Hope For Today | Zechariah 9:11-17 | Richard Caldwell

Scripture

• Zechariah 9:11–17

About this sermon

Introduction: It is highly instructive, to note how God makes use of the past, and the future, to exhort His people in the present. The past, the present, and the future, often presented in eschatological passages in a way that almost blends them together, in the interest of informing and empowering the hope of God’s people facing their current circumstances. That teaches us that we are never meant to see the past and the future in a way ISOLATED from TODAY, but rather, in a way THAT INFORMS our living for God TODAY. Do you read your Bible that way? Do you read about what God has done in the past, and what He promises to do in the future, and remind yourself that it is the very same God, working in a way that demonstrates His eternal nature and character, who is working in your life THIS VERY MOMENT? ESV Malachi 3:6 "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (Mal. 3:6 ESV) DO YOU REMIND YOURSELF THAT GOD WANTS US TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION. We see a tremendous example of that in our verses tonight. In this 9th chapter we have seen THE WEIGHTINESS OF GOD’S RETRIBUTION THE WEIGHTINESS OF GOD’S REDEMPTION THE WEIGHTINESS OF GOD’S RULE That revelation from God is SWEEPING in terms of the times being covered. God’s judgment upon Syria, and the cities of the Mediterranean eastern coastline, and the cities of Philistia, through the military campaign of Alexander the Great in in the 330’s. God’s Son making His way into the city of Jerusalem a little over 500 years from the time of Zechariah’s prophecy. God’s Son ruling over the earth in the peace of righteousness at a time STILL FUTURE, over 2500 years from the time that Zecheriah wrote. The age we are living in, the church age — existing between verses 9 and 10 of this chapter. An enormous time span, existing in four parts, covered in 10 verses. This passage is similar. I. A CALL TO RETURN IN VIEW OF GOD’S PROMISE TO BLESS (vs.11-12) The first thing that we note in our verses is that Zechariah’s message is being addressed to his contemporaries. Here is what happens to these people, and cities. Here is what can be expected in the future. BUT WHAT ABOUT US? WHAT ABOUT OUR OWN TIME? What this leads to for Zechariah’s hearers is A CALL TO RETURN that is married to A PROMISE OF RESTORATION. A. GOD’S DELIVERANCE (vs.11) What God is going to do is so certain that it is described as already having occurred. He will set Israel’s captives free. They are described as being held in a waterless pit. This wasn’t unusual imagery. Cisterns without water would sometimes be used as a prison. This would have brought a couple of situations to mind in the case of Zecharaiah’s hearers. JOSEPH ESV Genesis 37:18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams." 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life." 22 And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"-- that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. And, of course, God DELIVERED him from that pit and exalted him in the end.

Topics

• Hope