he just wishes he had never been born.

In verse 8 he mentions Leviathan, who also gets a mention later on in the books as well, as well as elsewhere in the Bible (Is 27:1). Leviathan was a mythical sea monster from Canaanite mythology.

And if he had to be born, why was he not just allowed to die? Why did there have to have been someone to take care of him up to this point if this present torment was to be his destiny? 

Life is so terrible that he wishes he was dead and life just seems a recipe for more suffering and pain. At the time of writing this there is a debate about "assisted dying", to feel that death is the only release is natural, but thank goodness that God did not answer this prayer. God is the only one with the right to decide when a person should die, it would be a terrible mistake for us to take that responsibility upon ourselves.

Job 2 - Still he does not sin

We now get another glimpse into heaven. The words are almost identical to those in 1:6-8. Note that verse 3 says "though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason". Now how does that fit into our picture of God? We need to be aware always that there are things about God's plans and ways that are far beyond our understanding. If ever we think we have God in a box (theological or otherwise) we are mistaken. Now the end of all this is that everything works out for good. The point that the writer is making from verse 3 is that Job has shown that God's assessment of him is accurate, he is a righteous man (not perfect, but God-fearing) and that Satan's motives are always duplicitous.

Satan replies that it is only because Job himself was not harmed that he has not sinned. Note again that God has a much higher view of humanity than Satan has. God gives Satan permission to attack Job himself, but not to kill him.

So Job is afflicted with painful sores all over his body. As an aside, this clearly demonstrates that all sickness is not a direct result of sin (ultimately all sickness can be traced back to the fall, but that is a different matter). Job was well regarded by God. 

Job's wife urges Job to curse God and die. Actually the Hebrew says "bless God" and is used in a sarcastic manner, meaning curse God rather than actually bless Him, hence our English translations.

Job rejects his wife's advice. The word for foolish implies moral deficiency. So Job still did not sin.

Job's three friends then came along. They were horrified at what they saw. They could think of nothing to say so just sat with Job and mourned with him. This was a very wise course of action, but not one they would persist with for long. We always think we have to say something, but there are times when there is nothing to say and all that is required is that we just be with people in their suffering.

Job 1:13-22 - The first series of calamities

So Satan is allowed to attack Job. Job receives various bits of bad news from his servants. First he hears that his donkeys have been taken by the Sabeans. Then another servant comes to tell him that the "fire of God" has burned up his sheep and the servants with them. Note that the term "fire of God" probably refers to lightning. While hearing this yet another servant comes with news that the Chaldeans have made off with his camels and killed many of his servants. After this the worst news comes, a might wind has killed his sons and daughters.

Job has just received a deluge of bad news. We often talk about "one thing after another", but none of us has experienced a day like this.

Job's reaction is exemplary. Tearing his clothes is a sign of mourning. At the same time he falls to the ground and worships the Lord. This worship was not blind faith but was based on reason and an understanding of God.

It is absolutely true that we came into the world with nothing, and we will leave with nothing. All sorts of things may happen inbetween, both good and bad, but the beginning and the end are the same for everyone. 

He also knows that the Lord is in control of everything. We tend to try and explain away the bad things that happen, we try to absolve God of responsibility. This is not what the Bible does. There are times when God's ways are beyond knowing, but at all times He is ultimately in control. Whatever may be happening to us right now we need to know that the Lord is sovereign. We may not be able to see God's purpose, we may not understand it, but we can be certain that His purposes are good (Rom 8:28). 

In all this Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. So we see that charging God with wrongdoing is a sin. However, we also need to remember what is going to happen in chapters 3 onwards. Job is going to charge God with wrongdoing, or at least come very close to doing so. 

Job 1:6-12

We now come to the scene in heaven. I think we should be careful about trying to read too much into every little detail, but rather accept it as a rough picture of what was happening. The word translated "angels" in NIV is actually "sons of God". Satan, which means adversary or accuser, is marked out separately.

The Lord spoke highly of Job, He called him "my servant" and described him as blameless and upright. Satan replies that Job is good only because the Lord protects him and blesses him with prosperity. Satan calls on God to strike Job and then see what happens.

God's response is surprising to us and does not fit any neat theology, and certainly not any prosperity gospel theology. The Lord agrees. Note that He does this by giving Satan power, but limited power, to strike Job. Satan could attack anything that Job has except his own person.

