November 24, 2011
IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ME
Zechariah 2
Kevin Roberts
Central Truth
God has a bigger plan than just blessing us for our own benefit. He intends for us to be a light that draws others to Him.
Key Verse | Zechariah 2:10–11
"Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD. "Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you." (Zechariah 2:10-11)
Zechariah 2
A Vision of a Man with a Measuring Line
1 1 2:1 Ch 2:5 in Hebrew And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
6 Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the LORD. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the LORD. 7 Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me 2 2:8 Or he sent me after glory to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 9 “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 12 And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”
13 Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
Dive Deeper | Zechariah 2
Have you ever been in the midst of a tough situation that seemed overwhelming and wondered when, if ever, God was going to come through? That's right where the Jewish people were in Zechariah 2. After 70 years in exile, God had moved the Persians to allow the Jews to go back home and rebuild the temple. But the rebuilding had come to a screeching halt for 18 years after an incident recounted in Ezra 4. When the locals came by, offering to help, the Jewish leaders sent them away, saying in effect, "This is our God, not yours, and this is our deal." So for the next 18 years, "the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, frightened them from building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel . . . ." (Ezra 4:4-5). Eighteen years is a long time to wonder whether God is going to come through.
Amid this trial, God communicates a message of hope through Zechariah, and it's about a future they can't even start to imagine as they sit amid rubble and local opposition. God said Jerusalem is going to be so big and prosperous, they won't be able to build a wall around it all! Better yet, the city won't need a wall because it will be protected by God's power as He once again dwells among His people! But then the message takes a curious turn as God then starts talking about . . . blessing somebody else? Hey, wait a minute, I thought this was about us, right?
God sent a clear signal to His chosen people that it was not all about them. I'm left wondering where I'm missing the point and thinking it's all about me. Could it be that God is less concerned about fixing my tough situations and more concerned about how I handle those situations, such that others can see His life in me and want the same for themselves? One thing is clear -- when I start to think it's all about me, I've sidelined myself from what God is all about.
Discussion Questions
1. When you are praying, do you spend more time asking God to do something about all the things that are important to you or asking God how you can be part of what's important to Him?
2. What do you think God is trying to accomplish by putting you where you are right now?
3. Do you think the Jewish people in the Ezra 4 episode missed an opportunity to bring others to God when they refused the help of the locals?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
HAGGAI 1-ZECHARIAH 3 (NOVEMBER 21-25)
Read Haggai 1:1-11.
What were the people saying in verse 2? The Lord's house was in ruins, but what were the people living in (verses 3-4)? What were the people looking to for satisfaction, fulfillment, and contentment?
Reread verse 9. The people were looking after themselves and not focusing on honoring God with their lives and putting Him first. What are ways in which you put other things before God?
Read Matthew 6:19-34.
Look at verse 33. What should we seek first? How should we live? What will God do for us?
Activity: Let's practice making God a priority by giving up something that is a "luxury" for one week. So whether it's coffee from Starbucks, eating out, or your afterschool treat, pick something that will remind you always to put God's kingdom first. With the money that you would have spent on the "luxury," give it back to God's kingdom.