Zechariah 7
Summary for Zech 7:1-8:23: 7:1–8:23 a These sermons provide a transition between the visions of the present (chs 1–6 b) and those of the near future (chs 9–11 c) and the more distant future (chs 12–14 d). Chapter 7 e discusses fasting over past disasters; chapter 8 f focuses on feasting over future blessings.Summary for Zech 7:1-14: 7:1-14 g Zechariah’s sermons were prompted by delegates from Bethel who posed a practical question (7:2-3 h). Although Zechariah answered the question later (8:18-19 i), he responded first with rhetorical questions that focused on the people’s self-centered motives (7:5-6 j). Zechariah then outlined God’s expectations for Israel (7:8-10 k; see Jer 22:3 l) and recounted what had happened to those who disobeyed previously (Zech 7:11-14 m). 7:1 n of the fourth year of King Darius’s reign: The two sermons of chs 7–8 o came almost two years after the visions of chs 1–6 p.
7:2 q to seek the Lord’s favor (literally to soften the face of the Lord): They were asking God to grant a petition or to rule on a question. Their request was probably accompanied by a sacrifice or offering.
7:3 r The delegation from Bethel posed a practical procedural question.
Summary for Zech 7:4-7: 7:4-7 s Rather than answering the question right away, Zechariah first confronted his hearers with their selfish motives and hypocrisy. The most important issue was whether or not their heart’s desire was really to please God and do his will; if not, it made no difference whether or not they kept a fast.
7:5 t According to Jeremiah, seventy years of exile in Babylon (see Jer 25:11-12 u; 29:10 v) were to make up the Sabbath years of rest for the land that had gone unobserved for nearly 500 years (2 Chr 36:21 w; see Exod 23:10-11 x; Lev 26:34-35 y).
• While the summer fast lamented the destruction of Solomon’s Temple (Zech 7:3 z), the early autumn fast either commemorated the assassination of Gedaliah, governor of Judah (see 2 Kgs 25:22-25 aa; Jer 41:1-3 ab), or it was the Day of Atonement (Lev 23:26-32 ac).
7:7 ad Isn’t this the same message: E.g., see Isa 1:11-20 ae; 58:3-7 af.
7:10 ag Widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor often did not have access to the legal protection afforded the average citizen (cp. Deut 24:14 ah, 17-18 ai). Fasting and social justice should go hand in hand (see Isa 58:6-7 aj).
7:11 ak Your ancestors refused to listen: They ignored God’s commands (see Jer 11:10 al).
• stubbornly turned away (or set a defiant shoulder): The idiom signifies haughty stubbornness (see Neh 9:29 am).
• Put their fingers in their ears places full responsibility upon the people for their obstinacy (cp. Isa 6:10 an). The same expression is used of Pharaoh when he “became stubborn” (or “hardened his heart”) against God and refused to release the Hebrews (Exod 8:32 ao).
7:12 ap To make one’s heart as hard as stone is to steel one’s will against the will of God (see Jer 17:1 aq; cp. Ezek 3:9 ar).
• Instructions (Hebrew torah) refers to God’s laws and commands as taught and interpreted by the prophets.
7:14 as As with a whirlwind, I scattered them: The scattering of the Hebrews among the nations was one of the curses for violating the Mosaic covenant (Deut 28:36-37 at, 64 au).
• The pleasant land was the land of God’s covenant promise (Ps 106:24 av; Jer 3:19 aw).
• Their land became ... desolate through divine judgment on their covenant unfaithfulness and idolatry (Jer 12:10 ax).
Zechariah 8
Summary for Zech 8:1-23: 8:1-23 ay This section of Zechariah’s sermons is connected to the previous one by the topics of fasting (questions posed in 7:2-7 az are answered in 8:18-19 ba) and the ethical demands of covenant relationship with the Lord (7:8-10 bb; 8:16-17 bc). The tone and message shift from admonition and judgment to exhortation and restoration. Fasting would change to feasting (8:19 bd).8:2 be Passion (or jealousy, zeal) is a basic element of the Old Testament concept of God (see also 1:14 bf). God’s passion identifies him as a personal deity, not an abstract natural force. God is passionate for his word and for the people of his covenant. His passion results in punishment for sin, restoration for repentance, and reward for the pursuit of righteousness.
8:3 bg I will live in Jerusalem: The great hope of the postexilic community was that the Lord would return to dwell among his people again (see 1:16-17 bh; Hag 2:4-7 bi; cp. Ezek 48:35 bj).
