September 11 / Zechariah 1-6

Zechariah 1-6

A contemporary of Haggai, Zechariah starts prophesying just a couple of month’s into Haggai’s recorded ministry. Like Haggai, Zechariah encourages Joshua and Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple, but the form of Zechariah’s prophecy is radically different from Haggai’s — and much more Messianic.

Zechariah’s opening statement is straightforward enough, sounding much like other prophets. The LORD says, “Return to Me, and I will return to you.” (Zech. 1:3) He warns the people not to follow in the footsteps of their forebears but instead to learn the lesson of the Exile and recognize that God means what He says. The people may or may not like that message, but they (and we) should not have much difficulty understanding it.

Then Zechariah changes gears and tells us of eight separate visions that might not seem so straightforward. These visions are worthy of much greater consideration and discussion than we can possibly handle here, with rich symbolism and detail that we simply do not have the space to explore. Even so, we should at least note some highlights.

First, God is clearly not finished with Jerusalem, Judah, and Israel. He is zealous for Jerusalem. He wants His Temple built and will see that it is. He will deal with all the nations that have oppressed and plundered His people. He promises to bless the land. He promises to remove their iniquity. And He promises that they will dwell in security with Him in their midst. (Some of that speaks directly to the immediate locale and time frame, and some looks forward to a future age…)

Zechariah’s visions draw attention to both Joshua (the high priest) and Zerubbabel (the governor/crown prince). Both men are encouraged in their respective roles for their own time, but what is said of them points well beyond them to Someone greater. We learn that this Someone is the LORD’s “Servant, the Branch” (Zech. 3:8), Who will be both Priest and King and Who will accomplish building the LORD’s true Temple:

…Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the Man whose name is the Branch: for He shall branch out from His place, and He shall build the temple of the LORD. It is He Who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on His throne. And there shall be a Priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

Zechariah 6:12-13

(For other uses of the word “Branch” that have long been interpreted as Messianic, see Isaiah 4:2; 11:1 and Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15. Similarly, recall Isaiah’s “Servant Songs”.)

So despite the challenge of interpreting these visions, let’s not miss the clear message of hope — a hope that is rooted firmly in the LORD and in His Servant, the Branch. The LORD is with His people. The LORD is in control. The LORD is accomplishing His purposes. And He calls His people to follow.

September 10 / Ezra 3:1-4:5; 4:24-5:1; Haggai

Ezra 3:1-4:5; 4:24-5:1; Haggai 1-2

Today Ezra introduces us to two significant characters:

  • Jeshua the son of Jozadak (aka Joshua the son of Jehozadak)
    • The high priest
    • A descendant of Aaron, in the line of Zadok (I Ch. 6:1-15)
  • Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel
    • The governor
    • Grandson of Coniah/Jeconiah/Jehoiachin (I Ch. 3:16-19), the king of Judah who reigned for only 3 months before surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar
    • If Judah were again an independent state, not subject to the Persians, Zerubbabel would be king

These two men, together with other leaders, get the returning exiles off to a positive start with a focus on reestablishing worship of the LORD. The first order of business is to rebuild the Altar so that they can offer the appointed sacrifices. The next step is to rebuild the Temple, and they successfully lay the foundation.

But then they encounter a snag: the surrounding peoples offer to help, saying that they’ve been sacrificing to Judah’s God all along. (Ezra 4:1-2) Sounds good, right? Well, maybe not. These people, uprooted from their own homes and planted in this region by the Assyrians, may well think that they’ve been sacrificing to the local god, but their worship is not authentic, proper worship of the LORD. The best they can claim is that they learned of the LORD from Israel (the Northern Kingdom, Samaria), but Israel was always out of whack, worshipping golden calves (that they called “the LORD”) in Bethel and Dan and otherwise following the Baals and other false gods. The last thing Judah needs now is to get caught in the same snares that got them exiled in the first place. Zerubbabel and Jeshua/Joshua and the rest of the leadership rightly refuse this “assistance”, but that results in a strong resistance campaign from the outsiders, and work grinds to a halt. (Ezra 4:3-5)

In fact, the work languishes for about 18 years, with the people apparently becoming somewhat complacent, no longer actively pursuing rebuilding the Temple. So the LORD sends Haggai and Zechariah to get things moving again. Today we hear from Haggai, whose preaching runs from August to December, 520 BC. And what is Haggai’s message? “Get on with it! Build the Temple already!” (Well, that’s my paraphrase anyway.)

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.

Haggai 2:4-5

The LORD specifically exhorts Zerubbabel and Joshua, but also encourages all the people, to be strong, to work, and to not be afraid. Why? Because the LORD is with them. All the outside pressure, all the political resistance, all the naysayers are irrelevant.

So how about us? How well do we keep our eyes on God? Are we obedient to the work He calls us to do? Or do we succumb to public opinion or political pressure? Have we grown complacent in our own personal lives? If God has a task for you to do, are you willing to put forth the effort to get moving on it? And in that undertaking, are you mindful of His presence?

