Wednesday, May 23, 2007
More Bible Studies On the Book Of Zechariah.
Zechariah 7 Traditions and Traditionalism 1st of 4 Messages
Occurs midway, 2 years, into the temple rebuilding programme.
The Law of Moses only commanded one fast day, on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29-34). In addition to this day, during the exile the Jewish people instituted four more feasts to remember key dates in the tragic defeat of their nation. Here are the additional feasts:
17day/4month Mourning the capture of Jerusalem Jer 52:6-30
9/5 Burning of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple 2Kings 25:2-10
3/7 Assassination of Gedaliah and the massacre of 80 men Jer 4:1-10
10/10 Beginning of Nebuchadnezzar's siege against Jerusalem 2Kings 25:1
How long should we remember and mourn over our past? Should we do things to remember either our sin or the tragedies of the past?
"There is no need to observe the sad anniversaries of our sins and their accompanying punishment, if once we are assured of God's free forgiveness. When He forgives and restores, the need for dwelling on the bitter past is over . . Too many of us are always dwelling beside the graves of the dead past." (Meyer)
Hypocrisy in fasting is rebuked. (4-7) God's word through Zechariah rebuked the people of God for what their fasting had become - indulgent pity-parties instead of a time to genuinely seek God. Their lives were not right when they did eat and drink - that they did for themselves, not for the LORD. A few days of fasting every year could not make up for the rest of the year lived for yourselves. Zechariah wasn’t condemning traditional faster, just the notion that spirituality could be turned on and off at will.
(8-10) The conduct God desires.
(11-12) The rebellious reaction of God's people.
(13-14) God's judgment on their disobedience. Shrugging shoulder
Name some good traditions we have nationally.
Name some good traditions we have in church.
What is the danger in tradition?
Matthew 15:1-14
Form is not a problem formalism is.
Zechariah 8 The Promise of Covenant Blessings in The Millenium
Chapter 8 not only contains two major messages from the Lord (vv. 1-17, 18-23) but 10 minor messages, that make up the two major ones." Thus says the Lord" introduces each of these minor messages each of which contains a promise of future blessing for Israel. In ch. 7 Israel was to repent and live righteously after the punishment of her captivity; here in ch. 8 she is to repent and live righteously because of the promise of her future restoration. Of a total of 36 occurrences of 'YHWH of hosts' in Zechariah, 15 are in this one oracle, which shows us its impossibility without the direct intervention of the Lord.
1. What does the jealous nature of God (Ex. 20:5) mean for us today, negatively and positively?
2. One day Jerusalem would be called the City of Truth and Mount Zion the Holy Mount. Discuss the significance of this. Isaiah 2:1-5, Micah 4:1-7, Zech 14:16,21.
3. In the millennial kingdom there will be peace (Isa. 65:20-25). How should we regard world peace today?
4. Sovereignly the Lord promised to deliver His people from the distant places
in the world where He had scattered them and to bring them back to live in
Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 11:11-12; Jer. 30:7-11; 31:7-8). Some organizations exist today to bring this about. To what extent should this be important for us today?
5. 'They will be my people, and I will be . . . their God' is covenant terminology, pertaining to intimate fellowship in a covenant relationship. How is this important for you today (Gen 17:7-8; Exod 6:7; 19:5-6; 2 Cor 6:16; Rev 21:3) ?
6. God has purposes in our afflictions and in our blessings (Zech 8:10-12). What are they?
One theological rationale for ethics, then, is awareness that God hates attitudes and actions contrary to his character. We are to love what God loves and hate what he hates.
Zechariah 9 The Coming Of The King
A. The Preparation For The King. Zech 9:8 I will set up camp at My house against an army, against those who march back and forth, and no oppressor will march against them again, for now I have seen with My own eyes.
Alexander the Great is predicted here. He destroyed Tyre Ezek 26:2 "Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, 'Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, {now that} she is laid waste,'3 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 'They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock. Ezek 26:7 For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry and a great army.
1. But he didn’t destroy Jerusalem. What does this tell us about Prophecy?
God’s purposes? 1Peter 1:20 Ephesians 1:11 Romans 8:28
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
2. Why was Alexander the Great’s conquest necessary to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ?
B. The Presentation of the King. Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Matt. 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-38.
In the ancient Near East rulers commonly rode donkeys if they came in peace (Judg. 5:10; 10:4; 12:14; 2Sam. 16:2; 1 Kings 1:32And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.
But they rode horses into war.
3. How would the coming of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem in 33 AD be unlike the coming of Alexander the Great?
C. The Peace Of The King Zech 9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. 11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. 12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;
4. How will this eventuate at the Second Coming?
5. How will this eventuate practically for Israel at the Second Coming? (Zechariah 14)
6. Several passages speak of the Lord as being a refuge for His people. How do we find this working out in our own lives? Ps. 18:2; 31:3; 71:3; 91:2; 144:2; Jer. 16:19; Nah. 1:7
Occurs midway, 2 years, into the temple rebuilding programme.