So what are we to make of all this? First note that God has a high opinion of Job, Satan does not. God loves man, Satan hates man. It upsets any neat formula for why people suffer (as does most of the Bible!). Now some suffering is the direct result of sin and the direct result of God's judgement on sin. We have recently read the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations which makes that abundantly clear. So any theology that says suffering is never related to sin and judgement is just so much rubbish. However, you cannot say that all suffering is a result of sin. The Psalmist often complained about the righteous suffering and the wicked prospering, then there are the words of Jesus on the matter (Luke 13:1-5; John 9:3).

A key aspect of this is that God has confidence in Job. He knows that Job will go through all sorts of agonies and torment, even accusing God of various wrongs, but in it all Job will not lose his faith. So this represents a victory for God and in it all Job's faith and knowledge of God is deepened. You see man is the pinnacle of God's creation, Satan thinks he has ruined God's treasured possession, but he has not. Despite all his worst efforts, through the blood of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit there will be a people who truly love God, despite all that happens. 

Job 1:1-5 - A godly and wealthy man

The book gives no direct indication of the date, there is also no reference to the nation of Israel or Judah. Perhaps the most likely view is that he lived around the time of the patriarchs (ie Abraham etc). The reasons for believing this are that his wealth is measured in terms of livestock, and he lived 140 years after disaster struck (42:14). There is no reference to the Law, his daughters inherited his estate. There other reasons as well, so this would place the time of Job about 2000 BC. Job was a God-fearing man and was very wealthy. If you have read other parts of my blog you will know that I am often critical of the so-called prosperity gospel. However, the opposite notion that wealth is somehow wrong is equally unbiblical. It is perfectly possible to be wealthy and godly, and there are several examples of this in the Bible. He was the "greatest man among all the people of the East".

His sons and daughters held feasts or parties. Job was worried that they might do something silly at these times, so offered sacrifices to atone for their possible sins. Now we might consider this a bit "iffy", but note that there is no criticism of this practice here. This does not mean it was good, but that it is not central to God's dealings with Job.

So Job was godly, wealthy, and well-respected. We then get a glimpse of what is going on in heaven. This reveals a crucial point. The modern view is entirely man-centred, this is even the effective view of many Christians and one we can all fall into. The truth, however, is that what happens on earth is often determined by what happens in the heavenly realms.  Life is an interaction between what happens in heaven and what happens on earth. Remember that Jesus taught us to pray, "your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". Anyway, we will look at what was happening in heaven tomorrow.

Job - Introduction

Back to the Old Testament, and just five books to go to have worked through the whole Bible. 

Job is one of my favourite books. Some people focus just on the first two chapters and the last. If you do this then you have completely missed the point. Indeed, if this is all that you have preached on then I would go as far as to say you have misled your congregation. You see, Job is one of the most profound books in the Bible, indeed in the world. It deals with the problem of suffering and it does not offer any pat answers, instead it gives the truth that sets us free. James 5:11 commends the patience of Job, we need to know that James had in mind the whole of the book of Job, most of which is about Job complaining to God.

The outset of the book shows that God is in control of the whole matter, and the end shows a twofold benefit of it all for Job. First, his fortunes are restored, but by far the most important blessing is that now he knows God in a much deeper way than he ever did before. The reason for the suffering is never revealed to him, instead he has acknowledged the greatness of God, that is when true understanding comes.

Job himself probably lived sometime between 2000 and 1000 BC. The text was probably put together sometime between the reign of Solomon and the Babylonian exile. The author is not known, and apparently the translation is very difficult in places, which is why you might find many variations in different versions of the Bible. 

Job's complaints and challenges are interspersed with "wise" advice and commentary from his comforters, but none of this advice helped him. When we are going through severe trials pat Christian advice is of little use to us, our needs, and the problem, run much deeper. One of the key lessons is that we can go to God with all our hurt and confusion, even our anger with God. We have a relationship with Him. Yet we are the ones who will need to repent in the end, not God! 

2 Thessalonians 3:6-18 - Do not be idle

In our society we place an enormous emphasis on tolerance (though it does depend on what we are tolerating), and not causing a fuss. Verse 6 represents a different approach. Standards are to be maintained in the church, and two matters mentioned here are idleness and being disruptive. The two often go together, it is a well known phenomenon for those who do least to complain the most. Now this is not meaning that anyone who ever complains about anything is to be shunned, that would be silly and would produce a host of other problems, but to those who are just troublemakers. 

