Zechariah Sermons [Revised September 22, 2020]
INTRO TO ZECHARIAH
Zechariah began his ministry around the same time as Haggai but, where Haggai was mainly concerned with the Temple and the religious life of the people, Zechariah’s messages dealt with the Nation and its political life and centered around God’s care of His chosen city Jerusalem.
The Book of Zechariah contains more Prophecies specifically concerning the crucifixion of Christ than other TO Book except Psalms.
Zechariah is the Prophet of “Encouragement”. He pointed the people to the future Blessings promised by God as a means of enduring trials now.
I. PROPHECIES AS THE TEMPLE WAS BEING REBUILT 1-8
Introduction- A call to Repentance 1: 1-6
A) Eight Visions 1:7-6:8
1. The rider 1:7-17 God has not forgotten Jerusalem
2. The horns and craftsmen 1:18-21 God will destroy Jerusalem’s enemies
3. The Surveyor 2:1-13 Jerusalem will be restored to greater glory than ever
4. Joshua the high priest 3:1-10 The nation will be cleansed
5. The candlestick and trees 4:1-14 God’s power will enable Joshua and Zerubbabel to finish their difficult task
6. The Flying Roll 5:1-4 Sin will be judged in the land
7. The Woman 5:5-11 Wickedness carried from the land to Babylon, which is the source of all idolatry and religious error
8. The war Chariots 6:1-8 God controls the nations; Jerusalem is safe
B) An Object Lesson 6:9-15 Crowns of silver and gold are placed on the head of Joshua the high priest. These represented the union of the Priestly and Kingly office in the Messiah.
C) Four Messages 7-8
Dealing with the Fast celebrated in memory of Jerusalem’s fall.
God shows them the hypocrisy of their fasts, the true meaning of fasting, and promises to restore Peace and Glory to Jerusalem.
II. PROPHECIES AFTER THE TEMPLE WAS REBUILT 9-14
A) First Burden (Describes the rise of Alexander the Great, The Maccabees, and the Roman Empire but only to show that Messiah will help Jerusalem in each case.) 9-11
1) The King comes to overcome the oppressor 9:- (See 9:9)
2) Israel and Judah restored 10:- (See 10:6)
3) The Jews desire a Foolish Shepherd instead of the True Shepherd 11 (Contains the fact that the Messiah the Jews had longed for for so long will be sold for the price of a common slave- 30 pieces of silver 11:10-13)
B) Second Burden 12-14
1) Jerusalem to be restored to first place among the nations 12-13
2) God will defend Jerusalem in the “Day of the Lord” 14
Zech 09:17 Some Beauty Tips
Intro- I mentioned a few weeks ago that one day we would be like Christ: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (1John 3:2).
One of the things that I mentioned was that we would be beautiful, for He is beautiful: For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! (Zech 9:17)
Notice some things about beauty:
Beauty Varies: ECC 3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Prov 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength; and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
Beauty can corrupt:
Caused Satan’s Fall Ez 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness;
Caused Abraham’s Lie GEN 12:11-13 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
(See also GEN 20:1-2 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.)
Caused Isaac’s lie GEN 26:6-7 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
A beautiful person loses their beauty when they sin: Ps 39:11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
People (esp. women) often abuse and misuse their beauty:
PRO 6:23-25 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
Men often do foolish things for beautiful women:
GEN 29:17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
Beauty of body is less important than beauty of soul: Pro 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
There is a true beauty: Ps 90:17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us
The Beauty of Holiness PSA 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (Glow on Moses’ face after being with God.)
God’s beauty is manifested in the sanctuary: Psa 96:6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Psa 149:4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.