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

One more thing…

We should note that Haggai 2:6 is cited in Hebrews 12:26. Although I don’t want to delve into the Letter to the Hebrews just yet, we should at least recognize that — despite my simplistic paraphrase — the LORD’s message through Haggai goes much further than the immediate exhortation to rebuild the Temple. Similarly, we should see that the LORD’s words to Zerubbabel in Haggai 2:21-23 point well past Zerubbabel himself and on to his ultimate Descendant: Jesus Christ.

September 9 / Ezra 1-2

Ezra 1-2

Today we jump into the book of Ezra, which picks up exactly where II Chronicles left off. In fact, most of Ezra 1:1-3 is an almost verbatim repeat of II Chronicles 36:22-23. But since we took a very unchronological “detour” through Job, perhaps it would be useful to take a quick look back over the terrain we’ve covered to help get us back on track with the main historical narrative. Hopefully, the following table serves that purpose, along with giving us a hint of where we’re headed next.

PeriodCharactersOT Books (minus Psalms and Wisdom Literature)
Prehistory
(?-~2100 BC)
Creation
The Flood
Tower of Babel		Adam and Eve
Noah		Genesis
Patriarchs
(~2100-1800 BC)		Abraham (& Lot => Ammon & Moab)
Isaac (& Ishmael)
Jacob/Israel (& Esau/Edom)
Jacob’s progeny
(i.e., the 12 tribes)		Genesis
Slavery in Egypt
(~1800-1446 BC)
Exodus
(~1446 BC)
Wilderness
(~1446-1406 BC)		Moses
Aaron
Miriam		Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Conquest
(~1406-1350 BC)		Joshua (& Caleb)Joshua
Judges
(~1350-1050 BC)		Ehud, Deborah, Barak, Samson, Gideon, Jephthah, etc.
Samuel		Judges
Ruth
I Samuel
United Kingdom
(1050-931 BC)		Saul
David
Solomon		I & II Samuel
I Kings
I & II Chronicles
Divided Kingdom
(931-721 BC for Northern and Southern)
(721-586 BC for Southern only)		Kings of Israel (northern)
Kings of Judah (southern)
Elijah
Elisha		I & II Kings
II Chronicles
Jonah
Amos
Hosea
Micah
Isaiah
Habakkuk
Nahum
Zephaniah
Joel?
Jeremiah
Exile
586-538 BC		Jeremiah
Daniel
Ezekiel  		Jeremiah
Lamentations
Obadiah
Ezekiel
Daniel
Post Exile
538-430 BC		Ezra
Nehemiah
Joshua
Zerubbabel		Ezra
Haggai
Zechariah
Nehemiah
Esther
Joel?
Malachi
Old Testament Historical Overview

We’ve seen the LORD working with His people, the people of Israel, over the course of centuries. With Moses at their head, the LORD delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and then with Joshua brought them into the Promised Land, calling them to holiness, to be a people “set apart” for Him. At times, under occasional faithful leadership, Israel would go the right direction, but Israel’s heart was always divided. Even at her best Israel could never quite devote herself entirely to the LORD but instead persistently chose to be like the surrounding nations. With a nominal nod to the LORD, Israel adopted the practices of the other nations along with their gods, falling victim to syncretism and then all-out idolatry. The LORD dealt patiently with the people for generations, sending prophets to warn them of their need to return to the LORD, but the people would not listen. So the LORD sent all of Israel into exile, first using the Assyrian Empire against the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and then using the Babylonian Empire against the Southern Kingdom (Judah).

Recall that the result of the Babylonian conquest was utter devastation. Jerusalem was destroyed and Solomon’s Temple burned to the ground. Those with any skill were carried off into exile to the land of Babylon. Those left behind fled to Egypt. It has been about 50 years since the Fall of Jerusalem, 70 years since the first deportation to Babylon. Neighboring peoples have moved into Judea, probably including some Samaritans — partly Israeli, partly anybody’s guess.

Now the time has come for that exile to end. It is time for a “second Exodus” and a new beginning. And that brings us to Ezra, which opens into that final period of Old Testament history, “Post Exile”. What effect has the exile had? Have the people changed? Are they ready to pursue holiness? Are they ready now to walk with the LORD?

One more thing…

If you are anything like me, it’s easy to lose track of specific dates, especially for ancient history where the dates are disputed anyway and where there is absolutely no difference in my mental picture of 1406 BC and 1613 BC. When we’re talking about things that are already 2000+ years old, rounding years to the nearest 500 generally seems “good enough” to me. So to keep things simple in my own head, I think of the Old Testament timeline like this:

2000 BCAbraham and the Patriarchs
1500 BCMoses and the Exodus
1000 BCThe United Kingdom (Saul, David, and Solomon)
500 BCReturn from Babylonian Exile
0 BC/ADBirth of Christ
(I know. There is no year 0, but we’re using round numbers!)
(Very) Simplified Old Testament Timeline

I hope that helps.