In fact, the emphasis here is on idleness. Paul and his co-workers had set an example here. They had they were not dependent upon people in Thessalonica, but worked and paid their way. So they demonstrated the truth. If we live the truth we have much more authority when we teach the truth. Verse 10 demonstrates that a very firm line was taken on this.

The condemnation continues in verse 11. Earning your living is a key element of Christian living. Instead we are not to tire of doing good. 

The firm line continues in verse 14, but this also gives the motive, which is to encourage them to see the error of their ways and come to repentance. Churches we need to exercise discipline, but we also need to examine our hearts at the same time lest we become judgemental. 

Paul closes the letter with a blessing that they may have the peace of Christ. He also signed the letter himself, as was his custom, to demonstrate that it was genuinely from him.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 - Prayer

Paul now turns to other matters. It is interesting how the dramatic events of the apocalypse and the mundane things mentioned here go together. Christ will return, possibly very soon, but there is work to be done today, there is life to be lived today. The first thing Paul asks for is prayer that the message of the gospel will spread further. We should all be praying for that today. Note that though Paul was a great apostle he knew that he needed prayer if anything was to be achieved.

He also knew that there would be opposition, and this would come from wicked and evil people. We need to be utterly realistic about the state of man. People will oppose us, and not from good motives. Today the tactics used by some atheists, and by some proponents of gay rights, are evil in intent (I do emphasise the word "some" here, not all are like this). Not all of them are arguing from a genuine belief. So Paul prays to be delivered from such people. So he is realistic, but he is also confident that the Lord will protect them.

So the focus has switched from Paul preaching the gospel to the Thessalonians continuing to grow in faith. This would show itself if love and perseverance.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 - Standing firm

So what is our response to all this to be? First we need to be thankful because of the place God has given us in His plans. We are beloved by the Lord, we should mediate on this fact frequently. He has chosen us to be the firstfruits to be saved. How are we saved? By believing the truth and by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is never "just about believing" in the sense that people often talk about it. Faith does not come alone, but it's accompanied by real changes in our lives.

We were called to this through the gospel. The gospel is not " come to Jesus and be let off your sins", rather it is come to Jesus, be forgiven, be transformed.

So the Thessalonians are urged to hold to what they were taught, this would include teaching on how they should live. This teaching was given both orally and in letters.

Paul close this section with a short prayer. God has given us eternal comfort and hope. His comfort is not fleeting, but everlasting, we need to have an eternal mindset. Note the recognition that we need to be encouraged in our hearts, and this comfort comes from God. It also produces Good works.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 - Defeat of the man of lawlessness

In verses 6 and 7 we see two things. First the man of lawlessness will be revealed in time, but currently he is being restrained. So there will be a time when evil is let loose on the earth on a scale that has never been seen before. Secondly, the principal of lawlessness is already at work. So we see evidence of it already. And in the past there have been extreme example, like Hitler, Stalin etc. This is one reason why last day nutters can be so successful, there will always be some things going on that have some characteristics of the real thing. But we need to read the Bible carefully.

We then come to the reason for all this, and the reasons are multi-faceted. The first, and foremost, is that He will be destroyed by the coming of Jesus Christ. This again is consistent with Revelation (17:14, 19:19,20).

When the man of lawlessness comes there will be many false signs. Yet again this is consistent with what Jesus said and with Revelation.

Then we come to a very interesting point. Who causes this? This is a question we ask about many things. Is it God? Is it the devil? Is it man? We want the answer to be just one of these, but the truth is that it is all three! Verse 9 says it is Satan. Verse 11 says it is God who sends the delusion, and then it says it is because man chose to reject the truth. So if we seek to find one simple solution we will miss something. We should always read the Bible from all the angles that it gives. Note also that God is actively involved in all things. In the OT we see God being active in sending lying spirits and things like that.

The coming of the man of lawlessness is a judgement on man, on our rejection of God. 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 - the Man of Lawlessness

We now come to some explicit teaching on the return of Christ. The first thing is that He will return. We do not follow or worship a dead teacher, but the living Lord. Secondly we will be gathered to Him. We are going to spend eternity with Christ, this is the goal of our faith.

Next there will be false teachings. In fact it is a good rule of thumb to assume that any teaching on the second coming is nonsense until proven otherwise. So you had better check anything I say carefully! It is good to adopt a Berean approach. Note that there were people who sent letters claiming to be from Paul. So the notion that genuine church letters would just put "from Paul" to add some supposed credibility seems nonsensical.

