ZECHARIAH | THE LORD REMEMBERS

Being that we just went through what was going on in our previous study, we wont rehash all of the information, but rather I would like to focus on a few key points in Zechariah’s message.

If you are looking for a breakdown of the book:

1:1-6 | A call to repentance

1:7-6:15 | Eight visions of Zechariah

7:1-8:23 | Four messages from Zechariah

9:1-14:21 | Two burdens of Zechariah

The first and second coming of Christ.

EXPLANATION: In the midst of their failure to get back to work on the rebuilding of the temple that represented the presence of God being restored in their lives, God had a message He delivered through his prophet and high priest, Zechariah.

Zechariah 1:2 KJV 1900

2 The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

ILLUSTRATION: Have you ever noticed when your spouse isn’t happy?

Sometimes they just get quiet.

You ask them what’s wrong and they respond with “I’m FINE”

EXPLANATION: God didn’t give them the silent treatment He just came out and told them, I’m not happy with your fathers!

We find out what their problem was in v.4

Zechariah 1:4 KJV 1900

4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: But they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

The word “Turn” we find them it has the sense of “repent”

Repent of your evil ways, repent of your evil doings!

The prophets had preached and proclaimed the message of the Lord to them, and their response is found at the end of the verse...

They didn’t listen or respond to the Lord!

APPLICATION: I wonder how often that could be said in your life?

The Lord speaks through His Word, through a message from His Word

He convicts your heart

He tells you to turn from your sin

He tells you to surrender to him

But you don’t hear or hearken unto the Lord!

Can I tell you, it displeases God!

You cannot tell God “no” and be right with Him!

For some, you may have discovered that you are receiving the “silent treatment” from God.

You haven’t heard the voice of God in your heart in a long time

You haven’t responded to His conviction

And it isn’t because you asked Him and He said everything is “Fine”

But often times it’s because when He speaks to you about things not being right, you’ve responded back “I’m fine”

Friend don’t settle for a cold distant relationship with the One Who gave His life for you!

There may be someone here this morning and God has spoken to your heart about the reality that you’ve never began a relationship with God.

There has never been a time in your life that you realized that you are a sinner and you need your sins forgiven.

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You have to pay for your sins!

There may be someone here today that is saying, “I’m fine”

“I’ve got this”

“It’ll all work out in the end.”

There are some things you can leave up to chance and hope they work out, but your eternity is not one of those things!

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 KJV 1900

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John 5:11–13 KJV 1900

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 14:6 KJV 1900

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Romans 10:9–10 KJV 1900

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Friend, don’t just settle for “I’m fine” this morning!

Get is settled and nailed down, and know for sure that you are going to spend eternity in heaven!

EXPLANATION: God then goes on to ask a rhetorical question in v.5

Zechariah 1:5 KJV 1900

5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever?

By this point those who had heard the Word of God and those who had preached the Word of God had both passed on into eternity.

The consequences of their decisions still remained, but they themselves were no longer alive.

Their passions for the building of their own wealth and possessions had passed away

Their status and names were now forgotten.

There was probably a Jedadiah

There was probably a Hezekiah named after the king of old

There were probably a few Davids

But in in just a short time, their names were forgotten… along with any notoriety they fought to gain.

ILLUSTRATION: You want to know how I know?

Do you know the name of your great great great grandparent?

Unless it was someone that did something of real significance, most don’t know their own family’s name, let alone anyone else remember them!

EXPLANATION: But there was something that remained… Look at v.6

Zechariah 1:6 KJV 1900

6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, Did they not take hold of your fathers? And they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, According to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

There was One thing that lasted and proved to be true… God’s Words!

APPLICATION: God’s Word stands true and God’s Word remains!

Isaiah 55:10–11 KJV 1900

10 For as the rain cometh down, And the snow from heaven, And returneth not thither, But watereth the earth, And maketh it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Psalm 119:89 KJV 1900

89 LAMED. For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.

Psalm 119:152 KJV 1900

152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old That thou hast founded them for ever.

Psalm 119:160 KJV 1900

160 Thy word is true from the beginning: And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

One day at the Great White throne judgment, when all those who rejected the Word of God on this earth stand before the Lord, they will be judged.

Do you want to know where they will be judged from?

Revelation 20:11–12 KJV 1900

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Those Israelites Zechariah was writing to found that men will come and go

The philosophies and teachings of men will come and go

The traditions of man will pass away

The nations of this earth will fade into oblivion

But there is One thing that will stand through time… The Word of God!

