November 30, 2011
PERSEVERE THROUGH THE ORDINARY FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY
Zechariah 6
Malachi Boyuls
Central Truth
The Kingdom of God, not the kingdom of man, will one day rule the earth, and it is because of that truth that we must persevere.
Key Verse | Zechariah 6:15
"Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD." Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God. (Zechariah 6:15)
Zechariah 6
A Vision of Four Chariots
1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. 1 6:3 Or and the fourth chariot strong dappled horses 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.”
The Crown and the Temple
9 And the word of the LORD came to me: 10 “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there 2 6:13 Or he shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14 And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem, 3 6:14 An alternate spelling of Heldai (verse 10) Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.
15 And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”
Dive Deeper | Zechariah 6
I've been involved with a couple political campaigns in my day. As far as I can tell, nearly everyone begins with some excitement that is shared among a group of people committed to a set of principles and values and hopeful for a better future. At the beginning, there is much work; but it is gladly done, in part, because at that moment it is viewed as the means to a better future. As the campaign wears on, however, the work feels a lot less like steps toward a better future and a lot more like, well, work. It is in those moments when you must remember the mission and the goal and must push through.
In Zechariah, the Jews were engaged in a campaign of their own -- a campaign to rebuild the temple and their nation. After years in exile, the initial excitement over the project was likely palpable and the work gladly done. But, like in most things, the excitement probably wore off, and building the temple started feeling a lot less like nation-building and a lot more like BUILDING A TEMPLE. Stones probably gradually felt heavier, and the sun hotter. They had to wonder whether it was worth it.
Zechariah implores them in chapter 6 to push through. He reminds them that they were not simply building a temple, they were building "the temple of the LORD." And they were not alone; One was coming to help build the temple and usher in a kingdom of peace. Zechariah warned, however, that the promise was conditional: this would take place only if they diligently and "completely obey[ed] the LORD your God."
In John 2:19-22, we are told that the "helper" is Jesus and that He has built the temple. But the Kingdom-building work is not complete; we all have our special building projects. And like the Jews, we may wonder in the midst of the ordinary whether it is worth it. It is in these moments that we must remember God's promises, and, in complete and diligent obedience, push through the ordinary toward the extraordinary.
Discussion Questions
1. What is your current building project? What are you called to do for the Kingdom of God?
2. What about your project has become "ordinary," and what can you do to push through?
3. What can you do to help those around you push through their ordinary to the extraordinary?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
ZECHARIAH 4-8 (NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 2)
Read Zechariah 7.
What were the people doing in verses 5-6? Were they doing it for the Lord or for themselves?
What does the Lord tell the people to do in verses 8-10? What does He say the people before them had done? (see verses 11-12) What does it mean to harden your heart towards something? Have you ever put your fingers in your ears and hardened your heart towards something you were asked to do?
How can you keep your heart soft to God's ways? When we hear the truth of God's love and trust Him, it will soften us to do His will.
ACTIVITY: Look in verses 9-10. Choose one of the groups of people from verse 10 to show kindness to. Talk about different ideas that each of you have and when you are going to do it. Remember to share with them why you are showing kindness, to share the truth of God's love.