Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Peace and Justice Reigns” and is found in Zechariah 8:1-8, 11-17.
Today’s lesson continues to follow a theme we have encountered in previous lessons from the text of the minor prophets. Zechariah was a post-exilic prophet who prophesied about twenty years after the first exiles returned from Babylon.
His ministry spoke to the restoration of God’s people, Jerusalem and the temple. Many of the prophets who warned of God’s judgement also spoke of the restoration after that judgement.
God takes no pleasure in the judgement of His people. This is why He sends His prophets to warn people and extends His mercy and forgiveness for those who will repent. What is even worst is that the righteous are caught up with the unrighteous in judgement and suffer many of the same things as the unrighteous.
When the people returned from Babylon, they found their home in ruins. The city had been burned, the walls of the city torn down and the temple destroyed. On top of that, they had little or no wealth or assets.
As you can image, there was a lot of despair and challenges before them. They were ridiculed by their neighbors and left mostly highly vulnerable to attack to those who wanted to do them harm.
In order for God to get out of us what He wants us to be, He must sometime humble us. When we are humbled, we are more receptive of God’s message. It is in this backdrop that Zachariah speaks.
Zachariah calls God the “Lord of hosts” which refers to God’s great abundance and ability to get things done. While the situation looks hopeless to the returnees, God assured them that He was eager and ready to restore them.
He tells them the past is over and doesn’t look at them or will deal with them according to their past. He assures them that a time of peace and prosperity shall return in the midst of ruin. God is determined to do them good. He commands them to do what their fathers failed to do like speaking truth, being just and do good and not evil to one another.
It is like receiving a fresh start. Today, God’s message of restoration applies to all believers in Christ. Because of sin, God’s judgements are against mankind. Because God’s children are among the children of men, they are caught up in the judgements that affect mankind.
But God has assured His people that He will make it up to them. In fact, He is eager to do so. Paul declared that the afflictions we must bear now can’t be compared to the glory we shall receive. The important thing now is to be faithful to the Lord our God despite what comes and what the world is doing.
Well, I hope you will be able to attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you cannot attend your own Sunday School, you are invited to join us online at 9:00 am live and interactive at our website. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