The Law of Moses only commanded one fast day, on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29-34). In addition to this day, during the exile the Jewish people instituted four more feasts to remember key dates in the tragic defeat of their nation. Here are the additional feasts:
17day/4month Mourning the capture of Jerusalem Jer 52:6-30
9/5 Burning of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple 2Kings 25:2-10
3/7 Assassination of Gedaliah and the massacre of 80 men Jer 4:1-10
10/10 Beginning of Nebuchadnezzar's siege against Jerusalem 2Kings 25:1
How long should we remember and mourn over our past? Should we do things to remember either our sin or the tragedies of the past?
"There is no need to observe the sad anniversaries of our sins and their accompanying punishment, if once we are assured of God's free forgiveness. When He forgives and restores, the need for dwelling on the bitter past is over . . Too many of us are always dwelling beside the graves of the dead past." (Meyer)
Hypocrisy in fasting is rebuked. (4-7) God's word through Zechariah rebuked the people of God for what their fasting had become - indulgent pity-parties instead of a time to genuinely seek God. Their lives were not right when they did eat and drink - that they did for themselves, not for the LORD. A few days of fasting every year could not make up for the rest of the year lived for yourselves. Zechariah wasn’t condemning traditional faster, just the notion that spirituality could be turned on and off at will.
(8-10) The conduct God desires.
(11-12) The rebellious reaction of God's people.
(13-14) God's judgment on their disobedience. Shrugging shoulder
Name some good traditions we have nationally.
Name some good traditions we have in church.
What is the danger in tradition?
Matthew 15:1-14
Form is not a problem formalism is.
Zechariah 8 The Promise of Covenant Blessings in The Millenium
Chapter 8 not only contains two major messages from the Lord (vv. 1-17, 18-23) but 10 minor messages, that make up the two major ones." Thus says the Lord" introduces each of these minor messages each of which contains a promise of future blessing for Israel. In ch. 7 Israel was to repent and live righteously after the punishment of her captivity; here in ch. 8 she is to repent and live righteously because of the promise of her future restoration. Of a total of 36 occurrences of 'YHWH of hosts' in Zechariah, 15 are in this one oracle, which shows us its impossibility without the direct intervention of the Lord.
1. What does the jealous nature of God (Ex. 20:5) mean for us today, negatively and positively?
2. One day Jerusalem would be called the City of Truth and Mount Zion the Holy Mount. Discuss the significance of this. Isaiah 2:1-5, Micah 4:1-7, Zech 14:16,21.
3. In the millennial kingdom there will be peace (Isa. 65:20-25). How should we regard world peace today?
4. Sovereignly the Lord promised to deliver His people from the distant places
in the world where He had scattered them and to bring them back to live in
Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 11:11-12; Jer. 30:7-11; 31:7-8). Some organizations exist today to bring this about. To what extent should this be important for us today?
5. 'They will be my people, and I will be . . . their God' is covenant terminology, pertaining to intimate fellowship in a covenant relationship. How is this important for you today (Gen 17:7-8; Exod 6:7; 19:5-6; 2 Cor 6:16; Rev 21:3) ?
6. God has purposes in our afflictions and in our blessings (Zech 8:10-12). What are they?
One theological rationale for ethics, then, is awareness that God hates attitudes and actions contrary to his character. We are to love what God loves and hate what he hates.
Zechariah 9 The Coming Of The King
A. The Preparation For The King. Zech 9:8 I will set up camp at My house against an army, against those who march back and forth, and no oppressor will march against them again, for now I have seen with My own eyes.
Alexander the Great is predicted here. He destroyed Tyre Ezek 26:2 "Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, 'Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, {now that} she is laid waste,'3 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 'They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock. Ezek 26:7 For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry and a great army.
1. But he didn’t destroy Jerusalem. What does this tell us about Prophecy?
God’s purposes? 1Peter 1:20 Ephesians 1:11 Romans 8:28
Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
2. Why was Alexander the Great’s conquest necessary to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ?
B. The Presentation of the King. Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Matt. 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-38.
In the ancient Near East rulers commonly rode donkeys if they came in peace (Judg. 5:10; 10:4; 12:14; 2Sam. 16:2; 1 Kings 1:32And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.
But they rode horses into war.
3. How would the coming of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem in 33 AD be unlike the coming of Alexander the Great?
C. The Peace Of The King Zech 9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. 11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. 12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;
4. How will this eventuate at the Second Coming?
5. How will this eventuate practically for Israel at the Second Coming? (Zechariah 14)
6. Several passages speak of the Lord as being a refuge for His people. How do we find this working out in our own lives? Ps. 18:2; 31:3; 71:3; 91:2; 144:2; Jer. 16:19; Nah. 1:7
# posted by Groseys messages @ 4:45 PM 