Next we are told that the man of lawlessness will come and He will set himself up against all other " gods". He will also set himself up in place of God Himself in the temple. Now note that this teaching is remarkably consistent in the Bible, it is not weird! Daniel and Jesus (Matt 24:15) speak of the abomination of desolation. In Revelation we have the beast (Rev 13)'. And verse 5 makes it clear that this was standard apostolic teaching. 

2 Thessalonians 1:6-12 - Living under persecution

Now verse 6 does not tie in with an often wishy-washy  view of Christianity. God will judge those who attack His people. Now it is important to note that it is God who does the judging, not us. Vengeance belongs to the Lord not us (Rom 12:19). Verse 7 makes it clear that this will happen when the Lord returns. Verse 8 makes it equally clear that this will be a day of judgement upon all who do not believe. In fact note that it says those who do not obey the gospel of Christ. It is not a matter of choosing whether to believe or not. Rather it is a matter of whether or not we obey the command to obey the gospel.

Verse 9 days that they will suffer eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord. Now some will take this as support for the view of annihilationism, rather than eternal punishment. There are two things that can be said in response to this. First, it does not necessarily mean this. We don't know what eternal destruction means, and the second part of the verse seems to imply that it is ongoing. Secondly, whatever the case, any view that seeks to soften hell is profoundly unbiblical and is very dangerous. People need to realise the seriousness of the situation.

When He does return it will be to be glorified in the saints, and we will marvel at Him. On that day we will see that everything that the Bible says about Him is true. The outworking of this now is that His power may result in good works and faith now.

Sermon - A Covenant People

Sermon on being a Covenant People, click to listen.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 - Counted worthy

What does it mean to say that "God's judgement has been proved right"? This is extremely important and goes to the heart of what the gospel is all about. We too often think (and all too often live as if this were so) that the gospel is all about being forgiven. It isn't! Forgiveness is, of course, absolutely essential, but it is not the end, rather it is the means to the end. The end is that we become like Christ (1 John 3:2, Rom 8:29). In order to even start on the road we need to be forgiven for all our sins and sinfulness, but we also need to be transformed, to be sanctified. People accuse God of being unjust in "letting people off", as they see it. But the permanent and ongoing change in the Thessalonians is proof that God knows what He is doing.

Moreover, we will be counted worthy. Now this in no way means that we have earned the right "to go to heaven", but it does mean that it will be seen that it is the right place for us to be! The kingdom of God is where we belong. Why will this be so? For two reasons. One, the blood of Jesus has fully paid the price for our sins, on the cross He fully satisfied the righteous wrath of God. Secondly, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives we are being transformed into a Christlike people. This work will only be completed on the last day, but it has already started and is already taking effect in our lives.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 - Growing in the midst of trials

The initial greeting is the same as used in 1 Thessalonians. It is believed that the letter was written not that long after the first one, maybe about six months. 

Again like the first letter, and in common with many of Paul's letters, it starts with thanksgiving and prayer. It is just that they do give thanks for the Thessalonians, but that they ought to give thanks. And why should they give thanks? Because faith and love are growing among them. Faith and love are hallmarks of the gospel taking root in an individual and in a church. Moreover, this wasn't happening in an easy situation. Rather, they were facing trials and persecutions, but were persevering in the midst of them. So Paul and his helpers boasted about them. Now we need to understand the nature of this boasting. It would be of the form of saying what God was doing among them, how the power of the gospel was being demonstrated, and nothing could stop it.

When we go through trials we can still grow in faith and love. Indeed, these are the times when we can grow the most, when we can become most aware of the extent of God's love and His power for us. For whatever opposition there is, whether it be persecution or the circumstances of life, it is not strong enough to overcome the power of Christ. It is in these circumstances that we truly realise that we are the ones who overcome, through Christ, we are not the ones who are overcome.

2 Thessalonians - Introduction

A brief return to the New Testament. 2 Thessalonians is a fairly short book. It clearly states that it was written by Paul. However, there are those who doubt that he actually wrote it. Their grounds for doing so are extremely tenuous at best. For instance, there are about ten words in this letter which are not used elsewhere by Paul. In my opinion this just demonstrates how desperate some people are to avoid admitting the truth and having to submit to God's word. Then its style is said to be different. Some also say it gives a different view of the last days than 1 Thessalonians. According to this argument 1 Thessalonians is expecting the imminent return of Christ where as 2 Thessalonians goes against this idea. This too is nonsense. 1 Thessalonians does not say that Christ was bound to return soon. Moreover, we are always to be expecting the return of Christ, looking forward to it, but equally being prepared for the long haul. A further argument is that the "man of lawlessness" is not taught elsewhere. Well, first the fact that something is taught in only one place does not mean a great deal. More importantly, the ideas behind this seem consistent with Revelation. So in short we can be confident that this letter was written by the apostle Paul.

