Zechariah the prophet, a contemporary of Haggai, begins his writing with a call to return to the Lord and then with a series of visions that represent a future hope for Judah and Jerusalem. The present exiled generation is tasked with turning to the Lord unlike their ancestors who consistently rejected the prophets. God says, “Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 1:3).
Their ancestors heard message after message forewarning God’s judgment. Both in Israel and Judah, prophet after prophet had come and warned the people. We read in Jeremiah’s writing especially of his pleading with the leaders of Jerusalem. The Lord issued warnings through the prophets that could’ve been avoided had the people only turned from their wicked ways and obeyed God. The messages of judgment were conditioned on their continued disobedience, they could turn from their ways and live!
As Zechariah is amongst those in the exile, we know the story. God’s people didn’t listen. The prophets were wasting their breath. Ultimately Assyrian exile and Babylonian captivity came to pass, just as God promised. What is amazing about this, that Zechariah makes so clear, is that while the former prophets were dead and gone, and while their disobedient ancestors were gone, the one thing that wasn’t gone was the word of the Lord (1:5-6). That generation had passed away, but God’s Word remained.
God’s Word is everlasting. The Lord Jesus once said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). The words that God has spoken will outlast anything else in the creation. They’re more secure than the morning sunrise and God will be sure to bring His word to pass. It won’t return to Him empty but will accomplish His purpose (Is. 55:11). Prophets came and went. Generations come and go. Nations rise and nations fall. In the midst of this, God’s Word is secure. He had said He would bring judgment upon His people for their sins, and He kept His word. Then, He said He would bring them back in 70 years, and He kept His word. Now, He issues a message to the present exile-generation that if they would turn to Him, He’d turn to them, and surely this promise would be kept like the rest. He is a faithful God who always keeps His word.
A similar promise is issued by the Apostle James hundreds of years later, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (Jas. 4:8). This is likewise a word from God. If we turn to Him, He turns to us. If we draw near to Him, He’ll draw near to us. We have this assurance throughout life. We turn to Him in faith and repentance at our conversion and throughout the Christian walk as we draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to us. We don’t have to go through this life alone. We don’t have to live separate from God. The Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross to bridge the gap between us and our Creator, let us not drift away from Him because of our sin. We can turn to Him and live and we can trust that this promise is secure because it’s given by the same faithful, promise-keeping God who always keeps His word.
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