Zec 8:11 | KingComments | STEP | The preceding promises ( ) are an encouragement to Zechariah and his contemporaries. are an encouragement and an admonition at the same time. This section begins in with the exhortation “let your hands be strong” and ends with it in . This word of exhortation comes to those who hear the words of the prophet at that moment. God’s words always contain an exhortation to do the commissioned work and at the same time give the power to do the work. Thus God’s Word also comes to us as a word for today. In a motivation is given for the exhortation to let their hands be strong. That motivation lies in the contrast between the present and the former times. “Before those days,” which are the days when the rebuilding of the temple was resumed and continued, there is no reward for the people for their work. Even the animals get nothing. After the foundation of the temple, the interest in its rebuilding disappeared. Haggai describes the cause of it. As long as they think of themselves and their own house, they are lacking. If God does not get His place and share, the cultivation of the land will yield nothing. All their efforts will yield nothing compared to the work done. The results are extremely meager, far below expectation ( ). Apart from disappointing results, it is also wrong with the living conditions. There is no peace “for him who went out or came in”. There is no safety and security to enjoy the little result of the hard toil in peace. The dissatisfaction is not caused by an enemy from outside, but by internal distrust. Everyone is the opponent of the other. These internal divisions and quarrels are sent to them by God. It is His discipline on their seeking their own interests while neglecting His home. For us, there is always the danger that we are more committed to our own homes and interests than to the house of God and His interests. The most important must come first. But the LORD will no longer do so with them, for “now … the remnant of this people” is occupied with His house ( ). Because they are no longer as they were in the previous days, He will no longer be so for them. This means that He will no longer discipline them, for they are no longer neglecting His house in favor of building their own houses. In is written what the LORD will no longer be to them. Then in the LORD tells them what He will be to them. He will give the seed peace, which means He will give them a rich harvest. The same goes for the vine. This will be done by the dew of heaven. Heaven, God, is the origin of blessing. He will make the remnant enjoy all that blessing as their own possession. Seeing the blessings will give us strength to do the work the Lord has commanded us to do. Those who seek something for God will receive so much blessing that they cannot comprehend it all. In the thoughts go further into the future. Here Judah and Israel are mentioned together. Judah, the two tribes, and Israel, the ten tribes, will again be united into one nation. They will be united under one Head, Jesus Christ. Among the nations the Jews are often seen as a curse. They are blamed for all kinds of disasters. In general, the people are always despised by the nations. God will change that. His people will be recognized and honored by the nations. For us, the preceding verses mean that we, too, have no prosperity if we think only or mainly of our own affairs. Blessing will be there if we first think of God’s house, the church. The blessings of the heavenly places ( ) will again be enjoyed by us if we give God’s house the first place. We cannot imitate the church life of Acts, but we can listen to God’s Word for our time.

‏ Zechariah 8:11

The Sixth Blessing

The preceding promises (Zec 8:1-8) are an encouragement to Zechariah and his contemporaries. Zec 8:9-13 are an encouragement and an admonition at the same time. This section begins in Zec 8:9 with the exhortation “let your hands be strong” and ends with it in Zec 8:13.

This word of exhortation comes to those who hear the words of the prophet at that moment. God’s words always contain an exhortation to do the commissioned work and at the same time give the power to do the work. Thus God’s Word also comes to us as a word for today.

In Zec 8:10 a motivation is given for the exhortation to let their hands be strong. That motivation lies in the contrast between the present and the former times. “Before those days,” which are the days when the rebuilding of the temple was resumed and continued, there is no reward for the people for their work. Even the animals get nothing.

After the foundation of the temple, the interest in its rebuilding disappeared. Haggai describes the cause of it. As long as they think of themselves and their own house, they are lacking. If God does not get His place and share, the cultivation of the land will yield nothing. All their efforts will yield nothing compared to the work done. The results are extremely meager, far below expectation (Hag 1:9-11 ; Hag 2:16 ; 19).

Apart from disappointing results, it is also wrong with the living conditions. There is no peace “for him who went out or came in”. There is no safety and security to enjoy the little result of the hard toil in peace. The dissatisfaction is not caused by an enemy from outside, but by internal distrust. Everyone is the opponent of the other. These internal divisions and quarrels are sent to them by God. It is His discipline on their seeking their own interests while neglecting His home.

For us, there is always the danger that we are more committed to our own homes and interests than to the house of God and His interests. The most important must come first.

But the LORD will no longer do so with them, for “now … the remnant of this people” is occupied with His house (Zec 8:11). Because they are no longer as they were in the previous days, He will no longer be so for them. This means that He will no longer discipline them, for they are no longer neglecting His house in favor of building their own houses.

In Zec 8:11 is written what the LORD will no longer be to them. Then in Zec 8:12 the LORD tells them what He will be to them. He will give the seed peace, which means He will give them a rich harvest. The same goes for the vine. This will be done by the dew of heaven. Heaven, God, is the origin of blessing. He will make the remnant enjoy all that blessing as their own possession.

Seeing the blessings will give us strength to do the work the Lord has commanded us to do. Those who seek something for God will receive so much blessing that they cannot comprehend it all.

In Zec 8:13 the thoughts go further into the future. Here Judah and Israel are mentioned together. Judah, the two tribes, and Israel, the ten tribes, will again be united into one nation. They will be united under one Head, Jesus Christ.

Among the nations the Jews are often seen as a curse. They are blamed for all kinds of disasters. In general, the people are always despised by the nations. God will change that. His people will be recognized and honored by the nations.

For us, the preceding verses mean that we, too, have no prosperity if we think only or mainly of our own affairs. Blessing will be there if we first think of God’s house, the church. The blessings of the heavenly places (Eph 1:3-14) will again be enjoyed by us if we give God’s house the first place. We cannot imitate the church life of Acts, but we can listen to God’s Word for our time.