Why go on about these matters? Most of us most of the time just accept the Bible as the word of God and get on with seeking to understand it, to be strengthened by it, and to apply it to our lives. And this is what we should be doing, it is also what Biblical scholars should be doing most of the time. However, the world does attack the reliability of the Bible and it is useful for all of us to at least be aware that there are very good reasons for believing the Bible. We do not believe despite the facts, rather the facts actually support our faith.

There are two main themes. One is eschatology, ie the return of Christ and events surrounding that, and the other is practical day to day living, in particular warnings against laziness. It is interesting that these two themes occur together and teaches us a valuable lesson. Any sensible and Biblical teaching on the last days will lead to practical action today. Teaching on the last days which is purely speculative is more than likely wrong and is more than likely a complete waste of time.

Zechariah 14:12-21 - Pots and pans

The nations that fought against Jerusalem will be struck with a plague. The plague is uniquely unpleasant with their eyes and tongues rotting away. There are various ways we could imagine this sort of thing happening today. It could be radiation from a nuclear war, something like the ebola virus, or some chemical or biological warfare agent. However, speculating on the exact nature of it is not particularly helpful or important, it could even be something way beyond our imagination. The key thing is that all the nations will be defeated and the wealth of nations will be brought to Jerusalem. 

There will be survivors from the nations, and these survivors will worship the Lord. Indeed there will be punishment for the nations that do not worship the Lord.The Egyptians may be singled out because they did not depend directly on rainfall for their water, but on the flooding of the Nile. They are assured that they too will not escape the judgement.

We need to understand that the end of all people is to worship the Lord or die. He is not one god among many, but the only true God. He is the ultimate truth.

Everything will be devoted to the Lord, everything will be holy. The reference to their being no Canaanites is not a racist statement, rather it means that there will not be any impurity in the nation. At last she will be completely devoted to the Lord.

Zechariah 14:1-11 - Special day

We now come to the end of the book and it turns distinctly apocalyptic. 

Again things do not work out in the way you would expect, and the start seems decidedly inauspicious. All the nations will be gathered against Jerusalem and her possessions will be plundered within her very walls. Any expectation of a simple victory is not Biblical. Now when Rome sacked Jerusalem in AD66-70 some of this was fulfilled, but this was clearly not all the nations. Now this could be referring to a single event, or it could be a series of events, or  series culminating in a grand finale. We should not expect the present nation of Israel to have an easy ride, nor should we expect a simplistic victory. 

But after the apparent defeat the Lord will go and fight for Jerusalem. Verse 4 is the only explicit mention of the Mount of Olives, apart from 2 Sam 15:30. 

This will be a special time, for there will be no distinction between night and day. We need to understand that this world as it is will not last forever. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, things will be very different.

John was possibly alluding to verse 8 here in John 7:38. Rev 22:1,2 also refers to a stream of living water.

The Lord’s visible reign will extend over all the earth. Now John 7:38 refers to the Holy Spirit (see John 7:39), so the spread of the gospel over all the earth could be seen as at least a partial fulfilment of this. However, this does not preclude it also being a reference to the millennial kingdom. And Jerusalem will be exalted on that day. So we see again that it is very dangerous to write off the role of Israel in the future plans of God.

Zechariah 13 - Sin dealt with

2 Corinthians 7:10 speaks of a mourning that leads to repentance, and that is what we see here. A fountain will be opened up in Israel that cleanses the people from sin and impurity. Isaiah 12:3 speaks of a well of salvation. So there is a cleansing of the nation.

This will include the banishing of all idol worship. The prophets and the spirit of impurity are linked together. Now note that the prophets here refers to the false prophets, who seemed to constitute the majority! The prophets were meant to speak the word of God and keep people in line with God. Instead they prophesied what the people wanted to hear, and so the role as a means of self fulfilment, a way of making a living rather than of serving God. The people and the rulers liked the false prophets because they spoke nice things, but all that would change. I don’t think we need to take verse 3 as literally implying the parents would stab their children, but the use of hyperbole, stressing the change in attitude that would take place. People would detest false prophets. And instead of being a prophet being seen as a badge of honour, a prophet would do all he could to deny actually being a prophet. The wounds in verse 6 refer to self-inflicted wounds that prophets felt somehow added to their supposed authenticity.