Hebrews 4:12 KJV 1900

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV 1900

13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

2 Timothy 3:16 KJV 1900

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

This book tells you what is right, it tells you what is wrong, it tells you how to make what is wrong right, and it tells you how to keep right!

Through the centuries it has been attacked, opposed, and degraded.

Men have tried to destroy it and discredit it.

But as we stand here today, most of their names have been forgotten, but there is one Book that remains!

What can we learn from these few short verses in this book from Zechariah?

V.6b, GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD

Zechariah 1:6 KJV 1900

EXPLANATION: God told them back when He mad His covenant with Israel, if you stay faithful, you will be blessed.

If you turn from God and serve other gods, you will be judged.

In love, God would allow them to go through difficult situations in their lives to try to get their attention.

The children of Israel found, God does what He says.

APPLICATION: Friend, you can be certain, God always does what He says.

If this Book says it, God is going to do it!

Psalm 138:2 KJV 1900

2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, And praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

God is faithful to judge sin.

Romans 1:21–32 KJV 1900

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

I love Psalm 33:12

Psalm 33:12 KJV 1900

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; And the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

But when a nation turns it’s back on God, God promises He will give them up!

You see the judgment of God is not the storms, or the hurricanes, or the waves.

God says His judgment is if you want your sin, He wont just let you have some of it… He’ll give you over to it!

He is faithful to His Word in judgment

He’s faithful to His Word in comfort.

Hebrews 13:5 KJV 1900

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Isaiah 43:2 KJV 1900

2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isaiah 26:3–4 KJV 1900

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: For in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

Our God is a God of comfort, and you can mark it down, no matter what you are facing, He is right there with you!

In fact one of the overwhelming themes of the book of Zechariah is that God made and will keep His covenants.

The very name of Zechariah means, “The Lord remembers”

Friend, whatever you are facing today, can I remind you, the Lord hasn’t forgotten you.

He knows what you are going through

He understands the emotions you are feeling

Hebrews 4:15 KJV 1900

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

God understands what you are going through and He is there for you!

Psalm 3:1–5 KJV 1900

1 Lord, How are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. 3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, And he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. 5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.

God is faithful… and when His Word says He will comfort, He will not forsake His Word!

As we wrap up, we can see that God is faithful to His Word

V.4, HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

Zechariah 1:4 KJV 1900

EXPLANATION: Zechariah warns… don’t be like your fathers!

Learn from their mistakes!

What was their mistake?

They didn’t respond to the Word of God.

CONCLUSION

APPLICATION: Friend, do you love THIS Book?

Do you believe that it is true?

Then why don’t you respond to it?

If you don’t know Christ as your Savior, and you think you are going to figure it out on your own… I don’t believe you really love this Book.

If you don’t spend time reading God’s Word, I don’t believe you truly love and believe this Book

If you don’t respond in surrender to the teachings of this book, I don’t think you truly believe this Book!

ILLUSTRATION: I don’t often share other people’s illustrations but there was one I heard this past week that I feel would be helpful to share.

Dr. David Gibbs shared the story of a time that he was in China and was visiting an underground Baptist church.

He shared that if he had been caught the punishment would have been to be sent back to the US and banned from China.

But for the people in China it was much different.

There was a young lady, just a teenager, that came to him before the service.

She was scheduled to sing a special that morning, but she had an unusual request.

She asked if she could sing the song two times.

Dr. Gibbs said that would be fine and the service began.

As he sat next to the pastor on the platform, the pastor asked Dr. Gibbs if he heard the story of that little girl.

Her dad had been taken by the Chinese government and tortured to give up the location of that church, and when he refused he was killed.

Shortly after, her mom was taken away and tortured to give up the church’s location.

When they couldn’t get the answer out of her she was flayed alive and killed.

The pastor looked at Dr. Gibbs and told him, Now she is pretty sure they are on her next.

In fact, she’s pretty sure this will probably be the last church service she ever goes to.

And so tonight she wanted to sing twice to her Jesus.

The song that she sang… “I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, down in my heart.”

You see, that young lady knew that this Book was real… it wasn’t just a story.

And she was willing to give her life for it.

APPLICATION: Friend, I’m not asking if you will die for this book today.

I’m asking, will you live for it?

It’s real… It’s powerful… It’s life changing!

But you have to respond to it!

Don’t make the mistake of those fathers… Respond to God’s Word today!

Zechariah: The Lord Remembers… and you can mark it down, He hasn’t forgotten you.