WHY BOTH A KICK AND A HELPING HAND CAN MOTIVATE
YOU.
"Why Both a Kick and a Helping Hand Can
Motivate You" is based on a book written
by Zechariah about 520 B.C.
Quotes are from the N.I.V. Bible and our
comments are in brackets.
(You become a member of God's family by turning
to and trusting in Jesus Christ as the one who
you want to run your life because He saved you.
But if you don't really let Him be the boss He
will lovingly rebuke and encourage you. This
also applies to God's family as a whole).
The Lord Almighty says, It makes me angry when
my family turns away from me. Return to me and
I will return to you. Learn from Israel's
history. When they disobeyed my instructions,
disaster overtook them. When they turned back
to me and obeyed, all went well.
God sometimes uses non believers who feel
secure in their unbelief to discipline His
family. Yet He is both angry about non
believers' unbelief and jealous as He waits for
His people, to learn their lesson. For His
people God's promise is always to prosper
and comfort them when they turn back to Him.
But destruction finally awaits the unbelievers.
(Chapter 1)
God calls believers who have turned from Him to
return now. Non believers who oppress them need
to know that "Whoever touches you touches the
apple of His eye".
When God's people return to and obey Him, He
will protect them and His glory will be with
them. They will shout and be glad because God
is living with them. At this time many non
believers will become His people.
(Chapter 2)
Satan, who has been able to accuse Christian
Ministers, will be rebuked by the Lord. The
Lord will remove their sin and say "if you will
walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then
you will govern my house" and angels will
assist you. Remember Jesus has come, crucified
for the world's sin, He removed its power in
a single day then rose from the dead on Good
Friday. And at His second coming sin will
be totally removed.
(Chapter 3)
God will take His rightful place in the hearts
and minds of His people. "Not by might nor by
power, but by my spirit," says the Lord
Almighty. To you, there may seem to be
mountainous obstacles to stop God's people
being what God wants them to be - but they
"will become level ground." Though in a small
way (which should not be despised) God's chosen
one has begun the work and will complete it.
(Chapter 4)
God's word about stealing, false swearing etc.
will be clear for all to see. "The Lord
Almighty declares, I will send it out and it
will enter the house of the thief.. and him who
swears falsely by my name ... and destroy it."
God will remove the entire sinful system that
has been the downfall of His people so they can
truly be His holy people - set apart for His
use.
(Chapter 5)
The "bottom line" is that God controls the
events of history. He will conquer the
opposition to His people. Jesus (also called
the branch) said "...I will build my church
(the assembly of His people) and the gates of
Hades will not overcome it."(Matt 16:18) Your
job is to "diligently obey the Lord your God"
and join with those near Him who will come "and
help to build the temple (church) of the Lord."
In other words cooperate with Jesus in building
His one undivided church.
(Chapter 6)
But in doing this beware of religious activity
(like fasting, mourning and feasting) that are
really done for yourself instead of for God.
Self centred religious activity doesn't
impress God. He wants you to "administer" true
justice, show mercy and compassion to one
another. "Do not oppress the widow or the
fatherless, the alien or the poor." In your
heart do not think evil of others.
If you refuse to pay attention to this,
stubbornly turn your back, stop your ears,
harden your heart and refuse to listen to God's
word sent by His Spirit in the scriptures, He
will be angry. Since when He called,you did not
listen, when you call, He won't listen. You'll
be cast from Him desolate and feel like a
stranger.
(Chapter 7)
God is burning with jealousy for His people. He
is going to dwell with them. They will be
called the people of truth, a holy (separated)
people. God says "It may seem marvellous to the
remnant of His people at that time, but will it
seem marvellous to me? .. I will save my
people... they will be my people, and I will be
faithful and righteous to them as their God. ..
Let your hands be strong so that the temple (my
church) may be built." God will meet the
material needs of His people, He says "..I will
save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be
afraid but let your hands be strong."
The Lord Almighty says "Just as I had
determined to bring disaster upon you ...when
your fathers angered me... so now I am
determined to do good" to my people. "Do not be
afraid. These are the things you are to do;
speak the truth to each other, and render true
and sound judgement in your courts; do not plot
evil against your neighbour, and do not love to
swear falsely. I hate all this declares the
Lord."
Gatherings of my people "will become joyful and
glad occasions and happy festivals,...
Therefore love truth and peace."
Many non believers will come to His people and
say "let us go at once to entreat the Lord and
seek the Almighty." In those days ten non
believers will take hold of one of God's
people and say "let us go with you, because
we have heard that God is with you."