Verse 7 is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 26:31 in reference to his disciples fleeing when He was captured and crucified. In the times of Assyria and Babylon the Lord had used them as a sword against His own people. Now the sword would be against His own shepherd, against His own Son. 

Massive destruction would happen. This did occur in AD66-70. Note that Revelation speaks of thirds. But out of this one third would be purified, refined, Then they would truly be His people and He would be their God. This is the refrain of the Old Testament, in Christ is is fulfilled.

Zechariah 12:6-14 - A spiritual change

In that day it will be Judah that sets light to everything. The events that transpire will all focus around Judah. Her enemies will be consumed but Jerusalem will be secure. When you look at the world it is amazing that Israel is such a focal point. There is no oil there, naturally speaking it doesn’t really matter that much. Yet Israel has such an impact on international relations, and is perhaps the most likely place that a third world war would start.

This day will be a day when it is clear that it is the Lord who is saving Israel. There will be unity in the nation, and Jerusalem will not be more highly honoured than the rest of Judah. The Lord will shield Jerusalem, but see what the effect of this is, it makes the people strong. When the Lord help us He also changes us. So even the weakest in Jerusalem will be like king David. Something much greater than the Davidic kingdom will arise. And all the nations that attack Jerusalem will be destroyed.

There will also be a spiritual change in the nation. There will be a spirit of grace and supplication. The people will look for grace, receive grace and give grace. And they will turn to the Lord for help. All this is the opposite of what happened in the days before the Babylonian conquest, and at the time of Jesus. At that time they will “mourn for the one they pierced”, they will finally realise who Jesus is and what they did to Him. There will be weeping and mourning throughout the land.

So in a day when victory has been won there would be great mourning. Why? Because they have finally realised their sinfulness, and have realised who Jesus is and what He has done for them.

Zechariah 12:1-5 - The Lord is their God

Chapter 12-14 form one complete oracle. The focus is the final siege of Jerusalem and the salvation of Israel. It is a very apocalyptic passage in places. There are also references to Christ as well. It states clearly in verse 1 that this concerns Israel, and the whole oracle just has to have some relevance for the nation of Israel. As I have said before, notions that Israel as a nation no longer has any place in God’s plans just seem to make a nonsense of so much of the Bible. It is only in Christ that Israel will find salvation, as this chapter makes clear, and in Christ Jews and Gentiles are united by their union with Christ, as Paul makes clear in Ephesians.

We are reminded, first of all, who God is. When we look at life, whether on the parochial level of our own day to day experiences, or on a national or international scale, we will never understand or see things properly unless we remember who God is. He is the one who created all things and keeps all things going. And He is is the one who forms the spirit of man within him, He is the one who gives life.

Jerusalem is going to be a cup that sends all the nations reeling. All the world will be affected by this. But note how it will happen, Jerusalem will be besieged. But she will be an immovable rock and all the nations will injure themselves on her. This gathering of the kings of the earth is referred to in Revelation as Armageddon. Nations will all gather against Israel but they will be defeated. Today we see that most nations on earth are opposed to Israel.

Why would they be defeated? Because the Lord would strike the attacking armies. The Lord would be watching over the people of Judah. Then Judah would recognise that the people of Jerusalem are strong because the Lord is their God. If only Israel had realised this long ago how much pain and suffering she would have avoided! In our own lives, we need to recognise that it is the Lord who makes us strong. 

Note also that all the nations fought against Jerusalem, yet failed and were defeated. We often wish that this thing or that thing would not happen to us, but our true hope and strength is in knowing the Lord. When He is for us it does not matter who or what is against us. Everything can be against us, but if the Lord is for us we cannot be defeated.

Zechariah 11 - Shepherds

There is disagreement on whether these verse belong with the preceding section, or are part of the rest of this chapter. 

Cedars were a key part of the building of the temple and palace, and cedars were representative of the wealth of Lebanon.

In verse 3 the word shepherds is used in the sense of representing the leaders (which is why it is seen as tying in with the rest of the chapter).

We now come to the main topic of the chapter, the shepherding of Israel. There are also clear prophecies of things that happened to Jesus. We often speak as if only a people were properly led then everything would be Ok. This chapter gives the lie to that notion.

