Zechariah 7:8-14English Standard Version
8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.[a] 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. 13 “As I[b] called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.”
Thoughts
In the previous section the Lord had spoken to them about the emptiness of their fasting. Their service to Him had simply become outward ritual and their hearts were not given over to God. The way we know that our hearts belong to the Lord is that the way we live on a daily basis will align with His word and His leading. The law of God was to govern the lives of the people under the Old Testament and sadly many neglected it, rejected it, and sought to worship the false gods of other nations.
The word of the Lord comes to Zechariah. The role of the prophet is to be a mouth piece for God Almighty. To communicate what the Lord is saying to His people. Four things here that God confronts the people with. They are called to execute true justice. That word justice is the word Mishpat in the Hebrew. It means properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant’s) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant’s right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style. God is calling Israel to act and carry out judgements according to His law and His ways. The people rejected the prophets of old and for that they were removed from the land for a period of time.
The speaks to them of showing mercy and compassion to his brother. Mercy and compassion are a reflection of the character and nature of God. Israel was to be a light to the nations of the world and to live according to God’s ways. They were called to be set apart as a nation. But sadly, instead of mercy and compassion, often the people were ruled by hatred and discord for one another. It is only when a life is fully surrendered to God that the true nature and character of who He is will begin to be produced within the individual.
They were called to not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the alien, or the poor. All of these classes of individuals in society are vulnerable and are often not able to protect themselves. In a nation governed by the law of God these are called to be taken care of. But sadly, in the nation of Israel they were not protected and taken care of but instead were taken advantage of. It is amazing how different the experience of life is for a person when their life aligns with the purposes of God. If we desire the blessing of the Lord to be poured out on our lives and to experience the abundant life that Jesus speaks of then our lives must be lived in accordance with the word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
They are called not to plan evil in their heart. The heart is the decision-making center of the body. It is where the will of the individual is found. Yes we make decisions in our mind and things are contemplated there, but ultimately the course we decide to take is found in the inner workings of our heart. To plan evil in one’s heart will result in one carrying out evil. Paul states in Colossians 3:2 that we are to place our minds on things above and not on earthly things. The reason Israel struggled as a nation through its history and often faced defeat is because of their disobedience and rebellion against God. Everything they experienced in life as a nation was a result of their relationship with Almighty God. The same stands for us today who are in Christ.
Three things the Lord says that Israel did instead of following the word of the Lord: refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears. In every way Israel stubbornly as a nation rejected the word of God. They were unwilling to walk according to the word of the Lord. And for it the Lord removed them from the nation. Often people want to blame God for their problems. But if we are honest with ourselves and will take time to reflect, we will come to understand that we are indeed accountable for our own decisions and choices and there is no one to blame but ourselves.
In the New King James the Hebrew word shamiyr is translated flint. But it can also mean adamant stone and diamond. What has happened through the continually rejection of God and His ways and giving themselves over to sin is it hardened their hearts. When I speak of the hardening of the heart I am speaking of the mind, will, and the emotions of the individual being affected. Our submission to wickedness and sin makes it very difficult to respond to Almighty God. The more we give ourselves over to wickedness and sin, the much more difficult it will be to respond to God. There is a reason when God calls people to Him that He calls them to repentance. Because to continue in sin will ultimately lead to the destruction of our lives.
As a result of them refusing to hear the word of the Lord sent by the Holy Spirit to His prophets the wrath of Almighty God was poured out on the former generation. If we fail to know and learn from history, we will simply repeat it. God’s desire is for His people to walk in His ways so that He can bless them and increase them. But when the ways of God are rejected based upon the rejection of His word, the only thing that remains is discipline and if we continue far enough in wickedness, the wrath of God will be poured out.
The Lord made it very simple. Because the people refused to listen and heed His voice when He called out through the prophets of old, when the people cried out to Him, He refused to listen. God desires to pour out and demonstrate His mercy, but if we think that the mercy and grace of God is a license to continue in wickedness and sin, we are more deceived than we know. God is clear in His word about sin and how His people are to live. When the nation of Israel continued to reject the prophets and pursue sin, they stored up the wrath of God against themselves.
The Lord lays out the result of the past generations continual rejection of His truth. They were removed from the land and the land lay desolate. Everything that happened to Israel in their history was the result of their own decisions. When we choose to continue in sin and rebellion it will indeed destroy us. But God is always calling and drawing us to Himself. His desire is for us to walk in obedience to His ways. For in walking in obedience true blessing, peace, joy and love is found. But if we refused to heed His word and live according to His ways, as a loving father He will discipline us and the longer we rebel, the more intense and painful that discipline becomes.
The Father's Heart 