Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20090426.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Zechariah: Paving The Path Toward A Blessed Future
Part II: Encouraging God's People About The Coming Messianic Kingdom, Zechariah 1:6-6:15
C. God's Motivating Promise And Warning To Obey Him For Blessing
(Zechariah 2:1-13)
  1. Introduction
    1. God's people sometimes need to be spurred to obey Him with a two-pronged, warning-promise approach.
    2. Such was the case when God gave Zechariah a third vision about a Surveyor with a measuring line:
  2. God's Motivating Promise And Warning To Obey Him For Blessing, Zechariah 2:1-13.
    1. Following the first two visions where God expressed His concern to deliver His people from the Gentile oppressors and His promise to destroy Israel's oppressors, the Lord supplied Zechariah with a third vision about a Surveyor with a measuring line, Zechariah 2:1 with 1:7-17, 18-21.
    2. The first part of this third vision predicted for the returned exiles of Israel God's wonderful promise to restore and bountifully bless and protect Jerusalem and Israel, Zechariah 2:1-5:
      1. Zechariah was shown a "man" with a measuring line set to measure Jerusalem in a picture of restoring and rebuilding the city, Zechariah 2:1-3. Though the identity of the surveyor is not stated in this third vision, we assume it is the Preincarnate Christ, the Angel of the Lord who is the key Role Player in God's revelation to Zechariah in his eight visions, cf. Zech. 1:11-12; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1552.
      2. The Angel of the Lord Who measured Jerusalem intended to mark out the present boundaries of the city to contrast it with the overflowing blessings that would extend far beyond its walls, Zech. 2:3-4.
      3. This overflowing abundance that extended beyond Jerusalem's walls would be protected by the Lord Himself Who would act as the Wall of Protective Fire about Israel, and her Glory within, Zech. 2:5.
    3. However, in the middle of this vision, a warning is given to those Jews who remained in Babylon outside God's will to return to the land of Israel and rebuild His temple, Zech. 2:6-7 with Ezra 5:1-2:
      1. Zechariah 2:6-7 called for Jews still in Babylon, "the land of the north" from which the Babylonian invaders entered Israel, to "flee", to deliver themselves by returning to Zion in Jerusalem.
      2. This is a critical warning, for only two years after this prophecy, Babylon fell, so if any Jews still remained there, they would have faced the trauma of war! (Merrill F. Unger, Zechariah, 1974, p. 48)
      3. [Thirty-eight years later, Jews still lived in the region when Queen Esther came to the throne, so God let their scare under Haman occur to motivate them all the more to return to Israel! (Ibid., p. 10)]
      4. We know from Ezra 5:1-2 Zechariah who was given this vision was raised up by God along with Haggai to direct Israel to rebuild the temple. Hence, God's call for the Jews in Babylon to flee Babylon and return to Israel also would then carry the call for them to join the other Jews to rebuild the temple!
    4. Accordingly, Zechariah 2:8 reveals that God will display His glory by judging the Gentile nations that had oppressed Israel, for in touching His people, they had roused God's anger, for touching Israel was like touching the very sensitive pupil ("apple") of God's eye! (Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1553)
    5. Indeed, God promised to shake these Gentiles in judgment so their goods might become a spoil for those they oppressed, leaving Israel to know God had sent the Angel of the Lord, the Messiah, Zechariah 2:9.
    6. Zechariah 2:10-12 seems to be addressed to the remnant of Israel that had already returned to the land, and it called them to sing and rejoice at God's promised return to dwell in her midst, Zechariah 2:10. Many nations will one day be joined to the Lord, He will dwell in Jerusalem's midst, Israel will know the Father had sent the Angel of the Lord, Christ, and God will fulfill His promises to Israel, Zechariah 2:11-12.
    7. Thus, the whole human race will then bow in silent awe before Almighty God in Jerusalem, Zech. 2:13!
Lesson: God's kingdom blessings were available for Israel, but the nation had to be motivated BOTH to WANT those blessings AS WELL AS to FLEE God's DISCIPLINE so as to OBEY His will to RETURN to ISRAEL and BUILD His TEMPLE! (cf. Zechariah 2:6-7 with Ezra 5:1-2)

Application: (1) If we note a TWO-PRONGED THRUST by GOD to spur us to OBEY Him, WE ought to BECOME VERY MOTIVATED to HEED it! (2) As this TWO-PRONGED THRUST was directed at a people that had known REPRESSION, IF God is USING it with us, He is seeking to BUILD US UP where others have REPRESSED us, so we must APPRECIATE it as a NURTURING work of God!