The flock was marked for slaughter, and the flock is Israel. Now just because God knows or has fordained that something will happen does not mean that the events and the decisions made by the people are not real. 

Zechariah was to shepherd the flock. Their previous leaders did not care for them properly. Given that Ezra and Nehemiah were good leaders, I think we have to take this as looking back over the longer term of Israel’s history. God declares that a time would come when He would no longer have pity on the people. They would be handed over to their enemies without anyone to rescue them. A fulfilment of this can be seen in the Roman occupation, and the destruction of Jerusalem in AD66-70.

Now this might seem grossly unfair on the people. Not their fault that they had bad leaders, but God will first demonstrate that the people are guilty as well. That is why they are referred to as the “flock marked for slaughter”. So Zechariah had two staffs, one marked Favour and the other Union. The favour of God and unity are signs of successful leadership. Verse 8 seems to show that this was not merely a symbolic acting out by Zechariah, he actually did some leading and got rid of three bad leaders.

One might have thought that the people would be grateful for this, but instead they detested him. So Zechariah abandons the flock. “Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh”. This had happened in the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, I guess similar things happened in AD66-70. When Jesus came He did miracles, healed the sick, set the possessed free, showed mercy and love, taught righteously. What was the response of the people? Crucify Him! All of us are guilty.

So Zechariah broke his staff called Favour. The nation did not realise just how much they lived under the favour of God. Now they would realise the full consequences of their abandoning God. 

Verse 12 is clearly looking forward to Judas being paid thirty pieces of silver ot betray Jesus. Then afterwards it was given to the potter’s field.

Then Unity was broken, breaking the bond between Israel and Judah. Now this had of course happened many years before hand. So perhaps there is both a looking back and a looking forward in all this. 

So the good shepherd would be replaced by a bad shepherd. This shepherd would not care for the weak or seek the lost. Instead he would just exploit the people. This shepherd would suffer judgement.

Zechariah 10 - The Lord is our strength

The people are urged to ask the Lord for rain, and implicitly not to seek idols. All peoples face difficult times at various stages in life, and all will look somewhere for help. What matters is where we look. We should look only to the Lord, even though there will be many temptations to look elsewhere. Those who seek after idols will wander around like sheep without a shepherd. 

The leaders of Judah and Israel had been deceitful, seeking their own gain and not seeking the Lord. So the Lord was angry with them. He wanted to build up Judah, but this had not happened because of the corrupt leadership. So the Lord would care for them Himself. They will become powerful and effective because the Lord would be with them. This is yet to be fulfilled for Israel. We need to apply it to our own lives as well, and to see that the Lord’s plans for us are good. Moreover, where we are in positions of leadership we need to look to God, and to ensure that we work for the best interests of the people we lead.

So the Lord would strengthen Judah, restore them and have compassion on them. What do you expect God to do for your life? We need to know that the God we serve is one who will strengthen us, restore us and have compassion on us. No matter what we are going through just now, our God will have compassion on us.

Ephraim too, who was that troubled child, ever disobedient, would be included in the salvation. The people of Israel would be gathered from distant lands, for the Lord would call them.

“I will strengthen tme in the Lord, and in His name they will live securely”. Paul in several of his letters calls on us to be “strong in the Lord”. We are secure only when we bind ourselves to the Lord.

Zechariah 9:9-17 - King on a donkey

Zechariah is often quoted in the gospels and verse 9 is one of the most well known, quoted in Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15. Jesus was righteous and came with salvation. He was also humble. When you think about it is amazing how humble God is! Jesus is the true king, having the characteristics of a godly king. He is righteous, He brings salvation to His people, He is humble and gentle (Matt 11:28,29).

The Lord promises to take away the instruments of war from Jerusalem. There is a lesson here for modern day Israel. She will never everlasting peace through military means. It is only when she turns to the Lord, turns to Jesus, that true peace will come to Israel. One day this will happen, and that will be a truly wonderful day.

See that this peace extends to the nations. It is never just about saving Israel, but it is about saving Israel. 

There is a great promise of restoration. All of us have lost at least something in life, probably much. Israel had, and she had lost it because of her sin. Yet God would restore double. This is all grace.

Yet Israel would become a weapon in God’s hand.  Verse 13 was possibly fulfilled by the Maccabees. 