(Chapter 8)
God will defend His people against Satan's
attacks and keep watch over them.
Zechariah went on to predict the coming of
Jesus with these words:-
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your King comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
--And the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the river to the ends of
the earth--
Because of the blood of my covenant
(His death on the cross)--
I will free your prisoners from
the waterless pit--
The Lord almighty will shield them.
--(And) save them on that day
as the flock of His people.
They will sparkle in His land
like jewels in a crown."
(Chapter 9)
God meets all the material needs of His people
but spiritually they "wander like sheep
oppressed for lack of a shepherd".
God says "my anger burns against the shepherds,
and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord
Almighty will care for His flock".
Because the Lord is with them they will
overthrow the enemy. God says I will
strenghthen, save, and restore my people
"because I have compassion on them. They will
be as though I had not rejected them for I am
the Lord their God and I will answer them.--
Their children will see it and be joyful;
their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. I
will-- gather them in-- (and) redeem them.
Though I scatter them-- yet in distant lands
they will remember me-- and-- return. I will
strengthen them in the Lord and in His name
they will walk declares the Lord."
(Chapter 10)
(The Israelites of Zechariah's day disregarded
God's warnings and promises and this also was
foretold. Will God's family today be more
responsive?)
God says the leaders of my people wail; their
rich pastures are destroyed. "I will no longer
have pity on the people-- I will not rescue
them. --So I pastured the flock-- I got rid of
the --shepherds. The flock detested me, and I
grew weary of them and said, I will not be your
shepherd." --The faithful few who were watching
me knew it was the word of the Lord.
I told them, "if you think it best, give me my
pay; but if not keep it. So they paid me 30
pieces of silver. (Fulfilled prior to Jesus'
crucifixion-see Matt 26:14,15, 27:3-10) and the
Lord said to me, throw it to the potter - the
handsome price at which they priced me. So
I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw
them into the house of the Lord to the
potter."
"The Lord said to me-- I am going to raise up a
shepherd-- who will not care for the lost, or
seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed
the healthy, but will eat the meat of the
choice sheep-- woe to the worthless shepherd
who deserts the flock.
(Chapter 11)
"The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who
lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms
the spirit of man within him declares... when
all the nations of the earth are gathered
against" my people, I will make them an
immovable rock for all the nations. I will keep
a watchful eye over my people-- and they will
remain intact and shielded--" so that even the
feeblest among them will be like David."- On
that day I will set out to destroy" all who
attack my people.
"And I will pour out on" my people-- "A spirit
of grace and supplication. They will look on
me, the one they have pierced, and they will
mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child,
and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for
a firstborn son."
(Chapter 12)
God will cleanse His people from sin and
impurity. He will banish idols, false
ministers "and the spirit of impurity from the
land".
Zechariah predicted the death of Jesus Christ
the good shepherd and the scattering of His
followers. God's people are always subject to
God's refining and testing process. God says
the result is that "they will call on my name
and I will answer them. I will say, they are
my people, and they will say, the Lord is our
God".
(Chapter 13)
A day will come when God will gather all non
believers against His people and defeat them.
"Then the Lord my God will come, and all the
holy ones with Him. On that day there will be no
light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique
day, without daytime or nighttime - a day known
to the Lord. When evening comes, there will be
light." Living water will flow out from His
people. "The Lord will be King over all the
earth, on that day there will be one Lord, and
His Name the only Name.
God's people will be secure, no morally or
spiritually unclean person will be among them.
(Chapter 14)
HERE ARE SOME MAIN POINTS ARISING OUT OF
ZECHARIAH:
1. God's people are those who have turned from
their sin and trusted in Jesus Christ. God's
church happens when some of them meet to
pray, share a meal to commemorate Jesus
Christ, absorb God's word and in an
atmosphere of God's loving Holy Spirit and
encourage each other. But mostly they have
disobeyed, invented self centred religious
activity, built cathedrals and
institutionalised God right out of His
church. Disaster will overtake such people,
especially "Christian" leaders. God's
warnings about this are unlikely to be
heeded.
2. Though God allows, for example, Nazis and
Communists to bring disaster on Christians,
they too will finally be destroyed.
3. But when God's people "wake up to
themselves," turn back to and obey Him, He
will occupy His rightful place in their
hearts and minds and make them joyful as
they live with Him. This will result in many
non believers being saved, God's church
growing and justice, mercy, and compassion
increasing.
4. But even the best meeting of Christians
(church) will have sin in it until Christ
returns to remove all sin for which He was
nailed to the cross.
5. Then only will the Lord be King over His
earth and His people secure and morally and
spiritually clean.
|
