Response to a Question

Zechariah 7-8

            In Zechariah 7:1-3, a delegation from one of the towns comes to Jerusalem to inquire of the Lord whether they should still fast in the fifth month as a remembrance of the destruction of Jerusalem. The Lord’s lengthy answer begins by reminding them that ritual for ritual’s sake is not good. If the ritual inspires a holier life, a life of ‘administering justice and showing mercy and compassion,’ then the ritual is having its proper effect. Then, he reminds them of His promise, that the returnees will prosper (8:3-8), and He calls them to finish the temple (8:9ff.). So, again, the prophecy is on familiar themes: finish the work of the temple, love your God, love your neighbor.

The Rest of the Night Visions

Zechariah 3-6

            Zechariah 1:8-6:15 contains a series of visions that Zechariah saw, presumably on the same night (February 15, 519 BC; 1:7), hence, The Night Visions. I wrote briefly about the first three visions earlier this week. Now for visions four to eight!

            The fourth vision names Satan, standing beside Joshua, the high priest, accusing him, and the Lord rebuking Satan. Not incidentally, Joshua’s robes are filthy (a word which usually has to do with excrement…) Satan’s work has always been to accuse; that’s what the word satan means. It’s not a proper name at all. Sometimes it can simply be translated the prosecutor The accusation here is probably that Joshua, given his uncleanness, is not worthy to be the high priest, which explains the Lord’s response, “I have chosen Jerusalem.” It’s as if the Lord were saying, “Yes, it doesn’t look like much, but it’s what I have chosen.” Ultimately, of course, Jesus puts the great rebuke on Satan by saving humanity in the most ignominious way—dying on a cross. “Now,” as St. Paul says, “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

            Vision five shows a lampstand and two olive trees sustaining it. The lampstand was one of the furnishings in the temple, so the rebuilding of the temple is most likely the subject. The two trees are Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest. Verses 6 and 10 are the keys: the temple will be completed by the Lord’s Spirit, operating through these two men. No one should look at the humble beginnings and be filled with doubt about the Lord’s desires.

            The vision of the flying scroll seems to be a warning to the returned exiles that their ancestors had been exiled at least in part because of the injustice with which they filled the land. Relatedly, the vision of the woman in a basket is a representation of the wickedness of the people being carried away.

            The last vision takes us back to the first. Here Zechariah sees a vision of four chariots, as God’s messengers go out into the world, watching over and keeping tabs on the dangerous world in which the Lord’s small community dwells.

            The last bit of chapter 6 summarizes things well. The point of the visions is very similar to the point of Haggai’s prophecy: the temple will be built; Israel will be restored.

Introducing Zechariah

Zechariah 1-2

            Zechariah locates himself as a contemporary of Haggai, beginning his prophetic work in 520 BC. As Haggai, Zechariah is also concerned about finishing the temple, but he has a more pronounced interest in general spiritual renewal, too.

            One of the things that makes Zechariah challenging to read is that he often works in visions, as in chapter one when he has a vision of a man among the myrtle trees. My study Bible points out that these are names visions, not dreams. This marks Zechariah as very much in the apocalyptic tradition of Ezekiel, in which the Lord grants visions which are to be understood in symbolic ways. Another clue is the prominence of angels in the visions. It seems as if all eight visions in chapters 1-6 in a single night.

            The visions themselves can be difficult. First, we have a rider on a red horse among the myrtle. I’ve read that the imagery portrays an armed warrior emerging from the portal between heaven and earth, the idea being that the Lord Himself is investigating the condition of Israel in regard to her enemies. This is corroborated by the second vision of horns: the nations have gone too far. They were to be the agents of the Lord’s discipline on Israel, but they have done more than they ought and their power (the horns) is now judged.

            The third vision (2:1-13) uses the image of a measuring line, but flips it from the way that Ezekiel used it. Here it is not a warning of impending judgment; rather it is transformed into a vision of abundance. The gist of the angel’s message is, “Forget the walls! The city will be too big and too glorious!” Compare Zechariah 2 against Revelation 21-22.

Give Careful Thought

Haggai

            Haggai is a prophet in the post-exilic period. He is actually very specific about his ministry. He prophesies over 4-month period in 520 BC. The exiles of Judah were allowed to return to Jerusalem in 538 BC. By 536 BC, they had returned and laid the foundations for a new temple. Then, the work stalled, initially from opposition from neighboring nations, who framed the Jewish returnees as disloyal to Persia. By the time of Haggai, the delay seems to have been caused by the returnees’ own distraction. Haggai points out: they’ve had plenty of time to build their own houses!