• I am returning: God would return to Jerusalem not just because the Temple had been rebuilt but because the Hebrew community had been purified (Zech 3 bk).
• Isaiah compared Jerusalem to a faithful woman who became a prostitute (Isa 1:21 bl). Zechariah shared Isaiah’s vision of Jerusalem’s change into a Faithful City (or city of truth) again (Isa 1:26 bm).
Summary for Zech 8:4-5: 8:4-5 bn The images of old men and women walking and of boys and girls playing in the streets indicate repopulation and resumption of normal family life in the once decimated city of Jerusalem. The return of God’s presence to his rebuilt Temple would bring peace and safety to the city’s inhabitants (see Jer 33:10-11 bo).
8:6 bp The Old Testament portrays God as able to do the impossible and the miraculous—nothing is too hard for the God who made the heavens and the earth (Gen 18:14 bq; Jer 32:17 br, 27 bs; see also Matt 19:26 bt).
8:7 bu from the east and from the west: This is an idiom meaning from all the regions to which the Hebrews were dispersed (compare Isa 43:5-6 bv).
8:8 bw They will be my people, and I will be ... their God: This adoption formula depicts the intimate bond between Israel and God in covenant relationship (see Exod 19:5-6 bx; Jer 30:22 by; 31:33 bz; Ezek 34:30-31 ca; Hos 2:23 cb).
Summary for Zech 8:9-13: 8:9-13 cc This section highlights the reversal of Jerusalem’s fortunes as the Temple was rebuilt (cp. 2 Chr 15:3-7 cd). The exhortation to be strong (Zech 8:9 ce, 13 cf) is an inclusio (a set of rhetorical bookends) for the section. 8:9 cg Laying of the foundation refers to Zerubbabel’s and Jeshua’s initial work of rebuilding the Temple in 536 BC (Ezra 3:8-13 ch). The Temple reconstruction project was quickly abandoned and was not resumed until the prophets Haggai and Zechariah prompted it sixteen years later (Ezra 5:1-2 ci; Hag 1:1 cj).
8:10 ck enemies: The neighboring peoples opposed the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 4 cl). Later, enemies opposed Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem (Neh 4 cm).
8:12 cn Peace (Hebrew shalom) is an important theme underlying Zechariah’s message (8:10 co, 12 cp, 16 cq, 19 cr). God’s presence in the rebuilt Temple would bring peace to Judah (see Hag 2:6-9 cs). Zechariah uses the agricultural cycle to represent God’s blessing (see Hag 2:18-19 ct), which would reverse the drought conditions that Haggai described (Hag 1:10 cu).
• The small community that returned to Judah from exile was called the remnant. Theologically, the remnant is a bridge between God’s punishment and his promised restoration (see Hag 1:12 cv, 14 cw).
Summary for Zech 8:14-15: 8:14-15 cx determined: The repetition of this word emphasizes God’s sovereignty in judging Israel’s sin and then in blessing them.
8:16 cy God expects his people to act with integrity and justice (see Eph 4:25 cz).
• The courts (literally the gates): Legal proceedings were conducted at the gates of the city or Temple (see Deut 21:19 da; 25:7 db).
8:17 dc In Zechariah’s time, the people of Judah were guilty of the same sins that brought about the Babylonian exile. Such behavior put God’s plans for restoration in jeopardy (see 7:8-10 dd; 8:16 de).
• I hate all these things: God’s hatred of evil (Ps 5:5 df; Prov 6:16-19 dg) stems from his absolute holiness (Pss 5:4 dh; 15:1 di; 24:3 dj).
8:19 dk Here the Lord finally answers the question posed by the delegates from Bethel (7:2-3 dl).
• The fast in early summer commemorated the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls (2 Kgs 25:3-4 dm; Jer 52:6-7 dn). The midsummer fast lamented the burning of Solomon’s Temple (2 Kgs 25:8-10 do; Jer 52:12-14 dp). The fast in autumn marked the assassination of Gedaliah, governor of Jerusalem (2 Kgs 25:22-25 dq; Jer 41:1-3 dr) or the Day of Atonement (Lev 23:26-32 ds). The fast in winter recalled the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem (2 Kgs 25:1 dt; Jer 52:4 du).
• The fasts will turn to feasts when God restores Israel and sets his glory among the nations (Isa 65:18-19 dv).
8:23 dw God is with you: God’s presence restored the ideal of fellowship between God and human beings (Gen 3:8 dx; Exod 24:9-11 dy; 25:8 dz; Isa 7:14 ea; 57:15 eb; Ezek 43:7 ec; John 1:14 ed).
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