This is actually part of the previous section, despite the section heading in the NIV. Again Macabees records a partial fulfillment of verse 15. Apocalyptic language is used in verse 14, and Jesus teaching on the second coming (eg Matt 24) uses similar language.

Again in verse 16 we have the shepherd analogy. The Lord will save His people. They will sparkle in His hand. The people will be attractive and beautiful. Now remember the situation that Zechariah was actually prophesying into. It is true that this refers to later days, but we should remember the context. Jerusalem was a bedraggled city with a bedraggled people. The prophecy is saying this situation will not last forever. In our own lives there are times when things are tough and we may feel very battered, but the Lord’s destiny for us is is a rich salvation.

Zechariah 9:1-8 - Judgement upon enemies

Tyre and Sidon had built themselves a thriving economy. She had weathered many storms and attacks and considered herself secure, but her destruction would come. Historically it happened with Alexander the Great in 332 BC. Surrounding cities, Ashkelon, Gaza and Ekron, would see it and be afraid, knowing they were not safe either. 

Verse 7 is a reference to idolatrous sacrifices. The Philistines would be purified and the remnant would belong to the Lord. 

Verse 8 states that the Lord would protect Jerusalem. Now Alexander the Great did spare the temple, but in AD66-70 the places destroyed, so it is not clear exactly what we should make of the promise in the second part of verse 8.

Zechariah 8:9-23 - More blessings

God has just said that He will bring His people back to Jerusalem and will be their God, this after several other promises. Now comes a consequence of the people and an action for them. The promises of God are not for the passive, but they lead to action in our lives. Faith and belief are not passive but active. So the Lord instructs the people to be strong and build the temple. Verse 9 is a reference to the words of Haggai and Zechariah (see Ezra 5:1,2). The people had lived in fear and conflict, but a time of peace would now come.

We all go through times of discouragement, but they do not last forever. Times of famine would be replaced by times of fruitfulness. Israel and Judah had been a curse among the nations, now they would become a blessing. Our God is a transforming God.

The judgement that had come upon them was certain to have come and was utterly real. The people knew this. They had resisted God and had said that the words of His prophets, such as Jeremiah, would come to nothing. Events had proved them utterly wrong. The blessings would be just as sure to come as the curses had actually come. 

Again in v17 we see that there are consequences for the people. They are to speak right and act right. The ways of God have not changed. Likewise, the coming of Jesus has not changed the Law at all. Justice and mercy are the hallmarks of godliness. 

Verses 19 refers to the fasts held to commemorate the destruction of the temple, and so were sad times. These times of sadness would pass, there is healing for the past.  We all go through stuff, some of it of our own making, and it causes us great pain. God can heal this trauma.

Judah and Israel had been held in disdain, but a time would come when they were held in honour and people wanted to go there to inquire of the Lord.

Zechariah 8:1-8 - Blessings

This chapter consists of ten promises of blessing, each prefaced by the phrase “This is what the Lord says”. 

The first one states that God is a jealous God and is burning with jealousy for Zion. Remember that the Ten Commandments state that God is a jealous God. This has two consequences, one is that it is a most serious sin when we trust in something or someone else, or worship something or someone else. The other, and the one that is most pertinent here, is that God is passionate for His people.

Next (v3) God promises to return to Jerusalem. He will dwell there again and the city, instead of being a place of reproach, will be called the city of truth and the Holy Mountain. Now note that it implies that He has not yet done this, even though the Jews had returned to Jerusalem. The state of Judaism after the return is sometimes called “second temple Judaisim”, and there was a recognition that the promises had not yet been fulfilled, they were not yet really free. Of course, this is precisely what Jesus said when He declared that they were slaves to sin. 

Verse 4 speaks of a time when both young and old live happily in the city. When trouble and war come, these normalities of life quickly vanish and seem very precious. We should never despise the ordinary things of life.

Verse 6 poses a question. This state of affairs may seem marvellous to the people of the time, but will it seem marvellous to God? Why does He pose this question? We see things from the perspective of how something suits us, but how something suits God is actually much more important. Earlier visions had talked of God ranging through the earth and either His spirit finding peace, or His being angry because the nations were at peace.

Verse 7 states the constant refrain of the OT, “they will be my people and I will be their God”. He will also bring them from the east and west to make this happen. We need to understand that God acts in order to bring about His plans. The whole of the Bible shows that God acts. Jeremiah shows that God acts in judgement on sin, but He also acts to bring restoration. Yet so often we think and live as though God does not act.