Return from Exile: Zechariah 1-3 (7)

Pray Psalm 67.1-3.
God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us,
Selah
That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.

Sing Psalm 67.1, 2.
(Solid Rock: My Hope Is Build on Nothing Less)
O bless us, Savior, by Your grace, and shine upon us with Your face,
that we Your way may loud proclaim and tell to all the earth Your fame!
Refrain v. 3 (5)
Let all the peoples praise You, Lord, rejoicing in Your holy Word!
Rejoicing in Your holy Word!

Read Zechariah 1-3; meditate on Zech. 2.6-11.

Preparation
1. From what did God command His people to flee and escape?

2. Why? What did He have in mind for them?

Meditation
The prophecies of Zechariah built on the preaching of Haggai to turn the minds of God’s people toward the fuller realization of His Presence and promises in days to come. We recall that the people were discouraged by the paltry footprint of the temple foundation they had built. They were not much motivated to keep building, and many of them were becoming discouraged and distracted.

God sent Zechariah to point the people beyond their captivity in Babylon and their continuing captivity to fleshly desires and lost dreams of greatness. God, Zechariah assured them, is sovereign. He is continuously patrolling the earth to bring rest to His people (1.7-11). He will have mercy on His people and will deliver them from all their enemies (1.12-20). He will dwell in the midst of His people, and He will grow and protect them, and be a wall of fire against all their foes (2.1-13). And He will bring His Priest/King to rule and judge the people for salvation and peace (3.1-10).

For now, the people must shake off their captivity. They fled the north country and escaped from Babylon, but they had not set aside their captivity to self and stuff. Until that happened, they would not know true freedom. Only after Jesus, the Branch, came to “proclaim liberty to the captives” (Lk. 4.18) would His people at last know the truth that sets them free (Jn. 8.32).

Zechariah’s word to the people of Judah and Jerusalem is God’s Word to us: Flee captivity! Look to the promises of God and the work of His Kingdom and stop allowing your self-interested ways to keep you from knowing God’s great salvation (Heb. 2.1-3). Look up and look ahead. See Jesus, exalted in glory and returning in judgment; and then build His City for the salvation of the lost and the glory of His Name.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
For us to build His City for the salvation of the lost and the glory of His Name, we must go through the same steps that the children of Israel were commanded to do. As Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17.21). It starts inside us and moves outward to others. Otherwise, we say more than we can do, and end up being hypocrites. Captive to sin. So, gladly we will do what God said:
“Up, up! Flee…” (Zech. 2.6).
“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (1 Cor. 6.18).
“But you, O man of God, flee these things [the love of money, greediness] and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6.10, 11).
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jms. 4.7).
Flee from captivity to all sin. Repent, turn away from it, to wholeheartedly serve the Lord.

“Up…! Escape…” (Zech. 2.7).
“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Lk. 21.36).
“…God is faithful…who will…make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10.13).
But beware, the writer of Hebrews tells us: “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…?” (Heb. 2.2, 3). Escape from captivity is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Sing and rejoice…!” (Zech. 2.10).
“Now when they [God’s people] began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against [their enemies] …and they were defeated” (2 Chron. 20.22).
“Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD He is God…” (Ps. 100.2, 3). There is power in singing and praising.

“I am coming and I will dwell in your midst…” (Zech. 2.10).
“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mk. 13.26).
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Rev. 3.11).
“I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Cor. 6.16).
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev. 21.3). How very amazing that He would design and deign to do this.

“Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you” (Zech. 2.11).
“I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Ex. 6.7). Out of captivity to sin.
“…for they shall all know Me…For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jer. 31.34).
“…that you may be able to comprehend…to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3.18, 19).
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 Jn. 2.3).

Flee captivity to sin. Escape temptation. Sing and rejoice. He has come to dwell in, with, and through us; and is coming again to take us to Himself. Know that He is your Savior. Serving and obeying Him affirms and confirms this truth in our hearts—that we are captive to Him alone.

For reflection
1. How would you know if you were becoming captive to anything other than Christ?

2. How can you draw on the indwelling Presence of the Lord throughout the day?

3. Whom will you encourage in their walk with and work for the Lord today?

When Zion is enlarged to make room for all God’s Israel, it is the greatest madness for any of them to stay in Babylon. The captivity of a sinful state is by no means to be continued in, though a man may be easy in worldly matters. Escape for thy life, look not behind thee. Christ has proclaimed that deliverance to the captives, which he has himself wrought out, and it concerns every one to resolve that sin shall not have dominion over him. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Zechariah 2.6-10

Pray Psalm 67.4-6.
Thank God for His promise that the nations would come to know and trust Him. Rejoice in His Word and praise Him. Count the blessings He has provided for you, then call on Him to bless your work in your Personal Mission Field today.

Sing Psalm 67.4-6.
(Solid Rock: My Hope Is Build on Nothing Less)
Let all the nations gladly sing and joyous praise before You bring;
You judge them by Your holy worth and guide the nations of the earth.
Refrain v. 3 (5)
Let all the peoples praise You, Lord, rejoicing in Your holy Word!
Rejoicing in Your holy Word!

The earth in full its bounty yields—the blessed harvest of the fields.
We gather blessings from Your Word that all the earth may fear You, Lord.
Refrain v. 3 (5)

T. M. and Susie Moore 

Two books can help us understand our own captivity and lead us to seek revival and renewal in the Lord. The Church Captive asks us to consider the ways the Church today has become captive to the world. And Revived! can help us find the way to renewal. Learn more and order your free copies by clicking here and here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available free by clicking here.