‏ Zechariah 1:13-16

Gracious Words, Comforting Words

The answer to prayer is given in “gracious words, comforting words” (cf. Isa 40:1-2; Isa 57:18; Jos 23:14; Jer 29:10). “Gracious [literally: good] words” are words that express what is good for someone. “Comforting words” are words a person needs because he is in misery.

Offering perspective gives comfort. Someone who sincerely cares for the people of God gets comfort. He makes the requested compassion known. The comfort takes shape in what God says to do with the people. The comfort of God is compared to the comfort of a child by his mother (Isa 66:13). Fear and restlessness are gone, there is security.

This also applies to us, personally and collectively. Suffering makes God come into the circumstances and makes Himself known to us as “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2Cor 1:3). God gives comfort through the Scriptures. The Scriptures testify of the Lord Jesus (Jn 5:39), He is their content. God also consoles through the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31). He is the Advocate or Comforter. God’s Spirit takes from the Scriptures in a special way to comfort.

God also wants to use us to comfort others (2Cor 1:4; 2Cor 7:13). True comfort is speaking to one’s heart (Rth 2:13).

The LORD Commits Himself to His city

The prophet must preach or proclaim what the LORD has said to him. It is not only for him, but the whole people must hear it and be encouraged by it.

Jerusalem is the place of God’s dwelling and throne, the center of His government. He will not abandon that city permanently. Zion is the name of Jerusalem in view of the blessings the city will receive in the realm of peace. Zion means ‘sunny’ because there the “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wing” (Mal 4:2). Zion, that is Mount Zion, is mentioned together with Jerusalem as the location of the temple. This determines and confirms that only Jerusalem qualifies as the capital of the kingdom of the Son of Man.

God’s Anger With the Nations

God is “very angry” with the nations He has used as a disciplinary rod for His people. He is very angry because they did not measure up, because they were so audacious to want to destroy Israel (Isa 47:6; Jer 50:11-18; Jer 51:24; Eze 25:3; 8; 12; 15; Eze 26:2; Oba 1:10-14). They were unaware that they were only a disciplinary rod in God’s hand, but wanted to take advantage of the opportunity God had given to attack His people (Isa 10:5; 7). Here it also becomes clear that despite the ease that exists at that moment, God is still angry with them and therefore this ease can only be a limited ease with a limited duration.

That God “was only a little angry” is in relation to the duration of the anger (Isa 54:8), God’s anger is only for a short time. In Zec 1:2 it is about the intensity of His anger.

The LORD Returns to Jerusalem

The LORD returns with compassion to His people from whom He first had to withdraw because of their sins (Hos 5:15). He remembers in His “in wrath … mercy” (Hab 3:2). Just as He first came to Jerusalem with judgment, so now He comes with compassion.

There is no greater encouragement than to join hands in a work that has God’s complete interest and promotes His purpose. This is how the rebuilding of the temple is presented here. It is a privilege to be able to participate in it. First the house is built, then Jerusalem. God’s dwelling place comes first.

The one to whom “a measuring line” belongs, is entitled to what is measured (Zec 2:1; Job 38:5; Eze 41:3; Eze 45:6). The measuring line indicates God’s interest in observing the right situation of the city and to bless it according to His own wise plan at the right time. The measuring line here is a symbol of restoration (cf. Zec 2:1; Jer 31:38-40), whereas it used to be a symbol of judgment (2Kgs 21:13; Isa 34:11).

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