Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20090621.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Zechariah: Paving The Path Toward A Blessed Future
Part III: Instructing God's People About Man-Authored Rituals, Zechariah 7:1-8:23
D. God's VICTORY For God-Centered Obedience Over Self-Centered Ritualism
(Zechariah 8:18-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. When God's people repent of self-centered ritualism designed to soften the pain of God's discipline, and practice God-centered obedience in God's power, the Lord provides tremendous victory over their sin!
    2. This victory is powerfully illustrated in Zechariah 8:18-23 in its wider context (as follows):
  2. God's VICTORY For God-Centered Obedience Over Self-Centered Ritualism, Zechariah 8:18-23.
    1. When a delegation of Jews from Bethel had traveled to the Jerusalem priests to ask if they should continue observing the man-authored fast of the fifth month that recalled the fall of Jerusalem (Zechariah 7:1-4; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1559), they had omitted naming all the fasts connected with it (as follows):
      1. They had fasted the 9th of the 4th month to commemorate the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar's capture of the city of Jerusalem, Ibid., p. 1561.
      2. The Jews had fasted in the 5th month to commemorate the burning of the city of Jerusalem along with the temple to the ground, Ibid., p. 1559.
      3. They had fasted in the 7th month to recall the assassination of Nebuchadnezzar's governor, Gedaliah, which assassination ended centuries of Jewish rule in the land, Ibid.
      4. The Jews had fasted the 10th of the 10th month to recall the start of the siege of Jerusalem by Babylon's king Nebuchadnezzar, Ibid., p. 1561.
    2. In grace, then, when Israel repented of her self-centered ritualism in favor of God-centered obedience, the Lord would TURN these once self-centered, ritualistic FASTS into JOYFUL FEASTS, Zechariah 8:19:
      1. God predicted that, in the context of Israel's eventual repentance of self-centered, ritualistic fasting for the start of the Babylonian Captivity, He would make the fast of the 4th month (recalling the capture of Jerusalem), the fast of the 5th month (recalling the burning of Jerusalem and the temple to the ground), the fast of the 7th month (recalling the assassination of Nebuchadnezzar's governor) and the fast of the 10th month (recalling the start of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem) into joyful feasts, a great VICTORY for Israel over her past SIN, Zechariah 8:19a.
      2. Therefore, Israel was to love the truth and peace that God had described was necessary for Israel to have heeded to have avoided His Babylonian Captivity judgment in the first place, Zech. 8:19b; 14-17!
    3. Thus, in the Messianic Kingdom when Israel adhered to God's truth and peace, opposite the devastating trauma the nation had experienced in Jerusalem's fall to Babylon, trauma that was recalled in the ritualistic fasts named above, great contrasting blessings would be experienced by Israel, Zechariah 8:20-23:
      1. Instead of Jerusalem being visited by a besieging army, people and cities of people would gather themselves together, telling each other to go to Jerusalem not to lay siege against it, but to pray before the Lord, to worship Him in His presence there, Zechariah 8:20-21!
      2. Instead of a foreign nation like Babylon coming against Jerusalem to besiege it, many Gentile peoples and powerful Gentile nations would come to worship the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and pray there in submission to Israel's Lord, Zechariah 8:22!
      3. Instead of the Jew being despised and attacked by foreigners as in the Babylonian invasion, ten Gentiles would grasp the hem of the robe of a single Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you." (Zechariah 8:23 NIV)
Lesson: When Israel truly repented of her self-centered, ritualistic fasts that had sought to soothe the pain of God's judgment rather than repenting of the deceitful and restless apostasy that had led to such judgment, opting instead for God-centered obedience, God would turn the ritualistic fasts into joyful feasts marked by blessings that stood in sharp contrast to the sufferings Israel had commemorated in her fasts! This would all be a great VICTORY for Israel over her PAST SINS!

Application: May we repent of deceitful, restless sins to enjoy joyful victory over them in the Lord!