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A Call to Return to the Lord
1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, “The LORD was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’”
A Vision of a Horseman
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’ And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’ Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’ And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’”
A Vision of Horns and Craftsmen
And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. And I said, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
(ESV)
Zechariah 1 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
According to many scholars, Zechariah is the most messianic, apocalyptic, and end times descriptive book of the Old Testament. That’s a big statement considering many have probably never read it. Haggai led the charge to rebuild the temple and Zechariah picked up that torch. Haggai was stronger in his rebuke of the people’s laziness while Zechariah challenged with encouragement. Sprinkled into his writings we will find many references to Christ and the future kingdom.
“The name Zechariah means “Yahweh Remembers.” This powerful phrase communicates a message of hope: the God of Israel will mercifully remember His people. The prophet is identified as “the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.” Iddo was among the heads of the priestly families that returned from Babylon to Judah. Zechariah, then, was a member of the tribe of Levi and probably served as both a priest and a prophet. He entered his prophetic ministry two months after his contemporary Haggai had concluded his first oracle.”
Nelson’s Commentary
He begins with a message of repentance for sins past. He is grieved that the future generations may refuse the voice of God has their fathers did. This is a constant message of the Scriptures. God reaches out to man and man rebels. We know this pattern of behavior led to our sin being laid on the Messiah Jesus Christ once and for all.
He then moves to a vision of a horseman moving about the Earth leading other horses behind him. Our first inclination is to associate these horses and colors with the riders from Revelation 6, however, these horses are not bringing judgment but functioning as observers over the Earth. Just like Satan and his demons prowl about the world looking for someone to devour, God also has His messengers scouring the affairs of humanity.
Zechariah ask the man standing among the myrtle trees for an explanation.
“The myrtle tree is a laurel, which is evergreen and possibly a symbol of the people of Israel. This man is the Angel of the LORD (Zec 1:11), and is no doubt an Old Testament appearance of Jesus before His incarnation in Bethlehem.”
David Guzik
We know this was Jesus because verse 10 calls Him a man, verse 11 an angel of the Lord, and verse 13 indicates that He is the LORD.
“There are many examples in the Old Testament of an encounter with a heavenly man known as the Angel of the LORD who is revealed to be God Himself (Gen 16:7-13, Gen 22:11-18, Exo 2:3-9, Jdg 2:1-4, and many other places). Because of Zec 1:11, we know this man is the Angel of the LORD, and that He is God.”
David Guzik
The Lord was not pleased with the report. Although it was a report of peace, it was not the right kind of peace. God’s people were in shambles after just returning from captivity. He was upset with all of the nations surrounding them which had brought persecution and suffering. This moving scene shows a powerful characteristic of our God. He loves His children. Though He disciplines them, He does not take pleasure in their suffering. Our Father in heaven is a generous and jealous God who longs to restore his sons and daughters and show His unmatched love and compassion.
God’s emotions are not like ours. He does not allow His emotional state to produce a sinful response because He is without sin. So, when He speaks of His compassion and jealousy, we know that He is more sincere than any human being who would utter those same words. He will deliver on His promise to restore us. He will not abandon us or mistreat us. This is the God we serve! He is jealous for you!