            A feature of Haggai’s message that stood out to me was the repeated call, “Give careful thought…” Four times in two chapters. It seems to suggest that Israel knows better and if they just thought about it a little they would come to see the error of their ways. In my line of work, that resonates. I often feel like I don’t say anything particularly new and insightful in a sermon; preaching is really a practice in reminding God’s people what they already know (or already should know). In a famous passage in Galatians 5, St. Paul gives an extensive list of the works of the flesh, and as he often does in those sorts of contexts, the implication is, “You know this already; you know to avoid this.” Then he lists the nine fruits of the Spirit, and he (almost sarcastically) says, “Against such things there is no law,” as if to say, “Come on. This is obvious.”

            Intentionality is a buzzword these days. Even my fitness tracker reminds me to be mindful. It’s hardly a new idea. 2500 years ago, Haggai reminded God’s people, “Give careful attention to your faith.”

Zephaniah

Zephaniah

            Zephaniah identifies himself as a descendant of Hezekiah, part of the nobility of Judah. Isn’t it interesting the various backgrounds from which the Lord calls His messengers—from noble Zephaniah to common Amos, the shepherd and fig farmer!

            Zephaniah also places himself during the reign of Josiah (640-609 BC). My study Bible suggests a date in the 620s, noting that a Scythian invasion (known from history but not in the Bible) as the occasion. If that’s correct, Zephaniah would have been a contemporary of the young Jeremiah.

            Like several of the prophets, Zephaniah’s main theme is the impending judgment of the Lord. If Zephaniah stands out from that pack, it may be in the sweeping way he announces that judgment. He says that in addition to judgment on human wickedness, the non-sentient creation will also be caught up in it (1:3). Most famous is his statement in 1:15, famously embodied in the Requiem Mass. The requiem mass was the medieval name for the service sung at the death of a Christian. It’s been famously set to music by a number of great composers, but if you were to look up the Sequence in Mozart’s requiem, you might well recognize it. “A day of wrath, a day of ashes.” In our hymnal, the judgment is toned down, but the song is adapted in hymn #508, “The Day is Surely Drawing Near.”

            Zephaniah does not get around to good news until chapter 3, where he prophesies the purification of the people of Judah and their return from exile, an event still at least a decade in the future. For all of His frustration with His people, He remains faithful to His promises. Salvation would come from the people of Israel, and that means that a remnant must remain until Jesus arrives.

Habakkuk’s Prayer

Habakkuk 3

            What do you do when you just don’t understand what the Lord is up to? You pray.

            Habakkuk’s prayer begins with praise, that is, the recitation of the Lord’s saving acts. Technically speaking, the only portion of Habakkuk’s prayer that is truly prayer is verse 2, where the prophet asks the Lord to repeat His intervention in terms similar to the Exodus. Most of the chapter (verses 3-15) is tied up in reciting how the Lord saved Israel in the past. While the imagery varies, it remains clear the prophet is alluding to the way the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt. (The language of plagues and the sea strengthens that connection.) Finally, Habakkuk accepts the answer to his prayer, deciding to wait patiently for the God who had so wondrously delivered Israel in the past to do the same in his day.

            I maintain that prayer and praise are two different modes of speech. They are related, but they are different. Praise forms the basis for prayer. As we recount the Lord’s mighty deeds, as we preach the Gospel to ourselves, especially that the Lord has saved us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, we are reminded why this God is a God we can count on, from whom we can ask. After all, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things” (Rom. 8:32)? Prayer, then, technically, is the request. Notice that Habakkuk’s confidence is not in his prayer, but in His God who has saved in the past.

Excuse Me?

Habakkuk 1-2

            Poor Habakkuk. He observes and bemoans the wickedness of Judah (1:2-4), and he gets an answer he neither expected nor wanted: the Lord will send the Babylonians as the agents of His divine judgment (1:5-11). Habakkuk can’t believe it! In 1:12-2:1, the prophet objects, “They’re worse than us!” “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil!” The Lord’s answer (2:2-20) demonstrates that He knows the weakness of His instrument, Babylon’s arrogance. The Lord, reigning from His holy temple, will sort things out, including judgment on Babylon.